--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What Bernie Sanders is talking about…" description: "\"What Bernie Sanders is talking about, which is trying to get back to a more perfect democracy, is something that we support, too. We just think that th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/tom-steyer-6110_bernie-sanders_what-bernie-sanders-is-talking-about-whi_385049.jpg" --- # What Bernie Sanders is talking about, which is trying to… ![“What Bernie Sanders is talking about, which is trying to get back to a more perfect democracy, is something that we support, too. We just think that the idea of... wishing the rules were different and then pretending they were is something which, unfortunately, probably would be disastrous from…” quote by Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/tom-steyer-6110_bernie-sanders_what-bernie-sanders-is-talking-about-whi_385049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/tom-steyer-6110_bernie-sanders_what-bernie-sanders-is-talking-about-whi_385049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90b/tom-steyer-6110_bernie-sanders_what-bernie-sanders-is-talking-about-whi_385049.jpg) > “What Bernie Sanders is talking about, which is trying to get back to a more perfect democracy, is something that we support, too. We just think that the idea of... wishing the rules were different and then pretending they were is something which, unfortunately, probably would be disastrous from the standpoint of energy and climate.” [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocating for democratic reforms while warning that unrealistic rule changes could harm energy and climate goals. **In simple terms:** Support democracy but avoid unrealistic rule changes that could damage climate efforts. Key Takeaway Balance political ideals with practical climate policies. Themes democracy energy policy climate political realism policy reform Mood cautious optimistic critical Type political policy environmental When to use this quote - legislative debates - energy planning - climate negotiations - public advocacy Key Concepts systems thinking risk assessment policy design Questions to Reflect On - How can democratic reforms be pursued without jeopardizing climate goals? - What realistic policy adjustments can improve both democracy and energy outcomes? A Different Perspective Idealistic changes may overlook technical constraints and cause unintended harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bernie sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernie-sanders/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-support-3485781/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanders-259368/) [Sanders Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanders-talking-3485780/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [Talking about jobs, and people - I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, they want jobs. And Sanders is talking about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-lowden/talking-about-jobs-and-people-i-don-t-care-if-you-re-a-democrat-or/) [Sue Lowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-lowden/) > [Since Israel is a democratic state surrounded by essentially undemocratic states which have sworn her destruction, those interested in democracy everywhere must support Israel's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/since-israel-is-a-democratic-state-surrounded-by-essentially/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [Bernie Sanders is like those liberal members of the German National Socialist Party during the WWII, or of the Italian Fascist movement during Mussolini.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/bernie-sanders-is-like-those-liberal-members-of-the-german-national/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [You had a socialist get 47 percent of the votes in the Democratic primary: Bernie Sanders. You have an outright white nationalist populist \[Donald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/you-had-a-socialist-get-47-percent-of-the-votes-in-the-democratic/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I don't support everything Bernie Sanders supports, but I support most of it: universal health care, reining in Wall Street, fighting climate change, reversing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/i-don-t-support-everything-bernie-sanders-supports-but-i-support-most/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [ The most important thing will be building a bench of powerhouse progressives in elected office and in the next administration. \[Bernie\] Sanders has an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-wikler/the-most-important-thing-will-be-building-a-bench-of-powerhouse/) [Ben Wikler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-wikler/) > [ The terrible trade deals that Bernie \[Sanders\] was so vehemently against - and he was right on that - will be taken care of,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-terrible-trade-deals-that-bernie-sanders-was-so-vehemently/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [There's kind of a Tom Harkin aspect to Bernie Sanders, even though Harkin is supporting Secretary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/there-s-kind-of-a-tom-harkin-aspect-to-bernie-sanders-even-though/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Bernie Sanders is the only politician who, consistently for 50 years, has taken that social justice platform into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/bernie-sanders-is-the-only-politician-who-consistently-for-50-years/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [51 years ago, when Hillary Clinton was working on the Goldwater campaign, Bernie Sanders was getting locked up for my rights. 50 years later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/51-years-ago-when-hillary-clinton-was-working-on-the-goldwater/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I'm going to tell my contestants: Be Bernie Sanders. Be the person people want and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-m-going-to-tell-my-contestants-be-bernie-sanders-be-the-person/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [ Remember, Bernie \[Sanders\] was the guy. He was the one guy that could win this, and head-to-head he could go against \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/remember-bernie-sanders-was-the-guy-he-was-the-one-guy-that-could-win/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) ## More by Tom Steyer > [The American people know that climate change is the kind of problem only America can solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/the-american-people-know-that-climate-change-is-the-kind-of-problem/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [The more we allow Republicans to concentrate the lion's share of wealth in the hands of a few, the more power these wealthy few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/the-more-we-allow-republicans-to-concentrate-the-lion-s-share-of/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [I think I understand the relationships between different people within the company: people who are straightforward employees, people who can impact the bottom line,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-think-i-understand-the-relationships-between-different-people/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [Trump's vitriol attracts large crowds and may even win him the Republican presidential nomination but dishonors our best traditions. It spits in the