If a Democratic Primary Candidate Is Campaigning against Other

[MineralMan]

Democratic primary candidates, it's not going to work on me. Job one is to campaign against Trump. If you're not doing that but are, instead, dissing other Democrats, you're not ever going to get my vote unless you become the nominee, and you won't get my primary vote, so that's unlikely to happen.

Joe Biden started out right when he announced. He went directly to campaigning against Donald J. Trump. He didn't start out by pointing out issues with other Democratic nominees, their histories, or their positions on issues. After his announcement, he began telling people what his stances were on issues. But, he still didn't go on the attack against other Democrats. That's not his strategy in the primary race.

I hope other candidates are paying attention. Biden jumped into the lead in the primary polls, immediately. Democratic voters want to know what primary candidates plan to do about beating Trump and fixing Trump's bullshit. They don't want to hear about disputes with other Democrats. That won't fly in this primary race.

Bernie Sanders, for example, has already started talking about what's wrong with the "Democratic establishment." That translates to everyone running who isn't Bernie Sanders. The rest of the field is part of "the establishment," apparently.

My recommendation to Democratic primary candidates: Tell us how you plan to beat Trump and reverse Trump's terrible decisions. That's what we want to hear. We'll vote for the candidate with the best plans for those things. We promise. Don't tell us what's wrong with the other candidates. We don't want to hear that. We won't vote for you if you do that.

Thanks for listening...

[Hortensis]

1. Agree on campaigning FOR what they will do as

president. They can diss each other by explaining why their policies are so much better than other policies advanced by others. Histories on issues are open to discussion but not insult.

A candidate offended me out of the gate by accusing three others of laughing and bragging about using marijuana. I know I saw a clip of one laughing, but who on earth would "brag"? Stupid, but haven't seen it repeated. Back to ideology of governing, ideals, of what our nation should be and where it should go, personal efforts and achievements, problems, advances waiting to be made, policy.

[billpolonsky]

2. Then there is this...

"National progressive outfit Indivisible on Thursday launched a pledge compelling all 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to rally behind the eventual nominee. Bernie Sanders was the first to sign it, the group revealed."

“I’ll support the ultimate Democratic nominee, whoever it is—period," the pledge also reads. “No Monday morning quarterbacking. No third-party threats. Immediately after there’s a nominee, I’ll endorse.”

And the group also wants a commitment that every candidate will “do the work to beat Trump,” including a promise that “As soon as there is a nominee, I will put myself at the disposal of the campaign.”

“We believe in rigorous and spirited primaries, and we also know that once we have a nominee, our entire focus must turn to defeating Trump. The ‘We Are Indivisible’ Pledge commits all of us to a debate of ideas followed by dedicated work to make our ideas reality,” said Indivisible’s co-executive directors Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin. “This pledge is about beating Donald Trump and the anti-democratic, xenophobic right wing. And it’s about the ideas and vision we need for a post-Trump future.”

Sanders has consistently pledged to run a positive campaign and to support any eventual nominee, even referring to some of the competitors in the race as friends. Even on Thursday, Sanders referred to the former Vice President Joe Biden—the latest and perhaps most formidable candidate to enter the race—as a friend with whom he has many disagreements.

However, Sanders has never been shy about criticizing more establishment-aligned elements of the Democratic Party. He recently sent a scathing letter to liberal think tank Center for American Progress criticizing its corporate contributions and content that was overtly critical of him for his wealth.


[link:https://www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-first-to-sign-pledge-to-rally-behind-whoever-wins-democratic-primary|

[ancianita]

3. Exactly. It's the solution that most candidates literally signed onto.

[honest.abe]

4. I think that goes without saying with our other candidates.

No need for a fancy pledge. They know what's at stake.

[MineralMan]

17. Good for Indivisible. That's the spirit we need this time.

There's a lot of talent among the Democratic candidates. Some of them who don't become the nominee would be excellent cabinet appointees, or would continue in their current elected offices. There will also be a VP slot open at the time of the convention. Ideally, everyone will tell us what they will do, specifically, if elected. Ideally, almost no time at all will be spent telling us what's wrong with other candidates. They should sell themselves.

[AlexSFCA]

26. Has Biden signed the pledge yet?

[FBaggins]

5. Good luck with that

Of course the frontrunner would very much like to avoid the pack taking shots at him... but that just isn't reality (in fact, just the opposite).

All primary campaigns will necessarily have to deal with ongoing questions re: "why should we vote for you over 'X'?" - The clear frontrunner has the luxury of saying "I'm focused on the general election opponent" - but the rest of the pack doesn't have a choice. They don't get to run against Trump unless/until they pass Biden. If he's still this far ahead for the first debates, most of the dozen+ other Dems on stage will be taking shots at him.

Hopefully not dirty shots, but shots nevertheless.

[honest.abe]

6. If Bernie stop bashing the Democratic establishment he wouldn't have much else to say.

Also, much of his appeal would go away so I doubt he will stop.

[haydukelives]

34. there is a lot to bash there.

[Honeycombe8]

7. Me, too. You can point out differences in policy, ...

but that's different than bringing something up and railing on it and being overly critical. And I prefer such differences to come out in the debates, or when asked.

[MineralMan]

18. Sure. Saying "My plan for whatever is the best way to go"

Is positive campaigning, but that doesn't mean someone else's plan won't work or will be terrible. Positive marketing will work to the candidate's benefit. Negative marketing in comparing one's ideas with other candidates' ideas will have negative results.

[Honeycombe8]

23. +1. nt

[George II]

8. We don't need that, and there has been very little of that so far, except for one.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Hey man,most of us agree.

What appears to be false Equivalency pot stirring tools,are the Pundit Class and their wish for a Lame Ass Horse Race rather than report the What,Where and How of the Criminal Syndicate occupying the White House.

