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For what it's worth, I haven't heard many complaints about Bernie Sanders claiming elections are bought. > We now have a political situation where billionaires

For what it's worth, I haven't heard many complaints about Bernie Sanders claiming elections are bought. > We now have a political situation where billionaires are literally able to buy elections and candidates. Let’s not kid ourselves. That is the reality right now. [1] (He also is fond of claiming "the system" is rigged, if not elections directly.) [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-takes-on-billionaire-class-in-launching-2016-bid-against-clinton/2015/04/30/4849fe32-ef3a-11e4-a55f-38924fca94f9_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-takes-on-bil...

tptacek 10y ago
That's because Bernie Sanders is not in fact claiming that the election is rigged. In fact: he's been a reliable support of Clinton since the primaries ended.
- pjwal 10y ago
  And therefore, he's a good guy now? lol.
noobermin 10y ago
I certainly heard them, at the very least, there was railing against Bernie supporters, not Bernie himself. His railing against the system regards economics and yes the foray of money into politics. It is in a similar category of statements but is very different than claiming the voting machines are rigged. Yes, some Bernie supporters alleged there was outright voting manipulation, but the Sanders campaign did not directly allege that.
untog 10y ago
He's making a different claim, though. That million/billionaires can donate to politicians and influence the legislation they write. Or that they can donate to SuperPACs, which will air ads that change people's minds about what candidate to support. That seems pretty true. Trump is suggesting that actual votes are being miscounted deliberately. That the entire voting system of the US cannot be trusted to provide the result the public give it. That's a very different charge, a very dangerous one, and utterly unproven.
mcv 10y ago
And the system is rigged. It's rigged towards the two main parties. It's rigged towards re-electing the same people. Smaller parties get no representation, and have no chance in any meaningful election. The influence of the Democrats and Republicans over the election system is enormous. But between the Dems and the Reps? Those two are fairly balanced. There is some rigging in some states through gerrymandering and making it harder for some groups to vote, but it's on a very different scale than the rigging towards the two-party establishment.

tptacek 10y ago

That's because Bernie Sanders is not in fact claiming that the election is rigged. In fact: he's been a reliable support of Clinton since the primaries ended.

pjwal 10y ago
And therefore, he's a good guy now? lol.

noobermin 10y ago

I certainly heard them, at the very least, there was railing against Bernie supporters, not Bernie himself. His railing against the system regards economics and yes the foray of money into politics. It is in a similar category of statements but is very different than claiming the voting machines are rigged. Yes, some Bernie supporters alleged there was outright voting manipulation, but the Sanders campaign did not directly allege that.

untog 10y ago

He's making a different claim, though. That million/billionaires can donate to politicians and influence the legislation they write. Or that they can donate to SuperPACs, which will air ads that change people's minds about what candidate to support. That seems pretty true. Trump is suggesting that actual votes are being miscounted deliberately. That the entire voting system of the US cannot be trusted to provide the result the public give it. That's a very different charge, a very dangerous one, and utterly unproven.

mcv 10y ago

And the system is rigged. It's rigged towards the two main parties. It's rigged towards re-electing the same people. Smaller parties get no representation, and have no chance in any meaningful election. The influence of the Democrats and Republicans over the election system is enormous. But between the Dems and the Reps? Those two are fairly balanced. There is some rigging in some states through gerrymandering and making it harder for some groups to vote, but it's on a very different scale than the rigging towards the two-party establishment.