You over it yet, Jack?
- Thread starter The Question
- Start date
jack
The Legendary Troll Kingdom
LOL, sorry.
The Question
Eternal
Howzat butthurt, Jack?
The Question
Eternal
FBI parte due
Folces Weard
What is it about the summer that makes people want to spend a bunch of time getting hella mad on the internet?
We may never know.
We may never know.
The Question
Eternal
It's not the summer. It's that somebody replaced Jack with a creepy homo Cardassian tailor.
The Question
Eternal
Yeah, he's all buddy-buddy until you stop putting up with his liberal bull plops. Then he goes all Cotton Mathers on ya. 'Cause that's what liberal tolerance looks like, y'know. 
The Question
Eternal
Pretty sure he's got Bernie "You Proles Don't Need Consumer Choice" Sanders' pubes in his teeth. It doesn't take smarts, or guts, to be a liberal. If anything, having those qualities is a preventive against the condition.
eloisel
Forever Empress E
Cotton Mathers a liberal.
Cotton Mathers was a liberal.
Cotton Mathers, a liberal.
Thank god he wasn't a fundamentalist, traditionalist, convservative.
Salem would have been destroyed by fire and brimstone and only just now would it be possible to start thinking about planning to use the place as a nuclear waste dump in a thousand years.
Cotton Mathers - a liberal.
Cotton Mathers was a liberal.
Cotton Mathers, a liberal.
Thank god he wasn't a fundamentalist, traditionalist, convservative.
Salem would have been destroyed by fire and brimstone and only just now would it be possible to start thinking about planning to use the place as a nuclear waste dump in a thousand years.
Cotton Mathers - a liberal.
The Question
Eternal
I didn't say Mather was a liberal. I said that modern "liberals" approach to ideas that oppose theirs is to behave like Mather. Really, it's no wonder they rebranded as "progressives", which they are also not -- because they're as illiberal as it's possible for ideologues to get. There's nothing liberal about their war on free expression.
jack
The Legendary Troll Kingdom
You're so fucking pig ignorant it's not only sickening, I'm done interacting with you ever again.
You too Castle.
1). 1. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $1.9 billion tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? Over $1.3 trillion.
Amount of federal income taxes Bank of America would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.6 billion.
2). Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $278 million tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $824 billion.
Amount of federal income taxes Goldman Sachs would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.7 billion
3). JP Morgan Chase CEO James Dimon
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $416 billion.
Amount of federal income taxes JP Morgan Chase would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.9 billion.
4). General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $3.3 billion tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve? $16 billion.
Jobs Shipped Overseas? At least 25,000 since 2001.
5). Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $705 million tax refund.
American Jobs Cut in 2010? In 2010, Verizon announced 13,000 job cuts, the third highest corporate layoff total that year.
6). Boeing CEO James McNerney, Jr.
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? None. $124 million tax refund.
American Jobs Shipped overseas? Over 57,000.
Amount of Corporate Welfare? At least $58 billion.
7). Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
Amount of federal income taxes Microsoft would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $19.4 billion.
8). Honeywell International CEO David Cote
Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $34 million tax refund.
9). Corning CEO Wendell Weeks
Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $4 million tax refund.
10). Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $74 million tax refund.
11). Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $55 million tax refund.
12). Deere & Company CEO Samuel Allen
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $1 million tax refund.
13). Marsh & McLennan Companies CEO Brian Duperreault
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $90 million refund.
14). Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs
Amount of federal income taxes Qualcomm would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.7 billion.
15). Tenneco CEO Gregg Sherill
Amount of federal income taxes Tenneco would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $269 million.
16). Express Scripts CEO George Paz
Amount of federal income taxes Express Scripts would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $20 million.
17). Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman
Amount of federal income taxes Caesars Entertainment would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $9 million.
18). R.R. Donnelly & Sons CEO Thomas Quinlan III
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $49 million tax refund.
Eighteen of the 80 CEOs who signed the call for deficit action are actually some of the biggest outsourcers and tax cheats in America. First, they crashed the economy in 2008. They followed that up by taking billions in taxpayer bailout dollars. Their next step was to outsource jobs and evade taxes. Now they are calling for action on a deficit that they helped create over the past four years.
