Why Surprising Numbers of Republicans are supporting Bernie Sanders

[NorthCarolina]

by Thom Hartmann

Ann Coulter knows who she wants to be the Democratic nominee for president, and who that person is, well, it may surprise you.

She wants Hillary Clinton to be the nominee, and thinks that if Bernie gets the nod, he'll beat whoever the Republicans come up with to run against him.

You won't hear me say this often, but Ann Coulter is right.

If Bernie Sanders ends up being the Democratic nominee for president, and it looks more and more every day like he will be, his Republican opponent is going to have a very hard time beating him.

And that's because of all the Democratic candidates running, Bernie Sanders has the best chance of capturing Republican votes.

I've seen how Bernie does this, up close and personal.

Despite its reputation as a place filled with liberal hippies, Vermont, like most of rural northern New England, is home to a lot of conservatives.

Anyone running for statewide office there needs to win these conservatives' votes, and Bernie is great at doing that.

Back in 2000 when Louise and I were living in Vermont, it wasn't all that uncommon to see his signs on the same lawn as signs that said "W for President."

Seriously, I'm not kidding.

And as NPR's "Morning Edition" found out last year, some of Bernie's biggest fans are in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the poorest and most conservative part of the state.

It's people from the Northeast Kingdom who've overwhelmingly elected Bernie to almost 20 years in Congress and two straight terms as senator, and it's people like them in the rest of the country who will probably send Bernie to the White House if he gets the Democratic nomination for president.

So why is that?

Why is Bernie Sanders, a socialist, so popular with people who should hate "socialism?"

The answer is pretty simple.

Link: http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/why-surprising-numbers-republicans-have-been-voting-bernie-sanders-vermont

I see a Revolution in the making. I'm pretty confident that the establishment sees it too.

[Metric System]

1. Dispatches from bizarro world.

[NorthCarolina]

2. Thom Hartmann is "Bizarro World" to you?

Why? Simply because you don't agree with him? You have complete intolerance of anyone with an opinion differing from yours?

[Metric System]

4. No, because he believes Ann Coulter and concurs that Republicans would rather face Hillary than

Bernie. Polls don't support that conclusion or his assertion that Sanders will be the Democratic nominee.

[cali]

18. agreed.

[sabrina 1]

31. Polls don't rule the world. Why do people place so much faith in polls when so often

they have been proven wrong? What were polls saying about Obama 18 months before the 2008 election?

And each election has its own unigue driving forces.

What is going to drive this one is the ANGER that DC insiders are so unaware of, that exists among the people because contrary to the 'experts' millions of Americans are still suffering the effects of the corruption that toppled the World's economies, and even more angry, that no one was held accountable, worse, that they were rewarded.

Here in NY foreclosures have gone up over the past year, people unable to overcome the huge losses they suffered as a result of job losses and/or low paying jobs that do not cover the cost of living in today's world.

[Peace Patriot]

91. Metric System, I don't think you read the article. Here's what it says:

Why Surprising Numbers of Republicans Have Been Voting for Bernie Sanders in Vermont

(SNIP)

While Americans disagree on social issues like gay marriage and abortion, they're actually pretty unified on the bread and butter economic issues that Bernie has made the core of his campaign.

In fact, a recent poll by the Progressive Change Institute, shows that Americans overwhelmingly agree with Bernie on key issues like education, health care and the economy.

Like Bernie, 75 percent of Americans poll support fair trade that "protects workers, the environment and jobs."

Seventy-one percent support giving all students access to a debt-free college education.

Seventy-one percent support a massive infrastructure spending program aimed at rebuilding our broken roads and bridges, and putting people back to work.

Seventy percent support expanding Social Security.

Fifty-nine percent support raising taxes on the wealthy so that millionaires pay the same amount in taxes as they did during the Reagan administration.

Fifty-eight percent support breaking up the big banks.

Fifty-five percent support a financial transaction or Robin Hood tax.

Fifty-one percent support single payer health care, and so and so on.

(SNIP)

And here's the thing - supporting Social Security, free college, breaking up the big banks, aren't "progressive" policies, they're just common sense, and 60 years ago they would have put Bernie Sanders smack dab in the mainstream of my father's Republican Party.

(MORE)(my emphasis)

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/why-surprising-numbers-republicans-have-been-voting-bernie-sanders-vermont

[Bohemianwriter]

94. Even a broken clock is correct twice a day...

[Renew Deal]

8. Actually, yes. And so is his BFF Ann Coulter.

[frylock]

22. His BFF?

[cui bono]

80. His BFF? Do you even know who he is?

Your post screams no.

