2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Bernie Sanders would have beaten Trump. Period. [View all]Bucky
(53,997 posts)it would have taken efforts and outreach, but it's unrealistic to think he would have written off our key demographic base, African American voters, or that our key demographic base would have sat out an election like that. Bases always rally if treated right. And Sanders is a smart enough and passionate about inclusion and equality enough to have done right by all our people.
I don't think it's accurate to say Biden has no skeletons or baggage. The hypocrisy would not have stopped the Republicans from making a drumbeat out of some the personality quirks we love (or choose to ignore) about Joe. I say this as someone who supported him 100% in 2008 and in 1988 to boot--he can be a little grabby around the ladies. I think it's harmless but there's a few pics out there of women looking distinctly uncomfortable with his 'glad handing' demeanor. Like with the inconsequential emails, they'd make it into a thing.
I also disagree that this analysis doesn't help anyone. There are several posters in this thread who need to hear (or read) about why we kinda-sorta lost (tho actually won, but just in a way that didn't matter) this election.
We lost-ish because we abandoned the working class for Wall Street. We need to see that there were better alternatives... better than Bernie even. But she has to get reelected in 2018 first.