How does Bernie's momentum thing work?

[YouDig]

Bernie says he's going to get "momentum" by winning CA. OK, say he does win CA, though it's doubtful. Then he has "momentum". Then what? There are no more votes except for DC, which Hillary is going to win. But let's say he then wins DC also. More "momentum".

Then what?

Momentum coming out of Iowa matters because there are a lot of states after that have to vote. So you use the momentum to get more votes in the future. What use is "momentum" on the last day of the primaries?

Does he think he's going to momentumize the superdelegates?

[LoverOfLiberty]

1. He's hoping for a Superdelegate coup

and barring that, major influence over the party at the convention.

His behavior is poised to get him neither.

[realmirage]

3. So his vision for America is overturning the will of the people

Got it

[LoverOfLiberty]

6. I guess sometimes when you believe in something so strongly

the ends justify the means. Only for him, its just tarnishing his reputation.

[realmirage]

8. When you abandon your most basic principles

in order to win by trying to use SDs to overturn democracy, well that's a revolution that truly fits the GOPs definition of a commie

[morningfog]

15. The nomination process is not truly democratic.

HIstorically it was not even close to democratic. Lobbying super delegates is within the nominating process rules.

If it were about democracy, there would be no super delegates.

[realmirage]

17. Even if you take out the SDs

Hillary is way ahead in pledged delegates and votes. Using SDs to overturn the people's will is what you are advocating. Listen to yourself!

[morningfog]

18. That is what the SDs are for! They are there as a back stop check.

I am not advocating for them to overturn the will of the people. I am saying, the will of the people is not the sole factor in the nominating process. If it were, WE WOULD NOT HAVE SDs.

I don't think there should be SDs and I think the PD winner should be the nominee. But I don't begrudge Bernie for playing by the rules.

[realmirage]

24. Youve just admitted you're OK with upending democracy

You really need to take a step back and listen to what you're saying. Who cares if the SDs exist? If murder was legal I sure as hell wouldn't be saying "well I don't like it but I don't begrudge someone else committing murder." Did you know slavery was legal also? Did you know all kinds of utterly stupid shit was legal? Giving BS a pass on going against the basics of democracy because it's within the rules is basically saying you have no principles, you're prepared to accept anything that's within the rules.

[morningfog]

25. Murder and slavery and Super delegates! Oh my!

We all know the supers won't flip unless Hillary falls due to her own liabilities.

Get your panties out of a wad.

Have you thought about why we have super delegates at all? What is their purpose but to upend democracy when they feel the need? Super delegates need to be done away with.

[StrictlyRockers]

27. Right, I can't fault Bernie for playing by the rules as they currently exist.

Meanwhile, he recognizes just how un-democratic the rules are at the moment, and he is advocating strongly to do away with SD entirely. I'll support whoever emerges from the convention as the candidate, and I think Bernie deserves a fair hearing at the convention. If he is heard and listened to at the convention, given fair license to present his ideas, and then Hil gets the nom, then we can have unity, IMHO. Bernie deserves massive respect.

[DrDan]

11. yes - he knows what is better for us than we do ourselves

we cannot be trusted to vote for our best interests . . .

[realmirage]

12. Stalin would agree

[CrowCityDem]

2. I think he's counting on the planes overshooting Philly, and there being no SDs but his there.

[krawhitham]

4. Same way Hill's did in 08

[YouDig]

5. So it doesn't, and he concedes the nomination a few days later.

[krawhitham]

10. It has been over for a long time, he knows it but we needed an insurance policy

In case she was to be indicted. He knows if she had enough pledged delegates and was indicted she would not bow out for the good of the country. Now she does not have enough pledged delegates and if indicted super delegates can save the country from president Trump

[lunamagica]

9. Same way? So he'll concede after California?

[geek tragedy]

7. my guess is that it will be Biden who helps him land the plane nt

[enid602]

13. bern

Each hour he extends his campaign means more donations, and salaries for him, Jane, the kids and Weaver and Devine. Hell, he's just tryin' to run a business.

[frylock]

20. He should just set up a money washing scheme like the Clinton Foundation.

[Txbluedog]

23. I have a bad feeling that Sanders is going to be tired up in campaign finance fraud

[firebrand80]

14. That argument essentially says

that he started out at a massive disadvantage in terms of name recognition, support, etc. as compared to Hillary. He's saying that he's done better as the primary has dragged on and people have gotten to know him. It implies that if we were to start the primary process over, he would win. This, along with national polling numbers, is why the SDs should flip to him.

[Nye Bevan]

16. Like a 70-90 baseball team having a 2-game win streak

to end the season. Might feel good but you're still not going to the playoffs, and everyone will have permanently fogotten a month from now.

[kstewart33]

19. The supers know Bernie, his behavior in the Senate, and his unvetted biography.

They're sitting tight with Hillary.

[frylock]

21. He bides his time and waits for Comey's recommendation for indictment.

[Orsino]

22. "Momentum" may just mean marshaling his existing delegates.

I wouldn't exactly call that momentum, but if arriving at the convention with the most delegates possible is the goal--as he says--I allow a politician a bit of license to spin.

If the e-mail thing has any legs at all, you want another viable candidate there at the convention, and his having won California (maybe) would make it easier for party bigwigs to back him.

I dunno about that. I mainly want Sanders to have as much influence as possible as we pick a nominee and shape a platform.

[tonyt53]

26. He said "no-mentum", not "mo-mentum". He got his wish.

Toast a long time ago.

[aspirant]

28. The "Big Mo"

works its way up and down the ticket. Watch out "Blue Dogs" Bernie "Mo" has won 21 states and counting

[rock]

29. I've explained several times on DU

But don't mind saying it again. Momentum in sports and in politics is a reification, that is an abstraction that doesn't exist. Scientifically there is no such thing. If you have to wait for the event before we know whether he has gained or lost momentum, then it has no predictive power.

Here this explains it best: