Bernie Is the Opponent Trump Wants

[True Blue Drew]

JAN 28, 20202:49 PM
William Saletan, Slate

Bernie Sanders is on the rise. Less than a week before the first contest of the Democratic primary, polls give the Vermont senator, on average, a 3-point lead in Iowa and an 8-point lead in New Hampshire. Nationally, he has climbed to within 5 percentage points of former Vice President Joe Biden. If Sanders wins the first two states, he has a strong chance of winning the nomination.

That sounds like good news for progressives. But it isn’t. Sanders has major liabilities that haven’t been exploited in the primaries. If he’s the nominee, those liabilities could hand the election to President Donald Trump. David Frum made this case on Monday in the Atlantic, and Jonathan Chait, writing for New York magazine, has backed it up with evidence from recent elections. But polls suggest that Trump has already identified a theme that would destroy Sanders: his socialism.

Trump is running on the economy, but he knows many voters don’t like him. He needs to give those voters something to fear about the other party. That’s where socialism comes in. Trump uses that word at every rally, hoping to make Democrats look radical and scary. Sen. Elizabeth Warren agrees with many of Sanders’ ideas, but she doesn’t call them socialism. Sanders does. He plays right into Trump’s hands.

If you hang out with young progressives, you might be under the impression that socialism is popular. It is, but only on the left. In the latest Gallup poll, taken in September, liberals and Democrats viewed socialism favorably, but Americans as a whole rejected it, 57 percent to 39 percent. In the same poll, respondents viewed capitalism favorably, 60 percent to 35 percent. A Harvard/New York Times poll, taken in July and August, found similar results: Americans endorsed capitalism, 57 percent to 37 percent, while rejecting socialism, 59 percent to 34 percent. Polls taken in May by the Pew Research Center, in March for the libertarian Cato Institute, and in December for Fox News yielded similar results. In every survey, socialism scores well among progressives but gets trounced, among voters as a whole, in a showdown with capitalism.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/01/trump-bernie-sanders-socialism.html

If the electorate contained only people under 40. I'd say that Sanders would have a really good chance of defeating Trump. But we all know such is not the case, and "socialism" isn't a popular concept---or even word!---for a majority of elderly voters. (You know, the ones that always turn out on Election Day.) But it is Saletan's final words that really bring it home:

"If you think socialism is important enough to risk losing the election, vote for Sanders. But if all you want is a progressive government—one that offers a public health insurance option, makes college more affordable, and mobilizes the country against climate change—you’re a lot more likely to get it by nominating a pragmatist. It feels good to vote for the candidate you admire most. But if Sanders wins the nomination and Trump wins the election, you’ll have four more years to feel the burn."

[LuvNewcastle]

1. The only way I can see Bernie winning against Trump

is if the economy goes to hell between now and election day, and I mean something like the 2007 crash. Even then he wouldn't be able to get any of his plans passed without an overwhelming Democratic majority, and a lot of Democrats wouldn't go along with those plans. Electing Bernie and providing him with a compliant Congress are just not likely at all.

[NCProgressive]

2. It is as obvious as night and day that Trump is desperate to face Bernie

but some people are oblivious to the threat because ideology trumps winning in some people's mindset.

[Wabbajack_]

3. Trump was the opponent Hillary wanted, no?

[Butterflylady]

6. It won't be so funny

When this republic comes under the rule of Putin and believe you me it will. Better start learning Russian.

[Demsrule86]

26. Sander won't win a general and will likely lose the house...how about that argument?

I will vote for the nominee...but four more years of Trump will destroy this country.

[Demsrule86]

32. Plenty of support out there is you want to look at it....Sanders is losing in Virginia, Delaware.

So is Warren but with a good VP, she might overcome it which is why she is my second choice. Biden is still the best choice. We ran William Bryant Jennings three times, and he lost each time as another poster pointed out.

[Cha]

10. Quinnipiac poll numbers 1/28 who has the best chance of beating trump Biden 44 sanders 19

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=454077

[Cha]

9. What the hell does that have to do with 2020?

Quinnipiac poll numbers 1/28 who has the best chance of beating trump Biden 44 sanders 19

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=454077

[Hassin Bin Sober]

12. When you ask people who they will vote for head to head, Bernie does better.

So there’s that.

