Bernie Sanders Sayings

A growing number of communities do not trust the police. Law enforcement officers have become disconnected from the communities they are sworn to protect. Violence and brutality of any kind, particularly at the hands of the police meant to protect and serve our communities, is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. We need a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter and racism will not be accepted in a civilized country.

African-Americans should think twice before voting for Hillary Clinton

Rosa Parks famous bus ride

In The Nation, Michelle Alexander, an African American journalist, writes: "The Clinton's legacy has been the impoverishment of black America--so why are we still voting for them?" The article comes at a time when Hillary is using black Americans as her "firewall" again opponent Bernie Sanders, who also is proud of his civil rights background. And the South Carolina Primary February 27, will be the first battleground to test the mettle of both candidates before blacks.

"What have the Clintons done to earn such devotion?, Alexander asks. Her answer...Not take extreme political risks defending blacks, not fight right-wing demagoguery about the black communities, not give black communities the hope they needed after industrialization devastation of their neighborhoods. In fact, the writer claims, they did just the opposite. It is true Clinton should not be held accountable for what her husband's administration did. Or should she be?

Hillary Clinton supported Bill Clinton's 1994 crime bill using, "...racially coded rhetoric to cast black children as animals. 'They are not just gangs of kids anymore,' she said. 'They are often the kinds of kids that are called ‘super-predators.’ No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel.'” This kind of discourse is a far cry from what she is saying in South Carolina today.

And while on the recent campaign trail, "...she continues to invoke the economy and country that Bill Clinton left behind as a legacy she would continue."

Alexander goes on, "When Clinton left office in 2001, the true jobless rate for young, non-college-educated black men (including those behind bars) was 42 percent. This figure was never reported. Instead, the media claimed that unemployment rates for African Americans had fallen to record lows, neglecting to mention that this miracle was possible only because incarceration rates were now at record highs." Likely because of the 1994 crime bill Hillary supported.

More on this tomorrow, including Bernie Sanders record on civil rights.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

The cost of college education today is so high that many young people are giving up their dream of going to college, while many others are graduating deeply in debt.
 

How Bernie Sanders will pay for his programs

I have read several instances of where people have questioned how Bernie Sanders will pay for the free programs he is proposing, like college tuition, universal healthcare, expansion of Social Security and more. You can see a full explanation of all issues by the candidate here but let me cover the above three in this post. For those of you who follow the Bern, you probably know that his aspirations are quite lofty, but that he believes sincerely in his ability to reach for and attain these goals. And in each case he has a specific solution to fund each program.

What the general public has to understand--something Bernie's supporters already know--is that these reforms have been so long coming that the momentum of needed change is now on their side. The time has come to rid this country of the corporate and wealth control that has been building for so many years now. The people need America delivered back to them and this is exactly what Bernie Sanders plans to do. There will be a fight and ideologues like Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, plus the bulk of the conservative right, will have to be dealt with. We can only hope the people will win.

First, free college tuition for all will cost around $75 billion a year. It will be paid for by imposing a tax on Wall Street speculators that would generate about $300 billion in revenue. See the link here for detailed information.

Second, healthcare coverage for every American, paid for by a 6.2 percent income-based health care premium paid by employers, a 2.2 percent income-based premium paid by households, progressive income tax rates, taxing capital gains and dividends the same as income from work, limiting tax deductions for the rich, adjusting the estate tax, and savings from health tax expenditures.

Three, the expansion of Social Security Paid for by lifting the tax on taxable income over $250,000 so that the wealthy pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as working people. More information here.

A Bernie Sanders presidency will give us the chance to catch up with other Social Democracies around the world that already offer these programs to their people. But it is up to the people of the U.S. to make this happen.

NOTE: I do plan to repost this randomly.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Do the elected officials in Washington stand with ordinary Americans - working families, children, the elderly, the poor - or will the extraordinary power of billionaire campaign contributors and Big Money prevail? The American people, by the millions, must send Congress the answer to that question.

Mitch McConnell is Senate token asshole

Mitch McConnell the village idiot at work

It takes the language of a sailor--used to be one--to describe this numbnuts who has opposed everything Barack Obama has done from the first day he took office. Most likely Mitch McConnell is a racist, but it is confirmed that he hates the President and makes me ashamed that Kentucky is my birth state. It is beyond me how McConnell was ever elected to Congress, then became Senate head? This jerk is the epitome of what is wrong with the GOP Congress, actually the Republican Party in general.