We can tell these gluttons of our dollars that the all you can eat taxpayer buffet is now closed.
You too Castle.
1). 1. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $1.9 billion tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? Over $1.3 trillion.
Amount of federal income taxes Bank of America would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.6 billion.
2). Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $278 million tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $824 billion.
Amount of federal income taxes Goldman Sachs would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $2.7 billion
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department? $416 billion.
Amount of federal income taxes JP Morgan Chase would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.9 billion.
4). General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $3.3 billion tax refund.
Taxpayer Bailout from the Federal Reserve? $16 billion.
Jobs Shipped Overseas? At least 25,000 since 2001.
5). Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $705 million tax refund.
American Jobs Cut in 2010? In 2010, Verizon announced 13,000 job cuts, the third highest corporate layoff total that year.
6). Boeing CEO James McNerney, Jr.
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? None. $124 million tax refund.
American Jobs Shipped overseas? Over 57,000.
Amount of Corporate Welfare? At least $58 billion.
7). Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
Amount of federal income taxes Microsoft would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $19.4 billion.
8). Honeywell International CEO David Cote
Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $34 million tax refund.
9). Corning CEO Wendell Weeks
Amount of federal income taxes paid from 2008-2010? Zero. $4 million tax refund.
10). Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $74 million tax refund.
11). Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $55 million tax refund.
12). Deere & Company CEO Samuel Allen
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2009? Zero. $1 million tax refund.
13). Marsh & McLennan Companies CEO Brian Duperreault
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2010? Zero. $90 million refund.
14). Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs
Amount of federal income taxes Qualcomm would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $4.7 billion.
15). Tenneco CEO Gregg Sherill
Amount of federal income taxes Tenneco would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $269 million.
16). Express Scripts CEO George Paz
Amount of federal income taxes Express Scripts would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $20 million.
17). Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman
Amount of federal income taxes Caesars Entertainment would have owed if offshore tax havens were eliminated? $9 million.
18). R.R. Donnelly & Sons CEO Thomas Quinlan III
Amount of federal income taxes paid in 2008? Zero. $49 million tax refund.
Eighteen of the 80 CEOs who signed the call for deficit action are actually some of the biggest outsourcers and tax cheats in America. First, they crashed the economy in 2008. They followed that up by taking billions in taxpayer bailout dollars. Their next step was to outsource jobs and evade taxes. Now they are calling for action on a deficit that they helped create over the past four years.
We can tell these gluttons of our dollars that the all you can eat taxpayer buffet is now closed.
jack
The Legendary Troll Kingdom
Richard Nixon was a traitor.
The new release of extended versions of Nixon's papers now confirms this long-standing belief, usually dismissed as a "conspiracy theory" by Republican conservatives. Now it has been substantiated by none other than right-wing columnist George Will.
Nixon's newly revealed records show for certain that in 1968, as a presidential candidate, he ordered Anna Chennault, his liaison to the South Vietnam government, to persuade them to refuse a cease-fire being brokered by President Lyndon Johnson.
Nixon's interference with these negotiations violated President John Adams's 1797 Logan Act, banning private citizens from intruding into official government negotiations with a foreign nation.
Published as the 40th Anniversary of Nixon's resignation approaches, Will's column confirms that Nixon feared public disclosure of his role in sabotaging the 1968 Vietnam peace talks. Will says Nixon established a "plumbers unit" to stop potential leaks of information that might damage him, including documentation that he believed was held by the Brookings Institute, a liberal think tank. The Plumbers' later break-in at the Democratic National Committee led to the Watergate scandal that brought Nixon down.
Nixon's sabotage of the Vietnam peace talks was confirmed by transcripts of FBI wiretaps. On November 2, 1968, LBJ received an FBI report saying Chernnault told the South Vietnamese ambassador that "she had received a message from her boss: saying the Vietnamese should "hold on, we are gonna win."
As Will confirms, Vietnamese did "hold on," the war proceeded and Nixon did win, changing forever the face of American politics—with the shadow of treason permanently embedded in its DNA.
The treason came in 1968 as the Vietnam War reached a critical turning point. President Lyndon Johnson was desperate for a truce between North and South Vietnam.
