Rise of Populism?

[Mecha82]

Well, most of Sanders' voters were former Occupy members, so there you go.

In other words they were people that want money taken out of politics so that legalized form of corruption that is campaign donations and lobbying that allows richest 1% and corporations keep stacking odds against regular Americans would be no more. This is something that Sanders promised to do so of course they supported him. After all he basically made himself anti-establisment alternative to Hillary Clinton which is pretty much why he wasn't made to be one running against Trump.

[Yukaphile]

Sanders was pure establishment. He was a career politician who benefited from white privilege and had not gotten a thing done in 40 years. That seems like the establishment to me. That said, I can sympathize with his voters wanting change... right up until you throw dollar bills at a limo (what a waste of good money) or hurl chairs at conventions and throw out terms like "cunts" and "corporate whores!" I do know this isn't the majority of his supporters, but the problem is the moderates never seemed able to control the mob following on their flank. That, and Sanders himself encourages such division. To him, character assassination is the best way to win, to destroy your opponent. Those who prop him up as some kind of savior outside the current political bullshit are wrong, he is very much politically savvy and knows how to play the game. I mean, look at how we're just now getting reports that there was harassment towards the women working in his campaign. That's no surprise if you were a Clinton voter back then and knew how viciously they were going after us online. Again, Sanders encouraged an environment of violence and misogyny. Is that a shock? He's an old Soviet fanboy who thinks the USSR was better than the US. And I can sympathize with Sanders voters wanting to reform capitalism, wanting money out of politics, as I said, I really can... but the big problem is that they're blind to other issues. Thinking racism is dead, sexism is dead, and we have to focus only on economics, for the "white working class." That's a dogwhistle for white identity politics if I ever heard one. I thought Sanders was above that? Shit, I'm a die-hard Feminist, and I'm not blind to the issues of racism and economics in this country. They do need to be addressed... but again, that's not what I saw from Sanders and the most extreme factions of his movement.

[Mecha82]

Isn't character assassination pretty much how American politician like to do things. Besides it's not like Americans have any idea about what Social Democracy is and how it's different to Communism since they have never had that. From what I saw Sanders was pretty much for Social Democracy but then again I was following those elections from here Northern Europe so I could be mistaken.

[Yukaphile]

His voters were the one treating him as a purity saint, not us. Most Clinton voters I knew never doubted she wasn't perfect, but that she would still make a good leader, and a great successor to Obama, while Sanders was thinking about sabotaging him in 2012.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Sanders was pure establishment. He was a career politician who benefited from white privilege and had not gotten a thing done in 40 years.

A very overwhelming majority of literally all American politicians in history benefited from white privilege.

It's just about as relevant to chastise your own lack of accomplishments in life by bringing up white privilege.

[Yukaphile]

Very true. But his voters claimed he wasn't.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Very true. But his voters claimed he wasn't.

Maybe because he's Jewish?

[Yukaphile]

Because he held a few select positions they liked - like wanting to free up college debts. They were young voters, after all.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Well what does it matter if they said "it wasn't true?"

[Yukaphile]

Because they held him to a higher standard outside career politician, which you know, he was.