Obama will help us Unite and excite new voters. Bye Bernie.

[fun n serious]

There are plenty of storylines and new numbers from our latest national NBC/WSJ poll, but here's maybe the most important number of all: 51% -- as in President Obama's approval rating, which is his highest mark in the poll since his second inauguration. Why is it important? Because it means that Obama will be an asset to Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail unlike he was in the 2014 midterms, when his approval rating was in the low 40s. And consider his approval rating among these key parts of the Democratic base and swing groups

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/first-read-most-important-number-new-nbc-wsj-poll-n579256?cid=sm_twitter_feed_politics

NO MORE BARGAINING. Philly riots are not a big deal.. let him have at ruining himself.

[Skwmom]

1. You are going to rely on one number, thinking this is another election as usual

Oh, and it was Bernie's LOOOOOOOONG history on the issues that rallied people to his side because they felt they could BELIEVE HIM. I wonder why people feel that way ...

[fun n serious]

4. Bernie has nothing to bargain with

NOTHING.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

43. Okay. Perhaps you could stomp your feet for effect.

[YouDig]

15. I make my decisions based on the number of rolling smileys I see on the internet.

[Katashi_itto]

2. Bwhhahaha!!!

[JaneyVee]

3. Yup.

[Hortensis]

5. Yes to the nice, positive message. No to the other.

Bernie's going to be around for a while, and at this particular time it's looking like he and the nasty old Democratic establishment have been reaching some mutually beneficial agreements. It should be needless to say that we will be the winners in all this.

[fun n serious]

7. I respectfully disagree.

I do not think this is neat and nice when Bernie is painting Hillary evil corrupt and crooked day after day. I think the damage is done. To accept his endorcement now could even HURT her.

[hobbit709]

23. Truth hurts

[fun n serious]

24. The whole thing is sad for everyone

but we must move on to defeat Trump now. Those that will help will and those that won't.. He has nothing left to bargain with.

[Scootaloo]

26. If you spent half as much time trying to win against Trump as you do trying to poison Bernie..

You might get somewhere.

Priorities, I guess.

[fun n serious]

37. Not true.

Bernie is difficult to work with. He is losing by a landslide and demanding the world. He was on the news this morning saying he is confident he can win. It's sounds loony now to everyone.. Like something is not quite right upstairs.

[Scootaloo]

40. See, you're doing it again.

You say "focus on Trump, focus on Trump" but all you actually do is talk shit about Bernie.

[fun n serious]

41. Facts are facts.

The truth is the truth.

[Scootaloo]

42. And the fact is, you're 100% focused on tearing down Bernie, and giving Trump a free pass

In direct contradiction to what you tell others to do.

Practice what you preach, brother.

[kaleckim]

35. Objective reality says hi

Obama and Clinton were not far apart ideologically at all. That isn't the case with Sanders and Clinton. You also seem to think that reality is reversed, that it's Clinton that is more liked, more trusted and polling better versus Trump, it's Clinton that does much better with independents. Sanders' endorsement might not mean much to the people that live in the same bubble as you do, but that isn't the case with humans that live outside the bubble, which is most of the country. Besides anyway, Sanders endorsing her doesn't mean a damn thing as far as his supporters supporting her. I would guess a majority (meaning at least 51%) would, bur he (like everyone else) can only do so much to sell such a flawed candidate. After all, what is going to say about her, given that she stands for in many ways the very things he is opposed to and has spoken out on?

Also, he isn't attacking her when he says she is corrupt. He just has the guts to say what everyone outside your bubble knows. You all should be ashamed of yourselves for providing cover for her corruption. You don't have to, and shouldn't, do that, even if you support her. Her largest donors over her career are banks and other corporate interests. She's gotten more money from Wall Street this election cycle than all the other candidates in either party combined and has been reaching out to Bush's Wall Street backers recently, letting them know she shares their values. She and her husband have been given over three billion dollars, according to the pro-Clinton WP, from corporate interests since they entered politics. The Clintons rose to power with Walmart/Walton money and the DLC (the group which was instrumental in pulling the Democrats to the right in decades past) got a massive amount of support from horrible people like the Kochs. How in the hell does that not qualify as being corrupt? If that isn't, what exactly is corruption?

[Armstead]

6. I think the comparison between Obama and Clinton will be a depressing reminder....

Even people who don't agree with Obama on everything, really like and admire him, and believe he is doing things (usually) for the right reason.

The comparison with Clinton just shows how she is not in Obama's league as a leader.

[gordianot]

14. Unfortunately it comes down to likability.

Barack Obama is steady disciplined and personable. That is why he is able to get by with promoting TPP and a Republican Grand Bargain trashing the social safety net. Hillary Clinton lacks even the slightest Obama discipline. She is willing at the shortest notice to lie to your face. So at a funeral for Nancy Reagan, Hillary tells that Nancy Reagan supported care of those with AIDS and then claimed she misspoke following a funeral eulogy. Most of her current positions are based on assimilation of her closest party rival's positions. It will be remembered when she returns to support TPP.
Obama was likable, Bill is just creepy, Hillary has no convictions she should have stayed a Goldwater Girl.

[asuhornets]

25. And she is winning!!!!!! nt

[gordianot]

30. Yes she is and it is the only speak easy in town (an archaic Grandfather metaphor).

Until it gets shut down.

[Dawgs]

8. LOL. nt

[ibegurpard]

9. 2010 and 2014 are calling...