LBJ had an ulterior motive: his Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, was in a tight presidential race against Richard Nixon. With demonstrators in the streets, Humphrey desperately needed a cease-fire to get him into the White House.
Johnson had it all but wrapped it. With a combination of gentle and iron-fisted persuasion, he forced the leaders of South Vietnam into an all-but-final agreement with the North. A cease-fire was imminent, and Humphrey’s election seemed assured.
But at the last minute, the South Vietnamese pulled out. LBJ suspected Nixon had intervened to stop them from signing a peace treaty.
In the Price of Power (1983), Seymour Hersh revealed Henry Kissinger—then Johnson’s adviser on Vietnam peace talks—secretly alerted Nixon’s staff that a truce was imminent.
According to Hersh, Nixon “was able to get a series of messages to the Thieu government [of South Vietnam] making it clear that a Nixon presidency would have different views on peace negotiations.”
Johnson was livid. He even called the Republican Senate Minority Leader, Everett Dirksen, to complain that “they oughtn’t be doing this. This is treason.”
“I know,” was Dirksen’s feeble reply.
Johnson blasted Nixon about this on November 3rd, just prior to the election. As Robert Parry of Consortiumnews.com has written: “when Johnson confronted Nixon with evidence of the peace-talk sabotage, Nixon insisted on his innocence but acknowledged that he knew what was at stake.”
Said Nixon: “My, I would never do anything to encourage….Saigon not to come to the table….Good God, we’ve got to get them to Paris or you can’t have peace.”
But South Vietnamese President General Theiu—a notorious drug and gun runner—did boycott Johnson’s Paris peace talks. With the war still raging, Nixon claimed a narrow victory over Humphrey. He then made Kissinger his own national security adviser.
In the four years between the sabotage and what Kissinger termed “peace at hand” just prior to the 1972 election, more than 20,000 US troops died in Vietnam. More than 100,000 were wounded. More than a million Vietnamese were killed.
But in 1973, Kissinger was given the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the same settlement he helped sabotage in 1968.
According to Parry, LBJ wanted to go public with Nixon’s treason. But Clark Clifford, an architect of the CIA and a pillar of the Washington establishment, talked Johnson out of it. LBJ’s close confidant warned that the revelation would shake the foundations of the nation.
In particular, Clifford told Johnson (in a taped conversation) that “some elements of the story are so shocking in their nature that I’m wondering whether it would be good for the country to disclose the story and then possibly have [Nixon] elected. It could cast his whole administration under such doubt that I think it would be inimical to our country’s best interests.”
In other words, Clifford told LBJ that the country couldn’t handle the reality that its president was a certifiable traitor, eligible for legal execution.
Fittingly, Clark Clifford’s upper-crust career ended in the disgrace of his entanglement with the crooked Bank of Credit and Commerce (BCCI), which financed the terrorist group Al Qaeda and whose scandalous downfall tainted the Agency he helped found.
Johnson lived four years after he left office, tormented by the disastrous war that destroyed his presidency and his retirement. Nixon won re-election in 1972, again with a host of dirty dealings, then became the first American president to resign in disgrace.
The new release of extended versions of Nixon's papers now confirms this long-standing belief, usually dismissed as a "conspiracy theory" by Republican conservatives. Now it has been substantiated by none other than right-wing columnist George Will.
Nixon's newly revealed records show for certain that in 1968, as a presidential candidate, he ordered Anna Chennault, his liaison to the South Vietnam government, to persuade them to refuse a cease-fire being brokered by President Lyndon Johnson.
Nixon's interference with these negotiations violated President John Adams's 1797 Logan Act, banning private citizens from intruding into official government negotiations with a foreign nation.
Published as the 40th Anniversary of Nixon's resignation approaches, Will's column confirms that Nixon feared public disclosure of his role in sabotaging the 1968 Vietnam peace talks. Will says Nixon established a "plumbers unit" to stop potential leaks of information that might damage him, including documentation that he believed was held by the Brookings Institute, a liberal think tank. The Plumbers' later break-in at the Democratic National Committee led to the Watergate scandal that brought Nixon down.
