How the Republicans will attack Bernie Sanders if he is the nominee

[MineralMan]

Looking forward to a hypothetical future where Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee for President, it might be useful to consider what tactics the Republicans would deploy against him in the General Election campaign. I think about such things as the caucuses in my own state draw near. Here are a couple of things I imagine will be on the top of their rhetoric. If you have others you think will be used, please add them in the thread:

1. Taxes - Video of Sanders saying, "Yes, I will raise taxes" will play a large role in Republican attack ads. The video exists and Sanders admits that funding his universal healthcare and other proposals will involve increased taxation on everyone. Never mind that those new taxes would be more than offset by savings for taxpayers. That won't be in the Republican's ads, despite it being factual.

2. Socialism - Video of Sanders saying, "No. I'm not a capitalist. I am a Democratic Socialist." will be used in Republican attack ads, prominently. Never mind the "Democratic" part. Attacks on socialism have a long, long history in national politics, and are always part of Republican attacks on "tax and spend" Democrats. They will shout this word loudly in attack ads.

3. Pacifism - Bernie Sanders sought Conscientious Objector status during the Vietnam War. Never mind that he did not receive that status nor that he has supported military funding. The Republicans will use this to attack Sanders for not being willing to fight our "enemies." Never mind that prominent Republicans evaded the draft during that war using various means. Playing on fear is a universal strategy by Republicans.

Those are three things that come to mind immediately. I'm sure there will be other things the Republicans focus on to attempt to frighten voters. That's how Republicans operate.

[cali]

1. Gee. Ya think? Want me to pontificate on how they'll portray Hillary?

I don't think we need you to tell us the obvious, MinMan

[MineralMan]

4. Please do. I haven't written that OP yet.

I'd be interesting in your thoughts on that.

[Armstead]

20. I'm not that poster but.....

There is a large amount of antipathy towards both the Clintons among the GOP and she has high unfavorable among a sizable segment of independents, and there is definetly Clinton Fatigue. To appeal to those voters, all they have to do is show a picture of her and say "Do you really want Hillary Clinton to be our President for the next 8 years?"

[MineralMan]

21. I have posted my Clinton attacks OP.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511075504

Folks have to give me a few minutes. It's done now.

[Jefferson23]

2. Bring it. We've seen this movie many times and are prepared. n/t

[SheenaR]

3. You are probably right

and what I have heard from the HRC camp is that party unity is what matters in the GE. So I assume all of us here will be working hard to thwart any right wing attack and help secure the White House for Sen. Sanders.

[Jefferson23]

6. hee hee +1. n/t

[virtualobserver]

5. have you compiled your list for Hillary yet?....or could that be completed by election day?

[MineralMan]

8. I haven't. You're welcome to do that, though.

You can do it in this thread, or start your own OP. I may post that later today, as well.

[libdem4life]

11. Oh...that was just plain funny.

All three of those attacks, in my book, are quite easily asked and answered. Notice how well the Hillary attacks have gone. I see the Republican's future in attacking to be met with much of the same...more money and more votes for Bernie. Kind of the 2016 version of "There you go again." Worked for Ronnie...he just brushed them off...and it will likely work for Bernie. Amazing the contrast between the two.

I think this will go down as the US election where dirty sleaze has lost its power...thanks, Bernie.

And I'm tired of people saying he's attacking Hillary when he mentions her record. Truthful, but inconvenient in many cases. Comparing records is what politicians are Supposed To Do. We expect that, not double speak and...my new verb...pretzeling.

[virtualobserver]

18. We are not allowed to mention her record or behavior in polite company

[libdem4life]

28. True. HRCs camp is even floating that the Rs are backing Bernie because they want to

run their Yahoos against him...as proof we need HRC, even though consistent polls have shown Bernie to be in front of any R by margins higher than HRC. Sounds a bit Rovian to me, but nonetheless, I'm all for it. Take any vote they want to send our way.

Pretty sure it will be Cruz...They'll find a way to Exit The Donald...and take the chance he doesn't go all Independent on them. I'm not sure which side of that bet I'd take.

Either they are brilliant in strategy, or well, not brilliant. Time will tell.

[MineralMan]

17. Here you go:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511075504

[Autumn]

7. I eagerly anticipate MM's How the Republicans will attack Hillary Clinton if she is the nominee

Or is that posted elsewhere?

[MineralMan]

14. You can find it at this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511075504

You have to give me a few minutes to create a new OP. It's there.

[Autumn]

19. Interestingly enough each of your points about Bernie can be explained away in a 30 second ad.

Last edited Wed Jan 27, 2016, 01:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Each of your points about Hillary can be divided into so many sections there isn't enough time in the day to explain those hits away.

[libdem4life]

29. Subtle, much? LOL. Oh, and I agree wholeheartedly.

[TCJ70]

9. How Republicans will attack Hillary:

Also three things, and probably a ton more:

1. Guns - Pick any debate and run the clips
2. Taxes - Pick any debate and run the clips
3. Trust - Pick a scandal and run the clips

See how easy this is? Any candidate will face scrutiny from the opposing party (perhaps unless Sanders it he nominee, I'm not sure how he'd treat the Republican nominee in ads given his non-attack stance for Clinton). She's more vulnerable than he is in my opinion since people have had years to form opinions about her.

