The EMPEROR Has No Clothes

[Segami]

Let's be honest. Very few people believed, at the beginning of this campaign season, that Bernie Sanders would be a serious challenger to Hillary Clinton, close enough to be scaring the bejesus out of her campaign with just weeks to go before the first caucus and the first primary. If anything, some probably believed that Martin O’Malley would have given her a nominal challenge. But Sanders? I think this speaks to Clinton’s weakness as a candidate. Despite her enormous institutional advantages and name recognition, she is in a dogfight with an avowed Democratic Socialist in the first two states — a guy who has never been high profile or a gifted orator and politician like Obama.

Good on Sanders for sticking to his message and pounding away, slowly and steadily. His message is timely and impactful. If nothing else, he is also exposing Clinton’s weaknesses as a general election candidate. Back at the beginning of this whole thing, kos and many other pundits and posters here were suggesting that she was damn near a lock for the nomination and close to a sure bet for a general election victory. kos confidently predicted that “Sanders' ceiling is 25-30 percent.”

~snip~

In addition, head-to-head numbers against possible GOP challengers show Sanders outpacing Clinton in most cases. (Yeah, yeah, I know, Clinton partisans… “They haven’t even started ripping Sanders apart yet! Hillary is a known quantity! She’s battle-tested! Blah, blah, blah...”) One sure sign that the Clinton camp thinks they’re in trouble is that they’re trotting out Bill to make the “electability” argument, and Hillary is retweeting some quote from a Sanders supporter who is at least entertaining the possibility of voting for Clinton based on electability. Really? The Clinton juggernaut is reduced to that? (Besides, I am not convinced that she gives us a better chance in a general election than Sanders, given her upside-down favorability numbers, especially among independents.)

So who knows what happens now? Sanders could pull off wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, at which point we’ll be looking at a flailing Clinton combo reminiscent of 2008. Should that happen, it will be an ugly spectacle. A former president and “sure-thing” front runner aghast at the possibility she may lose. Again. Expect Bill to show up in South Carolina like he did in 2008 and compare the Sanders campaign to Jesse Jackson’s failed 1988 presidential effort. The panic will be palpable and the “electability” argument goes up in smoke. Let’s face it, Clinton could still close this thing out early, but she’s been exposed. She’s a lousy candidate. All of the endorsements and the super PACs and the “listening tours” and control of the levers of power within the party, and she’s still in a dogfight with a little-known Democratic Socialist who has been giving the same speech for 30+ years (albeit, a timely speech, given the ever-rising income chasm).


The Emperor has no clothes.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/01/11/1468444/-The-Emperor-has-no-clothes

[NCTraveler]

1. This post is useless without pics!!!!

Please take that in line with the old comedic du.

[Segami]

6. Whaaa?....again with that wind howling.....

I really do need to get that weathervane oiled up before the coming bad weather arrives.....the constant low sine waves are hurting my ears

[NCTraveler]

12. I will try to keep it down for your sensitive ears.

[Segami]

13. Thank you....much appreciated.

It just make me go lucid......

[NCTraveler]

17. Noticed and understood.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

11. What are you saying?!?!

DU posters used to have a sense of humor Ah for the olden, pre-primary days

[Hortensis]

2. Bernie had nowhere to go but up if he was to

move at all. Hillary came in with an uncontested high that, like those of all frontrunners in the beginning, was guaranteed to drop. And NH and IA are extremely white states.

Enjoy, but prepare to buckle your seatbelts. Super Tuesday is now only 49 days away, and that's when the rough ride begins. No matter WHO we nominate.

[pangaia]

14. Shit, man. Now I've heard it all.

Bernie started at ZERO so of COURSE he went up.
Hillary started at 99 so of COURSE she went down.

God almighty, stick a fork in me and call me done.

[MrChuck]

19. (Poke)

You're done.

[pangaia]

24. Thanks. Whew I needed that.

[mindwalker_i]

29. "Stick a fork in me"

Then you'd be a tine lord (as per your avatar).

[randome]

44. Oh, that's good.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[TheFarS1de]

58. Very clever

Well done

[gordyfl]

48. Yeah, and O'Malley Started at Zero

and he went up. So did Webb. And that other guy, too.

[tazkcmo]

42. I've been buckled in

We all knew this was/is/shall be a rough ride from the get go. The powerful never give up that power with out a fight and just like a cornered animal under threat, they'll use everything available to them. Rough ride indeed.

[Bernin4U]

3. Let's be honest. The press will never be half as smart as it claims.

So now they'll concede that he -might- win the first two states. How insightful.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Kickin' for the Bern!

Great piece! Indeed, The Emperor Has No Clothes!

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[99th_Monkey]

5. Don't you mean Empress?

Or would that be "sexist" to use? I'm never sure anymore with Hills.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. This is just the Previews,the main show is about to start.

When the state caucuses start,then and only then will we see the real show. We have a couple of great candidates doing their best to get their message about how they see the United States during their term in the White House. Once the Local Delegate Selection to State or County Conventions gets underway,we will see solid trends,six weeks will tell the real story.

[Hortensis]

16. Thanks, Wellstone. I needed that good sense.

[firebrand80]

8. If Bernie wins IA and NH, this still isn't 2008

The Clinton campaign was out-smarted by the Obama campaign in 2008. Clinton's camp didn't fully understand how to win the delegate war, thus they weren't organized enough in the Super Tuesday states, and weren't organized at all in the post-super Tuesday states. Obama had a dozen offices operating for months in some of those states before Clinton had 1. Had she done things differently, that primary may have turned out differently. From what I'm reading, this years team isn't repeating those mistakes.

