Biden is smart to bring Bernie and AOC on board

[DIVINEprividence]

Look, I have been hard on AOC and Bernie at times. Having said that, I agree with them 90% of the time. My problem with the left left is misplaced idealism and the sour grapes attitude. Perfection is the enemy of the good. This isn’t a debating class at Harvard. Politics and democracy is a substitute for war and the stakes are literally life and death. This is fucking war. This is no time to screw around over trifles. VICTORY IS THE ONLY OPTION! I welcome AOC on Biden Climate Change Team. I love this move. We need unity. Mamba mentality. My message to the Bernie supporters is we need you in the same way you would need us if Bernie won. I would go to war for Bernie if he had won the nomination. No joke. There is no I in war. Only team and VICTORY!!!!!!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. How are the Bros taking it? Are AOC and Bernie himself under their bus now?

[DIVINEprividence]

4. Everyone has their own mind

The vast majority of Bernie supporters are solid and on board. All Biden can do is extend the olive branch and make the case. If progressive can’t get their shit together over trifles with what is at stake we deserve to lose.

PERFECTION IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD

[lagomorph777]

28. I'm good, Bro. How are you?

I'm relieved in the last few days to hear that Joe is not going to pardon Trump, and that he is inviting inputs from the left, and thinking big. Looks to me like he wants to WIN and I am all in.

[PhilosopherKing]

2. Coalition building

Good Move.

[RKP5637]

3. Absolutely!!! n/t

[sop]

5. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?

[betsuni]

6. Exactly what I was thinking.

(Just saw "The Godfather" movies.)

[Bettie]

24. Ah yes, that's the way to ensure cohesion

make sure that those who aren't in exactly the same spot on the political spectrum know that they are "the enemy".

[progressoid]

39. Sanders and AOC are the enemy?

[brush]

7. Joe also incorporated some of Warren's proposals earlier. It's smart, re-creating...

the Obama Coalition and blunting the criticisms of the far left by using some of their ideas. Biden is proving to be an adept operator quietly forging alliances.

[Buzz cook]

8. He has to do more than "take them on board".

He has to be seen reacting in a positive way to their participation.
How that plays out needs to be more than lip service. He needs things such as a green new deal speech for example. Not necessarily using that phrase but using the concept.

[LakeArenal]

9. THEY need to do more to be more positive in their participation

THEY are the ones that need to give more than lip service.

[Buzz cook]

10. Why?

What's in it for them that they have to put in the extra effort? How will they be punishment if Biden wins and they have been insufficiently helpful?

Is there a reason Biden shouldn't try to attract voters that are represented by Sanders an AOC?

[Cha]

12. What's In It for them is What's In It for All of US..

Helping to get Joe Biden Elected and trump Thrown the Hell out of the WH.

[Buzz cook]

13. You miss the point Cha.

The person I responded to implied that Sanders and AOC and their followers should work harder than Biden and other democrats. That Biden needn't put any real effort into attracting other voters.

[Cha]

17. I read what she said.. I don't think I did "miss the point"..

LakeArenal (11,446 posts)

9. THEY need to do more to be more positive in their participation

THEY are the ones that need to do more than lip service.

She said.. "THEY need to do more to be more positive in their participation" and I agree.. More "positive" than they have been in the past.

She said.. "THEY are the ones that need to do more than lip service".. and hopefully they will because All Hands On Deck.

[Buzz cook]

18. So you agree

That Biden shouldn't do what he can to attract those voters?

[Cha]

19. What? Don't put words in my mouth.. Joe Biden IS DOING

A Good Job in Building Coalitions.

[Buzz cook]

27. That is what was indicated

In the OP.

I added that Biden should take advantage of Sanders and AOCs support to reach out to people who didn't vote for him in the primaries. I use environmentalism as an example. Apparently Lakearsenal disagreed with that and you agree with Lakearsenal.

Cha, what other conclusion should I draw other than the two of you don't want Biden to attract Sanders supporters?

[Cha]

29. Draw any "conclusion" you want.. Biden is Reaching Out.

AOC is the one who said she wondered if she and Biden were even in the same party.. paraphrasing.

[Buzz cook]

30. And that was a brilliant statement.

Because it highlighted how broad and diverse the Democratic party is.

As the OP points out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now supports Biden. The ball is now in Biden's court.

How do you think he should consolidate that support?

[LakeArenal]

20. Since when does the winner concede to folks that chose to oppose?

Bernie and the supporters have been very negative to Joe. I suggest a lot of conciliatory action to come into the fold.

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. Since time immemorial.

The so called "concessions" are accommodations designed to secure broad and solid loyalty. The fact that the U.S. has a de facto two party system masks the obvious, which is that both the Democratic and Republican parties are in fact broad political coalitions with somewhat diverse factions inside of them. Were the U.S. to function under a parliamentary system of government this would all be out front and universally acknowledged. The fact that we don't have a parliamentary system doesn't change basic human nature. If you want to encourage passionate support from those who initially opposed you but who you need on your team, one makes some meaningful gestures to ensure that. If those who you want to bring on board represent a significant percentage of the coalition that you will be counting on to win, then those gestures need to be significant ones. The alternative is to treat them as defeated adversaries who you owe nothing to. Sure that is always an option, but it usually isn't the wisest one. That treatment is reserved for members of the literal opposition party.

Even in a parliamentary system where there is open wheeling and dealing between the lead political party and smaller ones being courted to become part of the new government, the lion share of "the spoils", be that cabinet portfolios or policy positions, is controlled by the party that won the most seats. Just to state the obvious, they name the Prime Minister. There is no junior partner in a governing coalition that would not prefer to trade places with the lead party, no matter how accommodating the lead party was to some of their concerns. Controlling the head of government is 80% of the game. And the lead party counts on the active support of lesser ones in order to secure that position.

