Many Democrats happy to go with Warren over Sanders

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Froma Harrop

Syndicated columnist

History will best remember Bernie Sanders for his role in helping elect Donald Trump. Happily for many (if not most) Democrats, Sanders is now fading big time.

The earlier assumption was that the 2020 Democratic race would boil down to a brawl between Sanders and Joe Biden. Now we see Elizabeth Warren edging Sanders out for second place in a few polls. Biden, meanwhile, remains comfortably ahead of both of them.

What did Sanders do wrong in 2016? It wasn’t challenging Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. That was fair. Rather, it was his savaging her long after she had become the obvious victor. By May 3, Trump had become the presumptive Republican nominee, but Sanders withheld his endorsement for Clinton until July 12. The game was political extortion, threatening the Democratic Party and its candidate with chaos at the national convention if his demands weren’t met.

-snip-

And that’s why affections on the left are steering toward Warren. She is a progressive, to be sure. Some of her proposals may be attractive, others less so. But when asked how she feels about capitalism, she says things like, “I am a capitalist to my bones,” and “I believe in markets.” Thus, she’d be far more electable than Sanders.

That Warren used to be a Republican — something some heretic hunters on the left use against her — is an attraction in my book. It suggests an understanding about how independents and moderate Republicans hear political messages.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/harrop-many-democrats-happy-to-go-with-warren-over-sanders/

[exboyfil]

1. You sum it up for me

I caucused for Sanders in Iowa, and I wish that I had backed Clinton out of the gate. Once Trump became the nominee, I thought it was an all lights blinking red situation. I wish others had come to the same conclusion.

[Cha]

2. You're smart and capable

of seeing the big picture.

I wish more had been so, too.

[Me.]

3. So ARe You

Smart & Capable. This article speaks for me.

[Cha]

28. U2!

Article.. Ikr!

[Turin_C3PO]

12. I wish so too, Cha.

I supported Sanders in 16 but quickly switched to Hillary when it became apparent she had locked up the nomination.

I wish Bernie had conceded in March and urged his supporters, WITH URGENCY, to get behind Clinton. It’s one of the reasons we have Trump, IMO, the lukewarm support from Sanders for Hillary.

[Cha]

29. It's a lot of people's opinions, Turin.

[lunamagica]

39. I have no doubts about that, Cha. That's why Saners deserves to be crashing and

burning the way he is, and why I don't expect him to drop out before he does some real damage, again.

[Cha]

41. Wasn't he the first one to sign a Pledge..

about unity?

2020 Candidates Begin Signing Unity Pledge, With Sanders Taking the Lead

https://www.democraticunderground.com/128793259#top

He'd better hold to that.

Luna

[lunamagica]

42. That's when he thought he'd be a shoo-in for the nomination and wanted the rest

to get in line. I'd be shocked if he behaves differently this time.

Cha

[Cha]

43. Yeah, how things changed..

rather quickly actually.

Luna

[Irishxs]

4. He's too cranky and he's NOT a democrat.

[ecstatic]

5. I held the former repub thing against her for a long time, but I

recently came to realize that, as a former repub, Warren will not be restrained by unreciprocated norms, like the typical elected democrat. We're always playing nice. It's time to stop bringing plastic butter knives to the fight.

[loyalsister]

22. It opens the door to a "the party left me" narrative

It is long past time for republicans who have overlooked the amoral, lying, Trump enabling direction the GOP has taken, to repent. It too late for them to get any kind of credit for simply doing what is right. But there may be room for some to recover a shred of legacy or credibility if they actively disown what republicans have become.
I wouldn't bet on them to grow a conscience, but her history could set a tone and provide an opening for any who may have some residual sense of decency to sing the song about how the party left them.

[comradebillyboy]

6. Excellent article. Reflects my view of Sanders quite well.

History will best remember Bernie Sanders for his role in helping elect Donald Trump.

[aidbo]

13. People who think Sanders helped Trump win over Clinton are delusional.

[ismnotwasm]

24. No.

[riversedge]

25. No, we are not.

[lunamagica]

40. No we are not.

[LanternWaste]

45. There's the front of t-shirt.

Hope the typeface is creative, 'cause the sentiment ain't.

[DrToast]

7. I remember all that, that's for damn sure

I also remember him bashing on Super Delegates in the beginning, but then courting them when it was the only way he could win.

