Bernie Sanders for President

Gern Blansten

Yes he does. He would be a great president and is exactly the kind of person we need in the White House right now.

ldent42

So this is incredibly fascinating. Bernie's got a website explaining how to vote for him by state. Since our election process is specifically designed to prevent people from voting for a candidate like Bernie.
http://voteforbernie.org/
Every fuckin' state is different. I started counting based on the color code on the map but it's misleading. Just cuz they're all purple doesn't mean they all follow the same rules. MIND BOGGLING.
The good news about it is at least for my state, NEW voters can still register to vote and declare themselves democrats so they can vote for Bernie. I really think they should make that clear because the way they were saying that you have to register as a democrat by October to be able to vote for him didn't make that clear AT ALL.

Now, I'm as bad at math as I am at politics. So if NY actually gets more votes for Bernie than Hillary, does that help or hurt the odds of getting a Democratic-ish candidate in the White House?
I don't want to run the risk of the Democrat-ish votes getting split between Bernie and Hillary thus giving a majority to fuckin' Jeb so he takes the White House.


In other news, local and importante news for me, check this out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/nyregion/bernie-sanders-urges-cuomo-to-raise-pay-for-cuny-professors.html

While the rest of the presidential field was talking about how to confront global terrorism, Senator Bernie Sanders in recent days had a very local issue on his mind: getting a raise for professors at the City University of New York.

Roughly 25,000 CUNY faculty and professional staff members have been without a contract since 2010, and have not had salary increases in that time. Part of the reason is that the amount of per-pupil funding CUNY receives from the state has declined, adjusted for inflation, since before the recession; roughly 45 percent of the system’s $3.2 billion budget comes from the state.

Mr. Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, on Friday sent a letter to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo that called on him to provide funding for a new contract with raises.

“As a college degree becomes increasingly important for economic security in our vastly unequal society, CUNY has historically represented the possibility that a college education of the highest quality could be accessible to all,” the Vermont senator wrote. “It should continue to represent that possibility.

“That is why I am troubled by New York State’s refusal so far to invest in a fair contract for the university’s faculty and staff.”

While it might seem strange for a presidential candidate to weigh in on a local university’s contract dispute, the issue is on message for Mr. Sanders, who grew up in Brooklyn and whose campaign has focused on income inequality. Most of CUNY’s 275,000 degree-seeking students are minorities and come from low-income backgrounds.

“Show New Yorkers that your concern for working people and people of color includes a commitment to their ability to achieve a college education,” he urged Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat.

The governor, meanwhile, vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required the state to cover predictable rises in operating costs at CUNY and the State University of New York, including inflationary increases in rent, utilities and health care, as well as salary increases that are not tied to contracts.

Barbara Bowen, president of the Professional Staff Congress, a union that represents faculty and professional staff members at CUNY and the CUNY Research Foundation, said in a statement: “Cuomo’s decision to veto the bill will damage the quality of education CUNY can offer and reduce students’ access to the top-quality faculty and staff they deserve. If the aim of the veto was to hurt New York’s low- and middle-income communities, that aim has been achieved.”

In 2011, the state passed legislation allowing CUNY and SUNY to increase tuition by $300 a year over the next five years. The agreement reached at the time called for the state to maintain its level of funding for CUNY and SUNY, unless the governor declared a fiscal emergency, so that the tuition increases would not go to filling holes in the state budget.

The state has done that, but it has not fully covered inflationary increases. For CUNY, that meant a shortfall of $51 million this year.

Jim Malatras, the governor’s director of state operations, said he could not respond to Mr. Sanders’s letter because he had not seen it. He said the funding bill was vetoed because it would have committed the state to another $600 million in spending and the governor believed that should not be done outside of the budget process.

Mr. Malatras also said the state had covered $800 million in new costs at CUNY and SUNY since Mr. Cuomo took office in 2011.

Backstory here, here, here and for an extra dose of fun check ‪#‎CuomoFundCUNY on your prefered social media platform.

Have you guys seen the reddit page for Bernie? It's so depressing.

pickupyourwill

So I know a Conservative Republican on Facebook whom I was friends with long ago. She posted this on her wall a week or so ago, "If you want Bernie Sanders for president please unfriend me. I'm not kidding. Thanks."

