Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 34

Thread: What If Bernie Does It?

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    8,306

    What If Bernie Does It?

    He’s looking pretty good in New Hampshire, and the recent attacks don’t seem to have penetrated his armor to any great extent. Suppose he wins the nomination and rides the wave of Trump revulsion some people are predicting to the presidency. Also suppose he’s given a narrow Senate (I.e. not filibuster-proof) majority. What do you think the practical result would be?

    He doesn’t have much of a history of birthing new legislation. Even some of his party colleagues might balk at eliminating private health insurance, or some of his more radical proposals. He’d be trapped between them and the AOC wing demanding revolution now. How much could he reasonably be expected to move the needle to the left?

  2. #2
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Offshore
    Posts
    11,477
    I don't think he has a chance to win the general election.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    8,306
    But suppose, as a thought experiment that he does.

    I don’t pretend to have any special insight here. I thought we’d be criticizing President Rubio at this point.

  4. #4
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Offshore
    Posts
    11,477
    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    But suppose, as a thought experiment that he does.

    I don’t pretend to have any special insight here. I thought we’d be criticizing President Rubio at this point.
    If he were to be elected, I agree with you - I don't think he'll get much of anything done.

  5. #5
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    9,389
    If elected I think he'll convert this country to a socialist paradise. Viva la Revolucion!!!
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  6. #6
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    14,635
    In general, I think any of the Democrats are going to have a hard time winning. RealClearPolitics shows Bernie doing pretty well in Trump vs. [Biden/Warren/Buttigieg/Sanders] polls. But Bernie will have a gargantuan task overcoming DNC sabotage to even get the nomination.

    If he did overcome all these obstacles and become President, I think his contribution would be to bend collective consciousness toward the benefits of Scandivanian-style socialism. He won't get to the Promised Land of Medicare for All or other progressive policies, but he would pave the way for future progressive leaders.

    That is enough for me to vote for him.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  7. #7
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    15,489
    Between DNC shenanigans, Republican mass voter suppression, and Russian disinformation and electronic hacking, we certainly have our work cut out for us.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    8,306
    Not “we”, exactly. I’m one of the near-extinct species of dinosaur who bitterly clings to the notion that deficits matter. Nor do I subscribe to the interlocking set of conspiracy theories explaining various Democratic party defeats.

    But if we live in times where a specimen like Trump can be elected President, I’m not inclined to discount even remote possibilities. I’m just wondering if there is a market out there for a massive increase in government, and if so how it might be expected to be implemented.

  9. #9
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Offshore
    Posts
    11,477
    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    I’m just wondering if there is a market out there for a massive increase in government, and if so how it might be expected to be implemented.
    We already have a pretty massive government. I think there's plenty of room to discuss restructuring the mass - it doesn't necessarily have to get any bigger. For instance, I'd rather have schools, bridges, hospitals, and clean water than a military bigger than the rest of the planet combined.

  10. #10
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    15,489
    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    We already have a pretty massive government. I think there's plenty of room to discuss restructuring the mass - it doesn't necessarily have to get any bigger. For instance, I'd rather have schools, bridges, hospitals, and clean water than a military bigger than the rest of the planet combined.
    I would like to live in a country where people aren't desperately scrambling to pay for health care and higher education and housing, and concessions to billionaires, personally--things that Bernie and Elizabeth talk about regularly. (And yes, lets "right-size" the bloated military.)

    Note that when we had much higher federal taxes, under Eisenhower, and the military-industrial complex had not yet assumed control of the country, middle-income people could pay for all those thing, easily. I remember those days.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •