Bernie Sanders Enthusiasm Gap

[ellisonz]

By KATE LINTHICUM
June 21, 2015

Hillary Rodham Clinton was mobbed by fans when she spoke this week before a big crowd of Latino government officials from across the country. When another Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, took the same stage here Friday, the room was about half-empty.

"I haven't heard of him, to be honest," said Luciana Corrales, a school board member from San Ysidro, Calif. And anyway, she added, "I'm a Hillary supporter."

Talk of a Sanders surge has enlivened the campaign in recent weeks, as bigger-than-expected crowds turned out for his fiery speeches about taking on the "billionaire class" amid promising polling in the early-primary state of New Hampshire. But the enthusiasm gap on display at the nation's largest gathering of Latino policymakers highlights the reality of the major demographic challenges Sanders faces as he wages his long-shot bid for the presidency.

---

"If your only significant constituency is older white voters, that'll be good in Iowa and New Hampshire, but when you hit Nevada and South Carolina you're in another world," said Democratic strategist Bill Carrick. "If you're going to be the nominee, you're going to have to do pretty well among Latino, African American voters, women, single women and millennials. That's the challenge for Bernie Sanders — to become more than a niche candidate and become a candidate with a broad coalition of support."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/immigration/la-na-democrats-latinos-20150620-story.html#page=1

[cantbeserious]

1. There Will Always Be Nattering Nabobs Of Negativity

eom

[MoonRiver]

9. Ah, another well thought out counter argument.

[cantbeserious]

14. Well Turned Phrase Used By Many Over The Years

eom

[zappaman]

18. Yes who can forget the great Spiro Agnew?

[cantbeserious]

21. Negativity Is Negativity

eom

[bigtree]

33. interesting, a phrase used by Agnew to describe the media uncovering Nixon's crimes

...and speaking out against the war.

"In the United States today, we have more than our share of nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H club -- the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history."

[okasha]

102. I don't believe you possibly can.

Be serious, that is.

[cantbeserious]

105. Ridicule - A Common Technique Used When Nothing Better Is Offered

eom

[okasha]

107. See your own post #1 for a sterling example.

I do wonder where you do your quote-mining.

[cantbeserious]

108. One Would Observe That Your Post Underscores The Tone Of Negativity

eom

[okasha]

110. Nothing negative about it.

The OP seems to have disturbed you. That's unfortunate.

[cantbeserious]

111. One Would Disagree

eom

[DemocratSinceBirth]

67. The line was actually written by this guy

[cwydro]

39. And from Spiro Agnew,

no less.

It was from a speech of his.

[kenfrequed]

130. Hard to respond to absurdity

A claim that he isn't appealing to non-white voters when the primary places starting out campaigning are in Iowa and New Hampshire some six months before there is even a primary is one that is not really worth responding to.

Responding to it with anything more than a swat suggests there is some solid legitimacy. The idea that somehow Bernie isn't going to appeal to minority voters is more spin invented by pundits using polls rooted in name recognition.

[nc4bo]

2. He has plenty of time! nt

[swilton]

3. Pure mythology

[BainsBane]

4. It's "mythology" supported by polling data.

[SaranchaIsWaiting]

31. The polling data in '08 was closer to mythology.

[azmom]

28. I want a "political revolution" tee.

Si se puede.

[AgingAmerican]

29. Which explains the repeated smear attempts against him

...and Hillary's, "Me too!, Me too!" evolution.

[Egnever]

34. I would argue that video illustrates the problem perfectly

The crowd is white as the driven snow despite its size

[AgingAmerican]

43. Yet there is no problem

And we are about 8 months out from the first primary.

You won't see Bernie 'evolving' into Hillary's positions. No, 'Me too!' for Bernie.

[fizzgig]

56. there was less diversity than i would have liked to have seen

but i saw both obama and biden in northern colorado in 08 and those crowds were pretty white, too.

i would not jump straight to enthusiasm gap, though. let's see what happens once he starts gaining name recognition.

oh, and i will go see hillary if she swings through, too.

[okasha]

103. I do believe that's Denver,

not the conference of Hispanic elected officials.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. "I haven't heard of him, to be honest." Let's check back in a few months.

Hillary is favored among Latino voters. She has name recognition and good policy on her side.

We'll see if Bernie can manage to peel away some of these folks, once they figure out who he is.

[localroger]

13. at this point in 1975

...nobody had heard of Jimmy Carter either.

[hifiguy]

16. Nobody outside of Georgia

At any rate. It is very early and at this stage name recognition is everything in polls.

[Betty Karlson]

124. Good point. eom

[lunamagica]

19. Yes, let the Latino voters learn more about him. For instance

That on his campaign website immigration reform is not mentioned.

That he doesn't mention immigration reform at his speeches.

That when a young Latino man asked him about immigration reform his dismissive reply was "I can't answer 50 question a day".

