2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Hot Off The Press Marist Iowa and South Carolina Polls-IA HRC 48% - SBS 45%/ SC HRC-64%-SBS 27% [View all]DemocratSinceBirth
(99,708 posts)Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and his top advisers will gather here on Wednesday to confront a decision that will have lasting consequences for his presidential campaign and his political image: whether to open a new, tougher line of advertising against his rival Hillary Clinton in the closing days of the race for Iowa.
The meeting comes as both campaigns acknowledge that Mrs. Clinton has pulled slightly ahead in polling for the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Some advisers to Mr. Sanders believe he can win here only by drawing sharper contrasts with her, especially by emphasizing her ties to Wall Street.
The senator has prided himself on running an inspiring, issue-oriented campaign, and he speaks often of how he is not interested in tearing Mrs. Clinton down.
But the decision he is now grappling with echoes questions voiced by his supporters as Mr. Sanders finds himself within striking distance of Mrs. Clinton in Iowa: Does he have the stomach to directly attack her, and potentially defeat her, or will he be satisfied having injected important issues into the race and preserving his well-earned reputation for eschewing negative campaigning?
More at http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/us/politics/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-iowa.html?referer=https://www.google.com/