Bill Scher: "Sanders biggest problem is that no one over 30 trusts him." [View all]

[CalvinballPro]

Bill Scher gives a pretty straightforward analysis of the age gap and how it affects the 2016 Democratic Primary.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/how-bernie-sanders-can-win-213779

But to do that, Sanders has to figure out how to dramatically widen his base of support—and right away. In effect, this 74-year-old aspiring revolutionary needs to start gaining the trust of anyone older than 30. Sanders must swiftly persuade a large number of skeptical voters who are not part of his core of youthful enthusiasts, voters who are nonwhite, or middle-aged, or even his own age and older.

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Sanders may find it exceptionally hard to offer new material to his huge rallies of fans who desperately want to hear all his old hits. The last Vermont insurgent presidential candidate, Howard Dean, shared with the Huffington Post “Candidate Confessional” podcast earlier this year that “I knew I had to make the turn” from angry insurgent to plausible president, but “I couldn’t make myself do it. … I would try to give a measured speech, and the audience would be completely flat. And I wouldn't let myself leave them flat.”

Sanders has gone much further than Dean, much further than most people expected, without making that turn. But he has not gone far enough to win, and time is running out.

Does it seem like Sanders is almost a hostage now of his own fans' expectations? What does it say about his supporters that they won't stand for him even trying to appeal to anyone other than them? If he became the nominee, how would he pivot to appeal to a general election audience?

I just don't think he has it in him.

Edit: I realized this isn't very Hillary Clinton specific, so I hope it doesn't violate any Group rules. I just thought it was interesting, because it was so honest.