That he said "You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that's not important."

Learning all that ab out him will send Latinos running to his side. Sure it will

[Comrade Grumpy]

53. Your post is dishonest. Sanders addresses immigration reform.

"Bernie Sanders Tells Latinos He Backs Immigration Reform at NALEO"

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/bernie-sanders-tells-latinos-he-bacsk-immigration-reform-naleo-n378691

"Bernie Sanders Calls for Broader End to Deportations"

http://time.com/3928948/bernie-sanders-immigration/

"Bernie Sanders: It's Time for Immigration Reform"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/19/bernie-sanders-immigration_n_7624086.html

--------

These are all from the last two days.

No veo una luna magica, pero una luna mentirosa.

[lunamagica]

62. Are you calling me a liar?

Point to where I lied or apologize!

That on his campaign website immigration reform is not mentioned.
Where does he mention it? Is this a lie?


That he doesn't mention immigration reform at his speeches.
He only has mentioned immigration o this time, in front of Latinos. Please

That when a young Latino man asked him about immigration reform his dismissive reply was "I can't answer 50 question a day".
This happened. NOT a lie

That he said "You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that's not important."

He said it. How is this a lie?



Learning all that ab out him will send Latinos running to his side. Sure it will

[Comrade Grumpy]

70. Your post is dishonest because it implies Sanders doesn't care about immigration reform.

His campaign web site does not mention immigration reform. It mention only three large general issues: income and wealth inequality, getting big money out of politics, and climate change/the environment. It does not mention myriad other issues, including immigration reform. For that, you'd have to actually listen to him.

As for the interchange with the young Latino, it was a bit brusque.

As for your half-a-quote from Sanders, here's the entirety:

"Well, here's what you got. What you got is an African-American president, and the African-American community is very, very proud that this country has overcome racism and voted for him for president. And that's kind of natural. You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

"But that's not important. You should not be basing your politics based on your color. What you should be basing your politics on is, how is your family doing? ... In the last election, in state after state, you had an abysmally low vote for the Democrats among white, working-class people. And I think the reason for that is that the Democrats have not made it clear that they are prepared to stand with the working-class people of this country, take on the big money interests. I think the key issue that we have to focus on, and I know people are uncomfortable about talking about it, is the role of the billionaire class in American society."

I read that not as Sanders saying immigration reform is "not important," but as saying Democrats need to earn minority votes, not just get them by default or inertia.

Whether Sanders will end up appealing to Latino voters remains to be seen. But it's dishonest to try to make it seem like he doesn't care about them or immigration reform.

[lunamagica]

73. Your post started and ended with a personal attack on me

Bad form.

[HooptieWagon]

92. Your post was deliberately dishonest.

You got called on it. Let that be a lesson to Hillary supporters.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

109. What kind of lesson?

Like my buddy says talking smack on the internet doesn't define a person, what he or she does in real life does.

[ljm2002]

98. You are wrong...

...when you say that Bernie "doesn't mention immigration reform at his speeches" and that "He only has mentioned immigration o this time, in front of Latinos".

I attended his Town Hall meeting in Las Vegas where he spoke about immigration reform. There were few Latinos / Hispanics in the audience. This was before his address to the meeting of Latino politicians. He also addressed it in Denver so I'm told -- but I wasn't there and have not watched the speech so I cannot say for sure.

In any case, given the speech in LV, either you are simply mistaken, or you are telling a lie. Will you admit that you are wrong about this, or will you continue to spread disinformation?

[brewens]

64. Rut-Roh. I may have accidentally alerted on this. If that's what a pink bar below and the

message "your alert was sent" means. I'm only not sure because I have never alerted before. It was an inadvertant mouse click I suppose.

[think]

71. I saw the same thing and was wondering how I could have sent an alert. Must be a glitch or something

[brewens]

83. I get it. I clicked on the link of an alerted post, got distracted and when I got back

to checking it out, I'd forgotten what I was checking out.

[PotatoChip]

65. Bernie Sanders sponsored 45 pieces of legislation on immigration matters

throughout his years in Congress. Including, but not limited to, the recent and well known 'Dream Act'.

Here they are: https://www.congress.gov/member/bernard-sanders/S000033?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Immigration%22%7D

Moreover, he does indeed speak about immigration issues during his speeches. Just because you are unaware of this fact does not mean "he doesn't mention immigration reform at his speeches". All you need to do is watch his speeches to the folks in Nevada and Colorado. They are posted right here on DU.

And finally, could you please provide a link that proves this statement of yours (below) to be true? Thanks in advance.

when a young Latino man asked him about immigration reform his dismissive reply was "I can't answer 50 question a day"

Oh, and link please for this one too... TIA

he said "You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that's not important."

[SaranchaIsWaiting]

68. Much thanks.

Things are getting '08.

