Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Campaign 2016

Who do you think wrote the speech he delivered by teleprompter last night? Did that "sound" like Trump? GOP leaders are trying mightily to rein him in, but... you may be right. He's a 70-year-old rich white guy used to getting his way. He is going to resist and undermine that "influence" any way he can - just like he contradicted his "walk back" of his Judge Curiel comments immediately after the press release.

I don't. Too much hubris.

Here's the most recent Vegas odds.....

2016 US Presidential Election - Next President of the United States Odds as of June 2

Hillary Clinton -220
Donald Trump +190
Bernie Sanders +1600

They have Hilly as a shoe in.

I think the curmudgeonly uncle thing is actually a fresh look at politics. It kind of emphasizes the ideas instead of the person.
The fear that many have is that Hillary will move the Party more to the right - and as I said before - I really hope I'm wrong about that.

Sorry, Zeke, on this you're just plain wrong. I think you are misremembering: This is a transcript of Hillary Cli... the Democratic presidential nomination. Yes, it was four days after the last primary, but anyone who thought she could give a concession speech that night was delusional, just as anyone who thinks Bernie should have last night. It's what he does before the convention that is important.

Sanders acolytes, like many Obamaites in 2008, put him on a pedestal and invest him with superhuman traits and every wish they want fulfilled. The truth is, he's a politician. He's spent 30 years running for and serving in Congress and the Senate. He's from a very small State with a quirky constituency which has insulated him from some of the worst effects of it, but he's still "played the (political) game" for decades. He loved playing the outsider, the "independent", for all of those years, and like Trump, will have a hard time changing that role. But, if he wants to have an impact on the party, he will have to concede gracefully, as Clinton did 8 years ago, or go into the twilight alone.

If he does concede, say this weekend, he will have a great impact on this election and will become a leader. It's his choice.

Just two quick notes:

"Acolyte" is a bit of a hyperbolic generalization that sounds pejorative; I am a supporter of Sanders, but not an acolyte. Are you only talking about a vague subset of Sanders supporters?

Sanders is already a leader, more so than Clinton. Unless you want to narrow the definition of "leader".

Fact is she waited and evaluated the landscape before conceding. Likely Bernie will do something similar. And even if he takes it to the convention, I don't see any harm in that. If he keeps Hillary and Wasserman honest then it will be worthwhile. There should be no dictators in the Democratic Party. And if he can get Hillary to choose a more left-leaning running mate, so much the better.
I disagree - I don't think his supporters attribute any superhuman powers - on the contrary, his appeal is the HUMAN quality he exudes, as opposed to Obama and Clinton.
He is a guy who is pronouncing clear ideas - again, one can only hope that Clinton has learned something from that.
As far as his future in the Democratic Party - it depends more on said party than on him.

Thanks, Loggy. I mentioned the use of that word in a previous post and suggested "supporter", which is what I consider myself, and most of the folks I know that support Bernie feel the same way.

I don't use it as a pejorative, but it is a subset of "true believers". I don't think that is hyperbolic at all.

And, as much as I like Sanders and his message, he's not a true "leader." He wants to be, and he now has "followers" who believe in the same things he does. What he needs, though, is to give them direction. That is what a leader does. I subscribe to the principle of leadership as "a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task".

Right now he is just a spokesman for a nascent movement. He's identified goals, but has not developed a plan to get there. That is what he has often been criticized for. Leadership is what gets things done.

I've been a Sanders supporter from the beginning. I'm not a Sanders "acolyte". You're imbuing the word with far more import than it deserves and downplaying the fervency that "supporter" implies. Now, if I said one was an apostle, that, I think, would be closer to your implication.