Bernie Sanders launches high-profile offensive against ‘the oligarchy’
Bernie Sanders launches high-profile offensive against ‘the oligarchy’
Summary
Sen. Bernie Sanders is touring Iowa and Nebraska to rally against “the oligarchy,” aiming to energize progressives rather than launch a 2028 presidential bid.
At 83, he seeks to shape the Democratic Party’s future, arguing it lost in 2024 by neglecting working-class voters.
He hopes to influence budget battles and the 2026 midterms, targeting GOP lawmakers in battleground districts.
With Democrats lacking clear leadership, Sanders’ prominence and focus on economic inequality could define the party’s direction in the Trump-Musk era.
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I love Bernie and I admire his tenacity even at 83. But it is not nearly enough by a mile and we should not be relying on 83 year old to generate paradigm shifts. Please, for the love of God, other decent people with influence. Step up.
AoC has been highly visible in news and media so she's also giving it a go. I think one of our real issues is that leadership wise Jefferies is alright but Shumer is downright depressing.
Over the next two years we'll see a constant push by establishment dems to push out the progressives because centrist politicians on both sides want to keep a pro-corporate status quo.
AOC is now old enough to run for president. I can see her running in 2028 and getting the grassroots support that Bernie enjoyed.
If anyone can get the youth out to vote she can. they need to focus hard on getting people registered though.
I also really REALLY hope she doesn't campaign with a fucking Cheney
I also really REALLY hope she doesn't campaign with a fucking Cheney
I thought I saw AOC calling out how bad an idea that was, back when Harris did it, so I don't expect her to make the same mistake
"I think there's plenty of people that aren't happy about that, and I think that is part of the nature of putting together a coalition," Ocasio-Cortez, who clashed with Cheney when they were both in the House, said.
"I don't love it, but that doesn't mean that we aren't on the same team, and we aren't on the same page when it comes to who is unequivocally the better candidate in order to win the presidential election."
https://www.newsweek.com/aoc-liz-cheney-harris-campaign-trump-1976031
Aw shit, I hadn't seen that.
My read on that statement is "I think this is a bad idea but in-fighting is the last thing we need right now if we want to avoid a Trump presidency."
That’s my take as well
Afraid of competition on who can beat the republicans perhaps?
Calling it out harder publicly during the election would have just made a Trump presidency more likely. It's similar to how Sanders shut up after Hillary stole the primary and threw his full weight behind her train wreck or a campaign.
People who actually give a shit don't want Trump to win and will do whatever they can to keep that from happening.
Yeah that played out great in 2016 and 2024...
Of course infighting is bad if it escalates. But candidates who are completely detached from reality, need a reality check.
If the Democrats hadn't waited until Summer to acknowledge what everyone saw with their own eyes, Biden being mentally declined well past the point of doing another 4 years, they could have built a proper campaign with a properly primaried candidate. But the oligarchy doesnt want that, because then topics like cost of living, housing health care and US funded genocide become topics for the Democratic base too.
And after Biden came the trainwreck of the Harris campaign. No Charisma, no political character, embracing the oligarchs coming out in support of her and finally closing the coffin with fucking war criminals Cheneys.
AOC is now old enough to run for president.
She was old enough during the last election as well.
aye, but there were no Democratic primaries in the last election
How about that.
They'll never allow AOC to win, just like they didn't allow Bernie.
With enough support they won’t have the power to choose. It’s an uphill battle but one that we can win.
With enough support they won’t have the power to choose.
If there's no primaries, no amount of support matters.
And if frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their ass when they jumped.
As far as I can tell there is no legal requirement for a party to run a primary. If I am missing something I am more than willing to amend my opinion.
You are correct. That was a key part of the DNC defense in Sanders vs the DNC when they shafted him last time, in 2017. They are a private corporation with no responsibily to hold a fair primary. They argued that themeslve and won, so its estblished precedent now, and they know it.
https://observer.com/2017/05/dnc-lawsuit-presidential-primaries-bernie-sanders-supporters/
We do have the technology to grow wings on frogs now.
Granted the DNC "changed the rules" but are you forgetting the super-delegates overruling the majority votes in the primaries in 2016?