Apparently there is nothing we can do to get rid of him now, but it should prove to Republican voters what is wrong with their side of the aisle, and to Progressives that we need to get to the polls in November to vote conservatives like him out of office. But I can't imagine those on the right coming to their senses when 35% of them support Donald Trump, with Ted Cruz even in the double digits. This country is fucked up and will only survive under a Progressive President like Bernie Sanders, with much of the unrest pointing certain segments of the population in his direction.

The naysayers are already condemning the Bern for his Nevada loss. Clinton should have won that state with a unanimous vote but she didn't and Sanders walked away with 15 delegates to her 19. Do you remember that Bernie was once behind by 40 points in Nevada? And by the way, here's where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders stand in the pledged delegates that will choose the Democratic nominee...they are tied at 51 delegates apiece. But Sanders still needs more money to fight off Clinton's Super Pacs and you can contribute here.


 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

What the American people want to see in their president is somebody who not necessarily can win every fight, but they want to see him stand up and fight for what he believes, take his case to the American people.

Bernie Sanders holds his own in delegates

Wasn't able to post again on Saturday due to a glitch on Blogger, but Bernie Sanders did come in second with 47.4% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 52.5%. Not significant and certainly not what Clinton expected with her experience in 2008 from this state. And she was outdone by Sanders on the Latino vote with Bernie getting 53% while winning 68% to 28% of the younger voters. Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight noted that most of Nevada voters are "mostly old.

But at the outset Bernie Sanders won 15 Nevada delegates to Hillary Clinton's 19. Overall, Sanders has 52 delegates, Clinton 67 and with this close a race, and the fact that we have only gotten started in primaries and caucuses, I'd say Bernie is sitting pretty good.

Clinton Nevada Hispanic lead over Sanders cut to 3 points

The Latino vote in Nevada will be very important today and Bernie Sanders has improved his standing in just one week from behind 11 points to just 3 on Feb. 14. Overall Bernie is within 2.4 points. Of course we are in the moment, Nevada, that is, but Clinton's steady decline and Sanders durable increases bode well for the rest of the country. A win in Nevada should carry positive momentum into the So. Carolina primary.

More later on the Nevada race.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Establishing a 0.03 percent Wall Street speculation fee, similar to what we had from 1914-1966, would dampen the dangerous level of speculation and gambling on Wall Street, encourage the financial sector to invest in the productive economy and reduce the deficit by more than $350 billion over 10 years.

Bernie Sanders surges again in national polls

Bernie Sanders jumped 14 points in national pools against Hillary Clinton in just one month. On January 16, it was 59 to 34, Hillary by 25 points. By February 16, this had changed to 53 to 42, Hillary still ahead but by only 11 points, while in the process Clinton lost six points with Bernie gaining 8. Sanders still has a problem with minorities but holds strong on white men, Independents and voters under age 50.

Clinton concerns voters with her ties with Wall Street and for Sanders it is his foreign policy experience. The key factor here is the 14 point advance for Bernie in just 30 days, and these increases have been consistent. With this kind of escalation, and on a regular basis, Bernie could be running very close to his opponent by March's Super Tuesday. But I believe the key states for Sanders will be Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania and California.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Let us wage a moral and political war against the billionaires and corporate leaders, on Wall Street and elsewhere, whose policies and greed are destroying the middle class of America.

Corporate CEOs demanding better education laughable

It was an Arizona newspaper headline that said it, "CEOs see schools as a key weakness," but unique as this state is in its stand alone nature, particularly with guns everywhere, I think the issue might apply nationwide. Corporations want our schools to train the people they will eventually hire, but they don't want to spend one penny to support this education. I don't mean with direct donations to the schools; I am talking about them simply not paying their federal taxes.

Here is a chart of corporations that do not pay any taxes broken down by the S&P companies and Fortune 500 companies. Included are corporations like Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Americans for Tax Fairness says, " Tax avoidance through offshore tax loopholes is a significant reason why corporations, which paid one-third of federal revenues 60 years ago, now pay one-tenth of federal revenues.

This is one of Bernie Sanders major talking points, to make these companies pay their fair share of taxes again. Bernie has his own list of "Top Ten Corporate Tax Avoiders." It includes: General Electric; Verizon; Bank of America; Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and FedEx. In a way, it is un-American not to pay these taxes when it deprives children of an education, in some cases the only meal they may have all day.

