"I think, it's just, you can't even deny it..he IS the democratic presidential front runner."-Tapper

[workinclasszero]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[TexasTowelie]

1. I'll disagree with Jake Tapper and deny it.

Most of the polls that I've reviewed do not show Bernie as the frontrunner.

[workinclasszero]

4. Every public poll I've seen of declared dem candidates shows Bernie in the lead

Every one.

Maybe I missed one, I dunno but you would think their supporters would be posting those polls up and crowing about it here.

[DemDerek]

9. DECLARED Dem Candidates

Clever!

[workinclasszero]

13. Yes declared candidates of course

Who the hell cares about people sitting on the sidelines and sniping at the people that are actually in the ring?

[MyOwnPeace]

17. To answer your question........

Real Democrats.

[workinclasszero]

18. Pfft

Bernie is running as a democrat.

He is considered a democrat by the people that own and run this board and he votes with democrats in the Congress 90 plus percent of the time.

A whole hell of a lot more than some democrats with a (D) after their name!

[ehrnst]

34. When was that "90 plus% of the time with Dems" voting record updated?

Does that also cover his time in Congress? Or just the Senate? Or just the last session? What's your source for that statistic? Does it take into account key votes missed?

Why do you consider an independent to be more of a "Democrat" than some actual Democrats? (yes I'm aware of Joe Manchin's record - it's an outlier) When you say "Democrat," are you equating "Democrat" with progressive? If so, then why wouldn't a progressive be a Democrat? Can you clarify?

https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate

“We also found that Democratic women have been the most liberal members of the Senate for 20 of the past 23 years, with a voting record that is 3.3 points more liberal than that of Democratic men,” the organization determined. And in the House, Emily's list reports that Democratic women are more than "8 points more liberal than Democratic men overall, and nearly 10 points more liberal on social issues." Overall, the Emily's list study found that "when all 535 Members of Congress were studied, Democratic women were consistently more progressive than their colleagues. The same was true on social issues.”

Emily's List's methodology for the study:

"National Journal vote ratings were used to measure how Democratic women in office, over a twenty-two year period, have voted on liberal and social issues. Each year, National Journal publishes vote ratings on current members of Congress. Members are rated on a series of votes, chosen by National Journal. The votes are categorized into liberal social, liberal economic, liberal foreign policy, conservative social, conservative economy, and conservative foreign policy. Then, each member is given a liberal composite and a conservative composite score. We measured the liberal social and liberal composite scores of Democratic women, Democratic men, Republican women, Republican men and all of members of Congress. "

https://www.emilyslist.org/news/entry/alternet-who-are-the-most-reliable-progressives-in-congress-democratic-wome

[Kanoko]

58. Yes, and many real Democrats

voted for him.

[ehrnst]

67. And then *all real Democrats* voted for HRC in the General. (nt)

[Shell_Seas]

24. I live in Texas and I don't know one single Dem that is on team Bernie...

I'm wondering if those polls are skewed somehow towards northern Democrats.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

59. Sanders couldn't win here in Texas, no way, no how.

Trump/GOP want it to be Sanders that's all there is. They want to run against the most left. Otherwise they have zero game..zero campaign. It's such a duh. Hoping people figure that out soon. We must get rid of trump. Period. Paragraph. Doesn't mean all our great liberals have to go away. Hell no. They can help run the government in 2021.

[Tipperary]

32. Wait, Bernie is a Dem?

Since when?

[George II]

47. Imagine how far ahead Biden will be once he declares his candidacy!

[Perrenial Voter]

51. No, recently Biden has been in the lead. n/t

[CentralMass]

56. This is true.

[MrsCoffee]

2. Lol.

[Pachamama]

26. Let me join in with your chuckle....

[bearsfootball516]

3. Except in basically every poll, where Biden leads by large margins.

[workinclasszero]

5. When did Joe declare he's in the race?

Oh wait.....