face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/trump-s-vitriol-attracts-large-crowds-and-may-even-win-him-the/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [I've always said that climate change is the defining issue of our generation. I've set out to hold candidates and elected officials accountable and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-ve-always-said-that-climate-change-is-the-defining-issue-of-our/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [Donald Trump may be unusually flamboyant, but his views are all too representative of the party that is about to nominate him for president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/donald-trump-may-be-unusually-flamboyant-but-his-views-are-all-too/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [In American politics, the deepest rivalry is between the rational world and the right wing of the GOP, who are increasingly marginalized in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/in-american-politics-the-deepest-rivalry-is-between-the-rational/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [On the path to a low-carbon, clean-energy future, we need cleaner, non-intermittent sources of power that will allow us to keep the lights on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/on-the-path-to-a-low-carbon-clean-energy-future-we-need-cleaner-non/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [I founded NextGen Climate with a clear mission in mind: to act politically to prevent climate disaster and preserve American prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-founded-nextgen-climate-with-a-clear-mission-in-mind-to-act/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [Since the Reagan era, Republicans have prescribed cuts for rich people and corporations as a cure-all. But every time they put their theory into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/since-the-reagan-era-republicans-have-prescribed-cuts-for-rich-people/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [The fact of the matter is, people care about their own human interests: the people they love, their families, and their communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/the-fact-of-the-matter-is-people-care-about-their-own-human-interests/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [We need to ask elected officials supporting Keystone XL whether they're willing to put their constituents and our environment at risk so that foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/we-need-to-ask-elected-officials-supporting-keystone-xl-whether-they/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [I am passionate about preserving the rights and opportunities of current and future Americans. That has meant fighting to stop global warming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/i-am-passionate-about-preserving-the-rights-and-opportunities-of/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [We can't double down on the failed energy policies of the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/we-can-t-double-down-on-the-failed-energy-policies-of-the-past/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) > [The tech-driven economy leads to a two-tier job market where workers are either critical or 'commodity.' This divisive 'winner-take-all' mentality hurts most Americans and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-steyer/the-tech-driven-economy-leads-to-a-two-tier-job-market-where-workers/) [Tom Steyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) [Explore all 100 Tom Steyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-steyer/) ## More Bernie sanders quotes > [Have you seen Bernie Sanders rallies? I haven't seen that many white voters since the Oscars. You know - oh, we have some Hollywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/have-you-seen-bernie-sanders-rallies-i-haven-t-seen-that-many-white/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A clothing company is making T-shirts inspired by Bernie Sanders with messages like 'Feel the Bern.' They were gonna make them for Lincoln Chafee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/a-clothing-company-is-making-t-shirts-inspired-by-bernie-sanders-with/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [ The debate was a chance for senator \[Bernie\] Sanders to have a game-changing moment to recapture the news cycle and build momentum going into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/the-debate-was-a-chance-for-senator-bernie-sanders-to-have-a-game/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [ Remember, Bernie \[Sanders\] was the guy. He was the one guy that could win this, and head-to-head he could go against \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/remember-bernie-sanders-was-the-guy-he-was-the-one-guy-that-could-win/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I think that on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders talks about income inequality and poverty alleviation, and those issues are so important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/i-think-that-on-the-democratic-side-bernie-sanders-talks-about-income/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [I'm going to tell my contestants: Be Bernie Sanders. Be the person people want and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-m-going-to-tell-my-contestants-be-bernie-sanders-be-the-person/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [51 years ago, when Hillary Clinton was working on the Goldwater campaign, Bernie Sanders was getting locked up for my rights. 50 years later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/51-years-ago-when-hillary-clinton-was-working-on-the-goldwater/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I understand what's going on in people's minds, and I think the political leaders better be asking themselves 'why is it, that Donald Trump,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-lott/i-understand-what-s-going-on-in-people-s-minds-and-i-think-the/) [Trent Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-lott/) > [Bernie Sanders is the only politician who, consistently for 50 years, has taken that social justice platform into politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/bernie-sanders-is-the-only-politician-who-consistently-for-50-years/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [I noted, though, that other strong critics of Donald Trump did attend the inauguration. Hillary Clinton went. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders went. I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martin/i-noted-though-that-other-strong-critics-of-donald-trump-did-attend/) [Michel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martin/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There's kind of a Tom Harkin aspect to Bernie Sanders, even though Harkin is supporting Secretary Clinton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickerson/there-s-kind-of-a-tom-harkin-aspect-to-bernie-sanders-even-though/) [John Dickerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickerson/) > [ The terrible trade deals that Bernie \[Sanders\] was so vehemently against - and he was right on that - will be taken care of,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-terrible-trade-deals-that-bernie-sanders-was-so-vehemently/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) [Browse all 285 Bernie sanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bernie-sanders/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What Bernie Sanders is talking about, which is trying to get back to a more perfect democracy, is something that we support, too. 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