It is so strange listening to people say that Bernie could have won in 2016 because he would have

[StevieM]

done a better job at turning out voters in urban centers. I just heard Joy Reid say that this is their argument, or at least a big part of it.

The whole reason Hillary beat Bernie is because she absolutely destroyed him among minority voters and urban voters. His failure with this group, at least in 2016, was the reason he failed to win the Democratic nomination.

Maybe that will change this time around, but that is what the situation was the last time. It makes no sense to say that this would have been the reason he could have been a better candidate than her, even if you want to argue that he would have been a better candidate.

Of course, something tells me that if Bernie had been the Democratic nominee he would have suddenly found himself under FBI investigation.

[Gravitycollapse]

1. It's changed this time around.

He’s spent a lot of time and money on outreach which has significantly increased his clout with racial and ethnic minorities (in particularly those who are younger).

[TwilightZone]

3. That remains to be seen.

The claims that he had a massive ground game in Iowa that was going to draw in huge numbers of new voters didn't prove to be accurate. His claim after the fact about raising youth turnout proved to be false.*

We heard similar things in the prior campaign. Then, it was the massive number of new voters he was bringing to the process. Then, they didn't show up for primaries and caucuses. If they had, he would have been more competitive.

It all sounds grandiose, but at some point, it will need to produce results if he ends up being the nominee.

*Source: https://www.factcheck.org/2020/02/sanders-spins-young-voter-turnout-in-iowa/

[democrattotheend]

2. I think he would have outperformed Hillary among rural & exurban whites

And maybe in liberal college towns, but IDK about urban centers.

[HarlanPepper]

4. Who knows

My thinking is Bernie would have had a better chance against Trump in 2016 than he would this year. Part of that is they would have had less time to vet him but also because I sense that campaign had more oomph behind it than the 2020 incarnation.

[Corgigal]

5. Joy Reid,

of someone hacked my account because I’m didn’t write that stupid crap about gays, Joy Reid?Who had to apologize to Rachel Maddow, because she has changed since then, Joy Reid?

She has issues. I haven’t forgotten. Just say you don’t believe a gay man can win the presidency, that is honest , and might be correct. The rest is subjective bullshit, and she needs to check it.