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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Attacks that would have been used effectively on Sanders if he were the Democratic nominee [View all]Gothmog
(158,121 posts)48. Denial is not just a river in Africa
Sanders campaign was based on promises that he could never ever deliver on in the real world. Sanders proposals are not realistic and would have no chance in the real world where the GOP would block such pie in the sky proposals. Sanders justify his platform by promising a revolution where millions and millions of voters would show up and force the GOP to be reasonable. That revolution exists only in a fantasy world and has not been evident in the real world http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/articles/2016-04-15/bernie-sanders-bad-delegate-math-and-fantasy-revolution
Thus more broadly, his attempt to delegitimize a swath of voters lays bare a fundamental inconsistency of the Sanders campaign: One of his basic answers about how he's going to accomplish his aims whether winning the Democratic nod, winning the general election or enacting his agenda is the forthcoming revolution. His super-ambitious agenda will prove to be achievable substance rather than unicorns-and-rainbows fantasy, he said Thursday night, "when millions of people stand up, fight back and create a government that works for all of us, not just the 1 percent. That is what the political revolution is about. That is what this campaign is about."
And that's fine: If he can summon the revolution, then more power to him, literally and figuratively. But the Sanders revolution is breaking on the hard realities of math. The revolution will not be televised, the old song goes; but it can be fantasized and it can be measured, in votes and delegates. And in every calculable respect, it's coming up short. That leaves Sanders to bank on an anti-democratic sleight of hand to secure the nomination. That's not a broad-based revolution; that's a palace coup.
And that's fine: If he can summon the revolution, then more power to him, literally and figuratively. But the Sanders revolution is breaking on the hard realities of math. The revolution will not be televised, the old song goes; but it can be fantasized and it can be measured, in votes and delegates. And in every calculable respect, it's coming up short. That leaves Sanders to bank on an anti-democratic sleight of hand to secure the nomination. That's not a broad-based revolution; that's a palace coup.
Sanders' revolution was not real which is why he lost the race in the real world. I and many other Democratic voters never took Sanders seriously because I never accepted the premise of his so-called revolution. There was simply no way for Sanders to come close to delivering on his promises in the real world. Sanders never generated his promised revolution and could not deliver on his promises in the real world
Combined the complete failure of the Sanders revolution to materialize in the real world with the negative ads and Sanders would have lost the popular vote to Trump.
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Attacks that would have been used effectively on Sanders if he were the Democratic nominee [View all]
Fast Walker 52
Jan 2017
OP
that is a different issue, but I think she was a better candidate overall than Bernie
Fast Walker 52
Jan 2017
#4
environmental racist-- meaning his environmental policies might preferentially affect minorities?
Fast Walker 52
Jan 2017
#12
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
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
What is it with this forum???? For some reason it's mired in looking behind rather than ahead.
Vinca
Jan 2017
#29
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
That is because Sanders was running for media coverage and his efforts hurt the Democratic party
Gothmog
Jan 2017
#60
Maybe, but matchup polls said Hillary would lose to Trump and she did. They said Bernie would win.
aikoaiko
Jan 2017
#41
The fact is, he generally outperformed Hillary in the rust belt, in the primaries.
Warren DeMontague
Jan 2017
#39
Attack Attack attack..but just remember if Bernie Sanders had been the nominee we would
INdemo
Jan 2017
#55
so in your mind, why do you think "DNC / DWS put their boot on Sanders campaign"?
Fast Walker 52
Jan 2017
#63