Bernie Sanders Isn’t Electable, And Here’s Why

[ProudToBeLiberal]

The blunt truth: I just can’t see Bernie Sanders winning a general election. Three months ago, I thought it might be possible, maybe. But watching the campaign unfold as it has, and given some time to ponder how circumstances might play themselves out, I’ve become less convinced that he could beat any of the Republicans. He’d probably have the best shot against Ted Cruz. But in that9case, as we now know, Mike Bloomberg would get in, and I think he’d be formidable, but I don’t want to get into why here. That’s another column, if indeed it ever needs to be written.

This column is about Sander’s chances, which I think are virtually nil for two reasons.

Reason one: He’s not an enrolled Democrat. Understand that I say this not as a judgment on him, but as a description of what would surely become, were he the nominee, a deep practical liability. Let me explain.

That he’s not an enrolled Democrat doesn’t matter, obviously, to his fans. I’m sure it doesn’t matter to most rank-and-file Democrats. It doesn’t matter to me. But you’d better believe it matters to Democratic office holders and party officials—members of Congress, state legislators, governors, mayors, national committee members and state committee members across the country. These people are Democrats, and they’re Democrats for a reason. It’s important to them.

A lot more at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/27/bernie-sanders-isn-t-electable-and-here-s-why.html

Guys, I think we need to hold the revolution.

[Art_from_Ark]

1. What utter horseshit

"Proud to be liberal", my ass.

More like
Proud To Be always dissing the most Liberal candidate

pfft.

[SammyWinstonJack]

31. +1000000

[Ferd Berfel]

48. Some people perfer to stick their heads in the sand rather than acknowledge a Sea Change

This

OMG--Live now. Clinton has Iowa rally in a bowling alley. Less than 150 there.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511075914

This
In a town of 8,000, 2,000 show up to hear Bernie ...
www.democraticunderground.com/125110590

And this:

[Gothmog]

53. Bernie Sanders: I won't get as many votes as Obama in '08

The main theme from the Sanders people is that Sanders will be viable in the general election because he will generate a revolution where millions of non-voters will come out and participate. The premise of this resolution seems to be falling apart http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/26/politics/bernie-sanders-barack-obama-2008-iowa/index.html

Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that he clearly needs a strong voter turnout to win in Iowa on Monday, but he has no expectation of reaching the high-water mark set by then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008.

"Obama in 2008 ran a campaign which is really going to stay in the history books. It was an unbelievable campaign. In places they ran out of ballots, as I understand," Sanders told reporters after a meeting with the United Steelworkers in Des Moines, Iowa. "The turnout was so extraordinary, nobody expected it. Do I think in this campaign that we are going to match that? I would love to see us do that, I hope we can."

But he added, "Frankly, I don't think we can. What Obama did in 2008 is extraordinary."

Almost twice as many people showed up to caucus in 2008 for the Democratic candidates as had in recent Iowa presidential contests, something largely attributed to Obama's strong appeal and even stronger ground organization. Obama's upset of Clinton in the 2008 caucuses helped launch him to the nomination.

Sanders has been clear that he needs a high turnout at the caucuses Monday with many of his supporters being first-time caucus-goers. But he hasn't placed a cap on his expectations before.

Without a high turnout, Sanders' revolution is dead

[Ferd Berfel]

56. Bernie being humble. He is going to Crush it in Iowa

for the reasons posted above

[Gothmog]

63. If Sanders was going to generate a revolution, then it would be showing up in the polls

Sanders revolution is not going to be much of a revolution if he gets less votes than Obama

[Ferd Berfel]

67. Like This?

Sanders Takes 5-Point Lead In latest Iowa Poll - Salon
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511076352

[Gothmog]

69. And yet Sanders will not meet President Obama vote totals

[Ferd Berfel]

70. We'll see

[roguevalley]

57. I guess when you don't read the numerous polls out there that have bernie beating everyone of the

repug slaggers by up to 19 points and HRC not, then you can issue dire warnings.

