Bernie Sanders leads Donald Trump in polls, even when you remind people he's a socialist

[totodeinhere]

https://www.vox.com/2020/1/31/21113780/bernie-sanders-socialism-electability-primaries

Sen. Bernie Sanders is a self-described socialist in a country where socialism is unpopular, and many observers are convinced that Sanders’s lead over President Donald Trump in head-to-head polling would vanish in the face of a red-scare campaign from Republicans.

It is difficult to know whether that’s true or not, but a recent message-testing experiment run by the progressive group Data for Progress at least calls that theory into question.

In their experiment, tagging Sanders as a socialist did not seem to undermine his campaign — something we’ve also seen over the years in Vermont. Sanders consistently does a bit better in elections for his Senate seat than you would expect from the state’s baseline party lean.

[OrlandoDem2]

1. Need polls of individual battleground states.

[calguy]

2. Dukakis held a double digit lead over Bush out of the convention

What they did to Dukakis they'll do double to Sanders. They're more skilled at it and they have an army of Russian trolls working social media 24/7.

[totodeinhere]

10. They will do it to whomever our candidate is.

But I agree that early polls like this are not that relevant. But that poll is what it is.

[calguy]

27. Yes, they will do it whomever our candidate is

However, Bernie is the most vulnerable candidate we have. He has so many skeletons in his past the biggest problem the other side will have is deciding which ones to use, because they'll all be good.

[ehrnst]

3. So? No poll that pits Bernie and Trump in a head to head hypothetical GE

take into account that the GOP has never aimed any oppo at him. Quite the opposite.

Anyone who thinks that the GOP, with the help of Russia, won't start pounding his self-described socialist identity as a deal breaker within minutes after he should be nominated, you haven't been paying attention.

He is the nominee the GOP wants, and they've been coddling him. Promoting him as the "victim of the Democratic establishment" even. Do the math - you can tell what they do to a candidate that they think is an actual threat by simply reading the news:

Link to tweet

On the other hand, this is what they are doing and have done for Bernie's candidacy:

https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-claim-pelosi-intentionally-helping-biden-and-hurting-bernie-sanders-2020-1

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

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/17/indictment-russians-also-tried-help-bernie-sanders-jill-stein-presidential-campaigns/348051002/

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/4/20/18508880/karl-rove-bernie-sanders-could-beat-donald-trump-in-2020

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/07/bernie-sanders-republican-senate-1307296

[totodeinhere]

11. They will do it to any Dem candidate. Look at all this Ukraine crap that they are trying to stick

on Biden.

[ehrnst]

14. Precisely - why are they trying to tank Biden right now, but continue to promote Bernie?

Why didn't they say that Pelosi was trying to tank all the Senators on the Dem ticket with the impeachment scheduling, just Bernie?

If what you are saying is true, it doesn't make sense for them to single out Bernie as the victim of "democratic leadership?"

It makes sense if they have more oppo on Sanders than they do any other candidate, which considering the length of his career is quite likely.

Why would they not be RIGHT NOW pushing his his honeymoon in the USSR, where he praised the price of housing, his run for office on the Socialist Worker Party ticket, his 1985 praise for Castro and the Sandistas, and many other things that would be red meat to GOP voters, like they are the "Ukraine crap?"

It only makes sense if they are holding their ammunition, and stoking division between Democrats, so that he has an easier path to the nomination.

[totodeinhere]

15. So you don't think they will pull out all the stops to attempt to smear the Democrativ

nominee, no matter who she or he turns out to be? I'm pretty sure they have a dossier on Bernie, Joe and Elizabeth and they are working on one for Mayor Pete.

[ehrnst]

16. False equivalence. They have a whole lot more ammo to use against Sanders, due to his longer

public life, which has included running on the Socialist Worker Party and Liberty Union Party tickets. And writings.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287430964

Why do you think they aren't promoting Elizabeth and Mayor Pete like they are Sanders? I mean if they have equal oppo on those other two, why are they treating Bernie so differently?

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/01/14/trump_i_dont_believe_bernie_sanders_said_a_woman_cant_win_its_not_the_kind_of_thing_hed_say.html

[totodeinhere]

18. My attitude on which candidate they are promoting is this.

They had better watch out what they wish for. If they think Bernie would be a pushover then they had better think again. My first priority is to defeat Trump by any legal mans possible. If I thought Bernie is not best suited to accomplish that then I would take my support elsewhere.

[ehrnst]

23. So you don't have an explanation for why the GOP is supporting him

if they don't think that he is their dream opponent, and have more effective, factual oppo to drop on him that they don't have for others on the ticket.

That very question is one of the reasons that my support is elsewhere.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Good! He deserves it. The socialist tag is being way overused and incorrectly by desperate...

repugs, who obviously are more interesting in preserving a predatory capitalist society, that preys on the rest of us. Evidence: The 2017 tax cut and jobs bill. What did you get extra in your wallet today? I suspect that you'll say NOTHING and that you'll have to come up w/ extra money to pay your tax bill for 2019, being that they faked the 2017 tax cut bill by cutting the withholding of taxes from paychecks, but still left the bills due at the end of the year still the same amount.

[HarlanPepper]

5. Full court press today, eh?

[ehrnst]

6. Frantic, even. (nt)

[totodeinhere]

7. No, just throwing out this article for discussion. I thought that was what this forum is for.

n/t

[ehrnst]

8. It can be both, and looks like it.

n/t

[EveHammond13]

13. to collect bernie spam?

[lunasun]

31. I thought so

[redstateblues]

9. LOL. the article to which you referred used the phrase "Democrat Bernie Sanders" several times

He’s not a Democrat! Bogus premise

[EveHammond13]

12. his goon supporters booing other Democrats must really be helping. Winning!

[totodeinhere]

20. Calling anyone's supporters "goons" is not helpful

We will need their support in November no matter who the nominee is. But having said that. I do not personally support booing any of our candidates.

[EveHammond13]

21. if you don't want to be called a goon don't act like one

[totodeinhere]

25. But the bottom line is we have to win in November.

What is more important, having the satisfaction of calling someone a name, even if it's deserved. or winning the election?

[ehrnst]

26. +1000.

[EveHammond13]

22. Bernie is ripping this party to shreds.

[ehrnst]

24. Then perhaps you should let Sanders know that he needs to decry and discourage this

behavior on the part of his supporters - especially at campaign events.

[myohmy2]

17. 'Demcratic' Socialist...

… Bernie says it best...I'm paraphrasing,

...all Bernie's offering are policies and programs that most of the world has adopted and implemented and considers normal and acceptable...

...trump is a pathological liar...no telling what trump will say about Bernie, Joe or anyone or anything else...

...what we do know for a fact is that trump has praised kimmy and embraces putin every chance he gets...

...trump's the one who's in bed with the Communists not Bernie...

...trump the Commie lover...

[ehrnst]

19. ...many will will stop listening at "socialist"...

...just ask FDR....

...

[RandySF]

28. Just wait until he's thorughly vetted.

[lunasun]

29. Don't worry you know in any of those republican phone call push polls they will remind you three

to 6 different questions all flavor ways
I usually hang up on these fake pushes but I think this year I’ll hang out for the whole survey

[Still In Wisconsin]

30. Doesn't matter. Hillary did too, AND she won the popular vote...

by a LOT! Sanders might win the popular vote, too, but beating Trump by 35% in California, Oregon, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts won't help when he loses PA, WI, IA, FL, MI, OH...


Nominate Sanders and Trump probably gets around 350 electoral votes, give or take a rust belt state here or there.