Nixon's sabotage of the Vietnam peace talks was confirmed by transcripts of FBI wiretaps. On November 2, 1968, LBJ received an FBI report saying Chernnault told the South Vietnamese ambassador that "she had received a message from her boss: saying the Vietnamese should "hold on, we are gonna win."
As Will confirms, Vietnamese did "hold on," the war proceeded and Nixon did win, changing forever the face of American politics—with the shadow of treason permanently embedded in its DNA.
The treason came in 1968 as the Vietnam War reached a critical turning point. President Lyndon Johnson was desperate for a truce between North and South Vietnam.
LBJ had an ulterior motive: his Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, was in a tight presidential race against Richard Nixon. With demonstrators in the streets, Humphrey desperately needed a cease-fire to get him into the White House.
Johnson had it all but wrapped it. With a combination of gentle and iron-fisted persuasion, he forced the leaders of South Vietnam into an all-but-final agreement with the North. A cease-fire was imminent, and Humphrey’s election seemed assured.
But at the last minute, the South Vietnamese pulled out. LBJ suspected Nixon had intervened to stop them from signing a peace treaty.
In the Price of Power (1983), Seymour Hersh revealed Henry Kissinger—then Johnson’s adviser on Vietnam peace talks—secretly alerted Nixon’s staff that a truce was imminent.
According to Hersh, Nixon “was able to get a series of messages to the Thieu government [of South Vietnam] making it clear that a Nixon presidency would have different views on peace negotiations.”
Johnson was livid. He even called the Republican Senate Minority Leader, Everett Dirksen, to complain that “they oughtn’t be doing this. This is treason.”
“I know,” was Dirksen’s feeble reply.
Johnson blasted Nixon about this on November 3rd, just prior to the election. As Robert Parry of Consortiumnews.com has written: “when Johnson confronted Nixon with evidence of the peace-talk sabotage, Nixon insisted on his innocence but acknowledged that he knew what was at stake.”
Said Nixon: “My, I would never do anything to encourage….Saigon not to come to the table….Good God, we’ve got to get them to Paris or you can’t have peace.”
But South Vietnamese President General Theiu—a notorious drug and gun runner—did boycott Johnson’s Paris peace talks. With the war still raging, Nixon claimed a narrow victory over Humphrey. He then made Kissinger his own national security adviser.
In the four years between the sabotage and what Kissinger termed “peace at hand” just prior to the 1972 election, more than 20,000 US troops died in Vietnam. More than 100,000 were wounded. More than a million Vietnamese were killed.
But in 1973, Kissinger was given the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the same settlement he helped sabotage in 1968.
According to Parry, LBJ wanted to go public with Nixon’s treason. But Clark Clifford, an architect of the CIA and a pillar of the Washington establishment, talked Johnson out of it. LBJ’s close confidant warned that the revelation would shake the foundations of the nation.
In particular, Clifford told Johnson (in a taped conversation) that “some elements of the story are so shocking in their nature that I’m wondering whether it would be good for the country to disclose the story and then possibly have [Nixon] elected. It could cast his whole administration under such doubt that I think it would be inimical to our country’s best interests.”
In other words, Clifford told LBJ that the country couldn’t handle the reality that its president was a certifiable traitor, eligible for legal execution.
Fittingly, Clark Clifford’s upper-crust career ended in the disgrace of his entanglement with the crooked Bank of Credit and Commerce (BCCI), which financed the terrorist group Al Qaeda and whose scandalous downfall tainted the Agency he helped found.
Johnson lived four years after he left office, tormented by the disastrous war that destroyed his presidency and his retirement. Nixon won re-election in 1972, again with a host of dirty dealings, then became the first American president to resign in disgrace.
jack
The Legendary Troll Kingdom
Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is claiming solidarity with the people of Greece for voting against harsh austerity measures on Sunday in a gripping referendum that captivated the world.
"I applaud the people of Greece for saying 'no' to more austerity for the the poor, the children, the sick and the elderly," Sanders said in a statement.
Greece stands on the brink as its banks teeter toward collapse and the government struggles to establish a tolerable bailout deal with international creditors, hoping to prevent the possibility of the troubled nation exiting the eurozone. Abandoning the euro would be an unprecedented act that could have enormous economic consequences throughout the region and the world.
