# If Bernie Sanders gets elected as president... **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 12, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957 "2015-07-12T17:52:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steven9001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@Steven9001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven9001)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/1 "2015-07-12T17:52:28Z")
[http://imgur.com/9JeXVHy](http://imgur.com/9JeXVHy) [http://imgur.com/5vp9p56](http://imgur.com/5vp9p56) Is anyone really that naive to think socialism is ever going to work? ---
**Author:** ![Steven9001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7c8e57/32.png) [@Steven9001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven9001)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/2 "2015-07-12T17:59:56Z")
\>He not only wants full amnesty for all illegal immigrants currently in the US, but also wants to raise the cap of immigrants currently allowed entry every year \>He voted yes on a bill that would have banned high-capacity magazines over 10 bullets \>Despite his anti-war rhetoric, he supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, leading to the resignation of one of his anti-war staffers \>He voted to authorize funds for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan despite publicly opposing those wars \>He colluded with Chris Dodd to completely gut Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill when it was introduced to the Senate [Ron Paul Comments on Bernie Sanders' Gutting Of Audit The Fed Bill - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sqoq-lAGO8) [Embed] [Embed] \>He told a woman "Excuse me! Shut up! You don’t have the microphone.” when she asked him at a town hall meeting why he refused to condemn Israel’s bombing of Gaza \>His wife committed loan fraud and nearly bankrupted Burlington College while she was dean \>Despite being an “independent”, he voted with Democratic Party 94.1% of 324 votes \>He voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016 \>He voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. \>He voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. \>He voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1 \>He voted YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets. \>rated F by the NRA \>He Voted YES on Congressional pay raise. \>He voted YES on $84 million grant for Black and Hispanic colleges \>rated 97% by the NAACP for pro-affirmative action stance \>He voted YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package \>He voted YES on addtional $192 billion stimulus spending ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/3 "2015-07-12T18:04:55Z")
You do realize that there are several large, powerful countries in the world that define themselves as “socialist”? They may not be great places to live by American standards, but they do qualify as “working”. Therefore, yes, there are people who think socialism can work. What are your feelings on the issue, and how do magazine sizes figure into it? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/4 "2015-07-12T18:11:43Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > large, powerful …“socialist”? Which ones? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/5 "2015-07-12T18:14:11Z")
Do you have any discussion to add here, or are you just going to keep on posting good reasons to vote for Sanders? ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/6 "2015-07-12T18:29:51Z")
I’d say we be out of toilet paper in 6 years… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/7 "2015-07-12T18:37:40Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Which ones? China? North Korea? Heard of them? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/8 "2015-07-12T18:38:37Z")
> [@Steven9001](#): > > \>He voted yes on a bill that would have banned high-capacity magazines over 10 bullets > \>Despite his anti-war rhetoric, he supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, leading to the resignation of one of his anti-war staffers > \>He voted to authorize funds for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan despite publicly opposing those wars > \>He colluded with Chris Dodd to completely gut Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill when it was introduced to the Senate > \>Despite being an “independent”, he voted with Democratic Party 94.1% of 324 votes > \>He voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016 > \>He voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. > \>He voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. > \>He voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1 > \>He voted YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets. > \>rated F by the NRA > \>He Voted YES on Congressional pay raise. > \>He voted YES on $84 million grant for Black and Hispanic colleges > \>rated 97% by the NAACP for pro-affirmative action stance > \>He voted YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package > \>He voted YES on addtional $192 billion stimulus spending I’m not a scholar on communism. **Steven9001** , are these positions Maoist or Leninist? Either way, checks and balances may help prevent a Sanders Presidency from destroying America. Congress thwarted Obama’s plan to give autism to all white children and haul their grandmothers off to the death camps. SCOTUS thwarted Clinton’s plan to to nationalize all the banks and pizza parlors. Perhaps the NRA, America’s 4th branch of government, will be able to defeat Sander’s Marxist plan to ban high-capacity magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/9 "2015-07-12T18:40:09Z")
