Wow, maybe Chuck Todd really does intend to change MTP:
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) indicated on Meet the Press today that he would seriously consider running for president in 2016, even if that required him to switch his party affiliation to Democrat.
“The truth is, profound anger at both political parties, more and more people are becoming independent,” he began.
However, “the issue of whether you run as an independent, with the necessity of setting up a fifty-state infrastructure, running as a Democrat, that’s something that I’m looking at,” he continued.
Host Chuck Todd asked whether his running would necessarily be a criticism of Hillary Clinton’s record or policies.
“I don’t know that Hillary is running,” Sanders replied. “I don’t know what she’s running on. I know that the middle class in this country is collapsing. I know that the gap between the very, very rich and everybody else is growing wider. There’s profound anger at the greed on Wall Street, anger at the media establishment. The American people want real change. I have been taking on the big money and special interests all of my political life.”
Weren’t the results of last Tuesday’s New York Democratic primary pitting Cuomo against Teachout refreshing? 35% of Democrats voted ‘against’ Cuomo. Clearly the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party has declared war on the Clinton wing of the party. The question being debated is this: Is it better to spend our limited resources on 1) war, or, 2) rebuilding our infrastructure, reducing unemployment, and increasing middle-class wages and wealth? Bernie Sanders (16) is the only candidate (not) running for president who is addressing that question today. That 35% insurgency in New York will grow in number exponentially over the next 12 months all over the country. In the beginning they told Hillary that she didn’t have to do anything or even make any sense. “Just be Hillary,” they told her. And she believed them.
1) Sanders is toeing the Democratic Party line on the Iraq/Syria War: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-of-senator-bernie-sanders-on-iraq-and-syria
2) Sanders is toeing the party line on the deficit vs. massive investment in infrastructure and jobs. Like most Democrats, he assumes that a balanced budget is the paramount goal, even during a depression. http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/a-progressive-deficit-reduction-plan
I suppose you can hope that a Democrat slightly to the left of Clinton will deliver the change we need. Some of us have been there, done that already.
Mr. Tom, on your first charge Bernie gets half credit. Bernie is a non-interventionist. Every other likely Democratic presidential candidate is an interventionist warmonger. Your second charge is confusing. Is there something about Sander’s economic plan that you don’t like? It appears quite detailed and positive. Have you heard any other likely Democratic presidential candidate be this specific across the board on this issue? Electing Hillary is like electing a pig in a poke. She never says anything that she can’t slide out from under.
If Bernie’s on the ticket, he’s got my vote. All the other candidates have rather obvious corporate spooge dripping down their collective chins.