What is Bernie going to do to win?

[SmittynMo]

There is no doubt this will be an uphill battle for Bernie. So what is he going to do win the Democratic ticket? First, I'd hire the best PR firm in the country. He needs to get the word out, across this land, to let people know what he stands for. How do you do that? How do you not only get the majority of Dems, but people that haven't voted before?

It is clear in my mind that he is the best candidate for this country, to help us save us all from the damage done in the past. Kudos to Obama for getting us this far. I never thought Barack could totally reverse the damage Bush had done, but he's done a fantastic job to date. Hilliary just represents the SOS in politics. Do I see her fighting for social security, Medicare, minimum wage, removing the oligarchy from this country, refuting Citizens United? NO. And the baggage to boot!!!

Bernie is putting his ass on the line every day, supporting the lower and middle class. If we don't take this country back, and build a thriving middle class, we're all doomed. I strongly feel Bernie can do it.

Sorry to say, but most people don't know Bernie Sanders. So what does he do to get out the word and convince people to vote for him?

Buy air time everywhere. TV, cable, radio, social media. Hire a PR firm to get this done. Do it so much that Bernie is a household name. He has to come up with something that will blow away the competition. I think this is a good start. Any other good ideas?

[leftofcool]

1. Takes millions and millions to buy air time, PR firms etc...

Social media is his best bet for the money.

[Jester Messiah]

2. He's got to be in the news all the time.

Press coverage costs nothing if you get them interested. He's just got to run a bare-knuckle campaign, so that the press will always be reporting on the latest punch he's landed on his opponents. Ought not to be too hard, they're all corporate-owned stooges, so he can rail on them for promising populism while taking Goldman money.

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. The dilemma is they're NOT interested.

>>>Press coverage costs nothing if you get them interested.>>>>>

And they're probably not going to agree to commit suicide ( as much as I wish they would):

>>>so he can rail on them for promising populism while taking Goldman money.>>>

It might be productive to target the more "entertainment"-oriented aspects of the state communications apparatus: Letterman, Stewart, Maher, film industry types, etc.

These elements have traditionally gone off the reservation in backing and promoting insurgent left candidacies. Much more so than the "official" news ( and I use that term loosely) outlets... which are much more strictly controlled ( and policed) by big $$$.

[Jester Messiah]

12. He has to make them interested by being news-worthy.

If he says some really provocative things, Alan Grayson style, then it's in their interest to cover him. He's news. "Did you hear what Bernie Sanders said the other day? THAT had to ruffle some feathers!"

And it really shouldn't be that hard. All he has to do is loudly speak the truth.

[Smarmie Doofus]

13. I don't know. Few people have heard of Grayson, either.

That's my experience, anyway.

Even political people. Even here in the Bronx ... where Grayson was born and raised.


Maybe both Alan and Bernie need to get on Dancing w. the Stars.

[morningfog]

3. Raise his issues and name nationally, but focus on

The first 3 primaries. He has to get an early upset to frame the narrative momentum going into the Super Tuesday races.

[kenfrequed]

4. He only needs to be viable

As long as he comes in competitive in Iowa he sbould do fine. The media will naturally be hungry for a debate and as long as he continues polling at double digits he will take that. After that all has to do is not be Hillary and be distinct from the other democratic candidates and Support for him will swell.

[Cosmocat]

23. Winner

it is all talk and high hopes unless he proves out in one of the first few primaries.

[Thinkingabout]

5. I am shocked you have never heard about Hillary fighting for the issues you listed.

She has sponsored bills on increasing the minimum wage and even tried to get it tied to raises for Congress. Below is a link to Hillary's stand on the issues:

http://www.ontheissues.org/hillary_clinton.htm

[SmittynMo]

6. I am not into the 1% SOS with politicians.

Hilliary is one of them. Bernie is the most honest candidate I have seen in ages. I can't really say that about Hilliary. However, if he can't pull it off, I'd vote for her as I'm true dem. We cannot allow the GOP to win.

[Thinkingabout]

8. Perhaps the truth would serve you better. Do you think being in favor of minumin wagesand

The other issues you listed are 1%, then you have to include Bernie in the SOS 1%. It is okay to back Bernie but the wrong talking points on Hillary is just wrong, it does not do anything to get votes for Bernie. Even Bernie does not use the talking points.

[Jester Messiah]

11. Amen to that. [nt]

[SmittynMo]

19. When Bernie gets a super PAC

then he will officially part of the 1%. I don't see that happening.

[procon]

7. It takes money to get elected, lots and lots of money.

Sanders has always been an opponent of big money, a blessing and a curse when each top tier candidate will need over a BILLION $ to compete in this election. He only has a few million so he will never afford the advertising, the state by state organizational staffing, orany of the other components a successful campaign needs.

That's his Achilles Heel, and I don't see how he can remain true to his cherished principles and still do what every other candidate is doing to get money from the big donors. Im rooting him him, but it's a conundrum and he's got to solve his money problems first before he can get the name recognition and public support he'll need to win.

[JMolina]

10. Just be himself

That'll do for me.

[JoePhilly]

14. He has to demonstrate, not just that he can win the general, but that he WILL win the general.

To win the nomination, he's going to have to convince lots and lots of people who would HAPPILY vote for Hillary, that it is SAFE to switch to Bernie.

Lots and lots of people already believe that Hillary can and will beat anyone the GOP puts forward. And their first objective, is to keep the Republican out of the White House. Everything else is second to that goal.

This was the same hurdle that Obama had to jump over. People who would have happily voted for Hillary came to believe that Obama would also win the general. And it was only then, that they switched to actually support him in the primary.