[passiveporcupine]

88. Did you forget your sarcasm tag?

Because if not, this is one weird post.

[tazkcmo]

3. Thom Hartmann in bizarro world?

I can understand you disagree with him but bizarro world? Nice detailed analysis.

[Metric System]

5. When someone claims that Republicans want to face the candidate that consistently beats their

candidates in polls, that person is not dealing in reality. Also, his claim that he saw Bush lawn signs along side Sanders lawn signs in 2000 is likely because Sanders was running as an Independent, not a Democrat. If Sanders is the nominee he will have a D next to his name and that won't attract Republicans like an I.

[tazkcmo]

9. Under the bus, Thom Hartmann!

Again, no substance. Attack the messenger. "Bizarro world", "not dealing in reality". So easy.

[Metric System]

10. Sorry but this article has no substance. His assertions are certainly not backed up by data, unless

you consider Ann Coulter an oracle of truth.

[jeff47]

21. Yeah, there's no data like 20 years of election results!!!

Oh wait....

[Yallow]

32. Yep Almost 75% Of Vermonters Voted For Bernie

I have heard almost half the Republicans voted for him, instead of
his Republican rival.

All that truthy stuff.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Vermont,_2012

[Armstead]

33. No I live very close to Vermont and he's right about Sanders appeal

Vwermont has a lot of "real people" and Sanders does reakly well there.

One reason is many of his positions resonate woh working people.

The other is that even those who don't generally like the stereotyped Liberal or Democrat will often "I donlt agree witth bernie on everything, but I know he's got my back when it counts."

[senz]

39. Coulter is hideous, but she correctly predicts election outcomes.

She said, early on, that if Romney were to be the R candidate, the Rs would lose.

She also said that Chris Christie would have the best chance (last time around) because he's lively, unpredictable, and gets crowds excited. Well, Bernie gets crowds VERY excited. Hillary does not, except for a certain demographic (to which I belong).

[stevenleser]

62. She said in 2008 that Hillary was the only electable Democratic nomination seeker.

Before of course Obama won two elections by fairly big margins.

Any "advice" Ann gives to Democrats is not well intentioned.

[senz]

67. Probably going on her own racism with that.

But Coulter doesn't give advice to Democrats. She bleats to her own.

[stevenleser]

98. It had to do with what candidates were saying about the Middle East at the time. nt

[Cha]

92. Yeah, weird.. all of sudden ann coulter is the go to truthsayer on who the gop wants to run against.

by damn.. it's needs to be spread far and wide!

[NorthCarolina]

20. Think about it logically for a second.

Who do you think the GOP would rather have opposite them on a debate stage when the subject of something like Social Security comes up? A candidate that is generally closer to their opinion regarding cuts such as Chained CPI, means testing, raising the retirement age, or a candidate that will immediately call bullshit and state all we need do is raise the cap?

I think Ann is not trying any reverse psychology here, she is in fact stating the obvious.

[Vincardog]

53. Ann C, she is in fact stating the obvious. The GOP would be happy to run against ConservLITE HRC

[Oilwellian]

102. Except the Republicans who vote for him...

know he has caucused with the Dems since he became a Congressman.

[artislife]

23. I guess the usual reaction

of "It's a RW site!!" doesn't work here.

Now we have Bizarro world.



Nice

[Kip Humphrey]

30. bizarro world: a good definition of the Hillary group where cognitive dissidence reigns by necessity

lowering oneself to attacking Thom in the manner evidenced in this thread is a perfect display of this, IMO.

note: I would otherwise single out the culpable members instead of broad brushing the Hillary group but, at this point, tit-for-tat seems more appropriate and probably more accurate.

[senz]

40. I keep saying it's an emotional thing w/many of them and you can't argue w/emotion.

However, they do look long and hard for superficially logical connections to make her seem "the only one." They work hard; I'll hand them that. It is an admirable trait. Too bad they're lacking in depth perception.

[Kip Humphrey]

49. "Hillary because... woman" is a guiding force for many. Saw it in 2008 & it is alive and well today.

[senz]

50. Except -- it didn't carry over to Elizabeth Warren.

HC's supporters were lukewarm to the prospect of an EW candidacy.

[Kip Humphrey]

54. Another sign of cognitive dissidence I think. From 2008, once you are all in beyond reason, what

remains is to double down and rationalize, rationalize, rationalize.

[senz]

55. Good explanation, Kip.

[Kip Humphrey]

56. Thanks. I have empathy for those Hillary supporters and share in the desire for a woman president,

but not at the expense of continuing the disaster this country has become. We NEED Bernie... for the sake of my children and granddaughter.

