Assume a Bernie-Hillary Switcheroo--where would you stand and why?

[SujiwanKenobee]

Assume a neutral historical background for either as this is about what they are saying they stand for and will support *now*. No scandals, no past mantles--tabula rasa-- except you can assume competency and follow through.

If by some "magical occurrence" Hillary and Bernie were to exchange positions--Hillary espoused every part of Bernie's position points and Bernie was touting everything Hillary is supporting right now, who would your candidate be?
Ex:If Bernie was for TPP? If Hillary was for free college? Hill leans Democratic Socialist. Bernie is an incrementalist on the issues.

Think of various points where they differ and that you are strongly for or against. How issues focused are you? How much of your support may come down to personality issues versus positions?

[merrily]

1. Whether people here vote issues or self-interest, I doubt anyone is voting on personality, unless

you consider traits like credibility "personality."

[peace13]

6. Step back from the cheese...

.....it's a trap! : )

[merrily]

19. But, I enjoy cheese and I'm quite quick.

[gcomeau]

28. No, they're voting on celebrity and hype instead.

Otherwise Clinton wouldn't have a support base in a party that claims to be liberal.

[merrily]

29. Actually, I have not seen many Hillary supporters here claiming to be liberal lately.

And she certainly never claims that for herself.

[gcomeau]

30. Point...

...she has seemed to have come out of her shell and embraced her conservatism this election hasn't she (except in those bizarre moments when she decided to try to claim to be the progressive in the race, which were just mind boggling)? And her supporters clearly couldn't care less.


Yup, if that sentiment wins the day time to write the Democratic party off.

[merrily]

31. Well, she's embraced the conservative roots of her politics with which she was raised, as well as

being a moderate and being progressive. Just not "liberal." In fact, Matthews referred to her as "liberal" the other day and she did not waste a second before she corrected him.

[PonyUp]

2. I would have to switch to Hillary if their messages/background were reversed. n/t

[peace13]

3. Too dangerous to answer.

Good luck.

[Mother Of Four]

5. I don't know if that's possible ...

I mean I understand the question but part of what makes a candidate is their history. Where they've been is a big marker on who they are today and how they will be in office. I personally have to make my judgement based on the totality of the circumstances, not just on what they say "today".

[azurnoir]

7. hasn't this already been covered?

[merrily]

20. As Colbert's character might have said, "It's funny 'cause it's true."

[peacebird]

8. I support Bernie because of his positions, along with his integrity, honesty, & candor.

Breakfast with Bernie and his reddit ask me anythings let me get to know him. He answers questions when asked and has power of his convictions.

IF Hillary were all those things and had held true to what she believed, and if Bernie were supporting TPP etc then I would be supporting Hillary, not Bernie.

But Hillary switches positions based on prevailing winds, and flips back with dizzying speed. She evades, lies, prevaricates.

Bernie therefore has my vote in the general election.

[djean111]

14. I agree with you. On everything.

This is sort of a non-starter, because anyone who has been paying attention just cannot think of Hillary being like Bernie on the issues without a gale of laughter.

I was actually FOR Hillary in 2008, because I had not done my due diligence on the issues. A leopard can't change its spots - although it might run up a huge bill at Sally Beauty Supply trying to cover them up.

[peacebird]

17. True that!

[DanTex]

9. I would support whoever could beat the GOP more easily, in either case.

They're pretty close on the issues. The GOP is scary.

[merrily]

11. They are not close on issues. Never have been since 1960. Please stop repeating that. Thanks.

[DanTex]

16. They are very close. Over 90% of the time voted the same way.

Both want to tackle inequality, financial regulation, climate change, pro-choice, etc. Some small differences, but same underlying views.

What's more, given that there is the GOP in congress, the differences between what they can accomplish will be even smaller than the already small differences in their views.

[merrily]

18. VERY misleading and "small differences" is an outright lie. For the VERY short time they

were in the Senate together, the Senate being a very conservative body, they both voted with the Democratic Caucus most of the time. When their votes differed, however, the differences were huge, such as her advocating for the IWR and his advocating against it, correctly predicting invading Iraq would de-stablize the Middle East. Looking over their lifetimes, which is, by far, the better measure, the differences are dramatic.