[lunamagica]

69. here are the links you requested

In Iowa, Bernie Sanders Gets Pressed on Immigration
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026836727

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6869122
Sen. Bernie Sanders On How Democrats Lost White Voters

[PotatoChip]

74. Both of those statements were completely taken out of context by you.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

[lunamagica]

77. GMAB. Keep convincing yourself of that

keep telling PoC to always "look at his record" and it's "taken ou tof context" when posting a direct quote.

That will work

[PotatoChip]

85. You omitted important portions of the article.

Doing that changed the tone significantly.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

76. Here

Oh, and link please for this one too... TIA

he said "You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that's not important."

Well, here's what you got. What you got is an African-American president, and the African-American community is very, very proud that this country has overcome racism and voted for him for president. And that's kind of natural. You've got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you've got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that's not important. You should not be basing your politics based on your color. What you should be basing your politics on is, how is your family doing? ... In the last election, in state after state, you had an abysmally low vote for the Democrats among white, working-class people. And I think the reason for that is that the Democrats have not made it clear that they are prepared to stand with the working-class people of this country, take on the big money interests. I think the key issue that we have to focus on, and I know people are uncomfortable about talking about it, is the role of the billionaire class in American society.

http://kuvo.org/post/sen-bernie-sanders-how-democrats-lost-white-voters

_______________________


No sane person believes Bernie Sanders is a racist or nativist but he is a product of the milieu in which he finds himself and that is the milieu of a senator from a highly rural homogeneous state.


The reasons Hillary Clinton is hugely popular among Latinos and other minority groups is because she has assiduously courted those groups for years, has been sensitive to their needs, and has appointed members of those groups to her White House staff, her Senate staff, her Secretary Of State staff, and now her presidential campaign staff.

[PotatoChip]

82. The man grew up in very culturally and racially diverse Brooklyn.

Those were his formative years. I don't see how where he lives now changes a thing regarding his worldview based on his lived experiences.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

87. My aunt lived on Flatbush Avenue until 1970...

My aunt lived on Flatbush Avenue until 1970 when she moved to Forest Hills. There was nothing diverse about the place...When it became diverse the mostly caucasian residents moved out. Any reading of Brooklyn and NYC history and demographic movement will tell you that...I am not impugning anybody's motives but the flight of caucasians was what it was...


My mom grew up on Manhattan's East Side and my grandmother lived there until 1970. Again there was nothing diverse about the place.

[PotatoChip]

93. The actions of elected members of the Legislative branch of the US Government

affect everyone in this country, not just their own constituents. Bernie has focused on a broad range of progressive issues through the years that are helpful to people beyond his very white state of Vermont.

Just check out this site, and you will see what I mean. Look under Subject- Policy Area to change from 'immigration' to whatever interests you: https://www.congress.gov/member/bernard-sanders/S000033?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Immigration%22%7D

In any event, this focus on Bernie's state as a negative is something I find perplexing. When I consider voting for a candidate, I look at his or her record first to see how closely that person aligns with my overall POV. There are other considerations, of course, but that person's stance on policy issues are probably the biggest thing for me.

If I were someone that put much stock in the demographics of where a person lives in order to identify what kind of politician they are (and ONLY that) there is no way I would have voted for President Obama... twice.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

95. That's a good and fair argument.

A person can transcend his environment and have a broad range of concerns.

My point is that my older relatives had the same kind of childhood as Bernie in places like Bronx Park, Brooklyn, and the Lower East Side and there was nothing diverse about those places.... Caucasian folks left them when it started to get diverse.

[PotatoChip]

96. I know. You were right about that. I checked it out, and

was surprised to see how much Brooklyn has changed in such a relatively short time. My daughter lives in Manhattan, so I looked at that too. Pretty much the same story there.

Interesting stuff!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

101. A lot of them, well their grandchildren and grand grandchildren are moving back...

A lot of them, well their grandchildren and grand grandchildren are moving back and that's causing problems because they are driving the people who live there out.


Services get better but the people who lived there can't afford to live there anymore...

[misterhighwasted]

66. Oh Dear! False Alert!! I just hit the alert as i was scrolling ( on phone).

Apologies, I didn't even have a chance to read what i alerted on by mistake!

Think I hit alert when a call came in on my phone.
Please ignore. My apologies.

[CherokeeDem]

134. I thought it was me.....

I apologized, too....

Maybe there's a glitch in DU...

[CherokeeDem]

133. I just got an notice my alert was sent....

I didn't send one, I was simply scrolling through the thread. I haven't even read this post yet.

If I caused an alert... I didn't mean to... sorry.

[kenfrequed]

131. uhm..

She has name recognition.

Bernie has much better and more solidly defined policy.

Hillary's policy is a bit less defined in many areas.