[melman]

8. Froma Harrop

Is this the same Froma Harrop that called President Obama "an exotic who says nothing"?



--

Obama’s appeal comes not from the things he says, but from who is saying them. He scores as an exotic who talks of barbershops and church socials in the flat tones you’d expect from any son of the prairie.

Had Bayh been half-Kenyan and raised in Hawaii by white grandparents from Kansas, he too would have become a political star, at least for the month of December. But he is a conventional white man. When Bayh speaks in the quiet Midwestern way, he gets tarred as lackluster.

--

The senator dislikes the “either-or” type of debate and warns against “false choices.” He’s not too left, not too right. Sort of black, and sort of white.

http://old.seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2003495912_froma27.html




Pretty ugly stuff.

[Eric J in MN]

19. Thanks, I wasn't familiar with that. NT

NT

[BlueMTexpat]

9. There are only two among the current candidates

that I hope that I never have to vote for as the Dem nominee. Sanders is one of them.

Fortunately, neither is likely to be the nominee.

[EveHammond13]

10. the booing of HRC at the convention was the complete burning of the bridge for me

[Trumpocalypse]

11. Plus Warren is a real Democrat.

[Eric J in MN]

14. More Democrats happy to go with Bernie over Warren

...even more happy to go with Joe Biden.

That's why in national polling averages, it's Biden, Bernie, Warren.

Regarding the first sentence blaming Bernie for Hillary Clinton's defeat, he endorsed her before the convention, at the convention, and after the convention.

[JudyM]

47. Damned pesky facts against the popular false narrative.

[patphil]

15. I definitely would go with Warren over Sanders.

Not that I dislike Bernie, but EW is the real deal; everything you would want in a candidate.

It's a tough choice for me between Harris and Warren.
I love them both.

Patrick Phillips

[zentrum]

16. Wish she was going

...to debate him. But it won't happen in the first round coming up.

[LibFarmer]

17. The article nails what Sanders did to hurt the Democratic party nt

[Eric J in MN]

18. Hillary Clinton criticized Obama more harshly in 2008

...than Bernie criticized Clinton in 2016.

More of her 2008 primary voters chose McCain in the general than 2016 Bernie primary voters chose Trump in the general.

[LibFarmer]

27. Hillary dropped out when it was mathematically impossible

and endorsed Obama. Then tirelessly campaigned for him including several joint appearances.

The article nails what Bernie did, your whataboutism notwithstanding.

[sheshe2]

32. 2020 Slogan

Not Me. Us.

I wonder who us is.

[Eric J in MN]

37. Who do you think "us" is? NT

NT

[Eric J in MN]

36. Hillary Clinton was criticized for staying in so long in 2008. NT

NT

[LanternWaste]

46. And there's the back of the t-shirt

Again, try to get a creative and colorful typeface for it, 'cause your unsupported premise needs that 'oomph' factor to advance it from mere allegation to Brand New Spin.

[aikoaiko]

20. Harrop is a classic example of a Bitter Bernie Blamer, but its good for the clicks.

It's true that many Bernie supporters are happy with Warren. I am.

But I'm happy to see Bernie in this race and contributing his ideas.

Bernie is not remembered for causing HRC to lose (except for the BBB club), but he is remembered for helping the party dig in and fight for leftier ideas that have always been a part of the party. The fight I see in a lot of newcomers can be attributed to Bernie and HRC even though they both lost.

Hating on Bernie won't get us the win in 2020.

[sheshe2]

33. Nor will hating on Democrats.nt

[hurl]

35. I have to ageee here

I understand the bitterness from other Clinton supporters looking for blame in what by all rights should have been a landslide. Bernie was but one factor. There were Russians, a decades-long disinformation campaign against Secretary Clinton, James Comey, the VP pick of Kaine, and other things that formed into a perfect shitstorm. We can argue about which factors made more difference, but I am not in the "mostly Bernie's fault" camp.

I think he did push the platform in the direction we needed, helping to return some older Democratic values back into the mainstream.

I am one of those relative newcomers who can be attributed to Bernie. The takeover of the GOP by religious zealots was alarming, and I was looking for a way to thwart them. Bernie's was the very first campaign to which I donated money, and it sparked my interest in becoming active in my local Democratic Party.

