Warm Welcome in NH

photo: Cheryl Senter/AP
(source: WaPo)
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Manchester, NH: Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday gave a version of the same speech about the nation’s struggling middle class and greedy billionaires that he has delivered for the past 30 years; but two days into his long-shot bid for the presidency, the oft-repeated words amounted to something new; namely a barometer of frustration on the liberal left that could begin to reshape the Democratic primary (more in Aaron C. Davis' article in Washington Post: Sanders draws warm welcome in New Hampshire).


(Zoon Politikon)

Ready for Bernie?

Bernie announces his campaign
(source: Alex Wong / Getty Images)
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This synthesis is prepared by Dylan Matthews from Vox and comes with a hardcore title, whatever it intends to convey: The socialist with the most-cialist

Guess who's running for president? Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the only democratic socialist in the Senate [NYT / Alan Rappeport]

Bernie's running as a Democrat; he's spent his whole time in the US House and Senate as an independent caucusing with Democrats and previously was part of two small left-wing Vermont parties, the Progressive Party and the Liberty Union Party [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

Here's a primer on Bernie's positions on the issues. Basically, he's a hardcore labor lefty on economics (pro-single payer health care, anti-free trade, etc.) who's skeptical of foreign intervention and a fierce critic of money in politics [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

For my money, Sanders' most interesting idea is his proposal to buy up pharmaceutical patents (allowing generic manufacturers to make drugs more cheaply) and instead incentivize research through government-issued prize money [The Guardian / Dean Baker]

Sanders' statement announcing the campaign focused in particular on income inequality and Citizens United and called for an infrastructure program creating 13 million jobs, as well as for free tuition at public colleges and universities [Irregular Times]

The infrastructure idea was articulated in Sanders' bill, the Rebuild America Act, which would spent $1 trillion over five years [Washington Post / Ashley Halsey III]

Vox's Andrew Prokop has the definitive history of Sanders' career, going back to his time as the radical mayor of Burlington who took on its Democratic establishment [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

Nineteen of Sanders' top 20 campaign contributors to date are unions; frontrunner Hillary Clinton, by contrast, counted Citigroup and Goldman Sachs as her top two contributors [Vox / Dylan Matthews]

Clinton acknowledged Sanders' entry in a tweet: I agree with Bernie. Focus must be on helping America's middle class. GOP would hold them back. I welcome him to the race [Vox / Jonathan Allen]


(Zoon Politikon)

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a blunt self-described socialist who has become a favorite of progressive activists for his denunciations of big banks and the financial elite, will jump into the 2016 presidential campaign on Thursday, according to two people familiar with his plans. Sanders shares many of the same political stances as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a darling of liberals who has repeatedly said she is not running for president. That means Sanders may end up serving as the most prominent voice for the left wing of the party — particularly voters who are suspicious of Clinton and her ties to Wall Street.

Read more in Washington Post today:

Sen. Bernie Sanders to launch presidential bid on Thursday

(Zoon Politikon)