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In reply to the discussion: Sanders stumps for Mello in Omaha, stirs national debate about definition of a progressive [View all]onenote
(42,701 posts)I'll eat my hat if Sanders was asked to stay away. Tens of thousands of Democrats supported him in the presidential primary. Why would a candidate turn his back on those voters in a close race?
And I see there was no response to the Virginia example, a state where Sanders also was swamped by Clinton in the primary but one in which Sanders' endorsement has been helpful to a candidate. Do you think Sanders' endorsement of and campaigning for Clinton was a mistake?
If Sanders wanted to support Ossoff, why would he make a public statement that he doesn't know anything about Ossoff?
As for Clinton not campaigning for Ossoff, she's not campaigning for anyone and John Lewis, as powerful a surrogate for Clinton as could possibly exist in Georgia, was front and center for Ossoff, so I think that message was sent.
Here's another fact: in 2016, the Democrat running against multi-term incumbent Tom Price captured over 38 percent of the vote -- more than any other opponent Price has faced. And that candidate managed to do so while being completely invisible. No campaigning. No fundraising. No one knew what he looked like. He was outspent $2 million to ZERO. That's right, he got 38 percent plus against an incumbent Republican in Georgia without raising a fucking dime. The district isn't what some people seem to think it is. Its a district in which Barack Obama did better in 2012 than in 2008 -- how many of those are there? Its around 30 percent minority. It has a 93% high school graduation rate and a median income of over $72,000. Jon Ossoff is Jewish for heavens' sake. It's not as deep red as folks imagine it is, which is why Ossoff was able to come so close. Would Sanders' support put him over the top? I think so, but I don't think it would have hurt him just as Sanders support for a candidate in Virginia isn't hurting that candidate.
So don't tell me Sanders putting in a good word for Ossoff would have hurt Ossoff. The Repubs already were trying to tie Ossoff to Pelosi, Sanders and a "far left agenda" in order to rally their base. For those going door to door, finding those Sanders supporters and being able to say, yes, John Lewis and Bernie Sanders agree that we need Jon Ossoff in Congress would have been a good thing.