[bearsfootball516]

6. He hasn't, but when he does, his margins will likely grow even more.

[workinclasszero]

10. The day Joe declares will be his high water mark IMO

After that he will have to defend some very questionable actions he has taken over the years he was in Congress.

His numbers will go down then.

[shanny]

16. I agree.

I'm sure that is why he's sitting on the sidelines.

He is not a newcomer to presidential races.

[workinclasszero]

21. Yup

I agree.

His record in Congress is going to be one hell of a hard sell in this day and age.

[shanny]

23. Indeed.

He is currently coasting on his persona as Obama's sidekick / nostalgia.

I for one am not nostalgic about the 90s crime bill or the bankruptcy bill, or the Iraq vote. And Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court.

[workinclasszero]

25. Bingo!

Four good reasons why Joe is still on the sidelines?

Could be.....

[True Blue American]

28. We all know

Bernie has a stellar record in the Senate!

Cough,cough!

[workinclasszero]

31. Much better than Joe's

For sure

[ehrnst]

36. Better in what way? (nt)

[workinclasszero]

37. Joe's record is out there

I would risk a hide just for stating the facts about some of his more terrible votes and choices over the years so you will have to look it up yourself, sorry.

[ehrnst]

38. Not going to back it up? Thought so.

Last edited Wed Apr 3, 2019, 12:17 PM - Edit history (1)

I would risk a hide just for stating the facts about some of his more terrible votes and choices over the years so you will have to look it up yourself, sorry.

Sorry, simply reporting the facts and one's voting record isn't a problem on DU.

But whatever.

[workinclasszero]

39. Well google is your friend but if Joe ever finds the intestinal fortitude to enter the race

his record will all come out in the wash.

The people who only know him as President Obama's VP will be shocked, no doubt.

I guess that's why he is so gun-shy at this time.

[ehrnst]

40. It seems as though google isn't everyone's friend.

[workinclasszero]

41. And Joe still isn't in the race

[ehrnst]

42. And?

The list backing up your claims isn't forthcoming, either. "Intestinal fortitude" there?

[revmclaren]

53. Seems that his not jumping in early

was an amazing stroke of luck (or forewarning). By the time he does join the candidate crowd, the current issues will have died down and he will take a commanding lead.

Even not running yet (and with the negative press he is getting), he is almost double digits above your self proclaimed front runner.

But, whatever gets you through the night.



ONLY!!! 2019 and beyond.

[Instant Liberal]

54. Yet he's still more popular than Bernie.

Last edited Thu Apr 4, 2019, 12:41 PM - Edit history (1)

People remember him from before VP. That's why he was a popular choice AS VP. Not to mention he was well regarded as VP and would have stomped Trump had he run last time. Forgive the guy for grieving his son. Bernie is going to have trouble beating the Socialist title. I like Bernie and will vote for him, but I think Biden has a better shot. Not to mention Trump "wants" to run against Bernie.

[ehrnst]

64. Yep. (nt)

[George II]

43. But I guess with respect to Sanders you choose to overlook "some of his more terrible votes.....

....and choices over the years" (your words)?

Are some of Biden's so called "terrible votes" REALLY votes? You claimed this about Beto O'Rourke several times and when pointed out your error you chose to ignore them, i.e., claiming that he voted against two bills that never came up for votes!

What say you about this OP of yours? You still haven't addressed it.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128722101

"Beto voted against Medicare for all and a 15 dollar an hour minimum wage"

[ehrnst]

45. Crickets....

[ehrnst]

61. There are a lot of other votes from Senator Sanders

He has a long, long list of votes.

[ehrnst]

63. That's two. And the rest?

The post I responded to indicated a full voting record by Sanders that is "much better."

I'm the only one who has provided any data at all other than two votes.

Is that clearer?

[ehrnst]

66. Not going to back up your claims with data, either?

Not surprised.