LATEST: Bernie sanders within one point of Clinton in Nevada Caucus

Bernie Sanders has literally destroyed Hillary Clinton's lock on the non-white vote by pulling to within one point of his opponent; Sanders 47%, Clinton 48%. This just three days before Nevada caucuses on Saturday. The new figures were apparently a shock to the Clinton campaign, and yet another sign that Bernie Sanders has grown to the candidate for all the people of the U.S. We're not only talking African-American but the large number of Latinos working in the casinos.

The Bern nas gained 13 points on Clinton since the last poll in October of 2015, a phenomenal jump when considering the odds he is up against. But Nevada isn't really as diverse as many think and less than some of the future primaries, coming in at 15% of caucus-goers, Latino, 15%, African-American, and 3% Asian-American. 65% were white. Nevertheless it is a good test for Bernie Sanders and one that he both relishes and plans to excel in.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

For many, the American dream has become a nightmare.

Under the Republicans...government doesn't work

This is something a Bernie Sanders Presidency will correct and take to new heights.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

If our school curricula took the rights and duties of citizens as seriously as they do varsity football, home economics, and even study hall, young people would be far more likely to participate in the democratic process, and be better informed.

Latest Republican trickle down bullshit

The GOP's leading moron, "Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said on NBC’s 'Meet the Press' that it is 'not remotely' the Senate’s obligation to consider the Supreme Court nominee that President Barack Obama will choose following the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia." Just consider the quoted words, "not remotely" to gauge the level of rebellion by Republicans against anything that President Obama is connected with. Perpetual interruption of government.

Senator Patrick Leahy said in an MSNBC interview with Andrea Mitchell that the Supreme Court has not gone without a seat for a year for as far back as the Civil War. He chastised Mitch McConnell for making a political issue out of the situation, commenting that in his history in Congress, no other Senate leader had done this. In other words, it is another contemptible move by McConnell to block anything the President does.

Leahy also questioned McConnell's remark about letting the people decide the next Supreme Court nominee by citing Obama's 2012 win by 5 million votes, a likely referendum on his potential choice of someone for the high court. the Vermont Senator seemed exasperated with his Republican colleagues to the extent that none of this made sense, which, of course it doesn't. At one point Leahy exclaimed he didn't think even Scalia would approve of these tactics.

One can only hope the Progressives of this country have finally had enough and will change the whole system come November.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

We need to do more than just increasing voter turnout. We must do a better job in educating our citizens about the political process. It is time for our schools to offer young people an education for democracy.

Mitch McConnell still convinced Obama not elected in 2008 or 2012

Get this from the dufus GOP head of the Senate: “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President,” as if they didn't have a voice, overwhelmingly, in the 2008 and 2012 elections when Barack Obama was elected in a landslide over John Mccain in 2008, and similarly over Mitt Romney in 2012. McConnell needs to go to the home now.

This blockhead has dogged the President from the first day he was elected when he exclaimed, "my number one priority is making sure President Obama’s a one-term president." Well it didn't happen and Barack Obama has gone on to do great things, the most important of which is to bring the economy from near disaster after Geo. W. Bush to where it is thriving today. Why is Mitch McConnell on the President's back all the time? Is Mitch McConnell a racist?

Top Democrats and pundits called for his resignation over comments he made in a speech: “For four years, Barack Obama has been running from the nation’s problems. He hasn’t been working to earn reelection. He’s been working to earn a stop on the PGA tour." MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell quipped about the way McConnell's speeches were constructed, "That — there’s — these people reach for every single possible racial double entendre they can find in every one of these speeches."

And there's more. It dates back to McConnell's candidacy for the Senate when he was accused of telling racist jokes in private meetings. As a former Capitol Hill worker said, “The candidate saw racist jokes as a way to make him seem like one of the boys in Kentucky.” When he opposed giving Washington, D.D. a seat in House of representatives, "Opponents said McConnell had expressed concern about granting such power to an area with more than 650,000 African Americans."

History will no doubt see this bush-league politician for what he really is, the one who stood in the way of many of the good programs of a great President, doing a great disservice to his country.

