Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and his push to make the party more inclusive could get “messy” but asserts in an interview with The Associated Press: “Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle.”
The Vermont senator, campaigning Monday ahead of California’s primary against Hillary Clinton, said his supporters hope the party will adopt a platform at the summer convention that reflects the needs of working families, the poor and young people, not Wall Street and corporate America.
Sanders said he will “condemn any and all forms of violence” but his campaign was welcoming political newcomers and first-time attendees of party conventions. He said the Democratic Party faces a choice of becoming more inclusive or maintaining the status quo.
“I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working-class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it’s going to be messy,” Sanders said.
“Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go.”
Asked if the convention could be problematical, Sanders said: “So what? Democracy is messy. Everyday my life is messy. But if you want everything to be quiet and orderly and allow, you know, just things to proceed without vigorous debate, that is not what democracy is about.”
Sanders is vying for support ahead of California’s June 7 primary, a day that also includes contests in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota. Clinton has 271 more pledged delegates than Sanders and is just 90 delegates shy of clinching the nomination when the total includes superdelegates, the party officials and elected leaders who can support the candidate of their choice.
Some Democrats have grown weary about the length of the primaries, worried that it could give Republican businessman Donald Trump a head start on the general election and make it more difficult for Democrats to unite behind a nominee. The issue gained attention when a recent Nevada Democratic convention turned raucous.
Sanders said he was “bothered” by the portrayal of the Las Vegas convention, saying it did not turn violent as some media reports indicated. “There was rowdyism. There was booing, I think inappropriately by the way,” he said.
The senator spoke after the Democratic National Committee announced a 15-member platform drafting committee, which will write the first draft of the party platform. The panel includes allies of both candidates.
Sanders said the platform process would be an “excellent time to educate the American people,” saying it would allow the party to have a vigorous debate over ways to address wealth inequality, the role of Wall Street in the economy, climate change and universal health care.
“A serious debate about serious issues is good for democracy, is good for the Democratic Party. It will increase voter turnout and that always works in our effort to defeat Republicans,” he said.
He declined to entertain the possibility of being considered as Clinton’s running mate, saying he was focused on winning the nomination. “If I don’t, we will see what happens later on.” But he reiterated that he would do “everything that I can” to ensure that Trump is not elected president.
Sanders said he had a “shot” at winning the California primary against Clinton and said, given his delegate deficit, it was “imperative” that he perform well. He estimated his rallies around the state would allow him to speak directly to 200,000 voters before the primary.
“What happens if I win a major victory in California? Will people say, ‘Oh, we’re really enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton despite the fact that Bernie Sanders has now won whatever it may be, 25 states, half the states?'” he said.
If that happens, he added, superdelegates “may rethink that. That is why you want the process to play out.”
Clinton’s campaign said Monday she would not participate in a proposed California debate, choosing instead to campaign in the state. Sanders said at an evening rally in Santa Monica he was “disturbed but not surprised” that Clinton had “backed out” of the debate, which was part of an agreement the campaigns reached with the DNC earlier this year.
Sanders also looked ahead to the future of his political movement, saying his goal was “the transformation of the Democratic Party. To be a party which is a grassroots party where the main energy comes from working families, from trade unionists, from environmentalists, from people today who want real political and social and economic and environmental changes in our society.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Clinton used several million dollars of donated funds to pay super delegates to vote for her. Mitch got $264,200.00 to vote for Clinton.
Hitlery will pay lucifer (with saudi money) to vote for her!!!
I must believe that there are more decent folks who know the negatives to Hillary Rotten Clinton. Not all women are brain dead and I cannot imagine any male who thinks above his belt buckle and does not enjoy the sound of an unoiled squeaky door will vote for Rotten
The bern will never burn!! He’s a commie and Real Americans will never vote for a commie!! He needs to return to New England and go back to obscurity!! He has been sucking the taxpayers teat long enough and needs to just fade away!! Besides that he’s never done anything in his life to justify his position in politics!!!
And Hillary is better????? LOL
Bernie caters to the young, poor, but I haven’t heard much about Senior benefits, homeless veterans etc. looking at his podium and guest behind him mostly young people. The old fart needs to go back to Vermont and suck on a maple tree!!
the header should be “Bernie Sanders sends chilling warning to rival”
why leave his name out and not Clinton’s? the article is about him not her.
I am an independent female voter from the eastern part of the US and will not vote for Hillary. She has no integrity and no moral conscience. Trump may be loud but he says what he thinks and there is no doubt where you stand. I am not going to vote for a female candidate unless they are trustworthy and will support the constitution including our 2nd amendment . Women are not stupid and she is not representative of what women need or want.
What is left to say Betnie is a senile old fogey who espouses govt control of every aspect of life from cradle to grave .Hillary is dishonest a liar.She is a money grubber who has no morals values or ethics.She would sell her soul for the right price.Those are your choices Democrats .This is why Donald Trump will win in a landslide like RONALDUS Magnus did in 1980 and again in 1984
If ever the democrats will win again for the high positions in our land, they are the ones convincing the so called poor, the latter will again vote for them because they are afraid to lose their freebies. Also, I think the present administration has put out some strategies to convince more people, especially those who owned student loans to lower the interest they pay for their loan or get to college with low interest loans to get the vote of young people.
Over the last 3 years the Clinton took in 50 billion dollars and sent out 10 million dollars to organizations that want money. Where in Hell did the rest of the money go. I think to the Clintons bank account.
If a person wants free medical they can enlist in the military and get VA benefits and they can go to college under the Marshall plan. As for universal medical coverage, the next president should expand the Uniformed Core of the Public Health Service under the Surgeon General as a fully funded military force just like the U.S. Coast Guard is under the Dept of Homeland security. This is no more ‘socialized medicine’ than the U.S. Marine Core is socialized defense. The Surgeon General will be given the task of defeating disease just as our other military forces were given the task of defeating fascism, communism and global terrorism. As long as there is a profit motive in health care, nobody will get well!
Rerun 1968 Dem Convention ( minus Vietnam War issue).
If you have been watching recent events, you know that vets are dying while waiting in line for medical care. Just the other day, the head of the VA compared vets waiting for medical care with visitors to Disneyland! Also, a vet gets educational benefits under the GI Bill, which is not as generous as it used to be. The Marshall Plan dealt with post-WW II reconstruction in Europe by providing loans to Eurpoean countries–loans that have not been repaid. This does not mean that I would consider voting for The Bern any more than I would consider The Donald or The Hildabeast. I just hate to see a fellow American making erroneous statements due to lack of information
We had a socialist space cadet running in that one too, didn’t we?
Even liberal/progressive Democrats RIOT at Bernie’s political campaigns. It’s THEIR candidate (Hillary) or ELSE.
So much for tolerence and inclusion.
(even though I think Bernie’s policies (hard core socialism) are not even an option for this country, and I totally DISAGREE with his philosophy, he is entitled to his First Amendment right to free speech)
Bernie seems like a nice guy, but don’t be deceived…he still is a Liberal. His ideas still connect to the ways of Liberal thinking. If you want freedom, then do some research on the past of those that were Liberals and see what came of it. Are there some Republicans that too have similar ideas…I think so and feel they need to go over to the Democratic ways of thinking and be with them because some of them don’t think like Republicans.