Bernie Sanders: "I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States"

I don’t wake up every morning, as some people here in Washington do and say, “You know, I really have to be president of the United States. I was born to be president of the United States.” What I do wake up every morning feeling is that this country faces more serious problems than at any time since the Great Depression, and there is a horrendous lack of serious political discourse or ideas out there that can address these crises, and that somebody has got to represent the working-class and the middle-class of this country in standing up to the big-money interests who have so much power over the economic and political life of this country. So I am prepared to run for president of the United States. I don’t believe that I am the only person out there who can fight this fight, but I am certainly prepared to look seriously at that race.

www.thenation.com...

So, Sen. Bernie Sanders is getting ready to possibly run for president of the United States and is considering the viability of creating a third party within the US. Sen. Sanders has gotten some attention over the last few years since the Financial Crisis of 2007/8 for his sharp words about Wall Street and more. His overall plan seems to basically try to lift the control of big money and Wall Street in the government and attempt to restore it back to the people. Really a very interesting read, especially for any who are tired of the same issues of two party politics and are looking for a possible third party candidate. I think he might actually be viable.

reply to post by WhiteAlice


Obviously he doesn't have any problems sidestepping the Constitution when it suits him. I can see where he may have some problems in his campaign. Not getting my vote.

WASHINGTON, April 17 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today voted for expanded background checks on gun buyers and for a ban on assault weapons
Bernie Sanders on Gun Control

reply to post by Bassago


Your link didn't load for me. Here is an article, that was following the Connecticut shooting, that has a statement from Sanders on gun control:

"Newtown, Conn., and our entire country have experienced an unspeakable and unimaginable tragedy. As President Obama has stated we, as a nation, must do everything we can to put an end to the epidemic of mass killings that we have seen in recent years.

"No knowledgeable person believes that there is one easy, 15-second-soundbite answer to this crisis. We need a comprehensive approach in which a number of issues must be seriously addressed. Among those issues are:

"First, we have to tone down the incredibly high level of violence which permeates our media culture and which desensitizes children and others to the killing of human beings.

"Second, we must greatly expand and improve our mental health capabilities so that individuals and families in need of psychological help can find that help when they need it. Incredibly, there are major proposals before Congress right now which would substantially cut back on the availability of that help - making a bad situation much worse.

"Third, while well over 99 percent of gun owners are law-abiding citizens who use their weapons legally and responsibly, there are clearly some who do not. In that regard, we must make certain that highly destructive weapons do not fall into the hands of people who should not have them."

www.wcax.com...

So, while Sanders did vote yes on banning the high capacity magazines, his approach wasn't "I'm gonna take away your guns". Instead, he quite clearly noted that it was a three pronged issue with the most important in getting assistance and support to those individuals who may actually perpetrate such horrible acts. A lot of members within the Senate voted yes on this particular bill, which did not pass. However, Sanders' record on gun control is a kind of interesting read.

Sanders voted yes for allowing firearms in checked luggage on Amtrak trains.
Sanders voted yes on prohibiting foreign and UN aid that restricts US gun ownership.
Sanders voted yes on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers for gun misuse.
Sanders voted no on reducing the wait period from 3 days to 1.
www.ontheissues.org...

I don't see somebody that is completely against guns or the 2nd amendment here. I actually see a politician who is also trying to protect gun ownership for those 99% of gun owners that are, in fact, law abiding citizens and the gun manufacturers themselves.

But if you want to fry a politician that actually has the desire to pick up an actual fight against Wall Street and the corporate oligarchy because he voted yes to ban a high capacity gun magazine, that's your choice. I don't think that either the Republican or Democrat offerings are going to be trying to do that. Why bite the hand that feeds you?

reply to post by Bassago


Its your constitution thats a large part of the problem. It was written by
bankers who still have the power now they did then!

Your constitution is your shackle on benefitial change for the many!!

No hope if US folk think as you do!!

SQ.......will continue to reign.

reply to post by WhiteAlice


I read the article yesterday and all I could think was...HELL YES!

Bernie Sanders is a man that possibly COULD bring people back to the polls as is his goal if he decides to run. I hope he stays independent. I'm afraid that the very billionaires that he decries loudly will prevent him from making any waves in the arena of public thought. They control the airwaves, and now the internet. With net neutrality, every isp could slow his website down to a trickle and impatient folk wouldn't wait for the page to load.

The only real presence he's had in mainstream media was a "debate" on CNN where Michelle Bachmann was allowed to talk over him repeating chewing the word "jobs" and not really saying anything. He will need to step up his game in order to appeal to the unwashed masses that could benefit from his presidency.
I guess if people dreamt about a Ron Paul presidency, I can have a Bernie Sanders dream for a while. Im not going to Vegas to bet on it, though.

reply to post by Bassago



Well, there is a lot more to him than that.

