Should we fear Bernie?

[dann]

Out of Touch Aristocrats in a Dying Aristocracy

Many in this establishment are behaving, in my view, as they face the prospect of a Bernie Sanders nomination, like out of touch aristocrats in a dying aristocracy, just sort of, ‘How do we stop this? How do we block this?’ And there is no curiosity: ‘Why is this happening? What is going on in the lives of my fellow citizens in this country that they may be voting for something that I find so hard to understand? What is happening? What is happening?’

This is a moment for curiosity in America. I think about this network (MSNBC), which I love, which you love, and I think we have to look within also: Why is a lobbyist for Über and Mark Zuckerberg on the air many nights, explaining a political revolution to us? Why is Chris Matthews on this air, talking about the victory of Bernie Sanders, who had kin murdered in the Holocaust, and analogizing it to the Nazi conquest of France? The people who are stuck in an old way of thinking, in 20th century frameworks, in Gulag thinking, are missing what is going on, and it is time for all of us to rethink and understand the dawn of what may be, frankly, a new era of American life.
Krystal Ball breaks down MSNBC stages of Bernie grief

 

[The Great Zaganza]

I do think that this nomination is Bernie's to lose.

However, I don't think it's helpful that he started to address his audiences with "Comrades!".

 

[Segnosaur]

I speculated about a month ago here that the Russians might try to help Sanders just to mess with our heads and delegitimize the election results once again. But if it's part of a larger scheme to make Trump look good once again that will be pretty remarkable.

Why exactly is it 'remarkable'?

I've always thought they'd be okay with a President Sanders, someone who isn't interventionist and does not have the baggage Hillary Clinton and now Trump has.

While neither Trump nor Sanders is interventionalist, Sanders would be much better at maintaining relationships with allies. He wouldn't cut American foreign aid (which gives the U.S. influence in much of the 3rd world). He wouldn't work to undermine NATO, nor would he undermine American security (and thus hurt intelligence sharing agreements) by deferring to Russia.

Simply put, Trump hurts America, and that makes the Russians stronger by comparison.

So given a choice between the 2 of them, the Russians would greatly prefer Trump.

 

[Segnosaur]

I do think that this nomination is Bernie's to lose.

However, I don't think it's helpful that he started to address his audiences with "Comrades!".

It probably doesn't help that he made some comments that were seen as pro-Castro. (Basically "his authoritarianism was wrong, but he improved literacy").

From: https://theweek.com/speedreads/8977...ers-castro-comments-could-cost-state-november
During a 60 Minutes interview Sunday evening on CBS, Sanders argued it was unfair to malign every aspect of Castro's regime, praising achievements like the country's literacy program...Sanders' comments were enough to cause a backlash in Florida, which is home to a large Cuban-American population.... Some Democratic lawmakers even went so far as to say that if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, it could hand Florida...to President Trump...

So, assuming Sanders becomes the nominee... its possible that they could lose Florida, even after the whole "felons can now vote" had given the Democrats an advantage in the state.

 

[d4m10n]

Have you seen actual proof that Putin is backing Bernie Sanders?

I've read the Mueller report and related indictments, if that's what you're asking. The Internet Research Agency made it pretty clear whom they were supporting at the time, at least internally.

(Alas, the people responsible for these reports did not provide us with access to their primary sources.)

 

[dudalb]

I do think that this nomination is Bernie's to lose.

However, I don't think it's helpful that he started to address his audiences with "Comrades!".

Or his "FIdel Castro was a great guy" comments on 60 Minutes.That will go over great in the important swing state of Florida.
That is the problem: Can Bernie stop acting like the eternal 60's radical?O

 

[dudalb]

It probably doesn't help that he made some comments that were seen as pro-Castro. (Basically "his authoritarianism was wrong, but he improved literacy").

From: https://theweek.com/speedreads/8977...ers-castro-comments-could-cost-state-november
During a 60 Minutes interview Sunday evening on CBS, Sanders argued it was unfair to malign every aspect of Castro's regime, praising achievements like the country's literacy program...Sanders' comments were enough to cause a backlash in Florida, which is home to a large Cuban-American population.... Some Democratic lawmakers even went so far as to say that if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, it could hand Florida...to President Trump...

So, assuming Sanders becomes the nominee... its possible that they could lose Florida, even after the whole "felons can now vote" had given the Democrats an advantage in the state.

Which is a sort of a left wing version of "But He Made The Trains Run On Time"....
If Bernie wants to win in November, he needs to appear more "mainstream", no matter what his supporters say. He keeps stuff like this up, he will hand reelection to Trump on a silver platter.

 

[dudalb]

I wish I could at least get the Bernie Bros to admit that things like his "Comrades" opening and his "Castro was not a bad guy" 60 minutes routine is something he has to cut out.
He is just handing the GOP free ammo with that.
He has to get that he needs to appeal to an audience beyond his "Progressive" base.

