So, Why is Bernie allowed to run a campaign as a Democrat?

[civilwarbuff]

So, Bernie is an avowed Socialist/Independent and not a democrat. Then why is he allowed to run on the democratic ticket? Any explanations, cuz I just don't get it.

PolitiFact - How Bernie Sanders runs in the Democratic primary when he’s an independent in the Senate

Sanders' partisan history
As we noted when he ran in 2016, Sanders was the nominee of the anti-capitalist, anti-war Liberty Union Party of Vermont in two Senate and two gubernatorial elections in Vermont between 1972 and 1976. He lost all four races and resigned from the party in 1977, calling it "sad and tragic," according to Greg Guma, author of The People's Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution.

In 1981, Sanders made an independent bid for mayor of Burlington as a self-described socialist. He won by 10 votes over the city's Democratic mayor and two other independents, and went on to win three more terms.

Democrats and leftists disagree on where Sanders' political allegiances were during this decade.

Liberty Union Party co-founder Peter Diamondstone doesn't buy Sanders' claims to independence. He told the Daily Caller that Sanders "became a full-time Democrat" in 1984, when he campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

Yet Sanders continued to clash with the party locally, and his "goal was to destroy Democrats," Maurice Mahoney, the head of Burlington's Democratic Party in the 1980s, told Politico. He also mounted independent challenges against Democrats, including Vermont's first female Democratic governor in 1984, and reiterated that he had no party affiliation.

"I am not now, nor have I ever been, a liberal Democrat," he said in a 1985 New England Monthly profile, according to Politico. (my bolding)

"Socialist is the political and economic philosophy I hold, not a party I run under," he explained in 1988, when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress.

Also.....

Indeed, Sanders has emphasized his outsider status at least as much, if not more than, his Democratic Party credentials during the primary contest. For instance, after his victory in the Nevada caucuses, Sanders tweeted, "I've got news for the Republican establishment. I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us."


Moderators please feel free to combine this thread with any others if this topic has already been explored.

 

[A_Thinker]

So, Bernie is an avowed Socialist/Independent and not a democrat. Then why is he allowed to run on the democratic ticket? Any explanations, cuz I just don't get it.

PolitiFact - How Bernie Sanders runs in the Democratic primary when he’s an independent in the Senate

Sanders' partisan history
As we noted when he ran in 2016, Sanders was the nominee of the anti-capitalist, anti-war Liberty Union Party of Vermont in two Senate and two gubernatorial elections in Vermont between 1972 and 1976. He lost all four races and resigned from the party in 1977, calling it "sad and tragic," according to Greg Guma, author of The People's Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution.

In 1981, Sanders made an independent bid for mayor of Burlington as a self-described socialist. He won by 10 votes over the city's Democratic mayor and two other independents, and went on to win three more terms.

Democrats and leftists disagree on where Sanders' political allegiances were during this decade.

Liberty Union Party co-founder Peter Diamondstone doesn't buy Sanders' claims to independence. He told the Daily Caller that Sanders "became a full-time Democrat" in 1984, when he campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale.

Yet Sanders continued to clash with the party locally, and his "goal was to destroy Democrats," Maurice Mahoney, the head of Burlington's Democratic Party in the 1980s, told Politico. He also mounted independent challenges against Democrats, including Vermont's first female Democratic governor in 1984, and reiterated that he had no party affiliation.

"I am not now, nor have I ever been, a liberal Democrat," he said in a 1985 New England Monthly profile, according to Politico. (my bolding)

"Socialist is the political and economic philosophy I hold, not a party I run under," he explained in 1988, when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress.

Also.....

Indeed, Sanders has emphasized his outsider status at least as much, if not more than, his Democratic Party credentials during the primary contest. For instance, after his victory in the Nevada caucuses, Sanders tweeted, "I've got news for the Republican establishment. I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us."


Moderators please feel free to combine this thread with any others if this topic has already been explored.

What are the rules ???

 

[civilwarbuff]

Doesn't really seem to be any outside of a piece of paper that pretty much say 'I am a Democrat'.....