[Cha]

13. Quinnipiac poll numbers 1/28 who has the best chance of beating trump Biden 44 sanders 19

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=454077

[Demsrule86]

27. 538 has Bernie down in most every poll...today...in fact I didn't see one where he was ahead...

[oasis]

5. Biden wins easily. Why would any Dem want to roll the dice?

[FBaggins]

8. So? Trump was the opponent that Hillary wanted

That was a mistake.

[Cha]

14. Like Hillary had any power over who the asshole gop voted for.

[FBaggins]

17. Roughly the same amount that Trump has over the DNC's selection

The article is about who they most want to run against.

[Cha]

18. I know

[LongtimeAZDem]

16. She won the popular vote; she would have won the EC if she hadn't been betrayed by the left

[betsuni]

23. She didn't know Russian interference would be so extensive, that Comey would pop up right before

election and make everybody worry they'd have a president under investigation, that the press would only talk about emails, that polls were incorrect, that Trump's number one issue would be immigration and full steam ahead racism and that it would appeal to so many white voters, and I think she probably, like me, didn't think so many Americans would go through with actually voting for him and have to see his hideous face and listen to his stupid voice for possibly the next eight years.

If the election were more like previous ones she'd win against Trump.

[totodeinhere]

11. Hey Trumpster Dumpster. Better be careful what you wish for.

Bernie will kick your ass!

[Demsrule86]

28. I wish that were true...however, Biden will win so he hopefully kicks Trump's ass...going to be hard

[Cha]

19. NO trump does NOT.. trump got fuckuing #45IMPEACHED

'cause he does NOT want BIDEN.

[Cha]

22. Sez you.. those who want to WIN don't fall for

rw fucking talking points about Biden.

[ehrnst]

25. But you just said you'd "wager Trump wants Biden" as an opponent.

That's odd.

So, tell us, why would he "tar" Biden if he wanted to run against him?

[George II]

29. Are you really "sorry"?

[ehrnst]

24. Actually... Trump tried to sink Biden using witholding military aid to get Ukraine to smear him.

there was sort of an impeachment about it...maybe you heard about it?



Besides,

President Trump’s advisers see Senator Bernie Sanders as their ideal Democratic opponent in November and have been doing what they can to elevate his profile and bolster his chances of winning the Iowa caucuses, according to Republicans familiar with the plans.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/us/politics/trump-sanders-bloomberg-2020.html

And

How The Russian Social Media Effort Boosted Bernie

I don't think that it's Biden that the GOP wants running against Trump...

[Gothmog]

21. trump would destroy a weak candidate like sanders

In addition to the well written 101 page memorandum with oppo on sanders with a 1000 pages of backup from the Clinton campaign trump has his own oppo file on sanders that would destroy such a weak and divisive candidate like sanders. Trump had a two foot thick book of oppo research on Sanders http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

They ignored the fact that Sanders had not yet faced a real campaign against him. Clinton was in the delicate position of dealing with a large portion of voters who treated Sanders more like the Messiah than just another candidate. She was playing the long game—attacking Sanders strongly enough to win, but gently enough to avoid alienating his supporters. Given her overwhelming support from communities of color—for example, about 70 percent of African-American voters cast their ballot for her—Clinton had a firewall that would be difficult for Sanders to breach....

So what would have happened when Sanders hit a real opponent, someone who did not care about alienating the young college voters in his base? I have seen the opposition book assembled by Republicans for Sanders, and it was brutal. The Republicans would have torn him apart. And while Sanders supporters might delude themselves into believing that they could have defended him against all of this, there is a name for politicians who play defense all the time: losers....

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed), and the opposition research folder was almost 2-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

sanders was such a weak primary candidate that the Clinton campaign did not use its oppo but trump would have fun destroying such a weak candidate like sanders

[TomCADem]

30. That Would Explain Why Tucker Carlson Has Been Boosting Bernie

While Biden and other Democrats are put down, Fox repeatedly boosts Bernie.