Also, by the time he got to SC, African Americans had broken for Obama big time, which gave him a built-in advantage in many key States. I don't think Bernie is going to have that.

[peacebird]

28. Built in advantage, interesting phrase.... That said

I think Bernie is going to surprise you!

Because his message reasonates across the spectrum. Hillary is divisive, Bernie unites. Hillary will go negative, sling mud just like she did against Obama... Bernie will stay on message.

Bernie on message for We, the People vs Hillary attacking?

Bernie wins.

[pnwmom]

9. At this point in 2008 Obama already had solid support in the South, so when he crashed

through Iowa and NH, he coasted through the south.

Bernie has very little support in those states, and a lot of people ready to say, "No, thanks."

[PyaarRevolution]

15. They need only hear his message.

Then that ridiculous assumption that "Socialist" is a synonym to "Communist" starts to dissolve.

[uponit7771]

23. Sanders has been around for decades, they've not heard his message already?

[AlbertCat]

30. they've not heard his message already?

Well, when the media doesn't cover you for decades..... no.

When you've been put in the spotlight...by your husband... for decades, and the MSM starts hashing over your run for president years before you run for president....and then lose....

Yeah by the 2nd time around, some may have heard of you more than a Senator from VT.


At this point, name recognition is all she's got.

[uponit7771]

31. Sanders has been leading revolutions for decades there's no way he stayed out of the media eye

... with leading OWS and million workers marches and legislation against trickle down and such....

O wait...

yeah, my other thrown with Sanders is he has never been the leader he has called others to be

[AlbertCat]

34. he has never been the leader he has called others to be

Ask people in VT.

Like Hillary has lead anybody anywhere....

She lost the last time to an unknown and she can lose this time.

[uponit7771]

37. I'll ask all 34 of them and get the rounded answer I want, nope... and Hillary isn't claiming to

... be an end all to be all and not proffering unicorns from the historically gerrymandered GOP congress

We agree she could lose this time too...

If Sanders had the relationships with non VT demographics I don't think HRC would've ran at all

[tazkcmo]

43. She was running

She was running before she wasn't running which was never.

[Eric J in MN]

39. Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation in which the rich would pay more taxes.

A bill for people to pay into Social Security on income over $250,000.

A bill for free tuition funded with a tax on stock trades (The College for All Act).

[paleotn]

22. I'm in one of those states....

...NC. And I think you will be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised. The south is solid Hill is just the meme du jure of the moment.

[Duval]

26. Hi, paleotn. I'm in NC, also, and

I agree with you. I see more Bernie stickers around Durham/Chapel Hill area, and house parties are being held all over the place.

[paleotn]

32. Same to your west....

.....unscientific, I know, but my gut feeling is many are going to be very surprised on Super Tuesday.

[AlbertCat]

33. In NC too

Have yet to see any overt support for Clinton.

Have seen Sanders stuff here and there.

[Fawke Em]

56. Same here in Tennessee.

In fact, some polling is now suggesting a Sanders candidacy might make Tennessee actually turn ever-so-slightly blue.

[Ed Suspicious]

57. I see loads of Bernie support in my college town in the middle of Wisconsin. None other to speak of

[cali]

45. He had tons more institutional and establishment backing.

[Old Codger]

47. good luck with that

line,she has spent her entire adult life in politics and she didn't understand that part? Good try but not a real reason, just anxcuse

[Enthusiast]

10. I only knew Bernie was a president the nation needed.

No one else came close.

[DFW]

20. And I'm hopeful

...that this is not the level of discourse on DU for the rest of the primary season.

[MuseRider]

55. Me too

but I sure can't see that happening as things are now. Worse probably, then I will disappear until it is over and hope things are better after that.

[DFW]

59. I might join you

There's more toxicity here than in the drinking water at a fracking site.

[JoePhilly]

21. I wonder if authors as wrong as this one will ...

... still have jobs in 4 months.

[paleotn]

25. how about the author of...

...Bernie's ceiling is 25 to 30%? Wonder if they're still working?

[Eric J in MN]

41. It's a Daily Kos post. The author isn't a professional pundit. NT

NT

[Major Hogwash]

27. "She’s a lousy candidate."

The only question remaining is how long will she stay in the race?

[99Forever]

35. I've said he would win since before he announced.

I was called a slew of names and laughed at.

The incompetent fools aren't laughing any more.

[Eric J in MN]

38. How did you know that Bernie Sanders would do well in the primaries? NT

NT

[gordyfl]

49. Love That Picture

Still Laughing...

[Eric J in MN]

51. I wish I could take credit, but I downloaded it from another DU member

...who used it in his Signature line.

[Uncle Joe]

36. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Segami.

[cantbeserious]

40. When We Stand Together - No Citizen Need Settle For The Lesser Of Two Corporate Evils - Go Bernie Go

eom

[SoapBox]

46. K & R

She is indeed a lousy candidate...2008 again.

[gordyfl]

50. I Just Read Elizabeth Warren Endorsed Hillary...

...back in April, 2015.

That's right. That's what the article said. They state it twice in the article.

It's from "FiveThirtyEight" Politics.

The article gives reasons why Hillary is inevitable.

Reading it now, I'd say it's a darn right silly article.

Here it is...

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-hillary-clinton-steamroller-rumbles-to-life/

[Segami]

53. Yup...

and on that note, let me give the wishful-thinking silly article a giggle.......

[gordyfl]

54. And the Last Couple Line of the Article...

"When you look at the board, there is no Barack Obama waiting in the wings. Warren has endorsed Clinton and has given every indication that she is not going to run.

At this point, Clinton’s path to the nomination looks easier than anything we’ve seen before."

(LOL)

[in_cog_ni_to]

52. Kick! n/t