[politico.com]

"Sanders began his speech by lamenting “grotesque levels of income inequality,” a lack of guaranteed health care for all and the threat of climate change.

All of these issues and others are enormously important and should be the issues that are being debated in this campaign. But today, I am not going to talk about any of them,” he said, instead saying he would focus on “something in my wildest dreams I never thought I would be discussing.”

“This is not just an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” Sanders said, referring to the Democratic presidential nominee. “This is an election between Donald Trump and democracy, and democracy must win.”

The senator outlined a number of action items that he argued might help alleviate chaos surrounding the election.

First and foremost, he pushed for voters to hand Biden a decisive, landslide victory on Election Day, saying it would “make it virtually impossible for Trump to deny the results” and calling it “our best means for defending democracy.”

St _Sinner: Why, why, why do you disparage Bernie while patently knowing Nothing about him? The speech he just gave, as referenced by @Amzungu, directly above, was as pertinent and stirring as anything i have heard lately. Shame on you!

@AnneWimsey
I disparage Bernie because he was an unworthy candidate with a lousy persona, agenda, bad message, a bad pitch and still insisted on wanting to be president. I was here first in March 2019 saying Bernie is a phony candidate and he would fail ad he failed. There is nothing in Bernie worth being president.

@desertastronomer
Bernie has been a lifelong independent. I like it that way and he should run for president as an independent and see how far that goes. Just try. His campaign would be shorter lived than the Occupy Wall Street movement.

@Amzungu
Sanders also supported Hillary in 2016 and gave a big speech at the convention. But what happened? Many Bernie voters sat out and helped elect Trump in 2016. The repetitive damage by Bernie for 6 to 7 consecutive years in presidential campaigns has been done. Bernie does not have an ounce of president material in him.

This is what would have happened if Bernie was nominated:

1. He would not have been elected. Trump would have floored him in the first debate.
2. A lot of Democrats would have stayed home on the election day
3. Don't forget what happened to Al Gore because of the choice of Joe Liberman in 2000. The same would have happened. Independents and moderated would have crossed over to Trump
4. It would have been a defeat for the history books
5. The defeat lesson would have been taught in political science class in Harvard
6. Democrats would change parties in droves
7. It would have been embarrassing to be called a Democrat
8. The Republicans, religious right and religion would have a grip on Washing ton for the next 30 years.
9. Our children would be saying morning Christian prayer in schools. Lessons on intelligent design would be text books and Darwin would be removed
10. Government funding would have increased to religion at home and abroad
11. Anti-abortion would be the law of the land
12. The religious right would have called Trump's historical landslide as the second coming of Jesus

Make no mistake about it.

@St-Sinner because. NONE of that's happening now? And I know very, very few Bernie supporters who "sat out"..........you do know Hillary got 3 Million more votes, right?

@AnneWimsey

Hillary lost. That's what happened.

Not happening now? Happening to a lot lesser degree. I admit Biden is a not a good choice and if Trump wins, it will be because Bernie has scared voters away with his ridiculous socialism talk and communist past. The Republicans have been successful at branding the entire Democratic Party socialist and communist. Thanks to stupid Bernie and his mad errands for 6 years wanting to be president. When Bernie started out to run for president, I knew on Day 1 that he was going to shoot himself in the foot and give a bad name to the entire party. He was not a Democrat, never was a Democrat and had no business wanting to run on the Democratic Party platform. Only cowards do it. If he had the balls, he should have ran on as an independent. But he did not. Did he? It was because he knew his worth as an independent and himself.

@St-Sinner oh my gawd...do you ever listen to yourself?

@AnneWimsey

Yes and every time I do, I keep agreeing with myself and feel so proud about being accurate about Bernie all along. Bernie and president is the biggest oxymoron I have ever heard.

If Trump wins at all, it will be because of Bernie a lot more than Biden is weak. Bernie's damage will make echoes in the American democracy for decades to come. Here is what will happen because of Bernie's mad ambitions + Trump's victory in 2020:

