1 Payer Megathread - Sanders discusses on MTP - Likely to run as Indy in 2018

[Kamala]

Okay, shadows, will you stop demonizing Pelosi now?

[Kamala]

I want to be against single payer because shadows is for it, but I want to be for single payer because Wulfric is against it. Decisions, decisions.

[Kamala]

I want to be against single payer because shadows is for it, but I want to be for single payer because Wulfric is against it. Decisions, decisions.

Maybe you should make decisions based on whether the policy is good, not based on who supports it or opposes it.

Maybe you should learn what sarcasm is, not instantly think the person joking is an idiot.

[Kamala]

Huh. I never knew Al was shorter than Bernie.

[Kamala]

Traitor.

To whom?

[Kamala]

I wonder if Schumer could convince Trump to support single-payer. I mean, Trump is so easily influenced....

[Kamala]

Dawn of the Berniecratic Party

Despite more than two decades toiling in Congress, Sanders remained a backbench player, he confided to a top adviser at the time, according to "Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign." He sought a higher profile in the U.S. Senate for the liberal causes he had built his career around. A well-run White House campaign, win or lose, would do the trick. Fast-forward more than two years and Sanders is seeing that notion bear fruit.

While his former primary opponent, Hillary Clinton, is relitigating the last war, an emboldened Sanders is already making moves to shape the next one. Clinton may technically be right, as she continues to assert in interviews, that Sanders "is not even a Democrat." But it's Democrats who are increasingly gravitating to Sanders, as 16 did this week by joining his legislation calling for a Medicare-for-all health care system.

Just look at some of the names who stood next to him Wednesday to roll-out his universal health care pitch: Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey. All are prospective candidates for the presidency in 2020 – and 10 months following the party's harrowing 2016 defeat, they found themselves moving towards Sanders ideologically and physically, as each waited for his call Wednesday to make remarks at a Capitol Hill podium.

But in a sign of how far the debate had moved, even Sen. Joe Manchin, who faces a potentially competitive re-election challenge this year in increasingly conservative West Virginia, paid tribute to the legislation's concept if not its particulars. "It should be explored," he told Bloomberg, later issuing a statement clarifying his skepticism about the merits of single-payer. "Look at the number of people standing with him. [New York Gov.] Andrew Cuomo standing with Bernie Sanders for free college tuition," he said, referring to their joint appearance in January. " Sanders himself may decide to run for president again, but regardless of his personal decision, he's setting an early bar of what constitutes a true progressive in the era of Donald Trump.

https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-09-15/bernie-sanders-sets-the-bar-for-democrats-ahead-of-2020

I feel sorry for Democrats opposed to Bernie, especially the Blue Dogs.

I just don't like the whole cult of personality around Bernie - he can do no wrong, anyone who opposes him is a DINO, his chosen endorsee is the best candidate hands down. This kinda happened, but to a much, much lesser extent, with Obama and Hillary.

Some of the policies he's advocating for ARE good, but I'd rather have them without the cult of personality.

[Kamala]

Dawn of the Berniecratic Party

Despite more than two decades toiling in Congress, Sanders remained a backbench player, he confided to a top adviser at the time, according to "Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign." He sought a higher profile in the U.S. Senate for the liberal causes he had built his career around. A well-run White House campaign, win or lose, would do the trick. Fast-forward more than two years and Sanders is seeing that notion bear fruit.

While his former primary opponent, Hillary Clinton, is relitigating the last war, an emboldened Sanders is already making moves to shape the next one. Clinton may technically be right, as she continues to assert in interviews, that Sanders "is not even a Democrat." But it's Democrats who are increasingly gravitating to Sanders, as 16 did this week by joining his legislation calling for a Medicare-for-all health care system.

Just look at some of the names who stood next to him Wednesday to roll-out his universal health care pitch: Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey. All are prospective candidates for the presidency in 2020 – and 10 months following the party's harrowing 2016 defeat, they found themselves moving towards Sanders ideologically and physically, as each waited for his call Wednesday to make remarks at a Capitol Hill podium.

But in a sign of how far the debate had moved, even Sen. Joe Manchin, who faces a potentially competitive re-election challenge this year in increasingly conservative West Virginia, paid tribute to the legislation's concept if not its particulars. "It should be explored," he told Bloomberg, later issuing a statement clarifying his skepticism about the merits of single-payer. "Look at the number of people standing with him. [New York Gov.] Andrew Cuomo standing with Bernie Sanders for free college tuition," he said, referring to their joint appearance in January. " Sanders himself may decide to run for president again, but regardless of his personal decision, he's setting an early bar of what constitutes a true progressive in the era of Donald Trump.

https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-09-15/bernie-sanders-sets-the-bar-for-democrats-ahead-of-2020

I feel sorry for Democrats opposed to Bernie, especially the Blue Dogs.

I just don't like the whole cult of personality around Bernie - he can do no wrong, anyone who opposes him is a DINO, his chosen endorsee is the best candidate hands down. This kinda happened, but to a much, much lesser extent, with Obama and Hillary.

Some of the policies he's advocating for ARE good, but I'd rather have them without the cult of personality.

The Bernie ''cult'' pales in comparison the cult following of Obama in 2008 (the first election I was old enough to vote for)

The only difference between Obama and Sanders is that Obama told his grassroots supporters to go away after 2008 while Sanders is trying to engage them long-term hence why they're still around

I wasn't old enough to vote in 2008, so I'll take your word for it.

Also, I think using scare quotes for "cult" is kinda disingenuous. I'm not saying "cult," I'm using the term "cult of personality" which is an actual term in political science.

I'm just opposed to any of those kinds of followings, which is why I also couldn't really see myself supporting Melenchon in France unless it was a runoff vs Le Pen.

[Kamala]

I agree on the cult thing. I only vote for politicians that no one likes, just to be safe.

Do you ever get tired working at the strawman factory?

[Kamala]

Sanders lost the nomination and won the Democratic Party

WASHINGTON - When Bernie Sanders launched his bid for the Democratic nomination, he was often asked whether he, a democratic socialist, would actually become a Democrat. Now, more than a year after he ignited a movement with his unsuccessful bid, that question is moot. The Democrats have become socialists.

http://lmtribune.com/opinion/sanders-lost-the-nomination-and-won-the-democratic-party/article_835bdcab-8d06-51a1-bb0b-a46c5dd3aae4.html

Are we really now calling any policy that provides more welfare/more govt intervention "socialism"?

Because I'm pretty certain the Democrats aren't actual socialists.

[Kamala]

Single-payer is a just a half-assed, incremental step instead of just abolishing capitalism altogether.

(I support single-payer, by the way. Don’t @ me.)