Bill Press: Sanders didnt damage Clintons public image

[LiberalLovinLug]

378. We will agree to disagree

This was the year for a strong anti-establishment candidate. Now voting Trump of course is the furthest thing from that in actuality. Because along with him come the GOP majorities. As well Trump may be unconventional, immature, and brashly un-PC, but at the core he does not want to upset the business classes in the USA, and will cater to them as much or more than any other President. I'm sure you agree with that.

But IMO many who voted for him would have voted for Bernie if they had had the chance. Maybe not "many" but enough to put the Democrats over the edge. Maybe its unfortunate, but Democrats need a few of these wayward souls in the voting booth for them. Those who don't really understand left and right, and only respond to what they want to hear. The same of course goes for the Republicans....they need a few wayward libertarians and independents and even a few more conservative Democrats to help them out.

Bernie kept his message simple for a reason. He pounded the idea of the wealthy not paying their fair share, and the possibilities of what we could accomplish if we steered those resources into things like health, education, paying higher min. wages, etc..And that trade deals that leave out the workers in the equation are counter productive.

You could have asked the same thing about gay marriage or pot legalization attitudes 10 years ago. Political attitudes change like the wind sometimes. If Bernie had won, or ideally I was hoping that Hillary, after her push for universal healthcare back in Bill's day, and the way she called out the very real "vast right wing conspiracy", that she would have evolved towards more of a progressive in regards to fiscal matters and campaign funding. But she went the other way. In some ways I dont' blame her, she and Bill watched the GOP's coffers overflowing with corporate donations and thought that for the good of the country, the Democrats needed to be elected. And if the only way available, in their eyes, was to grovel to the wealthy classes, then so be it. They made their bed and went with it.

But Bernie proved, probably surprising himself, that in this new atmosphere, he didn't need corporate donations. There were enough people from all stripes willing to pitch in $35 dollars to see an anti-establishment candidate get ahead. Would some reluctantly vote for him, or afterwards have Berniegrett, I'm sure. But to many Americans, who do not proliferate political message boards, and given a choice between Sanders or Trump, would have voted Sanders simply because Sanders was the saner choice. That's why this was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity.