Hillary Clinton

Legends303

(481 posts) Thu Jul 28, 2016, 01:44 PM Jul 2016

Bernie Sanders is going to return to the Senate as an Independent

Source:Heartstreet

By Emily Zanotti | 5:41 pm, July 27, 2016
The nomination was barely sealed up at the Democratic National Convention before Bernie Sanders, who had campaigned against Hillary Clinton for the party’s nod, went back to being an Independent.

Sanders, who considers himself, officially, an Independent in Congress because his views lean further left than the Democratic party’s platform, caucuses with Democrats. But until declaring an intention to run for the presidency in 2015, he had rarely, if ever, identified as a member of the Democratic Party (he’s been in politics since 1979).

And now, despite pleading with his base to support Hillary, even though they’re concerned that she’s too moderate, Sanders will return to Vermont and to his seat in the Senate, and he’ll do it with no official party affiliation.

Link: https://heatst.com/politics/bernie-sanders-leaves-the-democratic-party/

25 replies

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Bernie Sanders is going to return to the Senate as an Independent (Original Post) Legends303 Jul 2016 OP

Well shenmue Jul 2016 #1

Wait, wut? ismnotwasm Jul 2016 #2

He didn't even have the decency to wait until the week was out LisaM Jul 2016 #3

I'm shocked....... Little Star Jul 2016 #4

Can he go now? Can he take his delegates with him???? Walk away Jul 2016 #5

Shocked I tell you, no one surprised FloridaBlues Jul 2016 #6

Remember when Weaver told Halperin in April that Sanders would remain a Democrat for life? caquillo Jul 2016 #7

I was just going to post that KewlKat Jul 2016 #18

Personal anecdote from BlueMTexpat Jul 2016 #8

i don't understand why he's an independent. he caucuses DesertFlower Jul 2016 #9

I don't know Legends303 Jul 2016 #10

he got 90% of what he wanted. DesertFlower Jul 2016 #11

He has an empire to build when he is done with the convention. Blue Idaho Jul 2016 #12

he could still be a socialist democrat. DesertFlower Jul 2016 #13

True Blue Idaho Jul 2016 #14

i guess after being a life long dem (i'm almost 75). DesertFlower Jul 2016 #16

I get that... Blue Idaho Jul 2016 #17

He was elected by his constituents as an Independent. liberalnarb Jul 2016 #21

I had a dream last night that they were building a fancy new house. LisaM Jul 2016 #15

So did the dems pay off his campaign debt? KewlKat Jul 2016 #19

Yes he is. liberalnarb Jul 2016 #22

I thought this was the Hillary group?? liberalnarb Jul 2016 #20

Shocked, shocked I tell you unitedwethrive Jul 2016 #23

As he should bigwillq Jul 2016 #24

... Haveadream Aug 2016 #25

shenmue

(38,537 posts)

1. Well

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 01:49 PM

Jul 2016

ismnotwasm

(42,454 posts)

2. Wait, wut?

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 01:58 PM

Jul 2016

Well well

LisaM

(28,598 posts)

3. He didn't even have the decency to wait until the week was out

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 03:09 PM

Jul 2016

much less the election season. Sigh.

Little Star

(17,055 posts)

4. I'm shocked.......

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 03:21 PM

Jul 2016

shocked, I tell you!

Walk away

(9,494 posts)

5. Can he go now? Can he take his delegates with him????

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 04:14 PM

Jul 2016

FloridaBlues

(4,367 posts)

6. Shocked I tell you, no one surprised

Reply to Walk away (Reply #5)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 04:30 PM

Jul 2016

caquillo

(521 posts)

7. Remember when Weaver told Halperin in April that Sanders would remain a Democrat for life?

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 04:51 PM

Jul 2016

What an opportunist! And people find that admirable?

Bernie Sanders will remain a member of the Democratic Party after his primary election against Hillary Clinton, his campaign manager said Wednesday.

The independent Vermont senator’s congressional website currently notes that Sanders is the “the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history,” though he caucuses with Democrats.

“If Sen. Sanders is not the nominee, will he stay in the Democratic Party forever now,” Bloomberg Politics’ Mark Halperin asked.

“Well, he is a Democrat. He’s said he’s a Democrat, and he’s gonna be [supporting] the Democratic nominee, whoever that is,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver told Bloomberg Politics’ “With All Due Respect.”