Now I've still only seen bits and pieces of most of the Democratic and Republican debates. The only one I know I'm not for is Trump. Other than that, I still have a hard time telling the differences among all their false promises. So how in the hell can a person judge so harshly against a nice man like Sanders this early in the game? What issues does he stand for that the others don't?

And more importantly--can we all agree that I might consider unfriending the she mentioned above purely based on her bitch-factor?

callen

Not bitch factor but ignorance factor.

meganrose

pickupyourwill said:

So I know a Conservative Republican on Facebook whom I was friends with long ago. She posted this on her wall a week or so ago, "If you want Bernie Sanders for president please unfriend me. I'm not kidding. Thanks."

Now I've still only seen bits and pieces of most of the Democratic and Republican debates. The only one I know I'm not for is Trump. Other than that, I still have a hard time telling the differences among all their false promises. So how in the hell can a person judge so harshly against a nice man like Sanders this early in the game? What issues does he stand for that the others don't?

And more importantly--can we all agree that I might consider unfriending the she mentioned above purely based on her bitch-factor?

He stands for a living wage--$15 min. wage, Universal healthcare, Marijuana legalization, three month paid family and medical leave--No other candidate is like him. Sorry, I am busy and I cannot type out all his proposals=)

brianlux

pickupyourwill said:

So I know a Conservative Republican on Facebook whom I was friends with long ago. She posted this on her wall a week or so ago, "If you want Bernie Sanders for president please unfriend me. I'm not kidding. Thanks."

Now I've still only seen bits and pieces of most of the Democratic and Republican debates. The only one I know I'm not for is Trump. Other than that, I still have a hard time telling the differences among all their false promises. So how in the hell can a person judge so harshly against a nice man like Sanders this early in the game? What issues does he stand for that the others don't?

And more importantly--can we all agree that I might consider unfriending the she mentioned above purely based on her bitch-factor?

The Sanders detractors have convinced a lot of people that Bernie wants everything to be free- their misunderstanding of the concept of socialism and specifically democratic socialism which is " a specific type of socialist who wants public ownership of the means of production (which means the tools and money to make things) and a democratic political system. The smear tactics are relentless. Some of these people even think Sanders is a communist. For the most part, these detractors are people who might actually stand to gain by living in a more egalitarian or at least equitable state of being. I'm not sure what they are so afraid of.

As for the possible unfriending, maybe leave it up to them and let them live with the result and know you are a better person for not being so closed minded.

JimmyV

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

BS44325

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

rgambs

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

BS44325

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

rgambs

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

There is no doubt about that! That's why I think the best Dem strategy is to just lay low and let Trump bust up the GOP.

meganrose

The debate will be very interesting, tonight--The first debate where I didn't know what the hell is going to happen. Should be exciting!

BS44325

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

There is no doubt about that! That's why I think the best Dem strategy is to just lay low and let Trump bust up the GOP.

I'm not so sure about that. I am no Trump fan but I think he can pull a lot more unsatisfied blue collar democrat voters then people expect. I also think he would get a far larger share of African American voters compared to previous Republican candidates. If the dems "lay low" or worse become divided I am sure they could generate the turnout necessary to beat the reality tv candidate.

brianlux

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

There is no doubt about that! That's why I think the best Dem strategy is to just lay low and let Trump bust up the GOP.

I'm not so sure about that. I am no Trump fan but I think he can pull a lot more unsatisfied blue collar democrat voters then people expect. I also think he would get a far larger share of African American voters compared to previous Republican candidates. If the dems "lay low" or worse become divided I am sure they could generate the turnout necessary to beat the reality tv candidate.

I would think Black voters who are Republicans would be more likely to vote for Carson, no?

BS44325

brianlux said:

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

There is no doubt about that! That's why I think the best Dem strategy is to just lay low and let Trump bust up the GOP.

I'm not so sure about that. I am no Trump fan but I think he can pull a lot more unsatisfied blue collar democrat voters then people expect. I also think he would get a far larger share of African American voters compared to previous Republican candidates. If the dems "lay low" or worse become divided I am sure they could generate the turnout necessary to beat the reality tv candidate.

I would think Black voters who are Republicans would be more likely to vote for Carson, no?

