Bernie Sanders is the ideal Democratic candidate . . .

[Chichiri]

. . . for Republicans to run against.

But for Bernie? You have not yet seen the right wing morph his face into Stalin, Fidel Castro, or Hugo Chavez for being a socialist. You have not yet seen the Republicans go after him for being an out-of-touch tax-and-spend Vermont liberal. You have not yet seen them use the failure of single payer in Vermont and tie it around Bernie nice and tight.

You have not even seen the tip of the iceberg of the Republicans' opposition research on Sanders. They will put together an effective destruction campaign before Bernie has a chance to spell "democratic socialism." They will not just destroy Bernie Sanders; they will link every vulnerable Democrat to him in every conservative or moderate state and district and take them down too (how will a "how can you defend Obamacare when even your party's socialist nominee thinks it's so bad it should be replaced?" question work out for a vulnerable Democrat?).

And what will happen when the Republicans win against Bernie? They will be immediately able to claim a mandate to not just reject ideas to expand the social safety net but also justification to roll back progress we have already made: to abolish Obamacare, to privatize Social Security and Medicare, to roll back banking regulations, to bust unions, to tear apart immigrant families, to deport DREAMers, to grant police carte blanch to shoot unarmed black kids, to cut taxes on the very wealthy and to raise them on everyone else.

Bernie Sanders is the dream Democrat Republicans have been looking for. A Sanders nomination will hand the GOP their wildest goals, not just politically but in public policy. It is their best opportunity to roll back both liberal policies and liberalism 50 years or more.

From TPV: http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2016/2/23/bernies-billionaires-ugly-truth-alliance-sanders-wall-street

[Stuckinthebush]

1. They won't get to

It's over. Ignore the GD-P nonsense.

We shall mentally move to the GE!

[Chichiri]

2. Would be nice, but until it's officially called,

We'll all remain in what Skinner likes to call "silly season" on DU. Sigh.

[Cha]

7. lol

[charlyvi]

3. Ive been saying that for months.

Republicans WANT to run against Bernie. That's why they have withheld their most stringent and damaging vitriol. It's why Rove and his PAC were helping him in Nevada. Bernie supporters think their candidate has been unfairly maligned? They haven't seen anything like what the Repub oppo research would do to him. That's why I just shake my head when they say Bernie would beat Trump...... the polls at this point reflect a Bernie that has not had the bark stripped off him. Socialism! Free College! Higher Taxes! Honeymoon in Moscow! He'll take your money away! He wouldn't know what hit him.

[Cha]

8. Because they do want to run against him.. anyone can see that.

yeah, the M$M/gopropaganda machine do NOT want to take out BS, yet.

Fortunately they'll never get a chance.

charlyvi

[BlueCaliDem]

4. I've been saying this for months, too! There's a reason when Rove spends $5 MILLION on ads against

Hillary Clinton but ZERO dollars against Sanders. That's the writing on the wall. Oh, I'm certain they have their attack ads ready-to-go should we choose Sanders as our candidate. They will tear him to shreds and drown out the loud cries of his supporters online and during rallies. All that kid-glove stuff they're using on Sanders now will turn against him should he win the Democratic primary.

Clearly, their actions tell me that they're terrified of Hillary Clinton. They'll never say it, but actions are what matter, not words. And it's clear to me, they want Bernie Sanders as their dream-candidate to run against.

[KitSileya]

5. And isn't it the hallmark of the naivete of Sanders supporters

That they think that the reason why the republicans haven't attacked him is because they think the republicans like him!

If the republicans really thought that Sanders was someone to fear, that he was a real opponent, they would have launched a no-holds-barred attack ages ago. You know, like they'vebeen doing to Hillary Clinton!

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. Excellent analysis. Hopefully, in a few weeks, we won't have to contend with any of this. n/t