Breakfast at VFW and primary chit chat

[evertonfc]

Small sample but telling. I had breakfast with about 40 vets this am. All over 60 and a mix of political persuasions. I'm in a rural area, 45 min west of Nashville. I conversed with 3 vets at my table. All were Democrats from way back. All 3 said they would support any candidate except Sanders. In fact, all 3 said they would write in Biden or Mayor Pete ( I found the Pete answer surprising in this rural, strongly evangelical town but they like his military service). One of the men became visibly upset when talking about Sanders. This demographic, right or wrong, associate Sanders with Cold War socialism. My guess is this opinion is widespread.

[Me.]

1. That's What I've Been Saying

and, for older people cold war socialism = communism

[MineralMan]

2. Well, it's probably more prevalent than many people think.

Some of our younger voters have no memory of the cold war at all. However, they are the minority still. I'm older than the average voter, at age 74.

My military service in the USAF included an intensive, total immersion Russian language school for almost a year, followed by using those new skills in ways I cannot talk about. I can say that I'm quite familiar with the Cold War USSR.

Many people over the age of 50 in this country, though, do remember the Cold War, and very well, at that. An awful lot of those folks would find it difficult to vote for Sanders. Many Democrats are in that group. They wouldn't vote for Trump, but they might just stay home on election day with Sanders. Same thing.

[Zolorp]

8. I joined the Army at age 17 in 1980, shortly before the election.

I was on a deferred enlistment, so I campaigned for Carter.

Just a few weeks ago, I found out Sanders was an elector for the Socialist Workers Party candidate in 1980. HE was on the ballot as an elector for him under the SWP party name. The SWP was split off from the CPUSA over the Trotsky/Stalin thing.

It really is a slap in the face of those of us who served during that era. If he is nominated it will be all I can do to hold my nose and cast a vote.

[mahina]

3. I'm sorry to hear it but I acknowledge the reality.

Are they fox news watchers? Some Dems are...

Is there any way they can hear more from him directly (speeches, town halls, broadcast) and that this could help or have they heard from him directly already?

In case he wins the primary we have got to open some ears. Many ears.


It always seems to come down to people being labeled and those labels replacing a more complex nuanced reality.

I wonder if Bernies campaign has a plan for this. No snark intended.

[hlthe2b]

4. Cold war socialism indeed. The young see Sweden, the oldest think Russian socialism & communism

During the 2018 SOTU, Trump specificially brought up socialism--that "the US would never be socialist." Apparently he was counseled on polling that showed this could be a cudgel to use against Democrats in 2020 and thus the inclusion in last years' SOTU.

My post is not an anti-Sanders post, but I acknowledge that we may be walking into a major trap.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. If the young see Sweden it's because they've been seriously misled

by Bernie's claims that the Scandinavian countries are examples of successful "democratic socialism." But Sweden and the other Nordics are not socialist countries at all. They are examples of parliamentary democracies with very successful regulated capitalist economies and robust social programs supported by very high taxes (and they are also constitutional monarchies). The PM of Denmark was not at all pleased when Bernie tried to characterize his country as socialist.

[hlthe2b]

6. Yes. I agree.

[juxtaposed]

7. you should have your friends check out what he's done for them.

https://www.legion.org/pressrelease/224420/sanders-miller-receive-legion’s-patriot-award

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/vfw-congressional-award