U.S. Politics if Bernie does in fact succeed in everything
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  U.S. Politics if Bernie does in fact succeed in everything
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Author Topic: U.S. Politics if Bernie does in fact succeed in everything  (Read 1417 times)
Blue3
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« on: March 08, 2016, 07:59:58 PM »
« edited: March 08, 2016, 08:26:28 PM by Blue3 »

Let's say Bernie ...



1. wins the nomination

2. AND wins presidency, serves 2 complete terms

3. AND gets all his ideas passed:
a- single-payer healthcare, plus Medicare negotiation, import drugs from Canada, accelerate getting generic drugs on the market
b- free public colleges
c- campaign finance reform
d- breaks up the big banks, bring back Glass-Steagall
e- higher taxes on wealthy and corporations and financial transactions
f- carbon tax, and more investment in clean energy
g- $15/hour minimum wage, including the tipped minimum wage
h- $1 trillion infrastructure spending (including transportation, electric, water, broadband, airport, seaport, dam, levee)
i- fair trade renegotiations of existing trade deals
j- expanded Social Security, with lifting the cap so it has no funding problems
k- 12 weeks of paid family/medical leave
l- mandatory paid vacation days of 10 per year
m- minimum of 7 paid sick days per year
n- universal childcare
o- universal pre-K
p- immigration reform, including a path to citizenship
q- criminal justice reform, police body cameras, legalize marijuana, ban for-profit prisons, eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing
r- early voting expansion, Election Day a federal holiday, felons can vote, automatic voter registration
s- expanded Planned Parenthood
t- the Equality Act, to ban LGBT+ discrimination federally in employment/housing/medicine/finance/education/public-accommodations/etc.
u- fully fund and expand the VA
v- expanded SSDI program for the disabled so they get bigger paychecks
w- expanded youth jobs programs
x- the deficit shrinks, the budget even balances with all the new revenue
y- unemployment remains low
z- there's no major foreign policy blunders

The list is based entirely on his Issues page, I think I included everything important:
https://berniesanders.com/issues/

4. AND he leaves office in January 2025 with at least a 51%+ approval rating






All 4 come true. That's a given, not up to debate in this thread, no matter how unlikely.
(And disclaimer: I'm actually a Hillary supporter. But this is interesting to speculate about.)

What's the impact on U.S. politics? What changes?

Do Democrats basically become conservatives, wishing to conserve the status quo, with Republicans truly just becoming the party of attempts to repeal, and the only action being in foreign policy? Perversely, could Democratic turnout go down, increasing the likelihood of repeal? Would there still be something for Democrats/progressives to campaign for, and not just be conservative on?

I'm especially thinking about the impact of real campaign finance reform and the other voting reforms. As well as just the power of people seeing these policies not destroy the economy or "freedom"; since then repeal based on ideological grounds becomes less appealing or at least less urgent.
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Blue3
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« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2016, 07:53:47 AM »

That was presidential election trends. This is impact on U.S. politics.
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ag
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« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2016, 01:32:04 PM »

Well, I guess my answer will be different here.

What will happen if a hen impregnates an asteroid? Certainly, this will result in a snow storm over the Canary Islands, which will guarantee an FDP landslide in the next Nigerian election. Do you get me?
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Virginiá
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« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2016, 02:16:36 PM »
« Edited: March 09, 2016, 02:18:07 PM by Virginia »

That was presidential election trends. This is impact on U.S. politics.

Fair enough Tongue

In this regard, I still think my post from the other thread is relevant. The success of these issues would lock those ideas into place for a very, very long time, just like the New Deal did with Social Security and Great Society with Medicaid/Medicare/public housing.

The end result is the ideological base of the country shifts much further left (whether or not some parts of the country would want to admit it). In terms of politics/partisan success, the Republican party would have to accept this new baseline or else wander around in the political wilderness for as long as it takes them to come to terms with it.
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CrabCake
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« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2016, 02:43:41 PM »

Well the Democrats will find other issues. You don't get very far for long in politics if all you promise is status quo
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Stranger in a strange land
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« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2016, 03:15:45 PM »

We'll be Canada.
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Blue3
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« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2016, 01:38:58 PM »

Well the Democrats will find other issues. You don't get very far for long in politics if all you promise is status quo
Like what?
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CrabCake
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« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2016, 07:32:59 AM »

I don't know, housing is always an issue (irt dilapidated stocks, lack of, price of, relief for renters etc.); the reform of the balkanised education system, workplace democracy, union reform/restoration, anti militarism etc. Use your imagination.
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CrabCake
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« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2016, 07:35:44 AM »

Basically leftists  in countries with UHC don't just sit around all day and be happy about healthcare.
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Blue3
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« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2016, 05:41:12 PM »

Basically leftists  in countries with UHC don't just sit around all day and be happy about healthcare.
A lot of people from those countries have been saying the progressives have basically been the defenders of the status since WWII, when most of these things were passed in those countries.
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