If Warren really wants to get this nomination, she has to stop being every Berner's second choice

[CalFione]

Taking down Bloomberg is great. It also shows how she would go after Trump too. Awesome.


But the bottom line is winning the nomination. And right now, she has no real path to come in first - instead of being the second-place fall back choice for every Bernie supporter.


She needs to take some whacks at the leader now. Show us why she's the better option for the progressive wing of the party than a cranky, 78-year-old, socialist with heart disease.


I really believe that Liz Warren can be the "bridge" between the progressive and center-left wings of the party. A true unity candidate.


But she can't get there if she remains only willing to punch the center-left wing and leave Bernie untouched.


Continually being the "1b" candidate to progressives won't cut it. If you want that "1a" pole position, you have to hammer at Bernie's weaknesses now, Liz. Here's some attack lanes against Bernie that don't attack his policy positions:

1. Health. A 78-year-old heart attack victim is a risky bet.

2. Anger. Liz can be the happy warrior. Bernie is the crank.

3. DC. Bernie has spent nearly 4 decades in DC getting almost nothing accomplished. Liz has been there less than a decade, and actually accomplished things when she went after Wall Street as a member of the Obama administration.

4. Women. Liz can attract a much larger enthusiastic base of female voters than Bernie can.


Stop running to be Bernie's VP, Liz. Run to be the top name on the ticket. Bernie won't sell to the larger electorate. You just might.

[HerbChestnut]

1. The last time she attacked Bernie she tanked in the polls.

Progressives don't want to see their two icons fighting each other.

[CalFione]

4. Then she's destined to at-best come in second to Bernie

She has the fight in her.

But if she doesn't want to take on the guy ahead of her in the polls, she is destined for the silver medal.

[squirecam]

20. Right

If she has stopped trying/running to lead the ticket, then she should leave the race.

She can only be president if she gets through Bernie. Being his best buddy won’t do that, and she won’t have a prayer after Super Tuesday if she has little delegates.

[Red Oak]

16. This. Don't attack Bernie. No need.

Sen Warren and Sen Sanders positions are similar on too much to have them attack one another.

There is an opening at the convention for Sen Warren in that Sen Warren may be able to pull together more of a coalition and be able to get the party nomination, even if she does not have the most delegates on the first round votes.

In any event, the progressive wing of the party does not need to fight with one another.

Love what she did to Bloomie last night. Gutted him live on TV. The smug billionaire deserved all of it. You could see the disdain he had in being up on stage with all these people that are beneath him.

[krissey]

25. She was attacked mercilessly by Bros. Snake and all. They went after Warren again last night

because she dared to have a different opinion then Sanders when it came to the votes at the convention. She agreed with the others, what, super delegates decide. And the Bros were all over it.

The have attacked Warren for being elite and many other times. So no, Sanders does not have an issue going after Warren, especially when he was the one down.

[LisaM]

57. It's so frustrating.

I remember people - bros, if you will - saying they'd have no problem voting for a woman if it was Warren. That narrative seems to have vanished into the ether.

I don't know if they were liars, or if the weird hold Sanders has on some people is just too much, but it's so disheartening to me.

[krissey]

60. We saw lots of signs of misogyny, attacks against women almost exclusively. We often hear men say

I would vote for a woman, just not that woman. So much, it is a clear quote. Sanders has a special kind of supporter. he has cultivated it.

[northoftheborder]

2. Still am excited for Amy!

She was very strong last night, without being insulting.

[ancianita]

3. She's got time. I trust her judgment. We needn't have it all right now.

[CalFione]

5. Not as much time as you think. 12 days.

After Super Tuesday will be too late.

[ancianita]

7. You're right. I stand corrected. She does need to win a few states soon.

[squirecam]

24. Right

She won’t be the nominee unless she shows the same fire against Sanders as she did against everyone else on stage, whim she had no qualms going after.

[ancianita]

32. If she doesn't, what do you think that means?

[squirecam]

44. That she doesn't want

Or is no longer running to win the nomination.

After mid March, it’s too late to be going after Sanders.

[ancianita]

49. It could mean other things. That she, Sanders and Biden have made an agreement.

[squirecam]

50. She sanders and Biden agree on what?

Nt

[ancianita]

52. That she'll be the VP for one of them,they'll serve one term;she'll succeed one as incumbent in 2024

[eissa]

6. Disagree. Liz is my girl, but I didn't like her attack on Bernie

It reaked of desperation, and just didn't seem believable. She doesn't need to attack him directly, but she can highlight her record of accomplishments to distinguish her brand of progressive politics.

[ancianita]

9. When did she attack Bernie? I never saw it even once.

[eissa]

17. The accusation that he didn't think a woman could be POTUS

I believe it was a couple of debates ago. Refused to shake his hand at the end. For those of us who are fans of both, it wasn't a great look.