[JDPriestly]

97. I'm with you.

[Metric System]

63. It's called cognitive dissonance and your posts are incredibly insulting to fellow Democrats.

[Kip Humphrey]

68. hey, we have something in common then (thank for the spell-check, btw).

[Phlem]

87. +1

Nice.

[olegramps]

96. It's far too early to predict anything about the race for the nomination.

[leftofcool]

6. Another thread touting the great Anne Coulter

[cyberswede]

25. "You won't hear me say this often, but Ann Coulter is right." is hardly "touting." nt

[leftofcool]

65. You really should read up on Ann.

[cyberswede]

71. Why? I know all I need to know about her.

She's awful in a million ways. She also likes the Grateful Dead, as I do. So some people agree with her on this one thing. That doesn't mean those who agree with her on this one thing are applauding her in any way.

To imply otherwise is disingenuous.

[cui bono]

81. You really should read up on Thom.

[senz]

41. Oh sure, Bernie supporters are BIG Ann Coulter fans.

(Been wanting to try that sarcasm emoticon. Thanks for making it so easy.)

[leftofcool]

64. Must be. This is the third post about how wonder she is and how right she must be.

[senz]

66. Hey maybe that'll work for a new smear campaign. Worth a try, right?

[leftofcool]

83. Not from me.

Bernie supporters are doing it all by themselves. Ann Coulter as the new go to girl is not my problem.

[NorthCarolina]

95. I call BS on you. Please show me ONE post where a poster has said she is "wonderful",

just one.

[sibelian]

73. Yeeeah.

It's not really a thread touting Anne Coulter at all, is it?

Do you think we all zip up at the back?

[leftofcool]

84. It's the third one today.

Hey, I think it is awesome that Bernie supporters are linking to Ann Coulter articles. Whatever works for them is fine by me.

[L0oniX]

74. ~

[Renew Deal]

7. Every time I see people using "revolution" I think of Hugo Chavez revolution and wonder

Last edited Wed Aug 19, 2015, 12:52 PM - Edit history (1)

If that's what they have in mind.

[senz]

42. I think of the American Revolution. Which is the spirit of this one.

Think about it.

[onehandle]

11. Pressing the Ann Coulter agenda again, eh?

Replace 'Bernie Sanders' in that article with 'Ron Paul,' and re-date it a few years back.

They saw a Revolution in the making, too.

[Metric System]

12. Big crowds, too.

[cali]

15. Hartmann is just wrong. I live in the Kingdom

It's so conservative that we voted overwhelmingly for Obama twice. All three counties, by around 20 points. We are mostly represented in the legislature by dems and even members of the Vermont Progressive Party.

[sibelian]

24. Eeeeek, Ann Coulter... argle bargle, oh help, she's so scary, such a monstrous Republican THING

horror, scariness, wargh, my face has fallen off cos she's so scary.

You know, I was actually giong to post something like what you just did as satire, but you beat me to it.

The article has nothing to do with Ann Coulter, as you are well aware.

Feel free to address its main points, by all means.

[senz]

43. Love "argle bargle." Also love "the article has nothing to do w/Ann Coulter" b/c it's true.

Can't explain the tickle factor of "argle bargle."

[sibelian]

45. It's just so bloody lazy. It's like they can't even be bothered to manipulate people WELL.

They can't even be bothered to be GOOD at it.

[L0oniX]

75. Don't forget ...Putin lover.

[cali]

13. Northeast Kingdom dweller here. The 3 counties that comprise it, voted for Obama

overwhelming both times.

More conservative than much of the state? Sure, but it's not conservative. This is the home of lots of old and young hippies, the home of Bread and Puppet and the epicenter of the locavore movement.

[sufrommich]

14. It either takes incredible naivete to believe the GOP would

rather run against Clinton than Sanders or a willingness to grasp at any straw available.There's a reason why the GOP attacks Hillary Clinton 24/7 and stays mum about Sanders,and it's not because they "feel the bern". When Ann Coulter loudly proclaims that she hopes they don't have to run against Sanders,she's basically saying "“Oh please Brer Fox, whatever you do, please don't throw me into the briar patch.”.

[leveymg]

16. It's not naive. HRC's negatives are 60 percent among Independents, who are 60% of the electorate

Bernie's negatives are far, far lower, and his positives higher among I's. The self-identified D's don't determine the election, particularly when the progressive base isn't going to work very hard to turn out the vote for Hillary. That is a certainty.

Stop looking at head-to-head polls, in isolation, and start using your head. The bigger picture is grim for the D's if HRC is the candidate. Bernie has a better chance.

[senz]

44. The GOP are rhetorically locked and loaded for HRC.

And they can't wait to let it rip.