[L0oniX]

6. KATE is obviously clueless concerning the youth.

[lumberjack_jeff]

7. $2.5 billion buys a fair amount of "enthusiasm" at the NYT and LAT. n/t

[cantbeserious]

15. ^^^ THIS ^^^

eom

[WilliamPitt]

8. 80 million millenials

might have something to say about that.

[SaranchaIsWaiting]

20. My hopes are up for those who have been silent.

Things look good. Very Good for the berning desire to level the playing field.

[sufrommich]

36. The polls showing wide minority support for Hillary don't

exclude minority millennials.

[yuiyoshida]

52. Not this

Minority.

[bigtree]

44. 8 million members of the nation’s largest minority are expected to vote in the November elections

Hispanic voters are expected to decide the outcome of 14 GOP-held House seats in districts with large Latino populations and narrow margins of victory in 2012: three in Florida, three in New York, two in California, two in Colorado and one each in Indiana, North Carolina, Nevada and Texas.

“An average 904,000 will turn 18 every year from now until 2028,” said Loren McArthur, deputy director of civic engagement at the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group. “That’s another 13.5 million Hispanic voters over that 14 years.”

Another jaw-dropping statistic that should make every politico take notice: Approximately every 30 seconds, a Latino turns 18, and 70 percent automatically have the right to vote because they were born here, according to Mi Familia Vota.

http://america.aljazeera.com/features/2014/6/latino-millennialselection2014.html


Every month, 66,000 American Latinos turn 18, according to a Pew Research Center study. Not only are young Latinos a potential gold mine of voters who could have a monstrous influence on Election Day, they could be the key to boosting turnout among older Hispanic voters as well.

“Unlike other millennials who have parents who either have a history of voting or have been in this country for a long time, this generation of Latinos, they’re the first ones in their families who are eligible voters,” she said. “So, the idea of sparking interest in politics to them is very important because if we get them excited about voting there’s the likelihood that their parents and family will get engaged with them.”

“Young Latinas actually lead their demographic over and over when it comes to participation,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO and President of Voto Latino. “About 51 percent of eligible Latinas go out and vote while with young men, typically 39 percent of them will.”

The strongest display of this was the 2012 election, in which young Latinas were second behind African American women in voting for Obama, their turnout influenced by the stakes for women’s health, particularly reproductive rights.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/11/03/voto-latino-millennials-have-the-power-to-rock-the-hispanic-vote/

[wyldwolf]

10. It's true

The base of Bernie's support is white liberals.

[madokie]

12. Sure didn't look that way last night in Boulder

I seen what looked like a dang good cross section of America. Young, old, black, brown and white and everything in between.

No amount of this kind of talk WW is going to change the fact that Bernie is loved by all.

[madokie]

11. Sounds like someone is a little late to the party

In what about 5 weeks on the national stage without any or very little press and he's pack'm in like he did in Boulder last night. I'll stick with Bernie thank you

[ljm2002]

17. By addressing the NALEAO...

...Bernie is starting bridging that gap.

Paragraphs 7 and 8 of the article in the LA Times (emphasis mine):

Sanders' campaign advisors say his platform, which includes free college tuition and Medicare for all, has appeal across racial and ethnic lines. His speech Friday at the annual conference of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials — his first to a Latino audience — was well-received. His pledges to raise the national minimum wage and reduce spending on jails and prisons drew standing ovations.

After drawing heat from some Latino pundits in recent weeks for not talking enough about immigration, Sanders addressed the issue head-on Friday, matching Clinton's pledge to go further than President Obama in shielding from deportation immigrants who are in the country illegally.

[bettyellen]

22. Good for him!

[ellisonz]

42. Too bad the Republicans will fight to the end on the minimum wage...

...and he only has authority over spending on federal prisons unless he plans to use the power of the purse against the states. Bernie promises a lot, but when you consider the details it's not politically feasible or legally possible. Yeah that's politics, but still

[cui bono]

23. Same thing would happen if Celine Dion and Lou Reed showed up at the same place.

So what?

It's amazing how people ignore the fact that Hillary is far more well known than Bernie.

And speaking to "enthusiasm", that's a pretty poor choice of words. I believe the enthusiasm is on the Sanders side of the equation. Just look at the crowds he's drawing and the exuberance he elicits.

[AtomicKitten]

24. It's not an enthusiasm gap, it's a lack of familiarity with most of the field gap.

The Clinton/DNC nexus is milking Hillary's huge name recognition by not scheduling debates until "August/September" (no actual date set yet) and limiting the number to six. In spite of that boot on the neck of the lesser known candidates' campaigns, Bernie is packing his venues where the enthusiasm is palpable. His campaign is surging in social media, the place where millennials commune. So, while the Clinton people are flogging the polls that are largely based on name recognition and the media's virtual blackout of the other candidates, Bernie is doing the hard work of getting his message out there. His honesty, integrity, and straight talk are resonating as people learn of his candidacy. Watch.This.Space.

