2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThere is no doubt that Bernie's supporters are the most enthusiastic
And there is no doubt that they are the most passionate. And there is also little doubt that Sanders is absolutely committed to the support of his issues; that is indubitably why his supporters love him. However, I am afraid that Bernie's supporters are going to be disappointed if his debate performance, which they loved, doesn't translate to big boosts in the national polls or votes on election days.
I was a on a very good debate team in high school, so I have an natural inclination to judge these events from that perspective. If you were already a Bernie supporter, you have every reason to love his performance. He hit the the high points of his message hard and repeatedly. However, from a more objective point of view, Hillary did very commendable job and won the debate hands down. I thought that Bernie's performance was a little rough in spots - I think his lack of thorough preparation showed at times. On the other hand, Hillary was nearly flawless.
If you are a Sanders supporter you had to be hope that Clinton would stumble. She didn't. You had to be counting on her to appear contrived as she has sometimes appeared in the past. That simply didn't happen - I don't think that I have seen a more fluid performance.
Sander's supporters also have to be hoping that Joe Biden will enter the race because there is no doubt that Joe would be running in Clinton's lane and would pull more votes from Hillary than Bernie however, I no longer see that as a possibility. Joe' best bet was that he was the fall back candidate if Clinton crashed and burned. I am sure now that he knows that is not going to happen. If and when Biden announces that he isn't gong to run, expect most of Joe's support in the polls to flow to Clinton's side of the ledger.
Regardless of who you support for the Democratic nomination, you can be very proud all of the Democratic candidates who participated in very professional and substantive event. Compared to the Republican adolescent food fight, it was very easy to spot the adults in the room.
bkkyosemite
(5,792 posts)we like truth and Bernie is truth. This was his first national debate.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,869 posts)And in the end that's what counts.
CajunBlazer
(5,648 posts)Don't make the mistake of thinking that those who don't show a lot of enthusiasm on the surface aren't equally committed to their candidates, don't vote in equal numbers and contribute to their candidate's campaigns. I could be the most enthusiastic person in the world, but when I enter the voting booth, I still have only one vote - I'm not sure that is true on the Internet.
azmom
(5,208 posts)CajunBlazer
(5,648 posts)Last edited Fri Oct 16, 2015, 10:10 AM - Edit history (1)
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)He is still a fairly unknown quantity. He needed to introduce himself to a national audience, outline his positions, and show voters a Democratic Socialist isn't a beret-wearing, bomb-throwing Marxist. He accomplished that in spades. I think his favor ability and electability ratings will go up, and be reflected in upcoming polls. By that measure, he's the clear winner.