[Ferd Berfel]

58. HAd to share this

I bout pee'd my pants on this one

[TIME TO PANIC]

51. +1

[RiverLover]

2. From the author of "Hey Berniebros: Quit Whining"

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/18/hey-berniebros-quit-whining.html

Take this trash out, & stop bringing it here.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

3. He's talking about the issue of electability. It's an important topic. or do you disagree? nt

[RiverLover]

6. He's in the tank for Hill & a defender of Brock, he's LYING about electability.

Hillary is the one who if she's not indicted, will not win the GE. There is no enthusiasm for her. She can't bring out the vote.

But on the rethug side, they'll be MORE than enthused to vote against her.

So yes, electability is very important & Hillary will never be elected.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

7. Thank you for acknowledging the crux of the article. Electability is important. nt

[RiverLover]

13. Which is why ALL Democrats should be for Bernie. He's electable, Hillary is not.

He's also the only one with true Democratic values, who actually wants money out of politics. He wants govt for the people, by the people.

Hillary wants Super Pacs & $250k speeches for govt favor.

[libdem4life]

50. Yep, I can't contribute much, so I put my pittance on auto-pay. So times how many

months? It will be a reasonable contribution.

[newfie11]

4. Well he's got my vote. Nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

33. Mine too. Also five other family members.

[m-lekktor]

34. Two votes for Bernie in this house as well! No more Clintons! :thumbsdown: nt.

[livetohike]

5. It matters to me that he isn't a Democrat. While he's spreading his message

of not trusting The Establishment, I don't trust people who are opportunists and join the party only when it suits them.

[safeinOhio]

8. I trust Independent people.

They have the option to pick the correct path.

[livetohike]

9. This is Democratic Underground. Perhaps Independents have their own place to

go 😊.

[safeinOhio]

11. Think I'll stay, thank you very much.

Part of being a Democrat is rejecting authoritarian people that tell me what to think. The Democratic Party is the Big Tent party, the other one is the party of being told what to think. If you wish to get rid of all the independent thinkers in this party and members of DU, you'll find yourself very lonely.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. "Part of being a Democrat is rejecting authoritarian people that tell me what to think"

Fuck yes.

[hobbit709]

25. "I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form

form of tyranny over the mind of man."-Thomas Jefferson.
Words I have followed for almost all my life.

[newfie11]

72. Perfect answer!!!

[safeinOhio]

23. I will say this

Whoever is the Democratic nom. I will vote for him or her. If the one I am now supporting does not win the nom. and runs as an idependent in the general, I will still vote for the Dem.

How about you?

[livetohike]

26. Absolutely! I've been eligible to vote since 1972 and

never voted for a Republican. Proudly voted for McGovern and remember the sadness of his crushing loss. It was the first experience I had with canvassing. Unless you count the election in 1960 when my Dad paid me 25 cents to drop campaign literature throughout the neighborhood for JFK 😊.

[DeeDeeNY]

35. My Dad was like you

In 1960 he kept repeating how JFK was unelectable because he was Catholic and people would never vote for a Catholic. I was 11 at the time and couldn't understand this. I said to him "but Dad, maybe if people vote for him then he will be electable".

[libdem4life]

47. Me, too. Main difference is my Dad signed us up for a 30 minute watch at the airport for...get ready

"Commies, Incoming." I kid you not. It was a little town in Nebraska...4,000 or so...with a little puddle jumper airport. And I felt so proud out there when they handed me, little 7 or 8 year old me, the binoculars to literally...Take My Watch. (boring) The schedule was right there on the clipboard. I just remember it once, so maybe someone suggested there was a better use of our time? Who knows. But it's ingrained into my memory.

Me, too, McGovern. And we had to be 21. I was through 4 years of college working on my Teaching Credential. I think that was the last election before voting age was dropped to 18.

[safeinOhio]

59. Thats all that counts

1970 here. Also voted MccGovern.

[global1]

19. When Bernie Caucused With The Dems & Voted With The Dems He Was.....

a hero here on DU. Now that he's declared he's a Dem and competing against St. Hillary all of a sudden he's an opportunist. This doesn't register in my book. Sorry Charlie.

Go Bernie!!!! Feel The Bern!!!