Over the weekend, the country voted against bailout terms that would have imposed yet another round of stringent cuts to government spending and services that have up until this point proven ruinous to the economy.
In his statement, Sanders expressed sympathy for Greece and praised its rejection of punitive austerity policies.
"In a world of massive wealth and income inequality, Europe must support Greece's efforts to build an economy which creates more jobs and income, not more unemployment and suffering," Sanders said.
Source: Michael Dwyer/AP Bernie has no love for the Troika: In the past, Sanders has denounced international creditors for exploiting Greece, which has been locked in an economic tailspin since the economic crisis of 2008.
"It is unacceptable that the International Monetary Fund and European policymakers have refused to work with the Greek government on a sensible plan to improve its economy and pay back its debt," Sanders told the Huffington Post. "At a time of grotesque wealth inequality, the pensions of the people in Greece should not be cut even further to pay back some of the largest banks and wealthiest financiers in the world."
The Huffington Post reports that during their interview with Sanders, the senator focused on the International Monetary Fund's responsibility in the matter. "The IMF must give the Greek government the flexibility and time that it needs to grow its economy in a fair way," he said. The United States commands more influence over the IMF than it does over the other major creditors, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.
The eurozone debt crisis is at the moment likely too fast-moving and abstract for the average American to be emotionally invested in. But Sanders stands out for his brazen dismissal of the narrative that debtors are worthy of contempt and punishment. It's hard to imagine any candidate with big ties to Wall Street daring to do the same.
"I applaud the people of Greece for saying 'no' to more austerity for the the poor, the children, the sick and the elderly," Sanders said in a statement.
Greece stands on the brink as its banks teeter toward collapse and the government struggles to establish a tolerable bailout deal with international creditors, hoping to prevent the possibility of the troubled nation exiting the eurozone. Abandoning the euro would be an unprecedented act that could have enormous economic consequences throughout the region and the world.
Over the weekend, the country voted against bailout terms that would have imposed yet another round of stringent cuts to government spending and services that have up until this point proven ruinous to the economy.
In his statement, Sanders expressed sympathy for Greece and praised its rejection of punitive austerity policies.
"In a world of massive wealth and income inequality, Europe must support Greece's efforts to build an economy which creates more jobs and income, not more unemployment and suffering," Sanders said.
Source: Michael Dwyer/AP Bernie has no love for the Troika: In the past, Sanders has denounced international creditors for exploiting Greece, which has been locked in an economic tailspin since the economic crisis of 2008.
"It is unacceptable that the International Monetary Fund and European policymakers have refused to work with the Greek government on a sensible plan to improve its economy and pay back its debt," Sanders told the Huffington Post. "At a time of grotesque wealth inequality, the pensions of the people in Greece should not be cut even further to pay back some of the largest banks and wealthiest financiers in the world."
The Huffington Post reports that during their interview with Sanders, the senator focused on the International Monetary Fund's responsibility in the matter. "The IMF must give the Greek government the flexibility and time that it needs to grow its economy in a fair way," he said. The United States commands more influence over the IMF than it does over the other major creditors, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.
The eurozone debt crisis is at the moment likely too fast-moving and abstract for the average American to be emotionally invested in. But Sanders stands out for his brazen dismissal of the narrative that debtors are worthy of contempt and punishment. It's hard to imagine any candidate with big ties to Wall Street daring to do the same.
jack
The Legendary Troll Kingdom
How many times have you heard the phrase, "I like Bernie Sanders, but he can't win," uttered by people who identify themselves as progressives? The facts, however, illustrate that "Bernie Sanders can win" and nobody in politics foreshadowed the Vermont Senator's latest surge in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
He recently raised $15 million in just two months, and his campaign reports that "Nearly 87 percent of the total amount raised during the quarter came from the donors who contributed $250 or less." While Clinton's team isn't worried, they should be, primarily because Hillary Clinton already lost a presidential race (spending $229.4 million in the losing effort) and finished behind both Obama and John Edwards in the 2008 Iowa Caucus.