There will never be a perfect candidate. This either/or.. all/or nothing mind set has gotten the U.S. exactly nowhere so far.

I'd vote for him but I'm sure he would be far too liberal for the taste of some. lol!

reply to post by kosmicjack

There will never be a perfect candidate. This either/or.. all/or nothing mind set has gotten the U.S. exactly nowhere so far.

Maybe, but I believe many (most?) of the problems stem from so many politicians attempting to circumvent their oaths and promises in pursuit of their personal agendas. Gun control, domestic spying, obamacare, free-speech zones, amnesty and the list goes on and on.

I simply can't support someone who believes the Constitution can be manipulated and avoided in the name of political expediency. Doubly so when it comes to the 2nd amendment. I realize that leaves few to no options.

reply to post by the owlbear


That was my response, too. Bernie Sanders is very consistent about backing the middle class, about being against both corporate and financial industry corruption as well as NSA surveillance. I think it's possible that Sanders will have a chance if he runs. He already is known to the media. It would be very hard to block him from attending the Presidential Debates, unlike other third party contenders such as Jill Stein (Green Party) who was arrested trying to enter the last set. I look at the elections by the numbers. A significant number of voters are disenfranchised. The actual numbers that elected in Obama as president was (if I'm remembering my own calculations correctly) only 26% of the available voting population--little over a quarter. That's half of a majority of voters. If anything, I think it's well worth it to vote for that third party even if it doesn't equate to success. We have a democracy. What better way to make our government quake than giving them a nice shot across the bow that says "We WILL vote you out next time"?

Bernie on the plight of the middle class:


As a really important note, Bernie Sanders was one of the very, very few to vote against the Patriot Act. Sanders was one of the 66 Representatives and 1 Senator to say NO to the Patriot Act. How does he feel about NSA Surveillance? Well, he titled this video "1984" if that gives you any clue:

Bernie on the NSA surveillance:

reply to post by Bassago


Sanders voted against the Patriot Act. He was one of the few and, as you know, that specific act created a lot of the undoing or damage to our Constitution.
Sanders is also very much against domestic spying (NSA surveillance).
Bernie Sanders is also very much in support of a free speech zone--as he put it, that free speech zone should be "the entire US".

I've already pointed out his stance on gun legislation and vote history. He has actually voted more times to protect gun ownership and manufacturers than anything that would impede gun ownership. In his own words, he is out to assure the rights of the 99% of law abiding gun owners.

Sanders has been trying to protect the Constitution. That's exactly one of the reasons why I like him. I am very much for protecting our most important document in this country.

reply to post by Bassago


Well, his constituents always rated him very highly..that counts for something other than personal agenda.

reply to post by WhiteAlice

Sanders has been trying to protect the Constitution. That's exactly one of the reasons why I like him. I am very much for protecting our most important document in this country.

I get what you're saying but it sure didn't slow him down supporting the last senate vote for "expanded" (read national)gun registration and a ban on "assault weapons" (read any gun that the pols don't like.) While I know many here may not like the NRA it doesn't negate the bad (D - F) ratings Sanders has from them either. I'm much more willing to believe the NRA than any politician from DC.

If you feel he is what's best for the country then by all means support him, that's your right and duty. As for myself I can not support him even though I acknowledge his stand against the Patriot Act, etc which should be no brainers anyway.

reply to post by Bassago


The NRA has a really curious measure for grading politicians from what I've noticed. Have you ever really looked to see how they grade? All it takes is for a politician to vote towards some sort of gun control legislation to get them ranked F. If I recall correctly, a former board member of the NRA Russ Howard has been calling the grading and endorsements by the NRA into question several times over the last decade or so. Found out about him because I noted an oddness to it myself.

As to Sanders' position on gun control, he has said this in the past:

His position seemed to shift in January, when he intimated in a written statement that he’d support federal bans on assault weapons and high-capacity clips proposed by Obama.

But in last week’s interview, he seemed to back away again from such measures, saying, “If you passed the strongest gun control legislation tomorrow, I don’t think it will have a profound effect on the tragedies we have seen.”

Asked why he was on the fence about the assault-weapons ban, which he backed in 1994, Sanders interrupted midsentence, saying, “This is not one of my major issues. It’s an issue out there. I’ve told you how I feel about it. If there’s anything else you want to ask me about, I’m happy to answer. But that’s about it.”

www.sevendaysvt.com...

He's on the fence about it because he feels that the other issues that gun control will not fix the problem. He considers gun control measures to be a state issue--not a federal one.

Also to really clarify the difference between a state decision and federal--a federal vote on a bill is made by the Representatives and House. A state vote on a bill is often taken to ballot, which is voted on by the people. Huge difference. If there is going to be any form of gun control, then those highly pertinent decisions should be made by the people directly.