[NCTraveler]

17. I have been saying that this explains a lot of the comments...

Being made by some of his supporters. Calling a POC a house rat, stating that discussions on race are leaving them feeling uncomfortable. He is bringing some libertarians and isolationists into his fold over one issue. Other than their thoughts on economic justice, they are small minded small government racists and don't support progressive causes. They view Sanders as a possibility to break the machine, the rest be damned. It was also very clear with the initial fight about differentiating social and economic justice. It is simply a foreign idea to them.

[Armstead]

34. You are misinterpreting some (not all)

I'm a Sanders supporter. I've been fairly vocal in my anger over the BLM targeting of Sanders.

But I sure as shit don't think of PoC as a "house rat." And to be frank, the prospect of truly honest discussions of race make everyone feel uncomfortable.

But in this case, had BLM chosen to disrupt and embarrass Clinton first -- or "targeted" all candidates at roughly the same time -- the whole frigging issue would have been a lot different. It would not have ended in that cow-pie flinging match over whether Sanders are supporters are the worst example of "awful white progressives.".....To be perfectly honest, I think if they'd done to Clinton first what they did to Sanders, we'd have had the exact same dynamics of debate -- except it would have been a reverse mirror image on both sides.

As for the rest, I am really puzzled how the conservation has devolved into this false choice between "social justice" and "Economic justice." They exist on parallel tracks., but they also intersect in many places.

And in a true coalition, you have a wide range of people who don't agree on everything, but share enough common agreements to be able to work together on specific shared goals, even if they bash each other over the differences. (I.e. Economically liberal anti-abortion types.)...The problem as a nation is we've forgotten that.

[NCTraveler]

48. My brush isn't as broad as you are making it out to be.

You debate issues and do so intellectually. I stand behind every word I wrote. There are currently 10 plus dog whistle comments that can be found in ops or as comments on the first page of gd p.

[senz]

46. Oh please.

That is so nasty and untruthful. You're better than that.

[NCTraveler]

47. POC being called a house rat.

Save your indignation for someone else. The pile of dog whistles are now mountain size.

[uponit7771]

52. You haven't been paying attention then

[uponit7771]

51. +1

[cherokeeprogressive]

59. I could not find the term "house rat" in a search of the GDP forum.

Maybe you could provide a link?

[cherokeeprogressive]

72. I've already asked for the link once. I only find YOU using the term "house rat" in a site search.

Please provide a link. I am planning to go to the ATA forum and demand Skinner ban that poster.

Thanks.

[cui bono]

82. That's quite a generalization and exaggeration you've posted there.

I wonder why so many want to divide the party by constantly attacking Bernie supporters and mischaracterizing so much.

The initial fight about differentiating social and economic justice was one started by Hillary supporters in an attempt to rationalize backing a corporatist candidate and also smear Bernie as a racist at worst, tone deaf at best, mostly the worst though. There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't fight for both, but one of the most outspoken of the social justice has to come first camp didn't seem to care that people die due to poverty as well, and a lot of PoC are living in poverty, so to not want to fight for economic justice at the same time and to not see how intertwined they are is really odd to me.

But you are spewing talking points when you continue to spread false memes about Bernie supporters as a whole. There are bad apples in every bunch. One need not look far to see them in Hillary's supporters, but don't let that stop the concerted effort to demonize us.

[senz]

101. SO well said.

I especially appreciate this:

"The initial fight about differentiating social and economic justice was one started by Hillary supporters in an attempt to rationalize backing a corporatist candidate and also smear Bernie as a racist at worst, tone deaf at best, mostly the worst though."

They talk about Democratic Party unity, but their demonization of Bernie's supporters, nearly all of whom are Democrats, shows how empty and hollow their words are.

It appears that DU's AA members have been manipulated, royally played, by Hillary supporters. You don't do this to people you respect.

[BeanMusical]

90. "Calling a POC a house rat"

Link?

[davidpdx]

19. Oh Tom, you white supremacist!

You've been thrown under the bus. Come enjoy it, it's nice and comfortable down here.


(I do hope I got enough sarcasm tags in there)

[cyberswede]

27. Your graphic made me LOL. nt

[davidpdx]

28. I'm glad I amused someone

Nice avatar

[GitRDun]

26. I don't think Ann Coulter is a good choice to rep the Republican Party

For that reason, the "Republicans are scared of BS meme" falls flat.

However, that does not mean BS won't attract Republican votes...I'm just not sure.

On the one hand, the article does give a nice list of BS positions that are popular with lots of people.

The negatives are two-fold for me.