While Clinton is expected to amass $2.5 billion, Bernie Sanders has cut the former Secretary of State's lead in New Hampshire from 38 percentage points down to just 8. According to a July 4th CNN article titled Sanders snags key endorsement in New Hampshire, Senator Sanders also gained a key ally:
It's important to note that Sanders didn't need billions of dollars to earn the trust of voters in New Hampshire, or cut Hillary's lead to only 8 points. Since he voted against the Iraq War and has spent a lifetime championing progressive issues while others waivered (Hillary was against gay marriage until 2013, voted for the Iraq War, pushed for the TPP on 45 separate occasions, and supported Keystone XL), Bernie Sanders doesn't need to prove he's a progressive. Voters know what they're getting with Vermont's Senator. In contrast, Hillary Clinton rarely offers a direct answer on why she failed to champion certain causes when they weren't popular.
Therefore, it's still early and Election Day is 490 days away. If this were a football game, Team Bernie is on the opponent's 45 yard line, he's down by two scores, and it's only the first quarter. Sanders has time, and his recent surge in Iowa and New Hampshire shows that anything is possible. Although still trailing Clinton in Iowa, he's continuing to narrow the gap and has gone from 15 percent support in May to 33 percent support in July.
What polls can't measure, however, is the numbers Sanders is drawing in overflowing crowds. A Washington Post article titled Sanders draws more than 2,500 to Iowa stop -- tops for this presidential cycle so far, explains how an energized base of voters is making what was once improbable a very real possibility:
Money can't buy enthusiasm or "eye popping crowds," and while Clinton has the financial backing (she's been referred to by POLITICO as Wall Street Republicans Dark secret), Bernie has the hearts and minds of Democrats. The Washington Post writes that he's gaining larger crowds than anyone in the 2016 presidential race, so while Clinton has the top Democratic strategists on her team, Bernie Sanders owns the grass roots support among voters. It's difficult to imagine Clinton, Bush or any other candidate matching the ability of Bernie Sanders to speak to a crowd of 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin.
This impressive groundswell of support for Senator Sanders isn't simply a matter of ensuring Clinton leans more to the left in 2016. Not long ago, Bill Clinton once stated, "Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairytale I've ever seen" regarding Obama's chances at becoming president (the uproar forced the former president to say "But I am not a racist, I've never made a racist comment and I never attacked him personally"), so fairytales sometimes do come true. Supporters of Bernie Sanders are doing everything from starting entire Reddit threads and social media campaigns to creating Bernie TV, so what the campaign is lacking in big donors, it's more than making up in genuine enthusiasm and energy.
As for his image as a champion for liberal causes, voters in Iowa have taken notice and according to The Boston Globe, Sanders poses a real threat to the Clinton campaign:
There's a reason Clinton's advisors "are most concerned" that Sanders might paint the former Secretary of State as untrustworthy: she's changed her viewpoint on gay marriage, trade, war, and a controversial pipeline.
Ultimately, if Sanders wins both the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary, the odds of him winning the Democratic nomination increase dramatically. Nothing illustrates the potential for Sanders to accomplish this task than a piece in The Des Moines Register titled Sanders encouraged by Iowa crowds, rising polls:
While Sanders "drew both traditional Democrats and conservatives" in Iowa, it would be unthinkable to see conservatives in any state supporting Hillary Clinton. The ability of Sanders to address issues that both right and left find important (even Ted Cruz is talking about wealth inequality) is one of the many advantages Sanders has over any Democratic rival. This advantage could also catapult him to victory over any GOP challenger.
Money can't buy a vote, it can only help publicize a candidate and communicate a message pertaining to policy and values. After that, even tens of billions can't erase Clinton's defense of the Iraq War, defense of traditional marriage, or deleted emails. Bernie Sanders is drawing record crowds and surging in the polls because his value system is worth infinitely more than his opponent's ability to generate billions of dollars.
Like one Iowa supporter says, "I think he has a real chance," and if Sanders wins Iowa and New Hampshire, anything is possible in 2016. Pretty soon, you might never again hear the antiquated phrase, "I like Bernie Sanders, but..."
