Thread by @ClaireBerlinski

More Bernie. Why don't people vote?

Answer: Because they've given up on democracy and no longer think the government represents them. "They are choosing not to participate in what, for them, is a charade of democracy."

(But Bernie, how do you explain this?)

"In the real world," he writes, "the very rich are getting richer and most everyone else is getting poorer."

Not true. From 1990 to 2015, the percentage of the world living in extreme poverty has dropped from 36% to 10%.

In the US, his description accurately characterizes the post-2008 period.

He rehearses the problems we're all worried about: low wages, crummy jobs, people working longer hours for lower wages, younger generation anticipating a lower standard of living than their parents.

"And what are members of Congress doing about these issues? I will tell you what they're doing. They are out spending a ridiculous amount of time raising money for their next campaigns."

"And then, once elected, they are representing the interests of the people who funded those campaigns."

"The results: The desires of the rich and powerful are well attended to. The pain of working families is ignored."

I agree with him that campaign finance reform might mitigate the perception that Congress is corrosively corrupt.

But I think he's very wrong to dismiss the 1A implications of Citizens United.

He wants Congress to restore the "preclearance" requirement under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

This is reasonable.

He also wants the Voting Rights Act to be expanded: he wants everyone automatically registered when he or she turns 18, placing the burden of registration on the state, not the voters.

I'd be willing to experiment with that.

He wants Election Day to be a federal holiday, and absentee ballots available to anyone who requests them, with no tests or conditions.

The first is reasonable, but how would he prevent fraud in the second instance? He insists there's "no such thing," but obviously,

if you make it possible to vote by absentee ballot with--literally--no tests or conditions, there will either be fraud or widespread accusations of it.

He wants the voting rights of convicted felons restored.

I agree.

He wants enough polls and poll-workers to prevent long lines. And paper ballots.

Agree on both.

He devotes the next section to vilifying the Koch brothers. I think I'll get lunch before I dive into that.