How Joe Biden could soon be the Bernie Sanders alternative

[TexasTowelie]

Plenty of people were all but writing off Joe Biden after his bad finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. He is still counting on the South Carolina primary. But there were real questions about whether he’d even be relevant by the time it rolled around, as other moderate-ish candidates showed momentum and his long-standing lead in the Palmetto State narrowed.

Things are looking quite a bit rosier for former vice president Biden now in the Democratic presidential contests. And there’s reason to believe he could soon emerge as the chief alternative to Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020.

A Monmouth University poll released Thursday became the latest to show Biden reasserting a big lead in South Carolina. It has him leading Sanders by a whopping 20 points — 36 percent to 16 percent. Public Policy Polling also has him up 15.

That’s a very different state of affairs from after the New Hampshire primary. After Biden’s fifth-place finish there, five successive polls showed him between tied with Sanders and with a five-point lead. And after Sanders’s resounding win in Nevada, it looked like he might be in line for a kill shot — not just for Biden, but perhaps for the rest of the field — in South Carolina. Should Sanders win South Carolina somehow, that would be four popular-vote wins in four states and a big one in a heavily African American Democratic primary. That would mean Biden loses a state that he quite simply needs to win to have any shot.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/27/how-joe-biden-could-soon-be-bernie-sanders-alternative/

[Progressive2020]

1. Not Sure

I am not sure which polls to trust. I definitely would not rule Biden out at this stage. If he wins South Carolina, I think that Biden and Sanders will be fighting it out between the two of them on Super Tuesday. Whatever happens, I think we are in for a week of very interesting politics. Whoever gets the nomination, I will definitely support and fight for. Trump must be defeated at all costs.

[Perseus]

2. Not sure who wrote the article because I can't get into the WAPO, I am not a member

but "he could soon emerge as the chief alternative to Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020", I hope we do understand that is his/her opinion...Many people do not believe we need "an alternative" to Sanders, and many people will say "least of all Biden".

I don't get it, Sanders seems to be beating trump with higher margins than any of the candidates, what is this push against Sanders?

Maybe the "alternative" will not work, does anyone ever think about that? Sanders is getting the numbers, you don't win unless people want you on the top, let voters decide.

[TexasTowelie]

3. The author is Aaron Blake. nt

[Cha]

5. Mahalo, TT..

[Perseus]

7. Just browsing on his articles, he seems impartial, very professional. I will read a few later.

I just don't understand this push against Sanders, and I am not even one of his supporters at this time. I am afraid Sanders supporters will start feeling pushed away from the Democratic party, disenfranchised then decide to stay away if Sanders is not the nominee, not vote which will help trump...I want it to stop, we need unity.

Thank you for providing his name.

[TexasTowelie]

10. You're welcome.

I believe that there are plenty of voters that will refrain from voting in the presidential race if Bernie is the nominee, so it results in a trade-off as to which nominee would have the most downside potential.

[msongs]

11. choosing sanders is unity and choosing others is division? nt

[Blue_true]

15. That seems to be the prevailing logic of some.

And also, up is down.

[emmaverybo]

4. The only way Sanders wins S.C. is if there's massive Republican crossover voting. Or if Sirota

can do significantly more damage with that Biden will get rid of social security bs being peddled on Twitter now. Rep. James Clyburn has a substantial GOTV organization in S.C.

[Cha]

6. YES.. That's what we Need after James Clyburn's

excellent endorsement.. A Massive GOTV!! Thank you!

[emmaverybo]

12. It is happening. Lots of enthusiastic, cute kids on the ground. People will be giving rides. I am

excited!

[Cha]

13. Good to know.. I didn't even

think about that yet! Too focused on operation chaos

[OliverQ]

8. He's not an alternative

because his policies are not geared at improving the corruption and inequality in America, nor does he have a large following.

[tirebiter]

9. Rosy? Joe's gotta clean up two messes, not just one, for starters

The right wing Republicans and the left wing socialists are both dysfunctional. Makes flying difficult. A generic non idelogical Democrat is why/who we need. No hidden agenda or the need to tear anything down. It's time or rebuilding.

[emmaverybo]

16. And calm. Wonderful calm. So sick of drama. Personal psycho-drama.

[R B Garr]

14. Sanders' socialism just isn't something that appeals

to voters, as his revolution already lost in the 2018 midterms.