[NurseJackie]

10. There's still another one or two topics. (Best not to mention them here, however.)

The alert squad is very sensitive about such things, but I'm afraid that their prowess here will be very ineffective in the real world when it comes to squelching the well-funded GOP attack machine.

[libdem4life]

31. Oh my ... Alert Alert !! That which can not be mentioned. LOL

It has been said...and not refuted...that Bernie does not have an enemy in Congress. That's a bit of a clue right there. Probably why he's an Independent...doesn't have to be trapped in either party's malarkey. that's me, too.

When all the eggs are in one basket but one trips and falls...well, there go the eggs. It's old country wisdom.

[KingFlorez]

12. This is exactly why he's not going to stay at a positive approval rating

Of course we know Clinton will be attacked, that is a given. The point that must be emphasized is that there are quite damaging attacks that could be used against Sanders and that the general election won't be as easy as his supporters think it will be. On top of that, all that revolution talk would disappear really quick if Sanders won the nomination. He is a politician after all.

[Motown_Johnny]

13. .

[oasis]

15. It won't be pretty, that's for sure. Bernie isn't helping

himself by refusing the money he'll need. Foot soldiers and key board warriors will not be nearly enough to take on the GOP behemoth. Wishful thinking will not make it so.

[MineralMan]

16. Here's the Thread on Attacks on Clinton:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511075504

[Gothmog]

22. Here is what Dana Milibank thinks would be used against Sanders

Dana Milbank has some good comments on general election match up polls https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/democrats-would-be-insane-to-nominate-bernie-sanders/2016/01/26/0590e624-c472-11e5-a4aa-f25866ba0dc6_story.html?hpid=hp_opinions-for-wide-side_opinion-card-a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

Sanders and his supporters boast of polls showing him, on average, matching up slightly better against Trump than Clinton does. But those matchups are misleading: Opponents have been attacking and defining Clinton for a quarter- century, but nobody has really gone to work yet on demonizing Sanders.

Watching Sanders at Monday night’s Democratic presidential forum in Des Moines, I imagined how Trump — or another Republican nominee — would disembowel the relatively unknown Vermonter.

The first questioner from the audience asked Sanders to explain why he embraces the “socialist” label and requested that Sanders define it “so that it doesn’t concern the rest of us citizens.”

Sanders, explaining that much of what he proposes is happening in Scandinavia and Germany (a concept that itself alarms Americans who don’t want to be like socialized Europe), answered vaguely: “Creating a government that works for all of us, not just a handful of people on the top — that’s my definition of democratic socialism.”

But that’s not how Republicans will define socialism — and they’ll have the dictionary on their side. They’ll portray Sanders as one who wants the government to own and control major industries and the means of production and distribution of goods. They’ll say he wants to take away private property. That wouldn’t be fair, but it would be easy. Socialists don’t win national elections in the United States .

Sanders on Monday night also admitted he would seek massive tax increases — “one of the biggest tax hikes in history,” as moderator Chris Cuomo put it — to expand Medicare to all. Sanders, this time making a comparison with Britain and France, allowed that “hypothetically, you’re going to pay $5,000 more in taxes,” and declared, “W e will raise taxes, yes we will.” He said this would be offset by lower health-insurance premiums and protested that “it’s demagogic to say, oh, you’re paying more in taxes.”

Well, yes — and Trump is a demagogue.

Sanders also made clear he would be happy to identify Democrats as the party of big government and of wealth redistribution. When Cuomo said Sanders seemed to be saying he would grow government “bigger than ever,” Sanders didn’t quarrel, saying, “P eople want to criticize me, okay,” and “F ine, if that’s the criticism, I accept it.”

Sanders accepts it, but are Democrats ready to accept ownership of socialism, massive tax increases and a dramatic expansion of government? If so, they will lose.

Match up polls are worthless because these polls do not measure what would happen to Sanders in a general election where Sanders is very vulnerable to negative ads.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

23. Bernie knows the Republicans from old

He knows how to deal with them.

[mmonk]

24. In much the same way the Democrats do

except double standards.

[whatchamacallit]

25. Yeah, so?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Of course. And I'm sure he's ready for it.

Last edited Wed Jan 27, 2016, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)

He's never pretended to be anything other than what he is ideologically, and people are responding positively. Some people will not. The GOPers will trot out all the same red-baiting we've already seen from some DU members. BFD.

Fortunately, though, Bernie doesn't have enough ethical baggage to fill the cargo hold of a 747, unlike some candidates.

[Kalidurga]

27. I bet you thought you had a point when you typed all of that.

But, you don't. Because:

1. We already know.

2. They will attack Hillary on two out of three of those, plus 20 years of factual and manufactured scandals.

3. People are tired of war. I don't think a pacifist is gonna scare them at this point.

[pinebox]

30. Pacifism?

So you're saying that Rand Paul faux-Libertarians will align with him?
Let's talk the NSA while we're at it and Hillary's vote for the patriot act

[Skwmom]

32. All EASILY refuted. With Bernie it's not just the message, it's the messenger. n/t