Bill Scher: "Sanders biggest problem is that no one over 30 trusts him."

[CalvinballPro]

Bill Scher gives a pretty straightforward analysis of the age gap and how it affects the 2016 Democratic Primary.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/how-bernie-sanders-can-win-213779

But to do that, Sanders has to figure out how to dramatically widen his base of support—and right away. In effect, this 74-year-old aspiring revolutionary needs to start gaining the trust of anyone older than 30. Sanders must swiftly persuade a large number of skeptical voters who are not part of his core of youthful enthusiasts, voters who are nonwhite, or middle-aged, or even his own age and older.

.....

Sanders may find it exceptionally hard to offer new material to his huge rallies of fans who desperately want to hear all his old hits. The last Vermont insurgent presidential candidate, Howard Dean, shared with the Huffington Post “Candidate Confessional” podcast earlier this year that “I knew I had to make the turn” from angry insurgent to plausible president, but “I couldn’t make myself do it. … I would try to give a measured speech, and the audience would be completely flat. And I wouldn't let myself leave them flat.”

Sanders has gone much further than Dean, much further than most people expected, without making that turn. But he has not gone far enough to win, and time is running out.

Does it seem like Sanders is almost a hostage now of his own fans' expectations? What does it say about his supporters that they won't stand for him even trying to appeal to anyone other than them? If he became the nominee, how would he pivot to appeal to a general election audience?

I just don't think he has it in him.

Edit: I realized this isn't very Hillary Clinton specific, so I hope it doesn't violate any Group rules. I just thought it was interesting, because it was so honest.

[Loki]

1. With good reason.

n/t

[Stand and Fight]

2. This is a pro Bernie article... Why in the world do I have to read this trash here?

[CalvinballPro]

3. I don't consider it pro-Bernie. It's a critique of his campaign's direction. It's part of Sanders...

...finally being vetted by the media where he had been given a free pass before.

Sure, maybe, if you consider someone giving advice to be "pro" I guess this would apply. But the fact that Scher included the phrase "But he's not going to like it" means that it's a hard truth, not just mindless pablum.

[Stand and Fight]

4. I concede the point.

Thank you for posting the article. Though I don't like that it promotes a means for the Socialist to beat Hillary.

[CalvinballPro]

5. And I see your side too.

That's why I edited to acknowledge it was not Clinton-centric. I'm only on DU a few weeks, and only really shifting over to the Hillary Group recently after finding GD to be detrimental to my stress levels. Definitely not trying to offend anyone here, where I see a lot of good allies.

But I think we can both agree it's not advice that Sanders would follow. He's in a Catch-22 where he can't expand his audience without changing his message, but changing his message will disappoint the audience he already collected.

Look at us ridiculous pragmatists, all able to pause and consider things from someone else's perspective and whatnot! Crazy, right? lulz

[Stand and Fight]

7. This place used to be my refuge.

The Bernie supporters have made it into a place of hostility where people like myself -- long time members and longer time Democrats -- are called the most disgusting names because we disagree with them. So, I guess I'm a little hyper-vigilant, since a greater number of Sanders supporters are the same all over... Very black and white thinking, no compromise, no real communication, ad hominem attacks. All they've done is strengthen my resolve and cement my support for Hillary Clinton. I hate not visiting some of my favorite parts of the site anymore like LBN, The Greatest Page, or General Discussion, but, like you, it is detrimental to my stress levels. I shouldn't have been so quick to attack. I apologize for that.

I doubt it's advice Sanders or his supporters will follow. They continually alienate people on the basis of race (they think that all blacks should vote one way -- for him because they know better), purity (there's no room for gradual steps to achieving reduced college cost, universal healthcare, or fixing the minimum wage), location (the South/red states doesn't/don't matter unless Bernie wins them), and all matter of other things like Sanders dismissing the ugly statement Trump made about punishing women who get abortions. I do agree that Sanders has made his own bed and is trapped in a Catch-22 position; however, I don't think it's ever occurred to him to change his rhetoric because in his mind he has all the answers. It's hubris with a socialist bent.

I've always prided myself on the ability to see things from multiple viewpoints and consider how others see things. That was something that was once welcome on this board, but the Revolutionaries have taken over as of late. The admins are missing in action and the primary just keeps dragging on... lol

[stopbush]

6. The difference between Dean and Sanders is that Sanders doesn't want to make the turn.

He's getting off on the stadium rallies, the cheers and love that flows to him every time he gives that boring, short-sighted stump speech to low-information throngs.

Sanders thinks making the turn betrays everything he is as a person. It isn't going to happen.

[kstewart33]

8. Interesting piece. Thanks for posting. nt

[Thinkingabout]

9. I would not have believed Sanders agenda when I was younger than thirty either.

[Walk away]

10. It's true. Every adult I know thinks he's a joke!

"Free College" Means that parents will pay with taxes and loss of business. There is no free lunch except for kids living on their family's dime.

[fun n serious]

12. Every adult I know says the same.

[fun n serious]

11. Robot Rubio

~snip Sanders may find it exceptionally hard to offer new material to his huge rallies of fans who desperately want to hear all his old hits.~