[stillwaiting]

10. Assuming a neutral historical background makes the entire mental exercise pointless.

There is ALWAYS a historical background for Presidential candidates. It is the biggest factor for me in deciding who is credible and who is not.

If their CAMPAIGN positions reflected their prior work then I would find them credible. If not, then I wouldn't.

[gollygee]

12. I support whoever is most to the left

That was Bernie so I supported him. In the general, Hillary will obviously be to the left of Trump, so I will support her.

[merrily]

21. So, you mean you suppose whichever Democrat is to the most left.

Because there will be at least one candidate in the general who is to Hillary's left.

[gollygee]

23. I support whoever has a chance of winning who is most to the left

I want the best realistic choice for the presidency. If the realistic candidates are Hillary and Trump, it is an easy decision for me.

[Happenstance24]

13. Depends...

A big part of why I back Hillary is cause I think she will fight Trump hard and win. Bernie can't. He wouldn't even go all in on Hillary when she was handling him with kid gloves. Imagine what Trump would do. I've said this before but I know someone who was putting together oppo research on Bernie. They were focus grouping women who had been raped in the hopes of finding the perfect group of ladies to challenge him on his little "rape fantasy" paper should he make it to the general. Now I think that is a sleazy move on the Pugs part but it isn't surprising. The thing is I don't know how Bernie would respond to it and a host of other attacks sent his way. Hillary is a fighter. Bernie hasn't shown himself to be enough of one yet. And please spare me the youtube vids of some speech he gave on whatever. I've seen them and they didn't convince me. His actions and reactions the past 2 months combating Hillary has. Spare me the polls as well. 8 years ago McCain routed Obama in FL. How'd that turn out?

The SC is the end game for me. Justices last for decades. Presidents come and go after 4-8 years. Throw in the fact they can be corralled by Congress and it seems to me people in this party make too much out of who is President and take their eyes off the real prize.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Until she promoted the Reagans as AIDS heroes I was ok with Hillary she was my second choice

but a very acceptable second choice in the grand scheme of things. The Reagan comments changed things, my entire relationship with the mainstream and Straight Moderates of this Party changed, I had previously assumed better of them, now I know that they simply never paid any attention at all, and that they don't much mind when they say something that offensive.

So your whole set up here, if Bernie had said the Reagans were AIDS heroes instead of Hillary saying that, I'd be on Team Hillary today. Understand?

[merrily]

22. +1 Among MANY other things, saying things like that in hopes of getting votes

speaks volumes about a person/candidate, none of it great.

[99Forever]

24. This is the real world.

Not some fantasy place where what you propose is possible. It therefore makes no sense to me to go there.

If what you really are asking is if their genders were reversed would that change my support? To that my answer is absolutely no.

[KittyWampus]

25. I'd support the Democrat who can #1. Win in the GE #2. Move the ball to the Left

#3. be confident enough to delegate authority
#4. be an effective executive who can juggle a lot of balls at once

None of which is shown in Sanders history/personality.

[Lizzie Poppet]

26. For most Hillary supporters, I can't imagine their preference is issue based.

Yes, some will be center-left themselves on most issues and even center-right on economic issues, just like their candidate. Their preference may well be issue-based

But I'm assuming most of her supporters here are actually liberals and probably prefer Bernie's take on economic politics, the only real area of policy disagreement between the candidates. Their preference is a bit opaque to me, but I suspect it's a matter of brand (party) loyalty, gender politics, or the notion that she's more electable.

[KPN]

27. Exchange Positions? Personality vs Position?

This is a nonsensical exercise. How in the hell can I know what Hillary's position is in order to exchange it with Bernie's? It changes with the wind.

[Rebkeh]

32. Tabula rasa, on issues only...

My vote would switch but not without other conditions.

The issues and the positions held reflect more than policy decisions, they also indicate moral standing and core values. Much like how a budget is a moral document, one's character matters. A lot.

It's not personality vs issues, the more pertinent question is about character. When I vote, I do not vote like a machine, I am not a calculator. I vote more for a set of values than a set of skills. I vote for the long term trajectory, not necessarily a win. I vote for democracy itself, not a person.

[Ino]

33. If they truly were the opposite...

not just "touting" or "espousing" but truly held those positions, then I would be for Hillary instead of Sanders...

and I'd be very excited at the prospect of the first woman president.

But that's not the case.