[libdem4life]

45. That's why he doesn't have enemies in Congress. You can't be in either of the party

structures and not have enemies. They are composed of the opposite side. Bernie has transcended the dyadic tug of war/mano-a-mano set up. Can't think of a better example to set for a new age in how politics is viewed, funded, practiced and for getting out votes of the unwashed masses who have just given up.

His base is not with the entrenched politicians mentioned, the celebrities, et al. They have their own candidate. His base is much different. They don't know what to do about it since attacks only serve to make his campaign stronger. Bernie "Jui Jitsu" Sanders. And once the POC actually see, hear and watch who he is and a correct record of his background, well, we'll see.

[Odin2005]

28. As opposed to opportunists who only believe what their corporate donors tell them to believe?

[CorporatistNation]

10. TOTAL EFFING HORSESHIT! FUSCK THE ESTABLISHMENT!

Bernie Sanders Is OUR ONLY Hope!

[cali]

12. Bwahaha. You are as transparent as a limpid pool

With a sand bottom, as a newly washed window.

I kind of like watching you......

[4dsc]

14. Let the people decide

because I'm not taking what you'll selling here.

[bowens43]

15. 100 pounds of shit in a 10 pound bag......

keep watching, hillary is either going to crash and Bern in the primaries or she will crash and burn in the GE. Either way she will never be president.

[mikehiggins]

16. Another guess from the pundits

"Every one of those roughly 3,200 elected officials is going to conduct a poll of his or her district to ascertain whether association with Sanders helps or hurts. It’s my guess that for a lot of them—and I would say the substantial majority of them—the answer is going to be “hurts.”"

Okay, so its Tomasky writing this, not ProudToBeLiberal, and he is reputedly a reliable source (not marinara, that's a reliable SAUCE) and maybe he is. Who knows?

What he, and others seem to miss is that we (and I flatter myself as being part of SBS's we) knew all that going in. The "movement" (and I hate that term) never expected to be accepted/supported/endorsed by people with a vested (and real) interest in things going on the way they have. Supporting Sanders means you admit that, yeah, the system is corrupt and, yeah, it is set up to benefit the rich and, yeah, we like that just fine.

Just a point or two: the PTB seem to think one of the candidates is more likely to "get things done" than the others. For the life of me I cannot understand why that theory holds any water. While one candidate may be a "socialist" the other certainly has no vast reservoir of love and appreciation to call upon to soften the opposition of an entire political party who very often literally HATE the very idea of that person sitting in the Oval Office. They HATE that individual even more than they hate and despise the current occupant, and that is saying something considering how these "amenable" types fought him from the very day he was inaugurated.

Sanders, the balding old white Jew from Burlington and Brooklyn, may not be the GOPukes cup of tea and I have no doubt that, yeah, he will be attacked root-and-branch from the right. His positions are anathema to the Limbaugh's and Kochs and Hedge fund folks and so on and so on. A Sanders win would be their worse nightmare, even if he is rendered impotent by the right wing's control of Congress. But that is politics.

The other candidate? For the GOPukes, this time its personal.

Just a guess, of course, and I don't write for major publications, so what do I know? Right? Right!

[ejbr]

17. Now

if only you could get the millions of people who are supporting him to read this piece, it may be of value. Yet, considering I only chose to only read the title, and not the article, even with the link available to me, good luck with that.

[Fumesucker]

18. Bloomberg formidable?

I don't use this one often but..

[Warren DeMontague]

22. There is an entire BLOCK of very expensive condos in midtown manhattan full of Democrats

Who will defect to Bloomberg if Sanders "steals" the nomination from Hillary again!

We're doomed!

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Some guy: "blah, blah, harumph pump, autoritative-sounding blart, blah blah blart"

Okay guy, if you say so.

[farleftlib]

24. Well when you say it with that much conviction,

you sound like a bleating windbag toadying up to those who profit from the status quo.

[Odin2005]

27. NO WE CAN'T! NO WE CAN'T! NO WE CAN'T!

[Highway61]

29. The blunt truth?

You know why Bernie IS electable? He tells the truth. The blunt truth.