“But he’s a member of the Democratic Party now for life?” Halperin pressed.

“Yes, he is,” Weaver said. “Yes, he is.”

Sanders’ Senate office has identified him as an independent as recently as April 1.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/bernie-sanders-democrat-independent-222228

KewlKat

(5,650 posts)

18. I was just going to post that

Reply to caquillo (Reply #7)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 08:11 PM

Jul 2016

disappointed..............

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2016-04-20/bernie-sanders-is-a-democrat-for-life-says-jeff-weaver

Bernie Sanders Is No Longer A Democrat #DemExit

BlueMTexpat

(15,496 posts)

8. Personal anecdote from

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:07 PM

Jul 2016

today: I watched the speeches from Day 1 of the convention on C-Span.

During Bernie's speech, C-Span consistently identified him as Senator Bernie Sanders I-Vermont.

Was anyone watching C-Span Monday night who noticed that? It could possibly have been adjusted afterward, I suppose.

The timing of this news is truly uncool, IMO

DesertFlower

(11,649 posts)

9. i don't understand why he's an independent. he caucuses

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:33 PM

Jul 2016

with the dems. does he remain "independent" just to be different? is it because he's a "socialist"?

i feel like he used the democratic party to run for prez and now he's abandoning them.

Legends303

(481 posts)

10. I don't know

Reply to DesertFlower (Reply #9)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:38 PM

Jul 2016

I read somewhere that he got fed up with the DNC that they didn't move left enough on some issues.

DesertFlower

(11,649 posts)

11. he got 90% of what he wanted.

Reply to Legends303 (Reply #10)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:40 PM

Jul 2016

Blue Idaho

(5,500 posts)

12. He has an empire to build when he is done with the convention.

Reply to DesertFlower (Reply #9)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:51 PM

Jul 2016

Both he and Jane have made it clear they want to build something bigger from his campaign. I think it's easier for him to do that as an Independent Democratic Socialist.

DesertFlower

(11,649 posts)

13. he could still be a socialist democrat.

Reply to Blue Idaho (Reply #12)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 06:59 PM

Jul 2016

being an independent means you'll vote for other parties. my friend howie is an independent. he voted clinton, bush and obama. right now he's having a hard time. he won't vote for trump but he believes the lies about hillary. i find he leans a little more to the right.

IMO the parties are so different. there are democratic values and republican values and of course there's the supreme court to think about.

Blue Idaho

(5,500 posts)

14. True

Reply to DesertFlower (Reply #13)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 07:04 PM

Jul 2016

But being an independent means he has no one to answer to. He can caucus with Democratic Senators, leverage his vote for seats on Senate committees, and negotiate funds to run for office all without helping Democrats do anything he's not interested in.

DesertFlower

(11,649 posts)

16. i guess after being a life long dem (i'm almost 75).

Reply to Blue Idaho (Reply #14)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 07:27 PM

Jul 2016

it's hard for me to understand. i remember years ago michael moore said (paraphrase) "an independent -- whatever that is".

Blue Idaho

(5,500 posts)

17. I get that...

Reply to DesertFlower (Reply #16)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 07:36 PM

Jul 2016

This 64 year old life long Democrat is right there with you.

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)

21. He was elected by his constituents as an Independent.

Reply to DesertFlower (Reply #13)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 08:56 PM

Jul 2016

And I can promise you, Bernie didn't vote for Bush or any repuke.

LisaM

(28,598 posts)

15. I had a dream last night that they were building a fancy new house.

Reply to Blue Idaho (Reply #12)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 07:10 PM

Jul 2016

It was the strangest dream, they took me on a tour. It was huge, unfinished (in the dream), out in the woods, and there was wind whooshing through all the unfinished walls. The floors were unfinished too, there were big places to fall through. It was actually Jane taking me through the house. Odd dream.

KewlKat

(5,650 posts)

19. So did the dems pay off his campaign debt?

Reply to Legends303 (Original post)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 08:18 PM

Jul 2016

or did he have funds? Is he not going to raise funds for the down ticket races?

liberalnarb

(4,532 posts)

22. Yes he is.

Reply to KewlKat (Reply #19)

Thu Jul 28, 2016, 09:26 PM

Jul 2016

He's going to be campaigning and supporting at least 100 Democratic candidates across the country. Though I'm not sure why we're talking about this, isn't this the Hillary Group??