Sanders is a SOCIALIST. Pointing that out isn't "red-baiting".

[karynnj]

57. Welcome to the primaries - YOU seem to equate "socialist" with communism by saying "red bait"

No one uses the words "red baiting" to conjure images of Denmark, Norway or the UK. Nor does it connect to anything he did as mayor of Burlington Vermont.

Bernie Sanders AND HIS SUPPORTERS have no problem with calling Bernie a "democratic socialist" and most have no problem with the word "socialist" IF it is not said in a clearly antagonizing way. Neither Bernie or his supporters are changing his decades long positions. It is completely obvious that Bernie Sanders will need to take back the word "socialist" to mean something like the support network one has in Scandinavia and the various FDR programs that have huge support.

Bernie's people could take excerpts of his wonderful lakefront announcement where he spoke of his agenda. Sitting there, it struck me that what he spoke of was similar to FDR - and Eleanor even more. It also spoke to a more diverse updated Norman Rockwell America. At a time where a large percent of the country is angry and many feel pretty hopeless that they and their families will find life getting better, this may be the time for someone REALLY wanting change.

Bernie has a large amount of support from young people. It would be interesting if the now small "greatest generation" that grew up with the FDR solutions begins to see him in that light. It could lead to interesting demographics between HRC and Bernie. Where he has the majority of elderly, with the economic values of the 40s and 50s AND the young, where even the most fortunate graduated college and found the spectacular jobs/lives that they thought were their future as they carried high school schedules full of AP classes, while they simultaneously created resumes with volunteer activities are not there for most of them. Hillary strength may be in the baby boomer generation and Generation X that followed it - especially those who succeeded enough to still think the economy as it is "fair" or close enough to fair that simple changes can correct the problems.

Though like many others, I have been skeptical of first hand observations of unlikely Republican support of Bernie Sanders, I experienced that personally this weekend. A relative, who has always been conservative and religious - spoke of Carson not being good with his outrageous statements and Trump being completely unacceptable because of his disgusting comments - said that she thought Bernie "got it".

Now that you have told the Sanders supports that they need to accept that there will be red baiting if Bernie gets the nomination, I would imagine you are ok with the various threads that speak of the issues that Clinton could face. My experience is that any thread that mentions "triangulation" , "changing positions help for years", "inauthentic", "changing explanations as first, second ... explanations are debunked", "private server", "secretive", "evading FOIA" is quickly targeted by Hillary Clinton supporters claiming that these are "right wing Republican talking points". Yet, notice here that the Sanders supporters are EXPLAINING what his position is and what he means by democratic socialist .. not just saying that this is a right wing attack. (Consider the many "Bernie is bad tempered posts of the last few days.. by Clinton supporters, who are very very proud of any time either Clinton showed anger.)

No candidate comes without positions or baggage that will hold them back. The fact is that Sanders is often doing as well in head to head polls with Republicans -- and this is BEFORE he has had the platform to define himself. (The danger for him is that there will be an effort - actually starting in the primaries to negatively define him before he can positively do so.) Clinton - for better or worse -- is already defined for almost everyone. That was a major point in her favor early on in both 2008 and earlier in this cycle - when as well known as she was, she defeated all comers. Now, it is scary because it will be tough to regain many that were lost because it was knowledge that placed them against her - which is much tougher to change than misinformation or lack of knowledge.