 

[Dave-W]

Lyndon LaRouche, who had previously ran for Prez on the US Labor Party ticket in 1976 ran as a Democrat in 1980. (and in a couple of races after that too)

It seems they let anyone in.

 

[Hank77]

Lyndon LaRouche, who had previously ran for Prez on the US Labor Party ticket in 1976 ran as a Democrat in 1980. (and in a couple of races after that too)

It seems they let anyone in.

Neither party has a choice in who registers with their party. Take Trump's history for example.

Trump registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987 and since that time has changed his party affiliation five times. In 1999, Trump changed his party affiliation to the Independence Party of New York. In August 2001, Trump changed his party affiliation to Democratic. In September 2009, Trump changed his party affiliation back to the Republican Party. In December 2011, Trump changed to "no party affiliation" (independent). In April 2012, Trump again returned to the Republican Party.[3]

Political positions of Donald Trump - Wikipedia

 

[Albion]

Lyndon LaRouche, who had previously ran for Prez on the US Labor Party ticket in 1976 ran as a Democrat in 1980. (and in a couple of races after that too)

It seems they let anyone in.

But did LaRouche "convert" to being a Democrat for the purpose in 1976? Something in my memory thinks he did.

With Bernie, I am at a loss to explain the Party allowing him to run, especially after they had to change their own rules to keep him from winning the nomination during the 2016 campaign.

The only explanation I can come up with is that the Democratic Party (as has been charged by many people over the past year or so) is afraid of 1) its own Socialists like "The Squad" and afraid of 2) alienating young voters with whom Bernie is popular.

 

[athenken]

When it comes to politicians they pretty much will affiliate themselves with a specific party based on what they want to accomplish and which party will get them closer to that goal.

 

[Albion]

In April 2012, Trump again returned to the Republican Party.[3]

In other words, Trump was a registered Republican when he announced his candidacy for President as a Republican.

That is apparently not parallel to the case of Bernie Sanders, who has twice run for the Democratic Party nomination without being a member of the Democratic Party or registered as a Democratic voter.

 

[High Fidelity]

It's as if a person's beliefs can't change in 30 years.

Need the Hubble telescope to see the straws being grasped at here.

 

[civilwarbuff]

It's as if a person's beliefs can't change in 30 years.

Need the Hubble telescope to see the straws being grasped at here.

That seems to be the problem though. According to the info in the article Bernie's beliefs don't seem to have changed at all except maybe to move even farther to the left....if that is possible.

 

[Hank77]

In other words, Trump was a registered Republican when he announced his candidacy for President as a Republican.

That is apparently not parallel to the case of Bernie Sanders, who has twice run for the Democratic Party nomination without being a member of the Democratic Party or registered as a Democratic voter.

I thought Sanders had registered as a Democrat in order to run so this is news to me. Thanks.

 

[Albion]

I thought Sanders had registered as a Democrat in order to run so this is news to me. Thanks.

I could be wrong about that, but I don't think he did.

He might have made some other affirmation, but not that.

 

[Hank77]

That seems to be the problem though. According to the info in the article Bernie's beliefs don't seem to have changed at all except maybe to move even farther to the left....if that is possible.

Found the answer. Before each campaign, he pledged to serve as a Democrat if elected. He votes with the Democrats in the Senate so I imagine that is why they accepted a pledge from him.

 

[Albion]

Found the answer. Before each campaign, he pledged to serve as a Democrat if elected. He votes with the Democrats in the Senate so I imagine that is why they accepted a pledge from him.

That sounds right, but it does mean that they accepted a person running in their primaries for their nomination who is not a member of the Party. I cannot imagine why they would do that twice!

Notice that he is still listed as (I-VT) for purposes of identifying him in the Senate, and all roll call votes number the Democrats and the Republicans and 2 Independents (Sanders and King).

 

[SkyWriting]

Moderators please feel free to combine this thread with any others if this topic has already been explored.

Resist resisting the 'Resistance'!