Bernie's In

Robert Reich
28 mins · Richmond, CA ·
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman yesterday warned Bernie supporters that change doesn’t happen with “transformative rhetoric” but with “political pragmatism” -- “accepting half loaves as being better than none.” He writes that it's dangerous to prefer “happy dreams (by which he means Bernie) to hard thinking about means and ends (meaning Hillary).”
Krugman doesn't get it. I’ve been in and around Washington for almost fifty years, including a stint in the cabinet, and I’ve learned that real change happens only when a substantial share of the American public is mobilized, organized, energized, and determined to make it happen.
Political “pragmatism” may require accepting “half loaves” – but the full loaf has to be large and bold enough in the first place to make the half loaf meaningful. That’s why the movement must aim high – toward a single-payer universal health, free public higher education, and busting up the biggest banks, for example.
But not even a half loaf is possible unless or until we wrest back power from the executives of large corporations, Wall Street bankers, and billionaires who now control the whole bakery. Which means getting big money out of politics and severing the link between wealth and political power -- the central goal of the movement Bernie is advancing.

Hillary has more than a point! according to the NYT today, she's got the support of many Obama aides. She also has the support of Martin Walsh, the Mayor of Boston as well as all the UNION MEMBERS in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and most likely elsewhere in the US.

woof woof

The NYTimes reports that the mayor of NY, Michael Bloomberg, is considering running as an Indy IF Trump or Cruz and Sanders are the nominees.

He'd be better than Sanders or Trump, anyday.

I was just reading that. It will likely split the Republican vote quite a bit.

That wouldn't surprise me, however there's syill a lot of action ahead out there in the primaries of both parties.
1. Hillary could survive, quite damaged, but still the nominee. (It will be very hard and risky for the Democrats to replace her, I don't see the party uniting around Sanders, even if he does well in New Hampshire & Iowa - South Carolina is next and Hillary will do well there and likely in follow on primaries as well.)
2. Trump could move toward the center of the Republican party, start talking more sensibly and form some unity with Republican Congressional leaders. (We se a little of this already)
3. A more conventional candidate could eclipse both Trump and Cruz. ( I see Cruz as self limiting and doomed to fail in the primary - others may not agree)

There's no guarantees in any of this, but there is real prospect of movement in each of the three areas identified above.

Media Shrugs as Thousands of Bernie Sanders Supporters March Across the Country (PHOTOS/VIDEOS)
http://usuncut.com/politics/nationwide-march-for-bernie-sanders-sweeps-across-35-cities/

...and there you have it.

He'd be hated, but by the right people. I hope he'll do it.

I understand your view.
You repeat it in such a way as to shut people interested off.

A third party run would cause the one running to be hated by the party he pulls from. Period.

That's a fact. I stated the fact.

If what I say or the way I say it bothers you, you should likely just put me on ignore. It will save both of us the bother.

It is not news that I can shut you off.
I made a comment.

My feeling is that waiting to see who the nominees are might be just a little late. If it were even possible, I might hope to see the Biden name in there again, in spite of being a lifelong republican.

As for Bloomberg, I suppose the thinks the three he mentioned are too soft on gun control. That's always been a big deal for Michael.

I don't know anybody that likes Bloomberg, but I have never followed him too much.

I looked in on a Bloomberg website and he seems to favor Clinton, of all candidates. I can't see him having a big impact at this point in the game.

I won't be seeing anything else you say.