Sanders, Warren go separate ways in closing pitches

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

One progressive wants to blow up the establishment. The other wants to unite the party.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN and ALEX THOMPSON

02/02/2020 08:51 PM EST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Bernie Sanders’ surrogates booed Hillary Clinton, lit up members of the Democratic National Committee, and proudly noted that people were “freaking out” that he would win.

Meanwhile, at a canvass launch Saturday, Elizabeth Warren’s campaign was busy putting up placards that read “Unite the Party.”

In the final hours before Iowa’s caucuses, the two leading progressive presidential candidates are making diametrically opposed pitches to voters: Sanders’ campaign is leaning hard into their anti-establishment bonafides, while Warren is selling herself as a candidate who can bring together a fractured Democratic Party.

Warren’s message is aimed toward more traditional and mainstream Democrats who have fretted for months about the need to bring the party together; many believe President Trump won the election partly because the party was divided. Sanders’ pitch is pointed at young, infrequent and disillusioned caucus-goers who are exhausted and furious with the status quo, and who think Trump rode to victory on an anti-establishment mood throughout the nation.

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more great reporting at link

[MH1]

1. Warren wants to unite the party, that is why I support her

She wants to do it and she can do it.

Thing is, in the U.S. with current rules, we have a pretty strongly enforced two-party system. 3rd parties and independents can be successful occasionally, but not consistently.

That means we NEED a strong Democratic Party. Until the system is changed ... which isn't going to happen by blowing up the Democratic Party in a presidential race.

[pnwmom]

2. Bernie's pitch makes no sense. The Democrats aren't the enemy. Trump and his todies are the enemy.

[MontanaFarmer]

4. Makes some sense when you consider

how his supporters acted last time. Democrats are part of "the system," and they want to blow up the system. It's nonsense, as we all know (2 party system, divided government, all that) but in Bernie's world the party isn't worth saving so why unite it? I'll vote for him over trump but i dearly hope he's not our nominee. Literally anyone else in the field, please.

[betsuni]

6. That's right, it makes no sense.

The "status quo" thing: money in politics corrupts both sides, both sides are the same, everybody's corrupt except Bernie. The anti-establishment thing: Us (Bernie) versus Them (pretty much everyone and everything else). I have given up trying to understand it. It just is.

Warren: Us. Sanders: Me.

[NYMinute]

7. When has Bernie ever made sense?

It is all about him, his ego and his desire to bring a socialist revolution.

[betsuni]

10. I looked at his New York Daily News interview today again and:

It's only getting worse.

[NYMinute]

19. Yep ... they caught him with his pants down on specifics of his lofty proposals

and he failed miserably

[Uncle Joe]

3. That was a good read.

Thanks for the thread JoeOtterbein.

[MontanaFarmer]

5. Warren is my second choice, and I'd love her as the nominee,

for this and many other reasons. She seeks change but is willing and able to work within the system we're stuck with. She's a positive force for change. I'm supporting Joe but am proud to have Warren running as a great representative of our party.

[Blue_true]

17. I really want the nomination to come down to Biden versus Warren.

I want to hear a thorough center-left versus Left debate on how we fix our problems and what our future should look like. I just don't think that Sanders makes for a good presenter of the Left arguments.

[denem]

8. Holly Otterbein reports without fear or favor.

She took a lot of stick for her scoop on the anti-Warren script being used by the Sanders campaign in Iowa and elsewhere, but was proved to be right on the money. A credit to her Dad. Congrats.

[JoeOtterbein]

11. +100000!

Because of course!

Thanks for the post denem!!!!

(little smiley waving emoji guy)

[lapucelle]

12. You should be very proud of her. She pulls no punches,

and that is an essential trait of a good journalist.

Holly also stuck her neck out by going with that scoop, and that is the mark of a real reporter.

Kudos.

[JoeOtterbein]

14. Thanks!

(little smiley, wavy emoji guy)

[Blue_true]

18. She is a good reporter with a good nose for meaningful news stories.

I won't be surprised at all to see her as a talking head on TV news shows soon.

[OneMoreCupOfCoffee]

9. Warren has the better message. By far.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. Politico. "fractured Democratic Party". DEMS IN DISARRAY!!!1!

cue upChuck Toady on Meet the Republicans.

[Starry Messenger]

15. I just wanted to say I've enjoyed your daughter's coverage of the election this year

*thumbsup*

[JoeOtterbein]

16. Thanks!

Holly is the best!