You know the last 2 elections Obama wasn't running?

[Renew Deal]

10. We shouldn't be cheering on riots

[TheKentuckian]

11. Unity = bye, seems there is some confusion on the meaning of other word.

May thy knife chip and shatter.

[riversedge]

12. Yes, Pres. Obama will go full campaign mode Hillary. I await the day

[cali]

13. Lol. Clueless.

[thesquanderer]

16. re: "Obama will be an asset to Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail"

Okay but Obama would equally support whoever the Dems nominate. So what's the point of the "Bye Bernie" comment?

[fun n serious]

17. You are implpying Bernie has hope?

He does NOT. NONE.

[thesquanderer]

21. No, I was asking what point you were trying to make...

...in somehow connecting Obama's 51% approval ratings to Bernie's status in the race (in your subject line).

But as to whether Bernie has hope? Sure. Not much of a chance, but plenty of hope.

[Exilednight]

18. here's what else is in that poll. first time voters in 2008 are not voting.

In 2008 we saw a surge of new voters, now dubbed the Obama coalition. Point in fact, though, is that they are not, nor have they voted in subsequent elections when Obama was not on the ticket.

[fun n serious]

20. They will for Hillary.

and Obama will campaign with her. Reality is Hillary, supporters, surrogates, democrats need to come together and do the best we can. Bernie can not endorse now that he has caused all this damage. He is over reaching demanding things when he has no bargaining power left.

[tazkcmo]

29. "democrats need to come together"

You're doing a terrible job at it.

[fun n serious]

31. It's over.

Bernie can take it to Philly if he wants. We need to use all we have on Trump.

[tazkcmo]

33. Just repeating myself now...

You said "democrats need to come together" and I said you're doing a terrible job at it. You want Democratic unity or not? If yes, try a different approach. If no, carry on.

[kaleckim]

39. He hasn't caused any damage

you all chose a horrible, flawed candidate, and is saying things that everyone on the left should be saying. He caused damage with people like yourself because you have attached yourself to her emotionally and don't like being reminded of these things. It isn't like you can argue otherwise and your argument is just wishful thinking in the extreme. There's only so much Obama, Sanders and god can do for someone as disliked, someone that isn't trusted and someone as corrupt as Clinton.

By the way, you should logically separate what Sanders does from what his followers do. He might choose to back her for his reasons, but that doesn't mean that his followers will do the same and it's his followers that WILL sink her election hopes if you all keep on with this and don't try to earn their vote. She doesn't poll well with independents, polls horribly with the rank and file Republicans. Given her bad polling, you might want to wake up to this reality soon.

[Exilednight]

45. she can't even get the same voter turnout in this primary that she did in 2008.

She's short 4.5 million votes, which she isn't going to make up. Her turnout is down, Obama coalition turnout is nowhere to be found and her likeability factor is underwater.

[NorthCarolina]

19. Because a recently attained whopping 51% approval rating is

just what Hillary needs. Although 51% is not necessarily something to crow about, it is still well into double digits higher than Hillary's national approval rating.

[hobbit709]

22. Obama is running?

[RKP5637]

27. Oh, good to know. I thought Bill Clinton was running again!

[fun n serious]

32. Bill Clinton had a 64% approval in 2000 nt

[RKP5637]

34. Yep, and we could have done far worse than Bill Clinton IMO. n/t

[fun n serious]

36. Definately

[democrattotheend]

51. And look how much good that did us

To be fair, it probably would have helped more had Gore not run away from Clinton, but I think the popularity of an outgoing president has minimal impact unless the outgoing president is very unpopular like Bush was. A popular incumbent can only help if people view the new candidate as a natural successor. I can't imagine most people see the woman who ran against Obama and relentlessly attacked him until the last vote was cast and is way to the right of him on foreign policy as his natural successor.

I don't disagree that the president can be a unifying figure after the primaries. Many people in both camps would vote to give him a third term if they could. But most of the people who feel that way were going to vote for either Democrat for president regardless. It's the people further to the left who view the president as a sellout who may not vote for Hillary, and I think Bernie can be more helpful than he can getting those people on board if Hillary is the nominee.

[Fawke Em]

28. Nope.

#ImWithGuccifer

[MariaThinks]

38. Good to hear. Also she has another popular President on her side with the same last name.

[Orsino]

44. Yeah, fuck progressive change.

Inequality doesn't exist, and wars are groovy. Why should we bargain, if we can have more of the same?

[fun n serious]

46. Hillary has been with the LGBT community for 26 years and they KNOW HER

Stop pushing your fake narrative that she is not progressive. She has done more for progressives than Bernie ever dreamed of.

[Orsino]

47. She has indeed arrived late at every progressive affair.

Her last flip-flop on marriage equality, however, was gratifying.

[fun n serious]

48. Bernie was NOT for marriage equality until 2009

BILL CLINTON appointed more gays and AA to his cabinet than any other president EVER including OBAMA! Stop the bullshit.

[Orsino]

49. The Clintons have been behind the curve of progressive politics. n/t

[democrattotheend]

50. Obama's not running

As much as I wish he could run again, he can't. He might be helpful in getting the party energized but it's not the same as 2008 or even 2012 when a lot of new voters came into the process specifically to vote for him.

[Betty Karlson]

52. The above message was brought to you by Spin and Tin Ear:

putting young whippersnappers in their place since the dawn of Third Way. Just ask Obama's old Chief of Staff, Rahm.