Bernie strategy needs to change slightly

[kcjohn1]

This is purely political analysis. So far he is running great campaign. Guy is on message and he has gotten his message out there. I feel like most voters can tell you in one sentence what he stands for (who the hell knows why Hillary is running?).

Every campaign I feel there is a point where you need to convert voters not through what you offer but what your opponent unable to do for them. Some will call it going negative, but if its true and not personal I call it contrasts.

I don't think Bernie has called her out directly for her wall street ties. Obama ran great campaign against Romney and his billionaire friends. Hillary is no different. He needs to say her face that she is the candidate of wall street and essentially paid for. Hammer home billionaires/millionaire s aren't stupid to pay someone $$$$ unless they expect something in return.

This is risky, but IMO it won't hurt him with his supporters. Right now he is losing the old vote by huge margins. This could play well with the low income retiree who still thinks Republicans are the enemy and both candidates are the same. Harsh but he needs to convince these voters Hillary is not looking our for them and being subtle is not going to work. Super Pac could really be useful right now lol

[morningfog]

1. I agree. I've long called for him to go negative, under your definition.

[2pooped2pop]

2. Some people also think breaking up the big banks means there will be no banks

So he could probably add another sentence to that part of his speech.

[Kentonio]

17. Yeah, I'd like him to talk more about post office banking

When he talks about breaking up the big banks. It shows the direction he wants to go and softens the message.

[uponit7771]

3. ...and Hillary calls out Sanders ties to Bigga and West along with their vile hateful words about

... Obama.

Then, Sanders words about 'course correction' from Obamas legacy and primary Obama cause Sanders things Obama has gone rightward...

I don't think either candidate should go there...

It could really get nasty... and not the good nasty either

[Ken Burch]

6. Why are you so obsessed with Bigga and West?

The worst either of them did was to offer public criticism.

That's worse than HRC running as the candidate of "hard working white people" against Obama?

How so?

[uponit7771]

8. Cause they out Sanders for what he is? tia

... and calling Obama racial slurs isn't JUST offering public criticism...K?

There's a reason Sanders even lost Kapeheart... and closer to the reason why he lost PoC in IA by 25% to Clinton.

[Ken Burch]

9. Sanders isn't a racist. And POC are turning to Sanders now.

Why should we even take your word on what all POC think?

There are 40 million AA people in this country...I'm pretty sure there isn't a hivemind going there.

[uponit7771]

11. No one I know claimed he was a racist and PoC are not turning to Sanders, where did you get that ...

... from?!

He's in the low 20s with PoC in SC and lost PoC in IA with a 25 point spread to Hillary... that's after spending 3 months campaigning there.

That isn't gaining, those are horrible numbers among a demo that is needed... no matter if he came from - 423432 billion down.

I'm one of the 40 million, of course there's no hive mind... there never is... we're talking about his relatively low numbers among the very people he says his revolution is for...

In part because he's a petulant sounding Obama basher, like Bigga and West... who, LITERALLY hates Obama because Obama didn't give him some seats he wanted at his inaugoration... look it up... they're both silly

[Ken Burch]

12. Bernie isn't an Obama-basher at all. It isn't personal dislike or disrespect.

His differences with the president were on issues, and he campaigned hard for the Obama-Biden ticket in the fall of '12.

And he'd have said exactly the same things about anybody else who was president at the time, if that president had made the same strategic and policy choices that Obama(and more importantly, Rahm Emmanuel)made.

Nothing Bernie ever did or said ever did the Obama administration any significant political harm.

And Bernie's support in SC is rising. In two months, he has cut HRC's lead there from 36 points to 19...that means he's making big gains in the AA vote.

You're just doubling down on claiming Bernie can't ever get POC votes because you think HRC will reward you.

Not sure why you believe that.

[uponit7771]

13. Yeah, yeah he is... or that's the way he sounds to black folk... He lost Kapeheart... how in

... the hell did that happen!!?!?

Nothing Bernie ever did or said ever did the Obama administration any significant political harm.

Maybe, but there sure in the hell things that Sanders has said that didn't help either... proffering Obama should be primaried was enough but then to associate himself with Bigga and West in IA lost got him a 25 point spread among PoC

Bernie's support in SC is rising. In two months, he has cut HRC's lead there from 36 points to 19...that means he's making big gains in the AA vote.