[cui bono]

25. Exactly.

That's pretty much the sentiment of my post above:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6876728

[AtomicKitten]

27. Yes indeed. Cheers.

[aikoaiko]

26. Interesting, the Democratic strategist is already lowering expectations in nh AND Iowa

First they said he didn't have a chance.

Then they acknowledged he might do well in NH when they saw he was doing better.

And now expectations are lowered for Iowa.

This is very good news for Bernie when old guard Democrats start doing damage control for HRC.

[Vinca]

30. And the strategist is delivering a mealy mouth line about how it's good for Hillary

to have competition, yada, yada, yada. They seem to forget that Bernie has just gotten started and he's packing places where they know him. Not unlike what's-his-name from 2008 (President Obama).

[AgingAmerican]

37. First they ignore him

Then they laugh at him. Then they fight him. Then he wins.

It's pretty apparent by the nature of the smears launched against him, and the fact that Hillary has is becoming a 'Me Too!' candidate, that Bernie makes the Hillary camp very nervous.

[AgingAmerican]

40. He is a superstar on Reddit...

The self styled, "Front page of the internet", which is millennial ground zero.

[frylock]

46. Check the Facebook pages of Gawker, Raw Story, Salon, Mother Jones..

same thing there.

[sufrommich]

51. So was Ron Paul. nt

[JI7]

97. only young white men

Which I'm guessing is what reddit is dominated by.

[leftofcool]

61. Too bad he needs Latinos, AA's and women for the win!

[AgingAmerican]

99. And he will have them

Once they become informed.

[okasha]

113. That is so incredibly condescending.

What makes you think we minority voters aren't informed?

[AgingAmerican]

118. Hillary supporters continually claim hardly anyone knows about Bernie

Thus it follows that, once they DO know about Bernie, they will gladly switch to his side. When better known he becomes, the more people will switch to his side.

Bernie's campaign is based upon truth. Truth and a consistent 50 year record. That is my point. Sorry I wasn't trying to be condescending.

[okasha]

120. Actually,

it's Sanders supporters who continually make the claim that he's unknown, and multitudes will flock to him when he's better known.

I don't think that's going to happen, especially if he keeps up with his exactly backwards dialectic that economic inequality is the root of all other forms of inequality.

[AgingAmerican]

121. Civil rights follow economic justice

There is no country on earth without economic justice, that has strong civil rights. Zero. Not a single one, and the USA is no different. You cannot decouple them. They are not diametrically opposed.

He correctly realizes that whomever controls the economy in the country, controls the levers of power. As long as the oligarchy controls the economy, the country will go backwards socially. It is about who controls the power. The oligarchy, or us. Money = power.

Example: civil rights acts and voter rights acts are being undone. Blacks are losing their voting rights. This is done to assure the Oligarchy keep power over the 99%. The more they control the money, the more power they have over politicians, and the more rights erode. This is how it works in third world countries where the general population has no power and the oligarchy control everything. This is how it works worldwide, this is how it works here.

Having said all that, I believe that Hillary's supporters just do not want to discuss economics, period, given her ties to the banksters that collapsed it in the first place. That is the root of their position, IMHO.

[NYC Liberal]

117. "Once they become informed."

WOW.

[AgingAmerican]

119. Informed to what Bernie is all about

nt

[virtualobserver]

35. Obama didn't catch Hillary in the polls until Feb 2008

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/democratic_presidential_nomination-191.html

Hillary led 48 -22 in the polls as late as Oct 28, 2007

It is only June.

The third Democratic debate was on Jun 28, 2007

Wait until the debates, then we will see.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

112. At this time in the 08 cycle her lead was approximately fifteen points

At this time in the 08 cycle her lead was approximately fifteen points -your link

Her lead now is over three hundred percent larger; 48.3%

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_democratic_presidential_nomination-3824.html


Also, the comparisons between Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama are facile. Senator Obama was young, vital, vigorous, handsome, charismatic, and a polished orator and debater. To be the first black president he had to be exceptional and he was. He was simply, sui generis.

He also had a ready made constituency among African Americans who comprise approximately three out of ten Democratic primary voters. Once he demonstrated he had crossover appeal by winning the IA caucus African American Democrats gravitated to him in droves. If HRC could have even mitigated her losses among African American Democrats she would have won the nomination. As it is it's hard to win the Democratic primary when you lose such a large constituency 3-1, 4-1, and 5-1.

[virtualobserver]

116. I agree with your analysis of the 2008 election

But this match-up is more complicated than it seems on the surface.

Bernie has one important advantage over Hillary...... he is authentic.

Whether it is his speech opposing the Iraq war or the 2003 video of him forcefully lecturing Alan Greenspan, or his current rallies, you can see that he speaks from the heart, which is the source of his charisma.



Iowa and New Hampshire are both very small......but If Bernie can win both....all bets are off.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

136. Bernie is a very good debater

He's like a dog with a bone!