Sanders blankets So. Carolina-Clinton comes up short

As recently as yesterday, Bernie Sanders had 240 workers on the ground in South Carolina--80% African-American--with 10 offices established. Hillary Clinton only 2 campaign offices, a sparse 14 workers. Sounds like someone is pretty sure of themselves, when the Bern is known to turn the tide overnight. She is ahead in the polls but there is a week to go before Feb. 27, and the fact that the voting day is Saturday will allow more people to get to the polls.

NPR says there is a hitch in Clinton's support, "young, black college-aged voters are turning lukewarm on Clinton." In another instance, "young black voters in South Carolina who spoke with NPR say when they look into Clinton's record, they don't like all they've seen." Many were impressed by Bernie Sanders' consistency, which is one of the great strengths that has carried him this far and a large reason for his regular surges in the polls.

South Carolina is 28% Black, 5% Hispanic. The 18 to 44 age group in the state is 36% of the population, numbering some 1,669,793. The Bern has a pretty good hold on this group, and when you apply the 36% to the African-American/Hispanic population, there is another 549,492 possible supporters. It's obviously conjecture, but if the numbers keep falling into place for Bernie and additional profiles of voters are added, South Carolina begins to look pretty good. 

Rush to Clinton taking its toll in deceit and dishonesty

Harry Belafonte for Bernie Sanders

First it was Madeleine Albright claiming her support for Hillary Clinton while condemning women to hell if they don't help each other. The women for Bernie Sanders took it for what it was, a threat against their feminism and decided to firm up their backing for the Bern and then denounce Albright. Then yesterday, Albright said she regretted the way her remark was "perceived." What the hell did she expect, this coming from a career diplomat?

If that wasn't enough, civil rights leader John Lewis implied that Bernie sanders' claim of being involved in the civil rights movement was not true because he didn't see him there. But Harry Belafonte, who has been very active in civil rights and is supporting Bernie Sanders, chastised Lewis, his friend, saying he couldn't have possibly seen everyone involved in the movement. Belafonte goes on to say he definitely saw Bernie Sanders involved in civil rights and that is the reason he is backing him now.

Albright is a staunch Democrat, as is John Lewis. It is tragic that because of this party connection, they feel compelled to support the party by trying to bring down Hillary Clinton's opponent, Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

{In getting out the vote} Oregon has shown us another possible route: In that state, voting can be done by mail over a period of up to four weeks, and as a consequence voter turnout has risen.

NOTE: Oregon, along with Washington state and Colorado conduct all elections by mail.

Republicans are the problem and Bernie Sanders can fix it

Bernie Sanders support larger than thought before New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Primary opened a lot of eyes as well as new sources of support the Sanders campaign didn't know of or at least weren't sure of. Now they know. Okay, I realize the first primary state doesn't reflect the demographics of some of the rest of the country but it was considered a Clinton stronghold dating back to the 2008 election where Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama.

"Sanders bested Clinton across virtually all regional and demographic boundaries in the Granite State, crushing her overall by 22 points."

As an example, in the under $50,000 income, "Sanders defeated Clinton by 33 points." She won it over Obama by 15 points in 2008. Sanders went on to a 36 point lead among voters without college degrees, and winning college-educated by 13 points. Bernie also improved his older voter appeal by beating Clinton 13 points in Berlin and a sixteen-point margin in Rochester, both older age communities.

Again, a state not representative of the rest of he country but a true test of Clinton's vulnerability.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

We must make it more convenient for people to vote. We can open the polls, as is done in other nations, over a two or three day period--including at least one weekend day--so that working Americans will have more time to vote. 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Same day registration, allowing every American to register up until election day, would substantially increase voter turnout.

Bernie Sanders takes New Hampshire handily

Early New Hampshire results

The last I heard last night the vote count was 60% for Bernie Sanders, 39% for Hillary Clinton. If it weren't for Clinton's super delegates, Bernie would have a huge lead in this area. Here's the way it stacked up overall:

Sanders won 83 percent of millennial voters under the age of 30-
Sanders won 66 percent of voters who describe themselves as very liberal-
Sanders 72 percent of self-described independents-
Sanders won huge with voters who were looking for a candidate they saw as honest and trustworthy (91 percent)-
Voters said Sanders cares about people like them (82 percent)-

But what is even more significant is that Bernie Sanders won the women's vote, 53% to Clinton's 46%. This, apparently, Hillary did not expect.