[Hekate]

10. Amen, brother. Personally, I think Joe got it 100% right in his opening salvo. If we waste time...

...tearing down fellow Democrats, we will lose, and we will deserve to lose.

[ginnyinWI]

13. And right now we need the big picture, not the details.

All the Democratic candidates need to unite around the shared values that set them apart from the GOP. Let the independent and non-Trump Republicans know what they stand for.

Later on they can differentiate themselves during the primary debates.

[bluedigger]

11. I don't know how to differentiate between 20 anti-Trump candidates.

This is a primary, and the candidates have to show how they stand out from the crowd, not be the crowd. Bernie's schtick is to be be the un-Establishment guy. That really galls a lot of people here at DU, but it gets him money and votes, so there's that. Uncle Joe is the Safe guy. I look forward to the other candidates coming up with their own strategies.

[MineralMan]

19. That happens by detailing your own plan for whatever.

Show why it will work, and how. If your ideas match what the voters want, you have a chance. Trashing another candidate's ideas will only lose people's votes. We learned something the last time, and it won't soon be forgotten. Democratic voters already know who the bad guy is, and it's not someone with a D after the name.

[NYMinute]

22. The establishment schtick is divisive and destructive

It should stop.

[yaesu]

12. Policy disagreements, sure, but no bashing, leave that for tRump. nt

[maddiemom]

14. Truly EXCELLENT advice.

One reason I changed my mind about Bernie this time around. I voted for him in the primary last time, but fully supported and worked locally for Hillary in the general election. Gillibrand is my LEAST favorite due to the Franken thing and her general demeanor, but I'll even vote for her, if it comes to that. Anything to topple Trump.

[trueblue2007]

15. Bernie is trashing VP Biden and I don't like that. Saw it on Chris Hayes last night

[AdamGG]

16. Nothing wrong in the debates with pointing out differences between your positions and other Dems

But, in general, I totally agree with you.

[Chakaconcarne]

20. Precisely... any dissent will only provide fodder for the opponent.

..and the media focus will be on that competition...

Why do that to ourselves?

WE make the focus, as a unified party, of the contrast between us and them....

[YOHABLO]

21. I'm not sure the ''establishment'' is everyone other than Bernie.

[left-of-center2012]

24. A circular firing squad only hurts us, the Dems

All our candidates need to focus on taking down Trump,
and tell us how each will do it.

[tkmorris]

25. Wait, did you just state that...

You think an individual is unlikely to be the nominee in the General unless they get your, your personal, vote in the primary? Seriously?

Your primary vote counts PRECISELY as much as everyone else's, friend. In short, it's a very small fraction of a very small drop in the bucket. One of fifty buckets actually.

[stillcool]

27. maybe this is clearer..

My recommendation to Democratic primary candidates: Tell us how you plan to beat Trump and reverse Trump's terrible decisions. That's what we want to hear. We'll vote for the candidate with the best plans for those things. We promise. Don't tell us what's wrong with the other candidates. We don't want to hear that. We won't vote for you if you do that.

[MineralMan]

28. Of course not. I have one vote. Millions of others also have one vote each.

It has been my experience that I am never the only person voting for whatever I voted for. Not even once, so many people are likely to vote the same way I do, and often for the same reasons.

Like many people, I also often make predictions about things. Sometimes I get those predictions right. Sometimes not.

[leftofcool]

33. Multiply that by millions of Democrats who feel the same way and it is more than a drop

I'd say that is a tsunami of Democrats who don't want to hear the bashing of Democratic candidates.

[pnwmom]

29. Candidates aren't just a menu of policies and plans.

They also come with baggage, like past votes and positions and events (e.g. George Bush's drunk driving arrests) that we shouldn't ignore in the primary, or they might come back to haunt us in the general.

They come with personal characters that need to be evaluated.

They come with varying ability to withstand hard questions in debates.

If we give all our candidates an easy time in the primaries, comparing them only on the plans they put out, how will we know which ones can stand up in a debate in the general?

[peggysue2]

30. Biden chose a strategy and he's sticking to it

His opening video was a first volley, a shot across the Trumpster's bow. His followups have done the same: Trump is an existential threat to the Nation; he must be defeated, period. We are engaged in a war for the soul of the country.

In addition, Biden has come out and said that he is not running against his Democratic colleagues. Not at this point. There will be plenty of time to debate the ins and outs of policy differences, voting records, etc. But that right now, he wants to focus the public's attention on the moral imperative of defeating Trump and the destructive elements of his Administration. He has said point blank that we can chalk Trump up to an aberration if we defeat him in 2020. But if Trump were given another 4 years to f**k things up, the country would be fundamentally changed, irreparably damaged.

I approve of that message because I think it's all too true, grim as it is. We've got one chance to turn this around. The situation is that dire, that critical.

The more of the electorate Joe Biden reaches, the better for all of us and weirdly, the better for all candidates. The stakes for 2020 are that huge and sirens should be blaring day and night.

MM wrote:

Tell us how you plan to beat Trump and reverse Trump's terrible decisions. That's what we want to hear.

Yes, because without a sound plan to beat Trumpism and then repair the damage on the ground, nothing else will matter. We don't defeat Trump, thoroughly repudiate his morally bankrupt Administration? Policy differences won't be worth a damn.

[loyalsister]

31. They may be doing what candidates do to win the nomination

Airing differences in history, policy, and philosophy is how we differentiate one from the other. It doesn't have to be brutal and there are many legitimate criticisms and reasons for supporting or not supporting candidates.

[McCamy Taylor]

32. Agree. I am much more interested in what the House will do to Barr right now

than I am in any Democratic candidate.