this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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With the 2024 presidential race beginning to unfold, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he believes that President Joe Biden will again earn the Democratic nomination — and the president likely win reelection if he runs on a strong progressive campaign.

"I think at this moment ... we have got to bring the progressive community together to say, you know what, we're going to fight for a progressive agenda but we cannot have four more years of Donald Trump in the White House," Sanders said Sunday on "Face the Nation."

Sanders endorsed Mr. Biden in April. Sanders referenced several of those issues in underscoring what he believes is the importance of building "a strong progressive agenda" to win the presidency in 2024.

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[–] CMahaff 68 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Look, I'd love for that to be true, but it just isn't. Biden will win by being a boring centrist, because that's who he is and that's who will win a general election (generally speaking).

With the GOP going completely off the rails the easiest path to victory is to simply go middle of the road and pick up all those independents/centrists and conservatives with brains. Progressives will vote Biden regardless because Trump (or any Trump wannabe) is too terrifying of a reality.

This country has never shown it has some giant progressive silent majority - Bernie would know, he bet and lost on that materializing in his own presidential runs.

I don't see Democrats running hard on progressive policies until either the GOP starts running moderates again (forcing Democrats to pickup votes elsewhere) or young people prove they can be a force at the ballot box.

All this is not to shit on what Biden has achieved, because he has done things for progressives, but I don't see him suddenly switching to anything resembling a "strong progressive agenda" because it will just give his GOP opponent ammo to claim "see he's radical too". Biden will be the most boring, normal politician he can, while highlighting how bad things will get if his extreme opponent gets into office, and that's probably the smartest thing to do.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago (45 children)

This country has never shown it has some giant progressive silent majority - Bernie would know, he bet and lost on that materializing in his own presidential runs.

nonsense. The dems pulled the dirtiest tricks to kneecap bernie - including ALL of them dropping out on super Tuesday. They battled bernie harder than they fucking did trump. Don't spread garbage like this

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (6 children)

The dems pulled the dirtiest tricks to kneecap bernie

This was, of course, documented in the Wikileaks e-mails, whose contents were largely ignored by the mainstream media.

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[–] minnow 15 points 1 year ago

because it will just give his GOP opponent ammo to claim "see he's radical too".

But they already do that, so why care?

[–] afraid_of_zombies 13 points 1 year ago

I voted for Biden in hopes that

  1. The clown show would be over

  2. We would get one nice progressive win.

He gave me half of what I wanted. So I guess partial victory.

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[–] FlyingSquid 65 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

But he's not all that progressive. He never has been. In a sane country, he'd be a middle-of-the-road Republican. There is no progressive left in this country. Not with any real power.

[–] HWK_290 76 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

I keep seeing this but I'm not sure what you all want ..

  • biggest investment in climate infrastructure ever
  • biggest investment in infrastructure since the new deal
  • codified gay marriage into law
  • attempted to forgive $10k in student loan (blocked by republican scotus, still attempting a workaround on interest at least)
  • attempted ban on assault weapons (let's face it, this will never happen without an act of congress)
  • negotiated drug prices for Medicare (10 drugs so far, a blueprint for more)

Dude is ticking a ton of boxes. Sure we're not living in a socialist utopia with universal basic income, etc but it's been 3 years

Edit: with a republican congress no less

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (19 children)

They don't like Joe Biden because he doesn't pick losing fights on principle, in general, and because they don't want to admit that the primary process on the left actually does select for the strongest candidates.

I get it. I feel the same way at least emotionally. But $1.3 trillion dollars towards climate change and what is almost certainly the most important climate bill ever passed in the world so far is really hard to argue with.

I would like him to stand up and advocate for court reform. We need to strike while the iron is hot and people are seeing the Supreme Court for the corrupt political institution it always has been. He's backed down with very little fight on a couple of the things they've pulled lately when the Trump Administration would have just kept hammering on passing the exact same laws with tiny changes until they accept it. For example, the opinion on that student loan relief case made this incredibly idiotic argument about how the HEROES Act doesn't give permission for partial waivers because it only allows a modification or a full waiver and the partial waiver apparently doesn't count as either of those. I think you should have just come back and said well all right then, full waiver and total jubilee. That probably would also have been struck down but it would have really shown how vapid and hypocritical the court was.

The word neoliberal has basically lost most meaning. But everything they accuse Joe Biden of being are things that describe Joe Manchin. The guy who singularly keeps killing Progressive legislation put forward by the Biden administration.

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[–] Bonskreeskreeskree 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

He's also yet to declassify weed even though he carrot on a sticked it leading into the general and then again before primaries. He could do it any time and has not.

[–] Boddhisatva 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If Biden were to make any such change to Marijuana scheduling by executive order, the next president would just undo it the same way. Worse still, the GOP would use such a move as a talking point that Biden is soft on crime and trying to get their kids on drugs, which the GOP base would eat up.

In fact, though, the Biden administration actually is making progress on this front. Some time ago, they requested that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study whether or not Marijuana should be rescheduled. Just a few days ago, HHS sent their recommendation to the DEA to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. The DEA has sole authority on drug scheduling.