> [@Steven9001](#): > > \>He not only wants full amnesty for all illegal immigrants currently in the US, but also wants to raise the cap of immigrants currently allowed entry every year > \>He voted yes on a bill that would have banned high-capacity magazines over 10 bullets > \>Despite his anti-war rhetoric, he supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, leading to the resignation of one of his anti-war staffers > \>He voted to authorize funds for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan despite publicly opposing those wars > \>He colluded with Chris Dodd to completely gut Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill when it was introduced to the Senate > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_Sqoq-lAGO8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sqoq-lAGO8) [Embed] [Embed] > \>He told a woman "Excuse me! Shut up! You don’t have the microphone.” when she asked him at a town hall meeting why he refused to condemn Israel’s bombing of Gaza > \>His wife committed loan fraud and nearly bankrupted Burlington College while she was dean > \>Despite being an “independent”, he voted with Democratic Party 94.1% of 324 votes > \>He voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016 > \>He voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. > \>He voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. > \>He voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1 > \>He voted YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets. > \>rated F by the NRA > \>He Voted YES on Congressional pay raise. > \>He voted YES on $84 million grant for Black and Hispanic colleges > \>rated 97% by the NAACP for pro-affirmative action stance > \>He voted YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package > \>He voted YES on addtional $192 billion stimulus spending Damn … he’s got my vote!! ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/10 "2015-07-12T18:44:42Z")
This is about as idiotic as thinking that Jeb Bush will turn the US into Nazi Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/11 "2015-07-12T18:55:40Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > Damn … he’s got my vote!! Mine too. But I’d like him to be challenged by someone to his Left, to push him more to my views. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/12 "2015-07-12T19:20:47Z")
> [@Steven9001](#): > > [http://imgur.com/9JeXVHy](http://imgur.com/9JeXVHy) > > [http://imgur.com/5vp9p56](http://imgur.com/5vp9p56) > > Is anyone really that naive to think socialism is ever going to work? Basing your opinions on ignorant meme pics isn’t a good policy in general. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/13 "2015-07-12T20:33:29Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > China? North Korea? Heard of them? North Korea is large powerful and working?? Really? And China doesnt define itself as socialist. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/14 "2015-07-12T20:48:59Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > North Korea is large powerful and working?? Really? Go ask a North Korean. They’ll confirm it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/15 "2015-07-12T23:42:41Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > China? North Korea? Heard of them? China is about as socialist as Nazi Germany and if you think North Korea “works” then you know nothing about North Korea or have grossly distorted view of what qualifies as “works”. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/16 "2015-07-13T00:06:16Z")
> [@Steven9001](#): > > \>He not only wants full amnesty for all illegal immigrants currently in the US, but also wants to raise the cap of immigrants currently allowed entry every year > \>He voted yes on a bill that would have banned high-capacity magazines over 10 bullets > \>Despite his anti-war rhetoric, he supported the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, leading to the resignation of one of his anti-war staffers > \>He voted to authorize funds for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan despite publicly opposing those wars > \>He colluded with Chris Dodd to completely gut Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill when it was introduced to the Senate > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_Sqoq-lAGO8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sqoq-lAGO8) [Embed] [Embed] > \>He told a woman "Excuse me! Shut up! You don’t have the microphone.” when she asked him at a town hall meeting why he refused to condemn Israel’s bombing of Gaza > \>His wife committed loan fraud and nearly bankrupted Burlington College while she was dean > \>Despite being an “independent”, he voted with Democratic Party 94.1% of 324 votes > \>He voted to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016 > \>He voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border. > \>He voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. > \>He voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1 > \>He voted YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets. > \>rated F by the NRA > \>He Voted YES on Congressional pay raise. > \>He voted YES on $84 million grant for Black and Hispanic colleges > \>rated 97% by the NAACP for pro-affirmative action stance > \>He voted YES on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package > \>He voted YES on addtional $192 billion stimulus spending Mostly excellent stances with the exception of being pro race-based affirmative action, a tad bit too pro gun control (although he’s far more pro-2nd Amendment than any other Democrat running), and possibly in favour of too much immigration. But no candidate’s perfect. Also Sanders is a left social democrat, not a socialist. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/17 "2015-07-13T00:40:52Z")
> [@Steven9001](#): > > \>rated F by the NRA Just put this out all by itself. He’ll win in a landslide. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/18 "2015-07-13T00:53:44Z")
I’ll concede he will have a hard time winning the redneck vote. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/19 "2015-07-13T01:02:15Z")
I’d be fine with him as President. Interestingly enough I had a conversation with an “independent” today (has never not voted GOP but thinks the GOP is too centrist to label herself as one of them) who likes Sanders more than Clinton and said that if the choice was him or Bush she might just stay home. Clinton she will come out to vote against no matter who the GOP runs. Surprisingly to me the “socialist” label did not bother her, a young 30 something suburbanite, and she likes, or all things, his position on labelling of GMO foods. India considers itself “socialist”, at least as per their constitution (yes, in reality very capitalistic). Canada is relatively “socialist” compared to the U.S. and most of Europe’s states could be described as “social states” of various different models, all of which are as “socialist” in concept as what Sanders seems to endorse. Of course given the EU’s current travails one must pause before claiming that they work so well … ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957/20 "2015-07-13T02:55:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > This is about as idiotic as thinking that Jeb Bush will turn the US into Nazi Germany. Of course it is. Everyone knows Republicans have no sense of fashion. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, but at least they had Hugo Boss. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-bernie-sanders-gets-elected-as-president/724957.md?page=2)