[daredtowork]

38. Wishful thinking

Hillary is old and white, too. D'oh.

Bernie plays much better with young people, and struggling people of color than Hillary.

Where Bernie WILL have trouble is winning the vote of all the women who have been waiting a looooooong time to vote for the first woman President. I felt guilty about voting for Obama in 2008, and I feel guilty about choosing Bernie now. The large majority of women will vote for Hillary with the impression they are being "feminism" loyalists. When you clear away all the rest of the demagoguery, this Primary is still about how much government intervention you want in addressing inequality and which social groups you think that helps.

[djean111]

75. I think that supporting Hillary just because she is a woman does a great disservice to women.

I do not feel guilty at all, supporting Bernie. As an older woman who fought through the Feminist years, refusing to be treated as anything more or anything less than one of the guys, what I wanted was for gender to not be a qualification - or disqualification - at all. I did support Hillary in 2008. But I was a life-long Democrat, and not real real look-it-up political.
I know that no candidate is perfect. I also know that a woman ANYTHING could turn out to be a Liz Warren. Or a Sarah Palin. I will never base something like this on gender.

[davidpdx]

125. I totally agree with you

Gender should not be a qualification or disqualification. I vote for the candidate that best represents my views. Had we been provided a different candidate who was a woman in either 2008 or this year I would have happily supported her if agreed with her on the issues. The sad fact is since Mrs. Inevitability is running on her DLC platform again and pretending to be a progressive is the only woman running in our party doesn't provide much of a choice.

I hope Sanders wins and chooses a woman (no not her) and then steps down in 4 years to let the first woman VP run.

[Avalux]

41. They're pushing the narrative ((paid to?) that Sanders supporters are old and white.

It's not true, at least not within the circle of people I know and talk with.

[zappaman]

47. It's not just old from the people I know.

Lot of young voters are interested too.
But it is 100 percent white.

[arcane1]

58. He was hugely popular on Colbert's show every time he appeared.

They remember who he is

[AgingAmerican]

45. Projection

Enthusiasm for Bernie is double that of Hillary.

[zappaman]

48. Which is good since Clinton's poll numbers are more than double of Sanders'

Lotta time to go though.

[leftofcool]

59. LMAO!

[hootinholler]

49. And then there's this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017271517

Of course that's only on the Senate Floor so it probably doesn't count, eh?

[yuiyoshida]

50. makes it sounds like his ownly supporters are

Fox News Viewers.. YEAH... i guess THAT MUST BE TRUE...



https://twitter.com/AlisonSpalding2/status/612682405250334720

[HassleCat]

54. True

We live in a world of special interest politics, and single issue voters. Sanders has an uphill battle in this environment.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

88. Folks want to have their feelings validated and it's up to a politician to validate them or not...

Folks want to have their feelings validated and it's up to a politician to validate them or not and if people believe their feelings aren't being validated they probably won't vote for that politician. Empathy is part and parcel of politics.

[grasswire]

55. this reporter's other gig

A member of a band called "Basement Babies"

http://www.laobserved.com/assets_c/2013/02/basement+babies++photo+by+A+Dol-thumb-300x225-18661.jpg

[orpupilofnature57]

57. We had a lot of enthusiasm, charisma ,and appeal for the last 3 Presidents, You tell me .

[DemocratSinceBirth]

91. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have been outstanding presidents....

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have been outstanding presidents... If not for the Texas interloper our nation would be in a much better place.

[orpupilofnature57]

94. I agree with your last statement .

[kentuck]

60. It's still early...

Bernie's popularity will continue to grow, in my opinion.

[MellowDem]

63. Name recognition gap...

is more like it.

But if all that it takes is a brand, plenty of connections, and money to win the Democratic nomination, and I think it does, then we deserve a candidate like Hillary.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

84. If it's a name recognition gap why is the gap larger among African Americans and Latinos?

Thank you in advance.


I really wanted to avoid this thread because I don't believe Senator Sanders is remotely racist, nativist, or xenophobic... IMHO, it's a matter of tone... Members of heretofore marginalized groups and groups that are still being marginalized want to know their concerns are real and to have them validated.

[MellowDem]

100. Because the people that would know Sanders...

Outside of his home state are progressive liberals, who are overwhelmingly white for a lot of reasons, they are generally wealthier and have the time to pay lots of attention to politics.

The Democratic Party is pretty conservative, self-described liberals don't even make up half the party, and active liberals are an even smaller share.

Clinton has all the advantage here, and history has taught us that that is huge in who gets elected. Relatively unknown candidates have an almost impossible task the way our system set up, t gives advantage to the powerful and privileged, and Clinton is among the epitome of both.