Next victories Nevada Feb. 20, then South Carolina Feb. 27 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Given the growth of technology through the "information highway," a Social Security card or driver's license should be all that is required for voting. 

Expert says Bernie sanders would make median income soar, create 26 million jobs

Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt

An economics professor from the University of Massachusetts Amherst predicts a Bernie Sanders presidency would move this country forward in such a positive way that it would solve many of the problems of the U.S. He would increase the median income more than $22,000, create 26 million new jobs while the unemployment rate would fall to 3.8%. Gerald Friedman says Sanders plan is broad-based and designed to help the middle class and needy.

Lyndon Johnson

Without the figures put in place now by Friedman, isn't this what Bernie has been saying all along? It isn't pie-in-the-sky like most republicans call it--even Hillary Clinton--but rather a proposal that will work. How many years now have we heard from the GOP that cutting taxes will boost the economy, but have only seen near disasters like Sam Brownback, Governor of Kansas, who almost brought that state to its knees? It just doesn't work.

The Sanders' campaign calls Their candidate's thinking "big," exclaiming that no one has attempted such a challenge since Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Johnson. Those of us who joined the Bernie Sanders Revolution from the beginning believed that he could do what he said and have become more convinced by the month. But what is important is, by the looks of the latest national polls, Clinton 44%, Sanders 42%, so does the rest of the country.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

If the goal{to revitalize democracy} is to get more people to vote--and that certainly should be one of our goals--then it is high time we establish automatic voter registration for every American who is eighteen or older.

"Senate declares self clean on ethics" laughable

For the last nine years the Senate has issued no disciplinary actions against anyone in the year 2015. So much for self-governing. Every Republican in the Senate--especially Tea Partiers--should be up for displaying no ethics whatsoever in blocking every program mounted by President Obama since he took office. Is it ethical to shut down a program for ideological reasons when it would benefit the American public? I think not.

Since 2007 there were 613 allegations of wrongdoing, 90% of which were simply dismissed. By the same guys who committed the wrongdoing. Only 75 have received a preliminary investigation. Behavior in the institution that is supposed to be held in such high regard is nothing but unacceptable. We can only hope that Bernie Sanders Revolution will not only bring in the President that will lead a new progressive White House but that it will spill over and eliminate most of the GOP Senate and House.

Bernie Sanders in almost tie with Hillary Clinton in national polls

We're not talking about Iowa where the caucus ended in a tie, or New Hampshire where Bernie has a double-digit lead over Clinton. We're talking about the national polls showing Sanders now within two points of Hillary at 44 to 42. If you recall, Clinton held a 31 point lead just last December. This is a clear indication that Bernie Sanders message is finally being heard and accepted by the American public.

As if this wasn't enough, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll for the general election in November finds Sanders leading Donald Trump in Iowa by a huge landslide margin of 51 percent to 38 percent, and in New Hampshire Mr. Sanders leads Trump by an even larger landslide margin of 56 percent to 37 percent. If Trump is to be the GOP nominee, who of course would be ludicrous, Bernie Sanders is the man to beat him.

Our Democratic Socialist has come a long way but he has stayed his course with a consistency that resonates throughout the country and it looks like the revolution is right around the corner now.

Bernie Sanders a champion of the veterans

Bernie Sanders is on his way to White House

If Hillary Clinton's Hispanic support slips...then what?

MSNBC reports that Latinos may be softening on their support for Hillary Clinton. One immigrant activist, Marisa Franco, said, “I think she really personifies that candidate whose talking points are dictated by polls and not by taking a firm position on your values.”

In the caucus following the New Hampshire primary, Nevada, leaders of the most powerful union in the state decided they would not endorse any candidate; the union "...a collective of bartenders, housemaids and cooks, is a massive political machine with more than half its membership of Hispanic origin."

With Martin O'Malley out of the race, the Latino support will now be split between Clinton and Bernie Sanders. In Nevada the Hispanic population is 26.5%, but in New Hampshire it is only 2.8%. Bernie leads Hillary 57% to 34% in New Hampshire, Clinton holding an almost 20-point lead in Nevada.

David Gergen made an interesting statement on the CNN Monday night coverage of the Iowa caucuses. He indicated that Hillary Clinton might take many of the southern states but he felt it was possible that Bernie Sanders could take California, The Latino population there is 37.6% but Sanders main group, the millennials, is 77.6%. That would be a huge victory. 