The latest poll in SC has the spread at nearly 40 among ALL SC voter

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/sc/south_carolina_democratic_presidential_primary-4167.html

with blacks the spread is 70 to Hillary... that's horrible

http://www.scribd.com/doc/296491353/CBS-News-2016-Battleground-Tracker-South-Carolina-January-2016

You're just doubling down on claiming Bernie can't ever get POC votes because you think HRC will reward you.

Dude(ette), this is something you just literally made up... maybe I don't like petulant unfair bashing of people... or the fact that Sanders hasn't developed a relationship with communities of color until now but chides the person who has as unauthentic.

[Ken Burch]

14. If you don't like petulant unfair bashing of people, don't petulantly and unfairly bash Bernie.

He's guilty of nothing but fighting for what he believes in.

Bernie has never been "petulant" in his life. He's just passionate about the issues.

[ProgressiveCentrist]

16. Was west the only

person of color with stature willing to stump for Bernie at the time, and if so would it not have been prudent to wait for a better spokesman to step forward?

If not why chose the single most offensive person to the Obama coalition?

[uponit7771]

30. +1, Crickets...

[uponit7771]

29. So PoC are unfairly bashing Sanders? I said my criticisms are not far from what has already been

.... expressed by many PoC on DU and in the PoC politico sphere...

It's been well documented for months, half a damn year... of course sanders squads know them by now

He IS guilty of associating his campaign with people who've said some of the most racially vile things about Obama...

That he needs to explain a lot

And seeing he has nothing really better to combat congress with his criticisms of the "establishment" do sound petulant... like a kid kicking and screaming that its cold outside.

[Ken Burch]

38. I didn't say "POC", I said you as an individual.

You aren't The Voice of POC. You are only you.

And Bernie has corrected everything POC were mad at by now.

[Live and Learn]

18. You don't speak for 'black folk'!!! Please stop it. nt

[uponit7771]

31. Strawman, never intimated I did

[John Poet]

36. No, it isn't a strawman. "that's the way he sounds to black folk"

is part of what you said. That would be 'speaking for them' IMHO

Now, if you would just insert the word "some (black folk)",
then it wouldn't sound like you were trying to speak for all of them

[Ken Burch]

39. In post #29, you just did.

You equated disagreement with your tactics with criticism of all POC's.

Sorry, you don't get to do that. You speak solely for yourself, just like anyone else.

Most POC aren't venomously attacking Bernie like you do, day after day after day.

This is a personal vendetta on your part...because you have issues with Dr. West and the other guy.

If Bernie disavowed both of them, you would STILL be bashing him without end.

Even though he has addressed every concern the AA community ever had about his commitment to fighting racism.

[Kentonio]

20. Oh LITERALLY? Wow, it must be true then.

It couldn't be because West has tirelessly championed black causes and saw Obama get into office and then all but abandon his progressive sounding message by bringing in members of the same organizations who had just crashed the worlds economy to join his administration. It couldn't be because to an anti-war activist having a candidate he had campaigned for who ran as anti-war and then continued (and in many cases expanded) a policy of extra-judicial killings via airstrikes and drones felt like a betrayal.

No, when he called Obama..

"a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats. And now he has become head of the American killing machine and is proud of it."

..and his presidency..

"a Wall Street presidency, a drone presidency, a national security presidency."

That according to you had nothing to do with any of the policies that spat in the face of West's deepest held beliefs, no it was because he felt butthurt over inauguration tickets...

Seriously, do you ever actually listen to yourself?

[islandmkl]

27. exactly n/t

[uponit7771]

32. You convenientl leave out West n-word laden diatribes about Obama... typical, half truth crap from

... Sanders camp...but believe what you want

Sanders numbers from IA and SC tell a bigger story than we would ever tell

[Kentonio]

34. Maybe you should wait until SC actually votes

I'd hate you to end up with egg on your face.

[Motown_Johnny]

4. Tomorrows debate might push him in that direction.

If Hillary hits first, he will hit back.

He won't start it. He is smarter than that.

[uponit7771]

5. He impungns her integrity often with taking speaking fees from banks, he's already gone

... there.

She still wins, save NH... I think they're placing their operations elsewhere

[Kentonio]

21. He impugns her integrity by telling people about something she actually did?

[uponit7771]

28. Where has she given undue influence to the banking community?! tia

[NanceGreggs]

7. Well, isn't that intersting.

Yet another call for BS to attack Clinton, rather than "hammer home" his own positives, his own visions, his own goals and how to achieve them.