Looking at how shitty the democrats are now, they don’t have the ability to stop her.
She just needs to win the working class. There are far, far more of us than the elitist snobs currently running the show on both sides of the aisle.
In today's political climate, I think that's unfortunately true. It would take some drastic outreach, Obama levels of outreach and more, plus a ton of money to change peoples biases and opinions (again, as of today).
So watch them run a pair of old white men, or find another member of the Clinton family that hasn't had a go yet.
Well if we cant get Chelsea Clintin we can tap Hunter Biden right.
On a more serious note though, I would be comfortable with Michelle Obama from the getgo if she ran. I dont think she'd be easily controlled by the party. She had no time for their bullshit even when Obama was leading the party.
She might be a popular option but she doesn't want the job.
Kerry/Manchin.
I personally would prefer a Bernie/AOC ticket, with Bernie giving a public contract that allows her to have him resigned if his mind starts going. IMO, it would be ideal if we could get 16 years of Bernie/AOC, and more if they can raise worthy successors.
Bernie will be 87 in 2028. Unfortunately i think Bernies chance at the presidency has been and gone. AOC/Walz would be nice. Walz proved him self to be likable in the Harris campaign but he doesn't have the profile that AOC does despite arguably having more experience
Walz is the "Israel has the right to expand its borders" guy so you'd have to make him keep his mouth shut over Israel, but fair enough.
He ticks the old white guy box so the racists and sexists can feel okay voting for them while still being left enough to not be too much of a drag on the resulting administration
The biggest hurdle for AOC is she's a woman. She is an attractive woman, so that's beneficial, but I think America has made it abundantly clear that we are happy being misogynistic assholes that can't trust women with important decisions.
Can we pleas stop repeating this narrative? Hillary lost because she is an evil ghoul. Harris lost because she kept saying how she will continue the work of Biden who equally is an evil ghoul. And Harris invited Cheney to campaign with her, who is the father of evil ghouls in the 21. Century US politics.
There is countries more conservative than the US, where women have been Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chancellors.
Far right and Nazis also dont have an issue with women leaders any more when it comes to elections. Look at Le Pen in France, Meloni in Italy and Weidel in Germany. Ffs Weidel is the nazi candidate in Germany and she is in a lesbian marriage with an Asian immigrant and raises two adopted children.
Gender has nothing to do with Harris loss and this narrative is kept being peddled to not face why people are alienated by her political program, character and donors.
They are more ok with women when those women are on their side.
You're correct that Hilary was awful and Kamala was uninspiring, but that's still glossing over the fact that they both lost to Donald Fucking Trump, and Kamala did so with the benefit of hindsight.
And she took that hindsight and ignored it
We told her how to win. She needed the working class. Instead she tried to win suburban wine moms and “sane” republicans.
America will vote for a woman if that woman doesn’t look down on them. Harris lost at that rally where she shouted down protesters with “I’m speaking”. She told us all she wasn’t listening.
Then maybe they shouldn't have run awful people.
The party pilloried Sanders in 2020 because he allegedly said the same thing to Warren. Now, since the party doesn't want to run AOC because they hate anyone to the left of Dick Goddamned Cheney now, suddenly the electorate isn't ready for a woman? Fuck that. Democratic voters no longer want yet another status quo military industrial corpodem.
Repeat yourself.
Notice how none of those are America? Evil ghouls but somehow evil men get voted in no problem? America well never vote in a Woman sorry.
I think this ignores just how uninspiring Hillary and Kamala were.
Neither really spoke to the working class
You're correct that Hilary was awful and Kamala was uninspiring, but that's still glossing over the fact that they both lost to Donald Fucking Trump, and Kamala did so with the benefit of hindsight.
Really just ctr+c/v'd your own comment, huh?
Yes?
Huh... Just thought it was odd.
You're making me feel like I need to punch more sexists that I find. I'm really liking the idea of identifying as a fucking problem these days.
Gender has absolutely nothing to do with it. She is neoliberal garbage like the rest of the party
She's another dnc sheepdog like Bernie.
I was higher on Jeffries until I heard him interviewed by John Stewart. He said a bunch of nothing just like the rest of the party.
AOC’s interview was significantly better.