He recently raised $15 million in just two months, and his campaign reports that "Nearly 87 percent of the total amount raised during the quarter came from the donors who contributed $250 or less." While Clinton's team isn't worried, they should be, primarily because Hillary Clinton already lost a presidential race (spending $229.4 million in the losing effort) and finished behind both Obama and John Edwards in the 2008 Iowa Caucus.
While Clinton is expected to amass $2.5 billion, Bernie Sanders has cut the former Secretary of State's lead in New Hampshire from 38 percentage points down to just 8. According to a July 4th CNN article titled Sanders snags key endorsement in New Hampshire, Senator Sanders also gained a key ally:
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (CNN) Sen. Bernie Sanders has snagged a key endorsement in New Hampshire that may sting a little for Martin O'Malley's campaign.
Longtime New Hampshire Democratic activist Dudley Dudley told CNN Friday that she has decided to endorse Bernie Sanders for the Democratic 2016 nomination.
Since then, according to a recent CNN/WMUR New Hampshire primary poll, frontrunner Hillary Clinton's lead over Sanders has shrunk from 38 percentage points to 8, with O'Malley trailing both.
Likely Democratic primary voters are now more apt to see Sanders as the candidate who "best represents the values of Democrats like yourself," the poll found.
Longtime New Hampshire Democratic activist Dudley Dudley told CNN Friday that she has decided to endorse Bernie Sanders for the Democratic 2016 nomination.
Since then, according to a recent CNN/WMUR New Hampshire primary poll, frontrunner Hillary Clinton's lead over Sanders has shrunk from 38 percentage points to 8, with O'Malley trailing both.
Likely Democratic primary voters are now more apt to see Sanders as the candidate who "best represents the values of Democrats like yourself," the poll found.
It's important to note that Sanders didn't need billions of dollars to earn the trust of voters in New Hampshire, or cut Hillary's lead to only 8 points. Since he voted against the Iraq War and has spent a lifetime championing progressive issues while others waivered (Hillary was against gay marriage until 2013, voted for the Iraq War, pushed for the TPP on 45 separate occasions, and supported Keystone XL), Bernie Sanders doesn't need to prove he's a progressive. Voters know what they're getting with Vermont's Senator. In contrast, Hillary Clinton rarely offers a direct answer on why she failed to champion certain causes when they weren't popular.
Therefore, it's still early and Election Day is 490 days away. If this were a football game, Team Bernie is on the opponent's 45 yard line, he's down by two scores, and it's only the first quarter. Sanders has time, and his recent surge in Iowa and New Hampshire shows that anything is possible. Although still trailing Clinton in Iowa, he's continuing to narrow the gap and has gone from 15 percent support in May to 33 percent support in July.
What polls can't measure, however, is the numbers Sanders is drawing in overflowing crowds. A Washington Post article titled Sanders draws more than 2,500 to Iowa stop -- tops for this presidential cycle so far, explains how an energized base of voters is making what was once improbable a very real possibility:
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Another day on the presidential campaign trail, another crowd of eye-popping size for Bernie Sanders.
The independent senator from Vermont attracted more than 2,500 people to a convention center here on Friday night as part of his continued quest to lead a "political revolution" and win the Democratic nomination in a field that also includes Hillary Rodham Clinton.
It was by far the largest draw in Iowa, the nation's first caucus state, by any White House hopeful this cycle -- though there were plenty of Sanders fans in the crowd who came across the river from Nebraska.
The independent senator from Vermont attracted more than 2,500 people to a convention center here on Friday night as part of his continued quest to lead a "political revolution" and win the Democratic nomination in a field that also includes Hillary Rodham Clinton.
It was by far the largest draw in Iowa, the nation's first caucus state, by any White House hopeful this cycle -- though there were plenty of Sanders fans in the crowd who came across the river from Nebraska.
Money can't buy enthusiasm or "eye popping crowds," and while Clinton has the financial backing (she's been referred to by POLITICO as Wall Street Republicans Dark secret), Bernie has the hearts and minds of Democrats. The Washington Post writes that he's gaining larger crowds than anyone in the 2016 presidential race, so while Clinton has the top Democratic strategists on her team, Bernie Sanders owns the grass roots support among voters. It's difficult to imagine Clinton, Bush or any other candidate matching the ability of Bernie Sanders to speak to a crowd of 10,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin.