[Instant Liberal]

52. He's been defending them for years.

Every candidate has to defend past actions.

[George II]

48. +1,000,000

[TCJ70]

27. Well...since he's not in the race, he can't be a frontrunner.

Jump in the pool and you can join the team, Joe.

[stonecutter357]

7. #facknews ! and lol cnn !

[Celerity]

8. you left out a BIG part, Tapper said OF THE DECLARED CANDIDATES

I think you need to edit your title as it is a misrepresentation

[workinclasszero]

11. No kidding

Why would any undeclared person count?

[George II]

49. Yes. But don't count on it.

[quickesst]

12. Joe Biden's not even in the race yet

People want to compare Bernie Sanders, who is running a declared full on active campaign to a man who is not even a declared candidate and has not received nor asked for a dime, but continues to lead Bernie Sanders in the polls by a good margin. People can say Bernie Sanders is the front runner till their face turns blue, but until he pulls ahead of Joe Biden in the polls, he is still the second runner-up.

[workinclasszero]

14. So why isn't Joe in the race already?

Really strange IMO

[quickesst]

19. How would I know?

Besides, he can wait another month before declaring, and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. This is Joe Biden's to take if he wants it. Everybody knows that, and if the best his opponents can do is make hay over his sometimes over affectionate actions, then his opponents will have a long row to hoe. I aver that a candidate can raise 50 billion dollars towards their campaign, but, if they are still running at 2nd place in the polls, that makes them a second runner-up. For the life of me, I don't know why that's so hard to understand.

[workinclasszero]

20. Bernie is number one of all declared candidates, why is this hard to understand?

I could care less about nervous nellies on the sidelines waiting for someone to clear a pathway to their coronation.

Maybe Joe can't raise the dough? Maybe he is nervous about his record?

Who knows?

Maybe he will grace the race with his presence someday but today, Bernie sanders is the leading democratic candidate for the nomination!

[quickesst]

30. I'll certainly give you that

Bernie is the front-runner of all declared candidates but he is running second in the polls to someone who has not even declared yet, and may not declare at all. We will just have to wait and see. If Joe decides not to run, it is my opinion that most people will believe that the Democratic Party had to settle for second best. Will second-best be enough to beat Trump? You damn straight it will be, and I will be behind that person whoever it is 100%. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[ehrnst]

35. "running second in the polls to someone who has not even declared yet, and may not declare at all"

And an actual Democrat to boot.

[George II]

50. Joe can raise the dough, and he's obviously not nervous about his record (what are you implying?)...

I think Sanders should be nervous if he can't even poll higher than someone not in the race. Do you remember back in 2000, when John Ashcroft lost his Senate election to someone who wasn't in the race, Mel Carnahan?

[Thekaspervote]

60. +1000

[George II]

46. Considering that Sanders didn't announce until April 29 in 2015, what's the rush?

[WeekiWater]

15. Those behind him are working on name recognition...

And are doing well. I do think he is the current front runner. I also know he is at full name recognition and the polls will only tighten as better options become more known. Sanders has been campaigning for president for over five years. His lead in polls isn’t what it should be.

Sanders, his surrogates and online supporters scorched earth campaign of deception and disinformation is going to tank him.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=49931

[SKKY]

22. We all know what happens if Biden enters the race...

...It's less obvious what happens if he decides against running. Where does his support go? I'm betting on a pretty even split between Kamala and Beto.

[democratisphere]

29. Joe Biden is the clear front runner and Joe hasn't even announced yet.

As soon as Joe Biden announces, step back and prepare for the surge!

[jcgoldie]

33. Biden is way down my list...

... because I think we need more diversity or at least a generational change in leadership, but if Joe is what it takes to beat Sanders for the nomination then I will support him 100% in the primaries.

[Gothmog]

44. I like this statement by Joe Biden

Link to tweet

[Stellar]

57. LOL! Now you posted this so you can see heads expload on DU, right?