Bad news for Bernie has his backers getting antsy

[DonViejo]

His campaign says his organization will win out and that predictions of his demise are way premature.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN 07/04/2019 08:02 AM EDT

Bernie Sanders keeps getting bad news.

After Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren seized the spotlight in the first primary debate, the Vermont senator dropped to fourth place in two polls in the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa. In some national surveys, Sanders fared just as poorly. And though he raised an impressive $18 million over the last three months, former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg posted bigger hauls in the same period.

Inside the campaign, though, Sanders’ aides are defiant: They believe that Washington journalists are getting the presidential election wrong all over again, underestimating Sanders’ large volunteer base and mistaking temporary changes in surveys as permanent shifts in the race.They see the up-and-down polling — some of which has shown him gaining ground after the debates — as proof the primary is wide open. And they think that if Biden continues to lose support, as he did after Harris landed a blow on him in the first debate, Sanders is best positioned to win over his voters.

“When he announced in 2016, a lot of people in the elite class said that he stood no chance and couldn’t win. Over the course of his campaign, he proved a lot of people wrong,” said Faiz Shakir, Sanders' campaign manager. “Fast forward to 2019, and you have some of the same skeptics saying it’s dead, it’s all over. I think they will be similarly proven wrong.”

Still, even though the Sanders team would never call it a “reset,” his aides are sharpening a new line of attack against his rivals and experimenting with different ways to connect with hard-to-reach voters as the race heats up. They’re also continuing to shift from big rallies to more intimate events in the nation’s early states, such as ice cream socials and selfie lines — an acknowledgment that Sanders needs to adopt a more personal approach and participate in additional retail politicking to win.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/04/bernie-sanders-2020-election-campaign-1397850

[BeyondGeography]

1. Bernie got the Warren vote in 2016 because Warren didn't run

This time around, Warren is getting the Warren vote and Bernie has been downsized.

[Goodheart]

2. No, Bernie backers, you will not win out

I thank Bernie, though, for all that he's done for progressivism.... a lot, actually.

[BeyondGeography]

14. Fully agree

He moved the needle on a lot of issues. More important, if you were watching with an open mind, he showed the power of unapologetic progressivism. We’re no longer in a place where you can govern from the center and change things. If Obama could be succeeded by Trump, maybe we never really were.

[Gothmog]

3. Too many real Democrats have long memories for sanders to be the nominee

I will support the nominee of the party but I doubt that sanders will be the nominee. If sanders is the nominee, trump will win 45+ states

[Turin_C3PO]

4. Actually polls show Sanders doing well against Trump.

Almost as well as Biden. I know he’d win my state, New Mexico. I hope he’s not our nominee because I remember 2016 all too well, but I do think he could do well. Of course, I believe most of our candidates can defeat Trump.

[Gothmog]

6. If sanders is the nominee, trump will win 45+ states in the real world

[Turin_C3PO]

9. You could be right.

In any case, we won’t have to see because he won’t be the nominee.

[Gothmog]

11. Agreed

the sanders campaign is falling apart and sanders will not be the nominee.

[Turin_C3PO]

5. Hope he drops out and endorses Warren.

If he could get his backers enthusiastically behind Warren, she would do well I think.

[comradebillyboy]

7. Bernie dropping out and endorsing Warren seems very unlikely.

[Turin_C3PO]

8. Probably so.

[LibFarmer]

10. The novelty has worn off

Bernie's tired message is worn out like a 30 year old hallway carpet.

He needs to come up with something new but after 40 years of the same message, it is hard to.

Also, people are seeing through the slogans without plans of Senator BS.

[silentEcho]

12. He didn't stand a chance and he did not win. Where were they wrong?

"no chance and couldn’t win. Over the course of his campaign, he proved a lot of people wrong,”

[Paladin]

13. Bernie needs to do us a favor and depart. (nt)

[Politicub]

15. Unless something big changes, Sanders may have peaked.

[NYMinute]

16. Once Bernie comes 4th in Iowa

and fourth in NH

The backers would be scarce

[NastyRiffraff]

17. Okay, I'm confused

“When he announced in 2016, a lot of people in the elite class said that he stood no chance and couldn’t win. Over the course of his campaign, he proved a lot of people wrong,” said Faiz Shakir, Sanders' campaign manager. “Fast forward to 2019, and you have some of the same skeptics saying it’s dead, it’s all over. I think they will be similarly proven wrong.”

Are they talking about a different primary, maybe in an alternate universe? I remember clearly that Bernie didn't win. Didn't even come close. If he won, what was Hillary Clinton doing accepting the nomination??