Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders: on Government Reform


Bernie Sanders: Mainstream media focuses on gossip, lies, & personality

As a result of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, billionaires are now able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars anonymously in ugly TV ads demonizing candidates who dare stand up to them.

The internet and social media now allow for the worldwide transmission of total lies, and the capability of targeting those lies to susceptible populations.

Further, recent studies show what the average American has long known. More and more mainstream media political coverage is devoted to gossip and issues of personality, and less and less to the major problems facing our country and the world. During the last presidential campaign, for example, there was almost no discussion devoted to climate change, the greatest environmental crisis facing our planet. There was hardly a mention that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, 40 million Americans live in poverty, or that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of nearly any major country.

Source: Where We Go From Here, by Bernie Sanders, p.6 Nov 27, 2018

Bernie Sanders: Unity Reform Commission: reduce power of superdelegates

During the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, it became clear to me that the elitist, top-down approach of the party needed to be reformed.

The Democratic National Committee had designated 716 political insiders as superdelegates--delegates to the national convention who could support any candidate they wanted, regardless of how the people of their state had voted in their primaries or caucuses.

In other words, the Democratic leadership had created the absurd and undemocratic situation that allowed 30 percent of the votes needed for the presidential nomination to come from the party elite. In 2016, this grossly unfair situation became very apparent when Secretary Clinton received the support of some 500 superdelegates BEFORE the first popular vote was cast in the Iowa caucuses.

[The Unity Reform Commission] in December 2017 unanimously passed a resolution that would significantly reduce the power of superdelegates.

Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.248-50, on 2016 DNC Aug 25, 2018

Democratic Party: Unity Reform Commission: reduce power of superdelegates

During the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, it became clear to me that the elitist, top-down approach of the party needed to be reformed.

The Democratic National Committee had designated 716 political insiders as superdelegates--delegates to the national convention who could support any candidate they wanted, regardless of how the people of their state had voted in their primaries or caucuses.

In other words, the Democratic leadership had created the absurd and undemocratic situation that allowed 30 percent of the votes needed for the presidential nomination to come from the party elite. In 2016, this grossly unfair situation became very apparent when Secretary Clinton received the support of some 500 superdelegates BEFORE the first popular vote was cast in the Iowa caucuses.

[The Unity Reform Commission] in December 2017 unanimously passed a resolution that would significantly reduce the power of superdelegates.

Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.248-50, on 2016 DNC Aug 25, 2018

Bernie Sanders: Automatic voter registration; holiday for Election Day

[At the 2016 convention preparation], we were victorious in including amendments in the platform that made it the policy of the Democratic Party to fight for:
Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.16-7, on 2016 DNC Jul 9, 2016

Democratic Party: Automatic voter registration; holiday for Election Day

[At the 2016 convention preparation], we were victorious in including amendments in the platform that made it the policy of the Democratic Party to fight for:
Source: Where We Go From Here, by B. Sanders, p.16-7, on 2016 DNC Jul 9, 2016

  • The above quotations are from Where We Go From Here
    Two Years in the Resistance,

    by Bernie Sanders
    .
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Government Reform.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bernie Sanders on Government Reform.
2020 Presidential contenders on Government Reform:
  Republicans:
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(IN)
Pres.Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Bill Weld(MA)
Democrats:
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
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Page last updated: Apr 10, 2019