Bernie, and his supporters, will have to do the same thing.

I'll also point out that attacking Hillary, and attacking those would would happily vote for Hillary, does nothing to cause the shift that is needed here.

[SmittynMo]

18. Bernie has claimed that he does not do attack ads.

EVER!!! He knows it doesn't work. Smart man.

[JoePhilly]

21. Some of this supporters would be smart to take his lead.

Not that I expect to see that here on DU.

He has to get people who like Hillary, and would be happy to have her be President, to switch to him.
Those folks already believe that Hillary would beat anyone the GOP puts forward.

They need to show that Bernie would absolutely win most of the states Obama won. And then, show how he could he win a few others. But it has to be more than enough to ensure he will win. For many democrats, the choice between Hillary and Bernie will hinge on preventing a GOP President more than anything else.

Hillary will get most, probably all of the Obama states, and she puts a few other states in play. Being a woman is going to help her too. There are lots of moderate, pro-choice Republican woman who will vote for her (and lie to their husbands). Just a fact.

Bernie's team has to be able to detail how he wins the whole thing. When average democrats come to think he'd definitely win, he has a chance to flip people from Hillary.

[NobodyHere]

25. Attack ads do work

nt

[Nevada Blue]

15. What are WE going to do to get him elected? n/t

[KPN]

16. Good point!

Join his campaign by going to his website [link:http://berniesanders.com|
and if you can afford it, contribute to his campaign. There's plenty each of us can do -- his campaign will be organizing volunteers throughout the country in the near future. So get involved if you support the only real straight-shooter out there -- Bernie Sanders!

[fredamae]

26. Exactly! If we Want him

WE do it....he Runs. We Work And VOTE For Him. WE Ignore Corporate Media, Third Way, New Dem Coalition, and, our current Dem Leadership.....imo.


Step out of the norm waiting for the well paid establishment campaign managers to tell Us how it happens.
This is Grassroots. WE are the Roots For the Grass. IF we're healthy in our goals...Bernie will do well. . WE need to get Busy. Donate. Volunteer. VOTE.

[bigwillq]

17. Ponies for everyone!

And Chess Boards.

[DFW]

20. IF..............

Bernie Sanders is not the Democratic nominee for president in 2016, but manages to make his points so eloquently and so convincingly that the eventual nominee adopts his major positions, then he has won, no matter what.

[SmittynMo]

22. You are so right.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

[fredamae]

28. Except "they" when don't "adopt"

it, only revealed After they're elected. We get screwed after we have served our purpose and elected them.

But, Bernie Is changing the dialogue all over the political spectrum and hopefully WE, en masse' Adopt and insist on moving his/Our platform.
imo, of course

[Rosa Luxemburg]

24. highlight key issues

Not only hammering Wall Street but he needs to appeal to Latinos, African Americans. He also needs to raise his profile in white lower middle class areas where he should do well. He has to appeal to women.

[cascadiance]

27. Help Free Speech and Thom Hartmann to get on more carriers on different cable systems, etc.

... so that he can get his word out with Brunch with Bernie on Fridays with Thom Hartmann.

It seems like if campaign finance laws are being thrown out by things like Citizen's United and McCutcheon, he should have no problem trying to increase getting his message out through venues like that now.

The main thing is finding ways to touch other people's lives through avenues where people aren't watching shows like Thom Hartmann's.

I think that there will be creative efforts through youtube and other internet efforts in the months to come that will help Bernie more. Finding means where currently we don't have corporate gate keepers that keeps his message off the air, but we find ways of putting in useful gate keepers that the public itself chooses to help organize the mass of information on the election so that those with lower bandwidth and time to search for messaging can hear what he has to say too.

[cascadiance]

29. Perhaps work hard now to speak out on women's issues...

... which he has always provided great support for, but be as clear as possible on all of the different ways he wants to help women's rights and their participation in government and society so that it will be harder for the identity card politics that are played against him.

I have a good friend of mine who's a real great person, has supported occupy movement, and a lot of progressive policies that many corporate democrats avoid. But she's avoided the internet and high tech world, and therefore relies on printed materials, word of mouth, and the mainstream media for a lot of what she hears is going on, and doesn't get a lot of additional information on things like more specific issues that something like the internet is a gold mine for.

She also has a very strong feeling of needing to get a woman in as president, and was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton last election, and is still one that feels it is "Hillary's turn" this election, and when I first talked to her after Bernie entered the race, she was very upset with Bernie. She has since apologized for that discussion with me, and I truly believe she wants a great president too, just like me. I don't think she realizes how much someone like Bernie would really want to help bring the world she wants in to place. I think she mostly trusts me as a friend to know that I wouldn't misrepresent my feelings on this topic to her.

That's why I think that if we get more information out there that shows that Bernie has no weakness about helping women out if he were president other than the issue that he's not a woman himself (that he can't avoid), that I think this would perhaps appeal to many out there that have been strong supporters of Hillary Clinton that want to feel empowered as women, and in the past have felt that Hillary has been their only answer to achieve this.

I think the more he can communicate well with women, and as he has done so far, not be drawn in to "attacking" Hillary, especially on these issues that they probably share so much on what they stand for, I think that will help him later in the nomination process. Ultimately, perhaps he'll even have the option of naming Senator Warren as his running mate if he were to get elected, and put her in place to perhaps become president when he leaves office then.

[SmittynMo]

30. I like it

I only hope Bernie is watching this thread.

My problem is my wife, who is a Hilliary fan too. It's my job to convince her otherwise as to who to vote for.