[AgingAmerican]

122. Hillary inherited most of Obama's supporters

Which is somewhat ironic given the degree to which Hillary was savaged by Obama supporters in the 08 primaries. Randy Rhodes basically self immolated over Hillary. She turned into a left wing version of Ann Coulter and got herself fired from Air America, then had to leave the country. The last time I listened to Stephanie Miller, she asked, "Why can't we use the Ken Starr 1990s talking points against Hillary?". I didn't even support Hillary then, but was so turned off by the viciousness and endless whining about Hillary from Stephanie that I never listened to her again. Back then I used to chat in Yahoo political chatrooms. During that primary, Obama supporters teamed up with Republicans there and turned it into an anti-Hillary mosh pit, rendering the chat room unusable, so I never went back there either.

A search of the DU archives shows that several of her more vocal supporters here now, were some of the most savagely against her then. I find it puzzling, frankly.

Anyhow, once they realize which candidate REALLY serves their best interests, they will gleefully switch to Bernie. It is only a matter of time.

[davidpdx]

126. I find that surprising as well

They seem to have all fallen in line like good little soldiers.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

129. IMHO

IMHO, the reason Hillary Clinton has inherited so many of Barack Obama's supporters is because she and him occupy roughly the same space on the ideological spectrum and the differences are more a function of style than substance. That's why the 2008 primary became so nasty because the arguments were about personality. Well, that and the fact they were fighting over the same thing. That's why zero sum games are so toxic and why we need to expand the pie but that's a debate for another day.

I see a lot of posters arguing that HRC is much more hawkish than BHO but I would argue that's more tone than anything and the debacle of the Iraq invasion is going to make any president, Democratic or Republican, regardless of their rhetoric reluctant to sign on to a large scale invasion anywhere.

[Sancho]

72. I live in a state where 25% (or more) were born outside of the US....

and I work with immigrants everyday - legal, undocumented, citizens, green cards, visas, you name it.

Hillary is well known because she has spent years working for the rights of immigrants. That includes what we need now - a path to citizenship. Bernie is unknown, or seems irrelevant, because even though he goes along with reform he has not been a champion. In fact, both NY and Maryland (because of Martin) have tuition equity for example. Vermont does not. Immigrants do not see Bernie as someone who has stood up for them, even when he had a chance. Not the enemy, but not on their radar as a friend.

http://correctrecord.org/hillary-clinton-and-immigration/

HILLARY CLINTON AND IMMIGRATION
“As a Senator I was proud to cosponsor the national DREAM Act and to vote for it. I’m a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and I believe that we have to fix our broken immigration system. We have to keep families together. We have to treat everyone with dignity and compassion, uphold the rule of law, and respect our heritage as a nation of immigrants striving to build a better life. And so, bringing millions of hardworking people out of the shadows and into the formal economy is what we’re doing in Maryland and what we need to do across the United States.” Hillary Clinton, 10/30/14

Supporting the DREAM Act. Hillary Clinton has called passage of DREAM Act “long overdue.” This legislation, which would allow immigrant children who “have demonstrated good moral character, and are pursuing a college education or have enlisted in the military, the… opportunity to earn legal status in this country,” was cosponsored by Clinton in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

Fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. Hillary Clinton has long been an advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. She was one of the two cosponsors of Senator Ted Kennedy’s 2004 bill, the S.O.L.V.E. Act, and during her time in the Senate she continued to cosponsor and vote for comprehensive immigration reform legislation. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Hillary called for “a path to legalization” to bring people “out of the shadows,” and she pledged that, if elected, she would introduce a plan for immigration reform “in the first 100 days” of her presidency. As Sec. Clinton recently told a tearful young undocumented immigrant, “I’m a huge supporter of immigration reform and a path to citizenship and will continue to advocate for that.”

Expanding access to health care. Hillary Clinton introduced the Legal Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act to end the five-year waiting period for immigrant children and pregnant women to participate in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Advocating for her 2007 bill, she said, “While most children receive preventative medical care, such as vaccines and routine dental care, too often immigrant children do not. They are forced to forego treatment and can ultimately end up seeking needed care in emergency rooms—the least cost-effective place to provide care.” Reintroduced and passed in 2009 as part of the Children’s Health Insurance Program reauthorization, former Secretary of Health and Human Resources Kathleen Sebelius praised this legislative push that ultimately allowed health “coverage to all children who are lawfully present in the United States.”

Job training for people with limited English proficiency. Hillary Clinton developed and introduced legislation to expand job training access to people with limited English language skills. Touting this bill, the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act, Hillary said, “There is no question that English proficiency is critical to economic advancement and improved quality of life for LEP [Limited English Proficient] workers and their families. Workers who are fluent in oral and written English earn about 24 percent more than those who lack fluency, regardless of their qualifications. These individuals are better able to participate in the civic life of their community, which so many LEP individuals in New York tell me they want to do.”