 

[Venom]

I wish I could at least get the Bernie Bros to admit that things like his "Comrades" opening and his "Castro was not a bad guy" 60 minutes routine is something he has to cut out.
He is just handing the GOP free ammo with that.
He has to get that he needs to appeal to an audience beyond his "Progressive" base.

Who do you want to "admit" to what?

 

[dudalb]

Who do you want to "admit" to what?

That that kind of crap is not helping Bernie much outside his base and he needs to cut it out.

 

[angrysoba]

That that kind of crap is not helping Bernie much outside his base and he needs to cut it out.

Yep! He definitely does not need to play up the stereotypes. Keep it reasonable and don’t use the hackneyed lefty rhetoric.

Minimum wage increases and universal healthcare are perfectly reasonable goals with a broad appeal. He asks, “is that so radical?” And I would say “No!”

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain’t gonna be making it with anyone anyhow.

 

[dann]

Dudalb, are you suggesting that Bernie Sanders should try to win over the community of revanchist Cuban exiles in Miami, somehow? The guys carrying "Trump 2020" posters and banners from the "Hialeah Republican Club" even when they are protesting against a new Netflix movie about anti-Cuban terrorist organisations that Bernie Sanders had nothing whatsoever to do with? Do you expect Sanders to seek (or even want) a compromise with those guys? Why are you so bent on compromises with them?

You seem to forget that many people already consider Bernie Sanders the ultimate compromise:

For some reason, alleged centrists tend to seek compromise exclusively with radical right-wing groups, which means that they can never oppose Trump and his base of fascist Republicans.

And why are you so obsessed with the term "comrades", dudalb? If you want to imply a Cuban-style way of addressing people, the word you're looking for is compañeros.
Sanders is already the favourite candidate of Latino voters: Sanders won big with Latinos in Nevada. The nation's largest minority group could reshape the Democratic race (CNN, Feb. 23, 2020)

 

[theprestige]

Bernie honeymooned in the Soviet Union. How many of his important life moments have revolved around people who hated Communist Cuba so much that they risked death to escape?

 

[dann]

(Alas, the people responsible for these reports did not provide us with access to their primary sources.)

And they've provided us with nothing whatsoever concerning 2020:
"Official may have overstated 2020 Russia interference, sources say":

 

[dann]

Bernie honeymooned in the Soviet Union. How many of his important life moments have revolved around people who hated Communist Cuba so much that they risked death to escape?

I have no idea, but at least one of his endorsers has spent some time in refugee camps:
AOC GOES TO THE BORDER, SHARES THE “SYSTEMIC CRUELTY” OF MIGRANT DETENTION CENTERS (Vanity Fair, July 2, 2019)
Most of the refugees were Latin Americans; I don't know if any of them were Cubans.

 

[Hercules56]

I want to know what Bernie is going to do when Congress refuses to enact Medicare-for-All, free college, Green New Deal, guaranteed housing, guaranteed jobs?

he gonna threaten to shut down the government or default on the debt if he doesn't get his way?

 

[dudalb]

Yep! He definitely does not need to play up the stereotypes. Keep it reasonable and don’t use the hackneyed lefty rhetoric.

Minimum wage increases and universal healthcare are perfectly reasonable goals with a broad appeal. He asks, “is that so radical?” And I would say “No!”

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain’t gonna be making it with anyone anyhow.

That is one of my problems with Sanders. He needs to shed the "Aging guy for whom it is forever 1968" vibe he has.

 

[Venom]

I want to know what Bernie is going to do when Congress refuses to enact Medicare-for-All, free college, Green New Deal, guaranteed housing, guaranteed jobs?

he gonna threaten to shut down the government or default on the debt if he doesn't get his way?

According to Sanders, he will use the bully pulpit. He will expose them in a way their constituents are not usually aware of; naming names, pointing out who voted on what. He doubled down heavy on pressuring Jeff Bezos to implement a $15.00 wage minimum. And Bezos conceded. If he can get concessions from the most powerful CEO in the world, I bet he can flip a few congressmen.

I do not believe Sanders can enact everything he wants. I don't have that much faith in his movement.

 

[TragicMonkey]

That is one of my problems with Sanders. He needs to shed the "Aging guy for whom it is forever 1968" vibe he has.

I agree. I think he should reinvent as "sassy Latina nurse" or "music industry douchebag" or "1980s Muscle Beach guy" or perhaps even "film noir femme fatale". Any of the stereotypes, actually, they're all good stuff, and would work wonders to make Sanders more interesting on camera.

 

[Elagabalus]

I want to know what Bernie is going to do when Congress refuses to enact Medicare-for-All, free college, Green New Deal, guaranteed housing, guaranteed jobs?

he gonna threaten to shut down the government or default on the debt if he doesn't get his way?

Why? You voted for Trump and that's the way Trump handles things.