From Jon's podcast? Wasn't that a horrible interview? Jon starts put saying "what's the plan instead of just saying you have to get the message out" and Jeffries doubles down on "branding".
Its really disheartening to see that bullshit gaslighting is still the MO of the Democrats going forward. Every word of that interview was more of the same old shit, and unfortunately Jon didn't push back on him at all.
Yes it was a bad interview hence me saying he said a bunch of nothing.
Jeffries is horribly corrupt and a total stooge for monied interests. Don’t let his PR team fool you.
But but but he rhymes at times like johnnie cochran when he's on and rockin!
Surely, that makes up for being a corporate drone that helps keep status quo fascism in place.
She looks great, but is it worth risking more MAGA on America voting for a woman? A third time? They think they were radical voting for "the black man". Voting a woman seams beyond America even if the other choice is Trump or not voting. God know what the state the world is going to be in by the time another US election is due, let alone if it's allowed to happen and be remotely free and fair.
Around the world, countries voted for change last year, not just America. Not necessarily good change, but people were unhappy and didn't like the way things were. When Biden dropped out, there was massive excitement that maybe Kamala would offer good change, but eventually she promised more of the same.
I'm not saying sexism wasn't a factor, it was. But it wasn't the only factor. And Trump's margin of victory wasn't so large that we should just write off all women because Trump won against two women who allowed him to be the "change" candidate.
Kamala's biggest weakness was trying herself with Joe Biden. She should have taken a more radical approach and sweeping changes.
I would argue the biggest factor is the lack of a primary. Kamela didn't get to prove her 2024 chops, along with not having nearly enough time to organize a campaign. Biden and his handlers really screwed the pooch.
What it really comes down to, though, is corporate donors. Never forget that most of the high democratic leadership are a feckless and dependent lot. Kamela, like the rest, listened to the demons.
I mean, not having a real platform beyond business as usual, ignoring the cost of living crisis, and expressing a commitment to continued genocide were particularly large factors.
Harris raised 50% more than Trump. It’s hard to pin this one solely on big money influence.
Her messaging changed midway through her campaign, to one that was friendlier to a center-right disposition. She lost a good deal of her mojo because of that, since she became Biden v2.0. While obviously better than Trump, she was rejected for being more of the same. Many politicians across the globe felt a backlash in 2024 for not trying to rock the boat.
I agree. Her speech on the Monday after she got picked was great. She came out of the gate swinging. She laid out a solid initial vision with a realistic warning that it was going to be a hard fight.
Then she didn't.
Somewhere along the line she got cold feet and decided that not rocking the boat would be a safe option. She thought that pushing too hard would galvanize her opponents. Instead she tried to play nice with them and alienated large chunks of her base.
Harris raised 50% more than Trump.
That just tells me she was paid to take a dive.
Maybe. I think it's more likely that she truly believed that her milquetoast approach was actually the safer option. I'm not even sure Harris was exceptionally cowardly.
Many other people would likely have folded and taken that "safe" option.
The problem is that we needed someone who went well beyond just "not cowardice". We needed an actual hero. We needed a candidate who was willing to boldly face down big money interests, even when it seemed unwise and hopeless. Harris definitely wasn't that hero.
This is why the neoliberal tendency to announce that any given neolib is the second coming of FDR always falls so flat. FDR welcomed the hatred of those that consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs.
Neoliberals regard such people with awe and reverence.
And Trump’s margin of victory wasn’t so large that we should just write off all women because Trump won against two women who allowed him to be the “change” candidate.
"Women can't win" is an excuse to shut out AOC and nothing else.
See from here in the UK, both women seams good enough and miles better than Trump. I think it says a lot about the US that both times they choose Trump over these clearly competent woman. The US just isn't as socially progressive as Democratic leadership seam to think. I agree there was more than just misogynism going on, but it seams like it was a solid chunk of it.
See from here in the UK
Sorry UK, you're very much in the same boat with us americans. Nothing an American or Brit says about politics will be taken seriously by anyone. A literal clown with a painted face would be taken more seriously than either of us.
Yer, Brexit is our Trump. It hurt us badly and continues to hurt us. We have a more grown up party in power now, but they dare not question Brexit as the popularists will jump on them if they do.