Expanding opportunities to gain permanent residency. As a candidate for Senate, Hillary Clinton called for passage of legislation so that “All immigrants on the verge of gaining residency status should not be forced to leave this country while they wait for the INS to process their application.” The LIFE Act and LIFE Act Amendments, enacted in December 2000, allowed certain eligible immigrants until April, 2001 to apply for permanent residency without being forced to leave the United States first. As a Senator, Hillary urged those eligible to apply for the program and she cosponsored legislation to extend it until April, 2002.

Keeping families together. In 2007, during debate over the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, Hillary Clinton introduced an amendment to reclassify the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents as immediate relatives. As she said before the vote, “It is time to take all the rhetoric about family values and put it into action and show that we mean what we say when we talk about putting families first. That is what my amendment does… It is our view we must make reuniting families a priority in our immigration system, that we should show compassion for those living apart from their spouses and minor children, that we should reform immigration in a way that honors families and brings them together.” The bipartisan amendment failed, 44-53.

[BeyondGeography]

78. Obama lost the Latino vote 2-1 to Hillary, iirc

She has very broad and deep support there.

Obama really worked at it, too. No reason I can think of that Bernie won't also get thumped here.

[sgtbenobo]

79. Greetings Fellow Sanders Supporters

I've been sifting through the posts today and for a while I was getting kind of frustrated. Thing is; every time someone starts a thread disparaging our candidate with huff, bluff, and fluff, they've been repelled with facts. It occurs to me that their fighter has no legs and they know it. It's coming to light that when American's are actually given a choice that makes sense we aren't that easily cheated. Bernie exudes something that Hillary does not. Integrity. I have a neighbor who was totally in love with Ron Paul now she says she'd vote for Bernie. Go figure. Point is; things change. November 2016 is a long way down the road and I'm sure by the time we get to the end of this process everyone is going to know who President Sanders is.


Carry on.

[tularetom]

80. Not all "low information voters" are republicans

Clinton has name recognition.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

89. If I was a poster like Sancho or lunamagica I would feel marginalized by your comments

If I was a poster like Sancho or lunamagica I would feel marginalized by your comments but I will let them speak for themselves.

Not everybody who disagrees with you are "low information voters" which is often used by Republicans who dismiss Democratic voters as voters who vote Democratic because they want the government to give them stuff.

[Bradical79]

81. More like a media gap

Hillary has the big money interests and has been in the national spotlight now for over 20 years, and came very close to winning the nomination previously. I'm not shocked that so far away from the primaries Hillary is packing the seats and Bernie isn't. There's been very little advertising so far.

[William769]

86. Kick and highly recommended!

[backscatter712]

90. Somebody wasn't in Denver yesterday.

Full house at the University of Denver for Bernie's town hall. They filled the gym, had people watching on screens in the atrium, and even outside in the lacrosse field.

In short, the place was packed, and everyone was stoked!

Hell yes there was enthusiasm! I speak from first-hand experience.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

106. Young and old!

[Number23]

104. No amount of screaming "STOP CAlLING HIM a RAciST!!11one" from his devout (and fairly frightening)

supporters is going to change the fact that he has much work to do in minority communities. Because the truth is, he has much work to do in minority communities and as has been said over and over again, NOBODY can win without minority voters. And the occasional minority supporters looking the other way as his white supporters scream he's great on minority issues because he "grew up in Brooklyn" ain't gonna cut it. Five or six minorities ain't enough. He needs WIDE and DEEP minority support.

If anything, all that screaming does is illustrate that this is a truth that some of his supporters understand as well but don't have the honesty or courage to address. His policies are great. Once he is able to tie them into issues that affect minorities, he may do much better.

[lovemydog]

123. Very true.

Civil rights and reducing economic inequality are important issues in this campaign. I look forward to seeing how all democratic candidates address them. And as you say, tie them into issues that affect minorities.

[SidDithers]

132. This post was alerted...

I'll add results when they come in.

2-5 Leave.

Sid

[Number23]

135. The devout and frightening supporters trying to do what they do best -- scare everybody else away

all while screaming to the hills that THEY are the ones being bullied. (SMDH) The fact that nothing in my post was a personal attack doesn't seem to deter these people in the least. I hope the admins are looking at what's going on around here these days.

Nice to see you again, Sid. I'm sure your steps here are as haunted as everybody else's if not more so.

[Marr]

114. Yes, Hillary's been one of the political elite for a very long time.

People already know who she is. Candidates who aren't consummate, perennial insiders get their name out during campaigns, which is what's just beginning to gear up now.

[KelleyKramer]

115. This makes Bernie good, Older white voters are what Dems need the most help with

The Democratic nominee (no matter who it is) is going to do very well with minorities.

In recent prez elections, where the Dems have needed the most help is with older white voters.

In my opinion this makes Bernie a stronger candidate for us in the general

[CanadaexPat]

128. Everyone of those officials will follow their constituents.