This impressive groundswell of support for Senator Sanders isn't simply a matter of ensuring Clinton leans more to the left in 2016. Not long ago, Bill Clinton once stated, "Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairytale I've ever seen" regarding Obama's chances at becoming president (the uproar forced the former president to say "But I am not a racist, I've never made a racist comment and I never attacked him personally"), so fairytales sometimes do come true. Supporters of Bernie Sanders are doing everything from starting entire Reddit threads and social media campaigns to creating Bernie TV, so what the campaign is lacking in big donors, it's more than making up in genuine enthusiasm and energy.
As for his image as a champion for liberal causes, voters in Iowa have taken notice and according to The Boston Globe, Sanders poses a real threat to the Clinton campaign:
Clinton's advisers are most concerned that Sanders might prove to be effective at painting Clinton as squishy or untrustworthy on liberal issues.
The crowds at Sanders's Iowa events appeared different from the state's famously finicky tire-kickers. Many said they had already made up their mind to support Sanders.
They applauded his calls for higher taxes on the rich to pay for 13 million public works jobs, for decisive action on climate change, and for free tuition at public colleges.
The crowds at Sanders's Iowa events appeared different from the state's famously finicky tire-kickers. Many said they had already made up their mind to support Sanders.
They applauded his calls for higher taxes on the rich to pay for 13 million public works jobs, for decisive action on climate change, and for free tuition at public colleges.
There's a reason Clinton's advisors "are most concerned" that Sanders might paint the former Secretary of State as untrustworthy: she's changed her viewpoint on gay marriage, trade, war, and a controversial pipeline.
Ultimately, if Sanders wins both the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary, the odds of him winning the Democratic nomination increase dramatically. Nothing illustrates the potential for Sanders to accomplish this task than a piece in The Des Moines Register titled Sanders encouraged by Iowa crowds, rising polls:
Sanders is drawing record crowds.
On Wednesday night, more than 10,000 people attended his rally in Madison, Wisconsin, and nearly 2,500 attended a Friday evening event in Council Bluffs -- the biggest Iowa crowd of any 2016 presidential contender yet...
Sanders drew both traditional Democrats and conservatives on Saturday.
"This will be the first time I've caucused with the Democrats," said Michael Tallman, 25, of Des Moines.
Tallman, who works in banking, said Sanders seems like a candidate who will represent all people -- rich or poor, male or female, gay or straight.
He said many millennials are disturbed by the current political process and they could be key to boosting Sanders' shot at winning.
"I think he has a real chance," Tallman said. "We've seen it happen before."
On Wednesday night, more than 10,000 people attended his rally in Madison, Wisconsin, and nearly 2,500 attended a Friday evening event in Council Bluffs -- the biggest Iowa crowd of any 2016 presidential contender yet...
Sanders drew both traditional Democrats and conservatives on Saturday.
"This will be the first time I've caucused with the Democrats," said Michael Tallman, 25, of Des Moines.
Tallman, who works in banking, said Sanders seems like a candidate who will represent all people -- rich or poor, male or female, gay or straight.
He said many millennials are disturbed by the current political process and they could be key to boosting Sanders' shot at winning.
"I think he has a real chance," Tallman said. "We've seen it happen before."
While Sanders "drew both traditional Democrats and conservatives" in Iowa, it would be unthinkable to see conservatives in any state supporting Hillary Clinton. The ability of Sanders to address issues that both right and left find important (even Ted Cruz is talking about wealth inequality) is one of the many advantages Sanders has over any Democratic rival. This advantage could also catapult him to victory over any GOP challenger.
Money can't buy a vote, it can only help publicize a candidate and communicate a message pertaining to policy and values. After that, even tens of billions can't erase Clinton's defense of the Iraq War, defense of traditional marriage, or deleted emails. Bernie Sanders is drawing record crowds and surging in the polls because his value system is worth infinitely more than his opponent's ability to generate billions of dollars.
Like one Iowa supporter says, "I think he has a real chance," and if Sanders wins Iowa and New Hampshire, anything is possible in 2016. Pretty soon, you might never again hear the antiquated phrase, "I like Bernie Sanders, but..."