Having said that, I think that nominating Bernie this time would be a terrible mistake. The US electorate is too afraid of the socialist label that Bernie incorrectly embraces, and we would be easily crushed by the GOP propaganda machine IMO.

[mulsh]

21. I support any member of the Democratic Party over Saunders. His supporters have convinced me that

he is not worth my support.

Oh that and his weak legislative record of um...successful legislation. Of course the fact that he is not a member of my political party and only occasionally supports it. But really it's my friends who are Bernie bots and their near fascist adherence to their faith in their dear leader that convinced me last election that I would never vote for him.

Besides Bernie is way more effective as a gadfly proposing some very good ideas that take hold in our party at large.

[Kind of Blue]

23. Cool beans!

[Gothmog]

26. Warren is far superior to sanders in my opinion

I will support the nominee of the party but sanders is near the bottom of my list for a host of reasons. I really believe that if sanders is the nominee, trump will win 45+ states

Warren is a strong candidate and a good person

BTW, my son likes her because she is a bankruptcy lawyer

[LiberalLovinLug]

30. What an absolute fake news piece of garbage

Sanders held 57 fricken rallies IN SUPPORT of Hillary after the convention. Even during the primary, he never criticized her personally, and never used Republican talking points or Benghazi or emails. He stayed in until the convention as was his right. He did so not to think he was going to somehow still win, but to get her to move a bit more to the left on things like minimum wage increases. He was successful at that. How horrible of him.

Warren or Sanders would be fantastic. I fully believe that whomever is ahead as the last States are fought over, will concede to the other and their supporters will immigrate over.

[sheshe2]

34. Link?

LiberalLovinLug

30. What an absolute fake news piece of garbage

Sanders held 57 fricken rallies IN SUPPORT of Hillary after the convention.

I have tried to google that and frankly come up void. You specifically mentioned 57. You must have a link to that number.

[mtnsnake]

38. + 1000

[Maru Kitteh]

31. Perfectly written and true

[Prosper]

44. Bernie stands alone

In his sacrifice for the working class. Biden offers less than Hillary offered. The main thing that cost Hillary the election was her refusal to throw Obama under the bus and acknowledge stagnant wages for the working class. While Trump was promising lots of good paying jobs Hillary was stuck for the first part of the campaign defending Obama's 8 years. After the convention it was too late but she did start addressing earnings and pledging Bill to head up jobs.

"Mrs. Clinton told voters in Kentucky on Sunday that Mr. Clinton would be “in charge of revitalizing the economy, because, you know, he knows how to do it,” especially “in places like coal country and inner cities.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/us/politics/bill-hillary-clinton-administration-economy.amp.html"

Biden isn't promising anything better. If Hillary had started her campaign promising better paying jobs to the 40 years of stagnant wages working class she would be president today.

[Gothmog]

48. someone's extra grouchy today. Must be Warren passing him in the polls

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

49. Sanders wants Democrats to think that Warren's gains are a function of moderates. They aren't

I am amused that sanders is so upset but sanders claim that moderate Democrats are the reason for Warren's rise is false. sanders is losing liberal members of the party https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/19/sanders-wants-democrats-think-that-warrens-gains-are-function-moderates-they-arent/?utm_term=.d25c4a40d7a0

Shortly before that poll came out, Sanders’s campaign lifted up a report from Politico that seemed as though it might help explain Warren’s improved position: She was gaining support from what Sanders called “the corporate wing” of the Democratic Party. Which is to say the party’s more moderate, less progressive arm, the segment of the party that, in Sanders’s framing, will pull out all the stops to curtail his economic revolution.....

It doesn’t take much reading between the lines here to understand Sanders’s argument: Centrists are circling around Warren (per Politico) because they are afraid of legitimate progressive positions like his own.

Setting aside the question of how robustly Sanders’s big-ticket policies differ from Warren’s, there’s another, bigger problem with that argument: It’s not what polls show is happening.

Link to tweet

?
And so it does. In Monmouth’s polls over the past few months, Warren’s surge has been a function of voters who identify as liberals. In April, she earned 8 percent of the vote among those who identify as liberal. In the new poll, she moved into a tie with former vice president Joe Biden.

Biden’s in the overall lead in national primary polling because he fares much better than Warren, Sanders or anyone else among more moderate Democrats. In the most recent poll, Biden gets 40 percent of the moderate vote to Sanders’s 10 percent and Warren’s 6.