Joe Biden is being masterful at this all so far. As a Sanders supporter I give him full throated praise for how he is cementing a winning coalition. And while you can point to some Sanders supporters who have been very negative to Joe, that is an unfair characterization of the stance that Bernie Sanders has taken, especially with his warm public enforcement of Biden

[LakeArenal]

25. Fair? Ha. Fair.

I don’t swallow it.

Bernie and supporters engaged in a battle with The Democratic Establishment.

Now want that exact establishment to hug and kiss their boo boos.

Frankly, Joe is as progressive as Sanders.

[progressoid]

40. "Joe is as progressive as Sanders."

Yeah, that's why...ummm...wait...wut?

[LakeArenal]

42. He is. They all want the same things.

It’s the way we get there that differs

[progressoid]

44. The same things. Really?

Except for this, and this, also this, etc.

[LakeArenal]

45. Not true. Except how we get there.

That’s all.

[Cha]

31. I trust Joe Biden to do what's best for our Country.. he's the one

who won Overwhelmingly and he did it by spending 4x Less $$$$.

The Majority of the Voters want his plans.

LakeArenal

[LakeArenal]

32. For my money: Joe has done exactly right since day one.

Pura Vida mi Amiga.

[Cha]

33. I agree.. PuraVida mi Amiga..

[LakeArenal]

21. Joe is not Retaliatory.

[Buzz cook]

26. I agree. nt

.

[Caliman73]

34. Both need to move, not just one side.

This isn't about shifting some ideological boundary. It is about getting the most corrupt and destructive administration out of office and taking the GOP Senate out of power as well as holding on to the House majority.

Any conflicts within the Democratic Coalition can begin to be dealt with on November 4th.

[Buzz cook]

35. And how do we defeat the most corrupt administration?

I would suggest its by getting the most votes in the most states and thus the most electors.

Biden and Sanders have gotten off to a good start getting Sanders voters on board.
The point of my post is that Biden can employ certain strategies to get larger shares of that demographic and increase the enthusiasm from that group as well.

[Caliman73]

36. True, but Sanders voters also need to listen.

As I said, both sides need to set aside grievances and work together. We can iron out policy differences after we win the election. I do think that it is in the best interests of the country as a whole, that we take a serious look at what FDR wanted to do after the war with his 2nd Bill of Rights. We need to swing the pendulum back toward progressive policy. We have been drifting right for too long.

We won't however, do so by "Revolution" as people like Nina Turner, Susan Sarandon, and Briahana Joy Gray keep shouting. I voted for Sanders in the primary. He was my first choice, followed by Warren, then Harris, then I don't know, THEN, close to the bottom but above Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson, and Tulsi Gabbard, was Biden.

But now we have Biden, and Biden needs all our support to beat Trump.

[Buzz cook]

37. But the thread

Is not about what Sanders voters are or should be doing. It is about what Biden is doing. So adding the former is a diversion.

Unfortunately in this thread I rose to the bait.

[Caliman73]

38. There was no "bait"

The original poster said that Biden had brought Sanders and AOC onboard to work with the campaign on issues of climate change and expressed praise at the move, then expressed that Biden needs Sanders' supporters to step up in the same way that Sanders would have needed Biden supporters to do so if Sanders had been the presumptive nominee. The poster said that they would "go to war" for Bernie and called on everyone to rally together to do the same for Biden.

There was no bait there. There is a call to work together to beat Trump and that requires setting aside any conflict for now. Biden is reaching out to Sanders and AOC. That is a good thing. We all need to support Biden to beat Trump. Then we need to hold Biden's feet to the fire to make life better for the average non-wealthy citizen.

The difference of opinion that you, me, and others who have responded to your response, seem to be having is about you saying that Biden has to "do something" to consolidate support. Biden will be the Democratic Candidate for President. He won more delegates and got more votes. I wanted Sanders to win, but he did not. I support way more of Sanders' policy wants than I did of Biden's but Biden is going to be running against Trump and so I am supporting Biden. He consolidated the support of this former Bernie supporter. I intend to keep fighting for more progressive policies, but will resume the fight for those policies AFTER Biden wins on November 3rd. Biden does not have to do any more to win over my support as the Democratic candidate has my support.

[Buzz cook]

41. Yes I suppose you're right.

The OP is just as guilty. I was wrong to put my bit, in support of Biden, in here in the first place.

[Aristus]

14. Having a 'team of rivals' worked very well for President Obama,

as Joe Biden saw first hand.

I'm expecting great things...

Just getting rid of Trump would be a gift from God. But it's nice to see Joe Biden reaching beyond that. He'll have a lot of damage to repair, and he'll need a lot of help doing it.

[NoRoadUntravelled]

15. Any Democratic voter who doesn't want to vote for Biden

doesn't understand the danger of tRump. I don't know how we can make it more clear to them. It's plain as day and becoming worse.

[budkin]

16. Very smart

Bringing the party together is a must, and he is doing it.

[Politicub]

22. I agree. They are influential and have large followings.

I know a lot of dems are fixating on the bros, but those are the minority. I liked a lot of Bernie’s ideas... not all of them, of course. But there wasn’t any single candidate that I agreed with 100 percent.

I hope Biden takes a more aggressive approach to healthcare, and it seems like that is happening.

Unity is important.

[MineralMan]

43. Biden is smart. You could just stop there.