I think her emphasizing that she's a progressive with a stronger record in a shorter amount of time than Bernie will help her among voters who appreciate Bernie's idealism, but want someone who can actually make things happen.

[krissey]

31. I think it was totally believable that Sanders said he didn't think a woman could win seeing

HRC had just lost with 3 million more. Many were saying it at the start of this primary season. I think Sanders absolutely said it and then on stage Warren was sure to answer in the way to stay true to self but shift the answer in a way not to call Sanders a liar. Sanders had no qualm calling her a liar on national TV. Warren speaking up is the bold that make me support her. People having issue with Warren challenging Sanders with, you called me a liar on national tv disappoint me. She wasn't saying it to the world, she was saying it after when she thought mikes were off. It made me dislike Sanders and his people that much more that a woman got to again be defined as the liar.

But I agree. Sanders supporters are so extreme, Warren cannot afford any criticism to Sanders at all> Isn't that simply ridiculous, but also fact.

[squirecam]

45. She won't be the nominee then.

Nt

[krissey]

56. Warren needs to hit hard the differences and her solid position within the party.

When she first started her campaign she had a separation with Sanders then she joined at the hip with M4A. That was her huge mistake, I think along with AOC stepping out supporting Sanders right after his heart attack.

[ancianita]

35. It's a fact. He did say it. That doesn't make it an attack. Not shaking hands isn't an attack, eithe

r

"Not a great look" is wrongly twisted into "attack."

I don't agree with your distortion.

[eissa]

43. Bernie isn't Mike

Did that tactic win her over any new voters? Did it have a positive impact on her campaign? These things need to be weighed.

Bernie's supporters are passionate about their candidate. If you're going to go after him, it has to be done tactically, and the way to do it is to highlight the progressive similarities (of which there are many) but distinguish yourself as the person who can actually implement those policies by touting your record, which she can do.

[squirecam]

46. After Super tuesday

It will be too late

[ancianita]

48. She didn't "attack." Period. Her confronting was different and appropriate. Bernie needs to own up

to what he said. No male candidate would be spoken of this way.

No one challenges any male-to-male candidate challenges; they're consider valid from get-go.

This whole distortion of what Elizabeth does -- which is the exact same confrontation logic that the male candidates use -- falls under the unjust male standard that's chronically, toxically, used on women by both Democratic men, and used by Republicans on Democrats.

Which is this standard: The Perfect Is the Enemy of The Good.

She's already done all the positive stuff. As with the men, it's time to balance that off with logic, policy, verbal and legislative challenge and confrontation with ANY other candidate.

It's a good thing for all men to do. It's a good thing for Warren to do.

[CalFione]

10. If Bernie isn't taken down a peg, she has no path to winning

For most of the progressive wing of the party, it is

1A. Bernie
1B. Liz


If she doesn't flip that order, she can't win. She's only playing for the VP slot in that case. And she probably wouldn't get it, because Bernie would want to go younger and also likely a POC.

[33taw]

8. Elizabeth Warren has a very good chance at the nomination.

I believe we are headed to a brokered convention. I think it will come down to Biden or Warren. Warren would be a great compromised between moderates and progressives.

[CalFione]

12. In a brokered convention, I agree with you.

Warren would probably be the best "unity" candidate in a brokered convention. It would be harder for the Bernie-or-Bust folks to riot over her selection, and moderates would be ok with her too.


But we need to get to a brokered convention, and that would require Liz winning enough states to have a nice chunk of delegates. She can't come in second to Bernie everywhere among progressives - she needs to distinguish herself.

[33taw]

15. Given that Bernie tops out at about 28% in the caucuses/primaries I think a brokered convention

is very likely. Even if EW were to quit her current share of 10% will not give him the needed 50%. Of course, We have a long way to go.

[W_HAMILTON]

22. Did you see how they treated her when she said that Sanders told her a woman can't win?

They most certainly will throw even more hate her way if she were to win the nomination.

Remember: "Not me. Us." is just a gimmicky election slogan to cover for the fact that it really is all about Sanders for the vast majority of Sanders supporters.

But putting those toxic supporters aside, I do agree that Warren would probably make the best unity candidate of the bunch.

[CalFione]

26. She can't be a unity candidate at convention unless she has a sizeable chunk of delegates herself

And she can't get those delegates unless she starts peeling off more Bernie voters.

[W_HAMILTON]

30. True.

I think Sanders's actual base is closer to 20%, but he has bumped up to closer to 30% based on his doing well in the first two elections (which were always in his wheelhouse to begin with). I think she could potentially whittle his vote down to the lows 20s, which would bump her up to at least viability range in many of these contests.