1. Trump will complete his second term (because Democrats will not win a majority in the Senate)
2. Trump will build the best and the largest Presidential Library in Florida that will also be a symbol of the greatest narcissist ever lived in America
3. The admission will not be free to the library. We all, our grandchildren, foreign tourists will buy tickets to go see it
4. Our grandchildren will go to Trump schools and colleges, drive on Trump highways, take off and land on Trump national and international airports
5. Our grandchildren and their children will not complain about a national holiday for Trump's birthday
6. Bernie's candidacy has already galvanized the conservatives base, the conservative state legislatures, school boards
7. Natural evolution lessons will be removed from school books and intelligent design will be included, American history will be revised, Christian prayers will be introduced at schools and at the beginning of all legislative sessions
8. Ten Commandments monuments will be installed in front of all state houses
9. Citizens vs. United will continue but Roe vs Wade will be overturned
10. Anti-abortion will be the law of the land
11. Gender based bathrooms laws will spread nationwide like wildfire
12. All state and federal courts will be packed with ultra conservative and religious appointees
13. Gun lobby and second amendment protections will get stronger
14. Federal funding to Christianity in the country and overseas will increase
15. The defeat lesson of the Democrats in 2020 will be taught in political science classes in Harvard
16. Democrats will change parties in droves
17. It will be embarrassing to be called a Democrat in streets
18. The Republicans, religious right and religion will have a grip on Washington for the next 30 years.
19. Racism will rise
20. Civil Rights progress will be set back 50 years
21. Racial hatred crimes will rise
22. Biases and hatred against immigrants will rise
23. America will lose further respect around the world
24. Many Americans will move to Canada
25. Many highly educated, qualified and successful immigrants will move back to home countries and to other countries (Canada, UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland)
26. The religious right will call Trump's victory as the second coming of Jesus
27. America will not remain a super power. China will rise tremendously.

Make no mistake about it. Bernie followers have not even closely imagined the damage.

@St-Sinner again, a lot of what you attribute to Bernie simply running, (my you give him gawdlike powers!) Is already happening, or being attempted....and i put the blame squarely where it belongs, on drump......

@AnneWimsey

Blaming the enemy for the lost battles is weak and whining. When we continue losing, we first look at our own generals, our own mistakes and weaknesses for the losses. Enemy does what it is supposed to do. Kick our ass. The question is why do we bend over?

As for for High expectations from Bernie? That would be very illogical.

If anyone had expectations of gawdlike powers, it was Bernie. He thought too highly of himself and you Bernie supporters that included Occupy Wall Streeters, whiners about other people's success, haters of capitalism who put too much air in his head and Bernie though he could fly. He jumped out of the window from the 2nd floor in 2016 and now he jumped from the 10th floor in 2020. I hope he has learned his lesson. I would not vote for him for a municipality, let alone for president.

Anybody supporting him has hardly fathomed what American presidential race has become. None of us likes it. None of wants it to be the race about money and lying machines but we have allowed it to become so, we have allowed our Democratic leaders to look after their self-interests and work with the lobbyists instead of for us. British elections limit how much each candidate can spend and the campaign time is also limited. American presidential elections are awash with money and foreign interference now.

American presidential election is about personality competition. It is about marketing and selling the candidate. Campaign on product making and marketing and the election day is the sale day. Policies are distant second if at all. Getting elected president is not about being popular in a fringe group in Vermont. Americans look for an appealing, attractive personality who would stand up as a representative of the greatest power on the face of the Earth.

What personality did Bernie have with his hunchback, bald, flying in the air hair, his weird hand gestures, his challenging demographics and outlandish talk of socialism?

Tell me just about one thing here below:

"How should people envision President Bernie walking in France along with the French President in front of the French Army talking a salute?"

What kind of Bernie will they see? Standing straight, walking straight, head high? .. OR

A hunchback, bent, hair in the air, high spectacled absent minded professor looking guy who is an embarrassment?

I am asking because voters consider these factors too and Bernie supporters are ambivalent about it..

@St-Sinner So, you dislike him because of his appearance, all-natural? You prefer orange spray-gunned and the Hair from Hell.......

@AnneWimsey

Who was Jesus in the Bible (after all what I wrote above)?

The lack of charisma is just one small part of it. I have not seen one single quality in him that is deserves presidency. None.

@St-Sinner inspiring $15/hour to gain traction? Ditto Medicare for All? The concept of fairness? You just are willfully blind. Too bad so sad

@AnneWimsey

You are not getting my point, so let me say it again.

1. Everybody wants free things, free healthcare, free education, higher wages, and a very very happy society just like they paint in rosy stories about Norway, Sweden and the lands most Berniecrats have never visited or lived in including Bernie. Even Republicans want free and good healthcare. We all admit that our current exploitation by the rich must stop and better system have to come. There is no debate about it.

2. But there is a big turn off across the country that Bernie is the messenger. He is the worst salesperson you could find to sell the message. He failed to make the sale for 6 years in two presidential runs, could not even win nomination, his supporters were just a fringe group and he brought more damage to the message and cause than promote or help it.

I hope I am clear this time.

@St-Sinner because no place is now paying $15/hour? Just this one thing shows his message is powerful & enduring, despite your distain.