1). The Republican voter info is not scientific, just anecdotal.
2). Here in IL, voters passed every non-binding progressive initiative on the ballot, but elected Bruce Rauner, a Republican, by a fair amount.

I can get behind the hopefulness, but I wouldn't be counting my chickens just yet.

[RichVRichV]

77. I'm more interested in the independant voters than the Republican voters.

That's where the election is going to be won or lost. Bernie does extremely well there. In fact it's the one area where his long time independence of the Democratic party, as much as it's maligned here, is going to work in his favor.



And Rauner only got elected because Quinn, as good of a person as he is, was a piss poor campaigner. Even the Republicans in the state are getting fed up with him. I doubt he'll get a second term. Illinois voters can't be all that screwed up considering the Democrats have a super majority in congress.

[GitRDun]

78. I think you're right on Rauner/Quinn

Quinn was a weak candidate.

I'll keep my eye out for Bernie signs for you. I live in tea party country, northern IL.

[MyNameGoesHere]

29. Well she also said she wold be ok with trump

performing abortions in the white house.

[senz]

70. And she probably would be.

[heaven05]

35. yeah and those republican, libertarian, tea party

voting blocs will FORCE his turn to the RIGHT and HE will become a republican light POTUS. Get real with it and leave the BS out of it and I don't mean bernie sanders.

[left-of-center2012]

36. Love Thom Hartmann

He's on 3 hours a day M-F on my local progressive radio station.

[Fearless]

37. If they vote for him, all the better, it bodes well for the GE

[Uncle Joe]

38. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, NorthCarolina.

[NorthCarolina]

100. ...

[Catherina]

57. Party Loyalty and labels just aren't cutting it anymore

[seabeyond]

58. because he is campaigning to white middle class. as has been pointed out from day one of his

campaign

[senz]

69. He's campaigning to working class Americans of all colors, genders, and ethnicities.

[SMC22307]

85. Wrong. (n/t)

[seabeyond]

86. nu uh

[passiveporcupine]

89. Is that your adult voice speaking?

[moondust]

60. Partly a reaction to corporatism?

A lot of Republicans like the idea of being their own boss. One of the big objections to communist centralization was that big government bureaucrats were the boss of everything. Some Republicans may have realized that working for a giant centralized corporation isn't a whole lot different than working for a giant centralized government bureaucracy: they both prevent individuals from being their own boss. Of all the current candidates, Bernie is probably the one most likely to take on the giant corporations and billionaires and help restore opportunities for more individuals to be their own boss again.

[stevenleser]

61. You should never take advice from far right pundits about what Democrats should do.

That is a basic axiom everyone should remember.

[hrmjustin]

76. I don't see a revolution and I don't see many republicans supporting him now.

[W T F]

79. It's pretty simple, the republican base doesn't mind socialism, as long as it comes from a white guy

[azurnoir]

93. lol my how a week changes everything

[stevenleser]

99. Every four years, every candidate from both sides says this. And it never amounts to much.

"There are a huge amount of Democrats disappointed with President Obama who are supporting Mitt Romney!!!!111!11!" - Yeah, look how that worked out. But it was said.

Republicans are not going to support Bernie Sanders. Less than 26% of Republicans are willing to consider voting for a Socialist. http://www.gallup.com/poll/183713/socialist-presidential-candidates-least-appealing.aspx note that is willing to consider without the person being named and before the conservative media gets started in on the guy.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that any Republican or Conservative pundit expressing anything in the way of something positive for Sanders is doing it to try to hurt Hillary. That's all that is happening here.

[dreamnightwind]

103. The OP is not really about what Coulter thinks

It's unfortunate that Hartmann uses the Coultergeist quote. He doesn't need it to make his point, which is a valid one.

Many people on both sides of the aisle are beyond the last straw in regards to the corporate-funded candidates, elected representatives, and resulting policies on both the left and the right.

There's a very large intersection there. Many of us on both sides of the aisle are done with corporate politicians and media ignoring our needs in favor of exploiting the most desperate and cheapest labor pools anywhere on the planet. Most of our most urgent needs and issues are given little more than lip service while behind the scenes, the people giving us lip service give the people who are causing our problems room service.

That's what we're seeing here with the rise of Sanders and Trump, though I think the Trump side of it is largely media-driven.

Bernie is getting attention from some on the right because he speaks plain from-the-heart truth, which resonates with people's lives across the political spectrum, because they are dealing with, or being destroyed by, the issues that Sanders speaks to. And in Bernie's case he doesn't have to tip-toe lightly around the issues trying to appeal to the electorate without offending his donors, necause the electorate and his donors are the same thing. People feel that, it is real, and many have been waiting a long long time for that.