[krissey]

34. 53% would vote dem, that leaves a whopping 47% that won't if we do not elect Sanders. Doesn't matte

who the Dem is. More progressive than Sanders or not. Because regardless it is not about people, it is not about the country, it is not about the disadvantaged. For them, it is all about Sanders.

[ancianita]

36. When it comes to Warren, we have to remember all the tactics and mindsets used against Hillary.

[W_HAMILTON]

39. The tactics used against Hillary was basically to make shit up.

And they had a three decades-long head start on doing just that.

None of our candidates are going to do well against those sorts of lies and propaganda, which is why all Democrats should have rallied about Hillary in 2016 instead of having some on the left amplify those bullshit conservative attacks on her, because whoever the eventual nominee is going to be subject to it.

[ancianita]

42. Yep. True that.

[MoonlitKnight]

59. We don't have winner take all

Like the Republicans.

Warren certainly has a better shot than Klobuchar, without having to attack Bernie yet.

[aikoaiko]

11. She needs to differentiate herself from Bernie but not attacj

Showing she can fight hard last night won me over as a Bernie/Warren fence sitter.

[CalFione]

13. Maybe "attack" is too strong... but she needs to flip from being "1b" for progressives to "1a"

And she can't do that unless Bernie gets knocked down a peg or two.

[W_HAMILTON]

14. If Sanders were not running, she would get my vote.

But Sanders not winning the nomination is my #1 priority and therefore I will not vote for her since she does not appear to be able to overtake him and I do not want to give her a vote that may turn into delegates that she may give to him to put him over at the convention. I'm just one example, but my story adds to the notion that (1) Sanders is progressivism's own worst enemy and (2) Warren should go after Sanders instead of continuing to treat him with kid gloves.

[CalFione]

18. Warren could get the delegates of the moderate candidates if she goes into Milwaukee strong

She needs to be taking delegates from Bernie right now, so she has viability to be in that position.

[krissey]

38. More than half of Warren supporters are not of the Sander block. Warren has a lot of solid

Democratic HRC voters supporting her. What Warren has going for her is though leaning to the left, she is not an outsider. She a a Democrat that works within the party to make it stronger. Warren could have ran in 2016, when momentum was hers, but it was not best for the party and at her own expense held off until 2020.

[CalFione]

41. Correct. Warren is acceptable to DNC insiders, regular Democrats, *AND* to most Bernie supporters

She has a path to win, if Bernie is kept under ~40% of the delegates and she gets a sizeable portion herself.

I believe Biden, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar delegates would be willing to flip to Warren on a second vote if she looks strong. But not to Bernie.

[krissey]

54. Yes. I agree

[MrsCoffee]

19. Lol.

[andym]

21. Warren makes a big deal of being a capitalist, Bernie out of being a Democratic socialist

So their overlap is not as much as one might think. The difference being despite the similarities in their policies is that Warren believes the market should be the driving force for economic growth. Warren needs to emphasize how she will use the market to help end income disparity (help the poor, working and middle classes to be wealthier) and reduce the wealth of the wealthiest to help make that happen.

[CalFione]

27. I agree

[krissey]

40. I agree. She needs to make more clear the difference. And maybe how she works within the party

making it stronger. A belief in the party showing the difference of attack on the party

[counting]

23. i think...

if she really wants the nomination, she should attack trump, focus on the narrative that she will beat trump easily, just like how she took down bloomberg. attacking bernie would only alienate bernie supporters. she should have an ad that say, "if i can do this to the 60 billion dollar man mike bloomberg, just imagine what would i do to trump!"

[squirecam]

28. That get her a loss

And Sanders the nominee.

If she actually wants to BE the nominee, she needs to go after him.

[counting]

37. that will be

a no win situation if she goes after sanders.. she wont be the nominee and probably wont be his vp.

[squirecam]

47. She won't be VP anyway

But if she wants to actually get the nomination, she needs to try to get his voters.

She didn’t try last night.

[CalFione]

29. She can do both.

And maybe "attack" is too strong. But she needs to differentiate herself from Bernie better.

[counting]

33. she can do both by

attacking trump, showing she can attack trump the way that only she can.
she can differentiate herself with every candidate...

[Autumn]

51. How do you suggest she get rid of those nasty Berner's that will support her if she is the nominee?

Liz has NEVER run to be anyone's VP. She's in it to win it.

[LaurenOlimina]

53. Amen...

[blm]

55. Your perception is failing you here. She's never acted like she's running for VP.

Not for Bernie or anyone else.

[CalFione]

58. oh, I know she doesn't want VP

but as long as she is 1b to progressives to Bernie’s 1a, she can’t get there.

Not unless she knocks out all the moderates.