Bernie Sanders wins no matter the results

Sanders speaking at Iowa Caucus

By the time you read this today we will know who the winner is in the Iowa Caucuses, But Bernie Sanders has already won with his leap from a single-digit figure when he started the race, to 49.6% in the Iowa caucus, the last I checked last night. Hillary Clinton at 49.8%. Based on the outstanding votes to be counted in Polk and Linn Counties, both heavily liberal, I'm going to bed feeling that the Bern has done it.

Iowans, please check before you caucus

For you Iowans not ready for Hillary

If you're not quite ready for Hillary

Before you Iowans caucus, look at this

Just make the comparisons

Bernie Sanders Sayings

What do we do to revitalize democracy? How can we bring tens of millions of Americans back into the political process? Revitalizing the electoral process is, in some ways, a simple matter.

NEXT: Getting out the vote

U.S. responsible for 82% of all gun deaths in 23 high income nations

The Pew Research Center said in October of 2015 that gun homicides declined in the '90s hitting a plateau between 2009 and 2014 of 11,000 to 12,000 a year. Suicides with guns, on the other hand, increased. But a new study by the National Institute of Health found that...

"While the United States has failed to significantly reduce its annual rate of gun deaths, other high income countries have been making steadier progress, resulting in a wider gap between the U.S. and its international peers when it comes to fatal shootings."

PubMed under the NIH said:

CONCLUSIONS:
The United States has an enormous firearm problem compared with other high-income countries, with higher rates of homicide and firearm-related suicide. Compared with 2003 estimates, the US firearm death rate remains unchanged while firearm death rates in other countries decreased. Thus, the already high relative rates of firearm homicide, firearm suicide, and unintentional firearm death in the United States compared with other high-income countries increasebetween 2003 and 2010.

Researchers David Hemenway and Erin Grinshteyn found that "...firearm homicide rates were 25 times higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries." That is compared to 2003 when it was 19.5 times more than comparable countries. As the number of guns on the street goes up, so do the deaths by firearm violence.

The American public must continue to stand up to the gun lobby and put organizations like the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) out of business.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

Republican at the podium

Make no mistake about it: the wealthy and their political representatives are working hard to keep people away from the voting booths. They have vigorously opposed legislation that would make it easier for people to vote. They have corrupted campaign financing, so that citizens have lost faith in the political process. They have turned negative campaigning into a high art, with the result that huge numbers of voters demonstrate their disgust with gutter politics by refusing to vote on election day. They have begun the process of dismantling social programs so that citizens increasingly feel that government cannot and will not do anything to meet their needs.

Bernie sanders looking good in Iowa

In the latest Quinnipiac poll released yesterday, Bernie Sanders leads Hillary Clinton by 4 points, 49% to 45%. By demographics Bernie trounces her with men, trails slightly with women, way ahead on the age group 18-24, trails slightly on 45 to 64 year-olds and is way behind in the 65+ age group. An earlier Quinnipiac survey this month...

Clinton and Sanders are not far apart among women. Sanders has a net favorability of plus-81 with women; Clinton's is +69. Among men? Sanders is +88 and Clinton is +29 — a massive gap.

Should Bernie bring more women over to his side, he would have two major groups along with the young. Not sure he'll ever get the older folks 65+ and I believe it has something to do with Sanders Democratic Socialism; they remember Joe McCarthy and his fight against Communism and just seem to mistakenly put the two together. Another factor is that Sanders's support is far heavier among the third of poll respondents who've never been to a caucus before.

But The Washington Post cautions there are red flags. One, in 2008 fewer men voted and traditionally young people don't vote. I say, with the enthusiasm Bernie is getting from men in Iowa, and the fireworks this Presidential election has created, they will go to the caucuses on Feb. 1. And that goes double for the younger vote.

Oh, by the way, The Huff Post combination of several national polls had Bernie Sanders at 35.8% against Hillary Clinton's 51.0% as of January 24. Bernie's up from 33.3% and Hillary's down from 54.8% since January 1. Pretty significant for less than a full month.

FLASH: Does Microsoft have a "Hillary" ulterior motive with Iowa caucus software

The Bernie Sanders camp is suspicious of the offer by Microsoft for the "free" software that will tabulate Iowa caucus results. MSNBC reports "The Sanders campaign has built their own reporting system to check the results from the official Microsoft-backed app." Sanders aides noted that Microsoft employees have donated several hundred thousand dollars to Hillary Clinton over the years.