She looks great, but is it worth risking more MAGA on America voting for a woman? A third time?
Questions no one would be asking if she were a corporate ghoul.
I honestly don't think it matters how great or not she is. I just don't think America will vote for a woman yet. They prefer a rapist fashist narcissist.
I honestly don’t think it matters how great or not she is.
I honestly think that all the handwringing about a woman not being able to win is because the party hates AOC and everyone she stands for and will happily hold all women back to prevent her from being able to run.
You don't think it's that too big a chunk of US voters are backwards misogynists? Wish I didn't, but I do. I'm not going to get my hopes up a third time.
The Democrats succession planning was/is terrible, which is why an 83 year old independent is one of the few that can rally a crowd. I wish they had done better.
In German class, in Arizona, my German teacher taught us teenage edgelords about Hitler. About his speeches. About his Charisma. He was a cult of personality. He could rally a crowd. If there aren't videos comparing trump rallies to Hitler, I suggest you make you're own comparison, and use your own judgment. There's a reason fascism wins. Hate doesn't prosper under progressives.
I have a friend who's really into serial killers and cults, like, he's listened to the recordings of the final moments of the Jamestown Massacre where you can hear them forcing the Flavor-Aid down people's throats as the rest gasp and choke and die in the background, and he says that Trump sounds just like Jim Jones. From his speech patterns to the tone of his voice, it gives him chills just how alike they sound.
Jonestown, or as I just learned it was also called, the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project
Thanks, I have no idea why my phone auto corrected to James.
the democratic peoples republic of temple
I have a friend who’s really into serial killers and cults
Yeah, uhhhh, keep an eye on that guy.
Yeah, it's not bad planning.
They continue actively keeping the progressives and the younger leaders out of power.
(This is about AOC, not Bernie, but we all know they did him dirty at least twice already.)
WE are those other decent people with influence.
If you have any ability, run for office and start your campaign now. If not, find a progressive running and join their campaign.
If the democratic party won’t do their jobs, we need to fucking do it for them.
Please
Ok, good opener, I'm listening
for the love of God
Eh. Fuck that asshole sideways.
other decent people
We're back on, yeah!
with influence.
Ah. That's a no-go, sorry. Especially not in this fascist-breeding-pit climate...
Step up.
Hunh. Might be why the only guy stepping up is Bernie. He's so old, he's in Death's phone contacts under "guy @ work". 🙃
Democratic Socialists had a pretty serious recruiting campaign for the 2018 midterms. Cold-called potential candidates, offered training for both speechifying and organizing. Put up actual progressive candidates against incumbent dems in carefully chosen districts. That's where "The Squad" came from.
Then they just kind of disappeared.
My point is that there are people out there willing to step up, but probably not thinking that they could be a "real" candidate and win, put up with the hassle and harrasment. People who would answer if called, but aren't ready to jump in unasked. Bernie's asking.
"Disappeared"? The Squad was literally targeted by the same fascists dismantling our nation this very moment (and those other cowards fired before them) until The Squad's efforts were off the first few pages... and relegated to those who actually read (the Venn of that group and fans of The Squad is almost a single circle). FWIW, "disappeared" is exactly what the opposition prefers us to believe. Don't.
Of the 5 current US reps with DSA history, DSA only endorsed 1 in 2024. They don't even support AOC anymore. Maybe they've just refocused their efforts on state level races - which are definitely more 'winnable' and definitely an important part of building a pipeline to national office - but far less visible to people who don't live in any targeted districts. To my view, they're not the national joke that the Green party is, but they're much harder to see than they were six years ago.
Fuck the Democrats™, in office or otherwise; they're not your friends or neighbors, and have shown they're capable of nothing more than jerking the ripcord when the Turd Reich yells "Pull!"
How many clays get launched before we legit recognize this isn't just for practice? Sub-question: how many rounds would you guess before your "turn" down the slide, into the sky and their iron sights, fellow pigeon(s)?
✊🏼 The revolution may not be televised, but if anyone out there is waiting to catch the reaction vids first before forming an opinion? You're not in traffic, you are the traffic. Pick a lane.