It seems a rather counter-productive tactic. If all you've got to say is "look how bad my opponent is", it kind of screams "I can't think of a single positive thing to say about myself".

I sincerely hope Senator Sanders isn't looking to DU as a source of advice on campaign strategy.

[Kentonio]

22. Isn't that basically Hillary's entire strategy to date?

[NanceGreggs]

23. No, actually it hasn't been.

Perhaps you've missed what's been going on in this primary process.

That's okay - a lot of people here have missed it, too.

[Kentonio]

24. I must have then

Because most of what I've heard from Hillary recently has been about how unachievable Bernie's plans are rather than any clear positive message about a future she envisions.

[tecelote]

25. Me too.

Hillary is all about Hillary. Bernie is all about us.

[snowy owl]

10. I think it's too early for that.

Bernie still wants it to be on issues. I think he honestly needs to expand his message a little. Stick with issues but start featuring ads showing other people like Warren and Reich using the same words he's using on the same issues. Contrast himself with the Roosevelts - T & F. With Kennedy and even Johnson who brought civil rights to blacks. MSNBC has made it their mission to destroy him but it backfires on them. Todd (Toad - sorry, will I get kicked off for that?) thought he had a reliable professor from a Vermont university who was giving Todd just the answers he wanted until he took it step too far: Did Sanders actually do anything for the town to which the prof said, well, actually yes. He changed it for the better for poor, middle and rich because one thing he does well is brings in smart and honest people. What an ad that would make! Interview over. I'm kind of hoping people quit watching MSNBC as sort of protest. I shut it off today. I was disgusted.

How about a time lapse of Clinton changing positions more rapidly than babies change diapers.

Finally, she's starting to sound a little desperate. When she had to demand that she was a progressive at the end of the Iowa primary, it sounded pretty darn strained.

My main concern is that Bernie is on a one-note campaign message. He has a wealth of ways to show Americans what he has already accomplished. Sometimes pictures and videos succeed where words start to sound repetitive. Pictures speak way louder than words. Get that professor to say it again for the American People.

BTW, how do you know he's losing the old vote? I thought they'd remember a time when social security worked and banks were in business to actually serve customers and the top one percent actually paid some taxes. That's concerning.

[jmowreader]

15. Yeah. He needs to resign from the race NOW...

...instead of waiting until someone in the press actually runs the numbers on his healthcare plan, his free-college plan and his taxpayer-funded family leave plan and realizes his new spending comes to more than the total tax revenue currently brought in by the federal government...because the Republicans already have, and they're waiting for his ass. With Bernie the GOP finally has the opportunity to run against a "Democrat" who really does want to tax and spend.

Remember children, the last Democratic presidential candidate who said he was going to raise taxes lost 49 states.

[workinclasszero]

33. But..but...revolution, or something, I dunno

..because the Republicans already have, and they're waiting for his ass. With Bernie the GOP finally has the opportunity to run against a "Democrat" who really does want to tax and spend.

Remember children, the last Democratic presidential candidate who said he was going to raise taxes lost 49 states.

And Bernie will be defenseless against the label "tax and spend" liberal. The republican will ride that line all the way to the white house which is why people like Ted Cruz and Fox news are praising Bernie now.

[Live and Learn]

19. I disagree. Bernie needs to be Bernie. It is what he his good at and he has been

doing fine being himself. He already talks about the differences. He just won't resort to dishonest attacks.

[Dems2002]

26. Disagree

I disagree that Bernie needs to go negative. That's what the Clinton crew are desperately hoping for. It's why they keep trying to turn everything he says into a perceived attack. Negative is where they live. And the Clinton crew of incompetent campaign consultants at least seems to realize that Bernie's refusal to attack also ties their hands. They look like the asses they clearly are when they attack. It's blowback. He's utilized this strategy in all of his races, and I am completely shocked that it works, but I'm thrilled to know that it's succeeded for him to this point.

Bernie is willing to state the truth and let Hillary squirm and suggest him speaking the truth is somehow unfair or a low blow. She's literally on tape crowing about being a moderate and yet that's somehow a low blow to bring it up during a primary? LOL.

Bernie brought up her speaking fees and look where that took us...it was a question from Anderson Cooper and Hillary whiffed because the DC Establishment are so awash in this sickening largess that they haven't a clue how it looks to the average voter. It stinks. And she dragged in her colleagues. Nice work if you can get it.