“While HHS’s scientific and medical evaluation is binding on DEA, the scheduling recommendation is not,” the HHS spokesperson said. “DEA has the final authority to schedule a drug under the CSA (or transfer a controlled substance between schedules or remove such a drug from scheduling altogether) after considering the relevant statutory and regulatory criteria and HHS’ scientific and medical evaluation. DEA goes through a rulemaking process to schedule, reschedule or deschedule the drug, which includes a period for public comment before DEA finalizes the scheduling action with a final rulemaking.”

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[–] toxicbubble 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (6 children)

this just hurts to read friend, please, want better for yourself. We deserve more. Don't settle for the pathetic Biden offering, you and I deserve so much more than these crumbs.

[–] HWK_290 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok, I agree, we do!

I'm curious... Can you sketch a realistic road map for me where we exist in 2023 with more than crumbs? I'm genuinely interested

The future is wide open but I'd say we're doing the best we can possibly hope for given the last 8 years.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

these are the lowest fucking bars imaginable

try the following:

  • enough climate infrastructure to at least stave off apocalypse
  • enough infrastructure to keep people from sleeping on the streets in the richest nation on earth
  • codifying gay marriage?? that's where you want the bar? maybe try codifying trans rights, that one isn't a political softball for free. It's not even true either, states don't have to issue marriage licenses if they don't want to
  • "attempted" lmao really? he pretended to around midterms to stir up votes and then let it flop. he was never going to.
  • attempted a ban on assault weapons? Again, if he cared, he'd executive order it
  • how about we don't make people pay a corporation to not die

in regards to ticking boxes, if someone ticks every single box I've outlined here, I'll think about calling them a centrist instead of a rightist

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[–] Gradually_Adjusting 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There are certain facets to consider here. The nuance I would add is that if he campaigns as a progressive, that will be a more winning platform but they will still just be campaign promises.

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[–] TrueStoryBob 61 points 1 year ago (13 children)

The infra bill was a huge shot in the arm and, based on the ads I'm seeing, he's going to run on its passing... that bill is beyond amazing, but they should have gone harder. While the ~$1.6 trillion is an eye watering amount of money, ~$4-6 trillion is what was originally asked for and what is needed. Hopefully he'll run on a Build Back Better: Part Deux. Also his appointees to the NLRB have been super progressive and aggressive, the return to Joy Silk will give the reinvigorated labor movement serious steam, but he also busted the RR workers ability to strike and he seriously shouldn't have done that. Overall, I'm not mad at the Biden WH on domestic issues... but more is needed and he should have let the RR workers strike. Like, the economy be damned, call the hedge fund's bet and end the Reagan era union busting.

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[–] nucleative 34 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

After the last guy the country just needed a guy who mostly plays but the rules, as unwritten as they are. Understands the system. Makes the country look like its head is connected to the neck. Generally speaks diplomatically. Doesn't have too many ideas that are way outside center. Looks after the little guy sometimes. Hires advisors who have a clue.

We got that guy. That's a good thing.

Now we need a newer, younger person with vision. Somebody who can help rebuild an American dream. Somebody who will be alive to see their dream come true. Somebody who can get everyone excited about figuring out what it means to be an American. Somebody who can set aggressive goals and make the case for why we should pursue them, and get the ball rolling. Somebody who shows the average American that their life specifically can be better tomorrow than it is today.

Regrettably that person will still struggle to defeat the ancient skeleton incumbents.

[–] Odd_so_Star_so_Odd 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

skeleton incumbents

quit packing congress with them then and demand age limits

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago (6 children)

He had better. Nothing worse than an incumbent democrat losing to fascists.

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[–] zerkrazus 32 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Yeah...no. Enough of the fucking 70+ year olds. I'm so fucking tired of people who should be fucking retired owning and running everything. Fuck the mother fucking hell off fossils. God damn it. Enough with the fucking retirement home bullshit. Holy fucking hell.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No more please can we just get normal human beings as presidential candidates and not whatever the fuck this has been?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They don’t exist. Not in politics, at least. All we get are crooks and 80 year olds.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Stop putting old farts in leading roles.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm 35 and I already feel a little out of touch tbh. It's insane people in their 80s being in positions of power is so normalized.

[–] afraid_of_zombies 7 points 1 year ago

To old to be on a jury but not too old to make the law.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (8 children)

Biden? a progressive? yea right.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Biden is too old to run. And Trump is a liar, criminal, un-American, and working to get rid of our democracy, AND is too OLD. But it looks like I will be voting for Biden again. And he has done some good things while in office.

So, I hope that Biden will have a moment of clarity about the needs of the middle class and poor people of the US. And he'll want to die of old age with history saying he was very helpful in fighting for policies to help us.

Maybe. But I do know Republicans don't believe in our democracy and they don't want young people voting. They want to rule us with religion even though they are a small part of your nation.

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[–] JTode 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hey everyone, go outside and find some grass and take your shoes off and put your feet in it. Stand there for a minute or two and just feel the grass on your feet. Have fun!

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Maybe the US should create a "Geriatric Party", where all these senile diaper wearers are put in a home.

Voting for a guy who has at MOST 5 years to live is not good foresight, regardless of what political party you rally behind.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Any human being of any age is better than a Republican fascist.

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