EOM

[RiverLover]

40. [phone]!!

Tell it! (bluntly)

[Tien1985]

30. He's electable if people will vote for him.

Every thing else is just talk.

The real question is, will people vote their values or not? It's really that simple. I'm voting my values.

[bigwillq]

32. Good post.

[CanonRay]

36. Another BS hit piece

bought and paid for by the Dem elite. They've chosen their candidate. How dare we non-professionals get uppity.

[jillan]

37. Hillary's unfavorable rating is over 50%. Kinda hard to win when the majority of people

have negative feelings about you.

Just sayin'

[NCTraveler]

38. I am proud to be a part of the change occurring.

Obama has started the great sea change, Clinton is going to continue to progress off his accomplishments and expand on them.

The change is happening and we are being held back by those laughably claiming to be revolutionaries.

[hootinholler]

39. We are holding the revolution

Oh, you meant put the revolution on hold?

Nevermind that shit. It won't be stopped.

There's still room for you to come help.

[Avalux]

41. "The blunt truth: I just can’t see Bernie Sanders winning a general election."

Do you realize how absurd that sentence appears? It's your opinion and it may be YOUR truth, but it's not the blunt truth, and it's not my truth.

#feelthebern

[Dems to Win]

42. Clinton isn't electable, and here's why

1. Iraq War vote -- anti war activists may hold their nose and vote for her, but many won't

2. $250,000 speeches to CitiBank - OWS activists may hold their nose and vote for her, but many won't

3. Sexual Harasser in Chief - many feminists will vote for Hillary, but some will balk at returning Bill to the White House in any capacity

4. Forward, Not Back - nothing more same-old same-old than returning the same married couple to the White House who left it 16 years ago. The 90s are done and in the history books.

5. All Drama, All The Time Clintons. After 8 years of No Drama Obama, not a whiff of personal scandal, who wants to return to the Clinton years?

6. The Saudis are not our friends. Anyone who gets $25 million from the Saudis for their Foundation is not who we need in the White House.

[Beacool]

43. I came here for the comments.

I already read the article yesterday.

[Binkie The Clown]

44. Repeating a lie over and over doesn't make it become true. n/t

[Motown_Johnny]

46. .

[antigop]

49. add +1 to the "Bernie is unelectable" meme counter. nt

[Gothmog]

52. What is this counter up to?

[antigop]

54. well, gee, if there was only a way for you to find out. Say "HI' to DWS!! nt

[antigop]

55. Beware: Someone Is Trying to Convince You That Bernie Can't Win

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/12/15/beware-someone-trying-convince-you-bernie-cant-win

The theme is to desperately convince us that Sanders can’t win. They repeat it over and over, even though Sanders polls as well or better than Hillary Clinton does against every leading Republican candidate.

Behind this effort is an alarmed corporate old guard that still runs the Democratic Party establishment and their allies in the corporate think tanks and the media, with a special nod to NBC/MSNBC, which is owned and operated by General Electric and Comcast.

[Punkingal]

60. Bullshit is what I say.

Hillary is the one who isn't electable.

[Orsino]

61. Polling says otherwise, and quite clearly.

Polling isn't the last word, but how one gets to "unelectable" is obscure.

[aikoaiko]

62. meh. Who is this guy to say who is electable?

His biggest "concern" is that establishment Democrats wont play nice, but they if he American people (especially rank and file Democrats) are behind Bernie (and they are), then the established politicians will fall in line or be primaried out.

[hrmjustin]

64. K&R!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

65. Translation: Bernie's too liberal and you should vote for the lesser of two evils candidate.

No sale.

[Cali_Democrat]

66. Great article

Thank you, ProudToBeLiberal.

[Beacool]

68. What's amusing is that many of the people who are calling for a reality check are progressives

who have been praised in the past on this site, but the minute they call out Sanders, they are promptly dismissed as "centrists".

They remind me of children putting their fingers in their ears while claiming not to hear what is being said to them. Same tone deafness that afflicts Trump supporters.

[ladjf]

71. Bunk! nt