Why would you assume that?

rgambs

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

rgambs said:

BS44325 said:

JimmyV said:

The Democratic machine chooses the Friday before Christmas Week - with the country drunk on Star Wars and egg nog - to announce sanctions against the Sanders campaign. Bernie's campaign manager quite accurately accuses the DNC of trying to undermine them in the run-up to Iowa and New Hampshire. A federal lawsuit - Democratic candidate vs. Democratic National Committee - has been threatened.

Hillary Clinton won't be elected. She will be installed.

The DNC better be careful...there is an insurrection brewing. Hillary can't win a general without Bernie's supporters.

Yeah, this is a bone-headed move. The best strategy would be to leave this infighting to the GOP and let them lose it.

For sure but the problem is the people who abandoned Hillary for Obama aren't that eager to embrace her now. She is hardly inspirational.

There is no doubt about that! That's why I think the best Dem strategy is to just lay low and let Trump bust up the GOP.

I'm not so sure about that. I am no Trump fan but I think he can pull a lot more unsatisfied blue collar democrat voters then people expect. I also think he would get a far larger share of African American voters compared to previous Republican candidates. If the dems "lay low" or worse become divided I am sure they could generate the turnout necessary to beat the reality tv candidate.

I think you are wrong on those two points. Trump will find a way to alienate everybody lol

pickupyourwill

callen said:

Not bitch factor but ignorance factor.

I agree.

pickupyourwill

meganrose said:

pickupyourwill said:

So I know a Conservative Republican on Facebook whom I was friends with long ago. She posted this on her wall a week or so ago, "If you want Bernie Sanders for president please unfriend me. I'm not kidding. Thanks."

Now I've still only seen bits and pieces of most of the Democratic and Republican debates. The only one I know I'm not for is Trump. Other than that, I still have a hard time telling the differences among all their false promises. So how in the hell can a person judge so harshly against a nice man like Sanders this early in the game? What issues does he stand for that the others don't?

And more importantly--can we all agree that I might consider unfriending the she mentioned above purely based on her bitch-factor?

He stands for a living wage--$15 min. wage, Universal healthcare, Marijuana legalization, three month paid family and medical leave--No other candidate is like him. Sorry, I am busy and I cannot type out all his proposals=)

Thanks for the info. He sounds like a good candidate.

pickupyourwill

brianlux said:

pickupyourwill said:

So I know a Conservative Republican on Facebook whom I was friends with long ago. She posted this on her wall a week or so ago, "If you want Bernie Sanders for president please unfriend me. I'm not kidding. Thanks."

Now I've still only seen bits and pieces of most of the Democratic and Republican debates. The only one I know I'm not for is Trump. Other than that, I still have a hard time telling the differences among all their false promises. So how in the hell can a person judge so harshly against a nice man like Sanders this early in the game? What issues does he stand for that the others don't?

And more importantly--can we all agree that I might consider unfriending the she mentioned above purely based on her bitch-factor?

The Sanders detractors have convinced a lot of people that Bernie wants everything to be free- their misunderstanding of the concept of socialism and specifically democratic socialism which is " a specific type of socialist who wants public ownership of the means of production (which means the tools and money to make things) and a democratic political system. The smear tactics are relentless. Some of these people even think Sanders is a communist. For the most part, these detractors are people who might actually stand to gain by living in a more egalitarian or at least equitable state of being. I'm not sure what they are so afraid of.

As for the possible unfriending, maybe leave it up to them and let them live with the result and know you are a better person for not being so closed minded.

Thank you, Brian. Thanks for the info. Its a shame they have to attack him like that. But that's politics right?

Since this old friend of mine and I have always been polar opposites, it made me consider him as a candidate--like maybe the universe was telling me to take notice of those political issues that he stands for and unfriend a toxic friendship at the same time...? Who knows.

About 2% of me thought I would go Republican for this election since my dad would have, and his life was taken too soon a year ago--like giving up my vote for my dad--and also Repub. because it seems like their turn after 8 years of Dem.--just like in elementary, lets take turns. But I've always been Democratic or Independent and I have to be true to myself. So I'm definitely voting Democratic at this point.

ldent42

I know nothing. I just come bearing links.

http://rightwingstories.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-general-election-electoral-vote-map.html?_sm_au_=iVVZNpVtqWD65tGH