Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Gothmog

(154,494 posts)
34. There was a ton of good oppo on Sanders including tapes of his college course
Tue Jan 3, 2017, 05:55 PM
Jan 2017

Sanders would have been killed by the oppo research Trump had an oppo book on Sanders that was two feet thick. http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

They ignored the fact that Sanders had not yet faced a real campaign against him. Clinton was in the delicate position of dealing with a large portion of voters who treated Sanders more like the Messiah than just another candidate. She was playing the long game—attacking Sanders strongly enough to win, but gently enough to avoid alienating his supporters. Given her overwhelming support from communities of color—for example, about 70 percent of African-American voters cast their ballot for her—Clinton had a firewall that would be difficult for Sanders to breach....

So what would have happened when Sanders hit a real opponent, someone who did not care about alienating the young college voters in his base? I have seen the opposition book assembled by Republicans for Sanders, and it was brutal. The Republicans would have torn him apart. And while Sanders supporters might delude themselves into believing that they could have defended him against all of this, there is a name for politicians who play defense all the time: losers....

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed), and the opposition research folder was almost 2-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

Trump would have destroyed Sanders in the general election

The videos of Sanders college courses where he praised communist leaders would be easy to cut into great negative ads in the real world
Will this stuff ever end? n/t rzemanfl Jan 2017 #1
what "stuff"? Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #3
The Bernie would/wouldn't have lost stuff. It accomplishes nothing. n/t rzemanfl Jan 2017 #5
It's all that some have left. NWCorona Jan 2017 #10
Do you post the same protests in the "Bernie wudda won!" threads? baldguy Jan 2017 #21
I don't go looking for them. n/t rzemanfl Jan 2017 #22
Of course. baldguy Jan 2017 #23
Whatever that means. I thought my post made it clear I dread seeing both. n/t rzemanfl Jan 2017 #28
well thank the gods we had hillary!!!! bowens43 Jan 2017 #2
that is a different issue, but I think she was a better candidate overall than Bernie Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #4
Thank God, indeed. lapucelle Jan 2017 #6
environmental racist-- meaning his environmental policies might preferentially affect minorities? Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #12
Kurt Eichenwald of Newsweek saw the opposition research on Sanders, lapucelle Jan 2017 #15
ah, thanks. Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #62
lol. this. Joe941 Jan 2017 #61
I don't know anybody who is pro-abortion MiniMe Jan 2017 #7
Too bad we never had the chance to find out.... TheCowsCameHome Jan 2017 #8
I agree it would have been in fascinating to see it play out Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #13
If those are the attacks that Bernie would have faced in the GE NWCorona Jan 2017 #9
Really? Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #14
Yes. Really NWCorona Jan 2017 #19
Not really, there was a great deal of material Gothmog Jan 2017 #18
I don't take much stock in pundits who got very little right this election NWCorona Jan 2017 #20
Most apply to Warren HoneyBadger Jan 2017 #11
a lot of those things just don't have the power they used to, and I think Sanders could have JCanete Jan 2017 #16
I don't think we should under-estimate the power of rightwing bullshit after this past election Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #24
Sanders was treated with kid gloves by the Clinton campaign and there was a ton of material Gothmog Jan 2017 #17
that's a good piece, especially notable for when it was written Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #25
Sanders was treated with kid gloves Me. Jan 2017 #54
Think about what your premise is. HassleCat Jan 2017 #26
Favoring no restrictions at all on abortion.... bettyellen Jan 2017 #27
What restrictions are you in favor of? Just an honest question NWCorona Jan 2017 #32
I don't mind the current system that allows exceptions for the life and health for the mother or bettyellen Jan 2017 #36
I don't think it's weird. I believe it should be between a woman and her doctor NWCorona Jan 2017 #38
I think it's weird because it has zero support and would be a lightening rod for those religious bettyellen Jan 2017 #42
I can see it being a lightning rod as well but it's not like they would vote for him anyway NWCorona Jan 2017 #43
Well they would have used anything they could find. Unfortunately it's a big one for those bettyellen Jan 2017 #50
Yes they did. NWCorona Jan 2017 #56
What is it with this forum???? For some reason it's mired in looking behind rather than ahead. Vinca Jan 2017 #29
I'd vote for Bernie again in a heart beat. CentralMass Jan 2017 #30
Hillary's surrogates trotted out most of that already aikoaiko Jan 2017 #31
I keep waiting for info in that devastating op to drop. NWCorona Jan 2017 #33
There was a ton of good oppo on Sanders including tapes of his college course Gothmog Jan 2017 #34
This is nothing new and would only impact those that wouldn't have voted for him anyway. NWCorona Jan 2017 #37
Sanders was never vetted and so none of these materials had been used against Sanders Gothmog Jan 2017 #44
I never said that they wouldn't make effective ads I don't think they would have had NWCorona Jan 2017 #46
Denial is not just a river in Africa Gothmog Jan 2017 #48
And you want to school me on feelings. NWCorona Jan 2017 #49
That is because Sanders was running for media coverage and his efforts hurt the Democratic party Gothmog Jan 2017 #60
Match up polls are worthless Gothmog Jan 2017 #35
Maybe, but matchup polls said Hillary would lose to Trump and she did. They said Bernie would win. aikoaiko Jan 2017 #41
Go ask 538-I trust Nate Silver on this issue Gothmog Jan 2017 #45
538 may not have a good model when unconventional candidates are involved. aikoaiko Jan 2017 #47
How'd that work out for us....misplaced trust in my book Uggwearingdad Jan 2017 #57
The fact is, he generally outperformed Hillary in the rust belt, in the primaries. Warren DeMontague Jan 2017 #39
Yes. elleng Jan 2017 #52
I think we need to quit worrying about what the Republicans will say.. aidbo Jan 2017 #40
What's the point? HassleCat Jan 2017 #51
Except he wasn't the nominee, so why bring this up? The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2017 #53
Attack Attack attack..but just remember if Bernie Sanders had been the nominee we would INdemo Jan 2017 #55
Love your speculation lastone Jan 2017 #58
so in your mind, why do you think "DNC / DWS put their boot on Sanders campaign"? Fast Walker 52 Jan 2017 #63
No way to know how attacking Bernie as Socialist vs. his greater authenticity would have played out MrPurple Jan 2017 #59
Bernie had not even been tested/vetted, and was a bit thin-skinned. Lil Missy Jan 2017 #64
Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Attacks that would have b...»Reply #34