I did some research on my own to check on thesr donations and came up with the following April 2015 statements from the The Washington Free Beacon:

"Few corporate entities have managed to entwine themselves in the Clinton financial empire more thoroughly than Microsoft, a 20th century technology company that presumably feels great affinity toward a couple of 20th century politicians trying to recapture past glory.

"The feeling is apparently mutual. Hillary used Microsoft software, for example, to operate her now-deleted private email server.

"Microsoft has been supporting the Clintons years. When Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008, Microsoft was one of her top campaign contributors: the company’s employees and political action committees donated $184,119.

"Microsoft is a regular sponsor of the Clinton Global Initiative, and has donated between $1 million and $5 million to the Clinton Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which also sponsors CGI events, has donated more than $25 million to the foundation."

Coincidence, perhaps, but the ties that bind have a funny way of ending up tipping the scales in a favored direction. 

Bernie Sanders Sayings

The greater the belief that participation in the political process doesn't really make a difference, the likely it is that people will give up hope that we can ever attain a just society and a decent standard of living.

Would you vote for Hillary Clinton if Bernie Sanders isn't nominated?

Sanders Warren ticket

One voter said Clinton is “bought and paid for,” another said he wouldn't vote for Clinton unless Elizabeth Warren was on the ticket. Yet one more said the "dream" ticket would be Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Those are three viewpoints that do indicate a definite preference, but don't demonstrate a voting population that would stay home from the polls without Bernie. And they shouldn't. All you need to confirm this is to look at who leads the GOP ticket. Donald Trump.

If you want that maniac in office, or for that matter, any of his fellow candidates, especially Ted Cruz, then stay home on November 8. Most agree that "...a low-energy, low-turnout election in November would be disastrous for Democrats," according to the Washington Times. Jeff Weaver, Sanders campaign manager, feels his candidate is the one to wake up new progressive candidates and bring them out in November.

RootsAction.org says, “The head of one of the two big political parties in the United States is trying to manipulate the presidential election process by limiting direct debate and tilting the national party apparatus in favor of one candidate. This is unacceptable,” A Democratic county chairman in Iowa, Jason Frerichs agrees. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was co-chair of Hillary's campaign in 2008. There’s no doubt she’s putting her fingers on the scale, limiting the number of sanctioned debates,” Mr. Frerichs said.

And now Michael Bloomberg says he might run if Hillary Clinton isn't nominated. Looking at Bernie Sanders momentum and his recent surge in the polls, don't think the Bern will worry, although Bloomberg could take away some votes.

Bernie Sanders Sayings

It is in the interest of those who have great wealth and immense corporate power to weaken democracy. The less power the people have the fewer checks there are on those who already control the American economy and its resources.

Obama talks 2008 and Bernie Sanders

Just today it was reported on MSNBC that "Obama doesn’t see Clinton vs. Sanders as a repeat of 2008." He goes on to confirm that Hillary Clinton is establishment and Bernie Sanders is, well, too focused on one thing. Admittedly, Bernie started his campaign and has continued to emphasize America's inequality, but under that heading falls all of issues also being promoted by Clinton:

Campaign finance reform
Climate change
Criminal justice reform
The economy
Gun violence reform
Health care
Immigration reform
Voting rights  

There are more but the above shows just how close the two campaigns really are. It doesn't point out, however, the differences which make Bernie Sanders the choice of voters who want real change. Like in 2008. Bernie wants a $15 minimum wage, Hillary only $12. Bernie wants honest, single-pay universal health care, Hillary satisfied with Obamacare. Bernie wants to control the wealthy and Wall Street, Hillary is a part of it. There's even more.

Hillary thinks that we must work within the framework of the current political system, Bernie wants a revolution to change that and do away with the current disruptive government. Hillary wants to modify the educational system, Bernie wants to change it to free education for all. Hillary not clear on how she'll pay for her proposals, Bernie will tax the wealthy, large corporations and Wall Street. The last is perhaps the most significant in the separation between the two candidates.

President Obama, along with the rest of the Democratic establishment, is protecting the party favorite over the Independent candidate. Bernie Sanders will finally put this kind of thinking to rest.