Scenes from Bernie's dispirited would-be victory party

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

His revolution was not televised from Iowa on Monday night.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

02/04/2020 09:53 PM EST

ABOARD BERNIE SANDERS’ CHARTER PLANE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE — The political revolution was put on hold.

When Bernie Sanders’ campaign was preparing for a potential win in the first 2020 contest Monday, his aides and allies envisioned him giving a primetime victory speech, raising millions of dollars from small-dollar donors amid their ecstatic high, and savoring proving so many elites wrong at a party at the Holiday Inn.

Instead, Sanders and his senior aides found themselves working to reassure demoralized and shaken staffers and volunteers on Tuesday.

In a last-minute all-staff call around noon, Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, told aides that the Iowa Democratic Party had been incompetent and the delayed results were frustrating. But, he said, it was critical to appreciate what had just happened despite receiving the most negative news coverage of any 2020 campaign.

With 62 percent of precincts counted, initial results released Tuesday showed Sanders and Pete Buttigieg in a close race for first place, and Sanders aides think there is a good chance they will win in the end.

snip

more great reporting at link

[msongs]

1. gotta find a way to spin when 70% or so of the ppl voted for someone else :-) nt

[HerbChestnut]

2. That tends to happen when 10+ candidates are running.

[LanternWaste]

13. What a suRGe!!!!!!

[JoeOtterbein]

4. I'm still waiting to hear from just one candidate myself ;-) nt

[Garrett78]

3. Wind was certainly taken out of the Sanders and Buttigieg sails, to Biden's advantage.

And Klobuchar also benefits, as she can more easily justify staying in the race, even though it's hard to see a path for her.

Warren probably doesn't really lose or gain as a result of the Iowa shitshow.

[brooklynite]

7. Buttigieg claimed victory and was vindicated. Biden....came in 4th and was barely viable.

I think the question is; can Biden generate some "comeback kid" momentum in NH?

[Garrett78]

8. Biden finishing 2nd in NH isn't guaranteed, but it's more likely than it would have been had...

...there been an undisputed, prime time announcement of the results last night, showing Biden in a distant 4th.

Biden may still end up falling to 3rd or 4th in NH, but that's less likely thanks to the Iowa shitshow. The dominant narrative of the last 24 hours has been about the IDP's incompetence and the absurd caucus process itself (and about whether the results can be trusted). Instead of being about the results, which we still don't have in full. Biden, you can be sure, is celebrating the shitshow aspect.

[wisteria]

10. I am not concerning myself about New Hampshire, Sanders probably has this.

Biden should do a hell of a lot better in Nevada and South Carolina.

[W_HAMILTON]

5. "Despite receiving the most negative news coverage..." ??? LOL

[wisteria]

11. Yes, is he serious.

Biden was a regular topic of the Republicans during the trial, and before.

[CentralMass]

6. Great article. Thank you for posting it Joe.

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread JoeOtterbein.

[denem]

12. More great reporting indeed.

[Hortensis]

14. Everyone who gets delegates "wins." I hope Sanders does

not get as many delegates as he hoped for, but we know he and at least a couple others will come away with a decent step toward the total they all need.