Bernie Sanders’s New Political Group Is Met by Staff Revolt

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/u...ntentCollection=Home Page&pgtype=article&_r=0

“He preaches transparency and then he tries to set up the most shadowy of shadowy fund-raising organization to support his causes,” said Brady Toensing, the vice chairman of the Vermont Republican Party, who argued that Mr. Sanders was essentially a big donor. “What I’m seeing here is a senator who is against big money in politics, but only when it’s not his big money,” he said.

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Hilariously disgraceful. Bernie Sanders sets up a much touted organization to channel and tap into the dark money he spent the entire campaign fighting against. If Bernie were serious about making changes he would never have endorsed Hillary. He would have taken the fight for president to the limit. And failing that he would have accepted the Green Party's nomination as their presidential nominee. He's a sellout. I believed in his message for a while but I knew he wasn't sincere when he started having private meetings with Hillary. I feel bad for all the young voters that were duped by him though.

#AllBernedOut

He's a ****ing politician! This should not be a surprise.

reinoe said:

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia



Hilariously disgraceful. Bernie Sanders sets up a much touted organization to channel and tap into the dark money he spent the entire campaign fighting against. If Bernie were serious about making changes he would never have endorsed Hillary. He would have taken the fight for president to the limit. And failing that he would have accepted the Green Party's nomination as their presidential nominee. He's a sellout. I believed in his message for a while but I knew he wasn't sincere when he started having private meetings with Hillary. I feel bad for all the young voters that were duped by him though.

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Sanders has always taken money from special interests, but it's something his supporters had been willing to overlook because they happened to agree with those interests. He isn't a sellout, but the employees who quit have an unrealistic vision for the organization and simply disagreed with the method of outreach (television). You can't run such an organization one $27 donation at a time, even assuming a significant amount could be raised for congressional candidates unknown outside of their district, and there is no way to measure the audience you're reaching if all of your outreach is online.

Napoleon said:

Sanders has always taken money from special interests, but it's something his supports had been willing to overlook because they happened to agree with those interests. He isn't a sellout, but the employees who quit have an unrealistic vision for the organization and simply disagreed with the method of outreach (television). You can't run such an organization one $27 donation at a time, even assuming a significant amount could be raised for congressional candidates unknown outside of their district, and there is no way to measure the audience you're reaching if all of your outreach is online.

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Yes, this is a good analysis I think.

Idealism only goes so far, until it meets pragmatic reality.

And I'm glad Bernie kept his donor and org email lists, rather than turn them over to the DNC or HRC.

Hillary (if she prevails) will allow more access for the Bernie movement than Trump would, and she'll be a placeholder until the next cycle. I'm going to check the movement out, and perhaps see if I want to be involved.

It was obvious that Sanders didn't actually mean what he said as soon as he bowed the knee to Clinton. This shouldn't shock anyone. Well besides the bernie bros who live in their mother's basement eating all their chicken tendies.

Per the article the primary object of contention with Our Revolution is Weaver's appointment, not any misdeeds thus far committed in terms of finance/funding.

Knowing Weaver I think it's entirely possible that the organization may fall from grace but there's no cause for condemnation just yet.

reinoe said:

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia



Hilariously disgraceful. Bernie Sanders sets up a much touted organization to channel and tap into the dark money he spent the entire campaign fighting against. If Bernie were serious about making changes he would never have endorsed Hillary. He would have taken the fight for president to the limit. And failing that he would have accepted the Green Party's nomination as their presidential nominee. He's a sellout. I believed in his message for a while but I knew he wasn't sincere when he started having private meetings with Hillary. I feel bad for all the young voters that were duped by him though.

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Sanders hasn't duped anyone, that's just **** you're saying because you're a Trump supporter, and disillusioned youth are great for the GOP's numbers. Anyone childish enough to not like one thing that a candidate has been involved in and drop them like a hot potato were never meaningfully supporters. And even if Sanders has made some errors in judgment, it doesn't change the overwhelming good that he's done.

As for this particular issue, I do understand why they want to do traditional donors alongside grassroots --because it's easier, and they're fighting an uphill battle. The flip side is, the optics on this are bad, and that matters. That can do damage to a movement in a delicate position. So, on the whole, I think this is an error in judgment. I'm not angry enough to stop fighting alongside #OurRevolution, but there's a lot of work ahead and the Left is in some sense weaker now than it was before Sanders began. In another election cycle, the fight will be back in people, however. But people need to continue to build up organization on the sidelines, until it's ready again for mass public consideration.

Chomsky said:

Yes, this is a good analysis I think.

Idealism only goes so far, until it meets pragmatic reality.

And I'm glad Bernie kept his donor and org email lists, rather than turn them over to the DNC or HRC.

Hillary (if she prevails) will allow more access for the Bernie movement than Trump would, and she'll be a placeholder until the next cycle. I'm going to check the movement out, and perhaps see if I want to be involved.

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#OurRevolution and Wolf-PAC is all there is now, man. There's no end in sight until the corruption is swept from our system, and that won't happen until Wolf-PAC happens. And until then, and as a part of raising up the movement, we need to fight with what little we can, which is where Sanders movement comes in.