Sanders is more interested in picking fights than winning them

[Recursion]

I think people misunderstand the "electability" argument. It's not really about policies. Voters don't really care about policies. It's about if a politician is willing to do the work and make the deals that you have to do and make to get change to happen.

You can absolutely run an electable campaign on Medicare For All, for instance. But you have to show that you're more interested in actually moving towards that goal than in being seen "fighting" for that goal. You have to show that you understand who the stakeholders in that question are, and whether they can be persuaded or co-opted, or will need to be opposed. This is the step where, for me, Sanders absolutely fails: he's more interested in fighting than in winning. He doesn't say anything to address the worries of people whose insurance is currently free through their employers and would be facing a payroll tax. He doesn't say anything to address the worries of small businesses who do pay insurance now and would be asked to keep footing that bill as a tax while their competitors who free ride get to keep doing that. He doesn't address the concerns of rural hospitals that will have to radically restructure themselves if they go entirely to Medicare reimbursement levels. No: the idea is "right", and that's all that matters, and if you are not on board your motivations must be corrupt.

[beachbumbob]

1. sanders plants a flag and dares everyone to argue with him, simply put he cares

little for other's comments as a typical ideologue he knows best for all

[NurseJackie]

8. According to Hillary's recent Hulu documentary: "Nobody likes him..."

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hillary-clinton-debuts-hulu-doc-at-sundance-addresses-bernie-sanders-comments-1272839

Shortly after THR's in-depth interview with Clinton was published on Tuesday, her comments about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — "Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done," she says in the documentary — prompted the hashtag #nobodylikeshim to quickly became a top trend on Twitter.

[beachbumbob]

15. thinking why warren will never endorse him

[Kacy]

2. Nice analysis

[iluvtennis]

6. + 1. nt

Welcome to DU Kacy.

[DownriverDem]

3. I believe

folks care about policies. That's why those with employer health insurance are against Bernie. They don't want to lose their insurance. Medicare does cost money. I know folks who pay $144 per month for it. And for the 100th time: Bernie is not a Dem and will quit the party if he doesn't get the nomination. His supporters are clueless as to just how much this hurts Bernie.

[Lulu KC]

4. Yes--and

1. If you're actually on Medicare you know how much it costs. Not free, no matter who's paying for it.
2. His math doesn't add up. That's what Joe keeps saying during debates. Maybe Yang could come in and do a powerpoint for Biden. #Math

But really--the fighting, not the winning. Excellent point!

[DanTex]

5. Of the two candidates running on M4A, Bernie did a lot better than Warren.

The reason we don't have M4A has nothing to do with any of the points you made, valid or invalid as they may be. Bernie was the one who brought M4A into the public discussion, and now a majority of American voters, not just Dems, are in favor of it. The M4A debate with voters was won, it's just that the government, and yes, the establishment, are against it.

Bernie actually diagnosed the M4A situation exactly right. If we take on and defeat the big corporate interests, we can have M4A or some other form of universal healthcare. If we don't, we won't. Details like what happens to rural hospitals can be worked out, the hard part is the political will. And the primaries have shown that we don't have the political will, which means that for the forseeable future, we are not going to have universal healthcare.

The "electability" argument about Bernie had nothing to do with whether Bernie is willing to make deals or persuade people about his policies. It had to do with the word "socialism", and an old video of him talking about Cuba that the media played on repeat for a week, and the fact that Biden being Obama's VP gave a lot of voters comfort, and so on.

[ehrnst]

16. And one is a woman. So there's that....

America Punished Elizabeth Warren for Her Competence
The country still doesn’t know what to make of a woman—in politics, and beyond—who refuses to qualify her success.

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/03/america-punished-elizabeth-warren-her-competence/607531/

[NCProgressive]

7. A very astute observation

[Farmer-Rick]

9. Your analysis is not considering Bernie's great success with 45 year old and younger

The reason the young vote for Bernie over Biden is because of his actual policies. Not some feel good vague working towards....and usually not getting there...easily ignored goal.

By not being direct, you can say things like incremental successes are good and you end up with tax giveaways to the filthy rich for another 20 years.

Bernie does outstandingly well when you look at Democratic voters under 45. Biden doesn't.

"Why Younger Democrats Are Overwhelmingly Rejecting Biden"

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fivethirtyeight.com/features/young-democrats-have-rejected-biden-and-it-could-cost-him-the-nomination/amp/

The post has reasons why Bernie is doing well with this group.

[Recursion]

10. Except they aren't showing up to vote

And that's the problem. That's always been Sanders's problem: his support doesn't translate into votes.

[ehrnst]

18. "Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young people in? The answer is no."

After 14 states held primary contests on Super Tuesday, Sanders acknowledged to reporters that he'd been "disappointed" with the results.

"Have we been as successful as I would hope in bringing young people in? The answer is no," Sanders told reporters at a news conference at his Burlington, Vt., headquarters. Sanders went on to acknowledge the undeniable challenge that any candidate banking on the support of younger voters faces: They do not vote in high numbers, compared with other groups.

"I think that will change in the general election, but I will be honest with you, we have not done as well with bringing young people into the process," Sanders said. "It is not easy."

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/812486517/bernie-sanders-call-for-young-voters-isn-t-working-out-the-way-he-planned

[Fresh_Start]

11. Sanders to Congressional Democrats: "The goal isn't to win elections..."

actually the goal is to win elections, without that nothing else matters.

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/bernie-sanders-booed-house-democrats-225161

[Gore1FL]

12. Hopefully the fights will be picked up by those who do win

Healthcare for all, affordable education, addressing climate change, and investing in the poor and middle class instead of billionaires are all worth fighting for.

[KT2000]

13. We have all known people like this

He is the purist who says my way or the highway.
Having been involved in environmental issues, I have seen leaders throw progress away too often by maintaining an absolute position. In the meantime they have offended members of the coalition because they were willing to bend to make progress. The end result is a big nothing. At some point it becomes a personality issue.

[Todd79]

14. Bernie's Record is not Lilly white

In fact, in quite a few instances, it sucks, especially on immigration. Dude supported the Minutemen patrolling the border. It’s worse than Biden’s. Thankfully Joe has better things to do than picking fights that would poke holes in his messianic image when it comes to immigration and the environment.

Or Biden hasn’t invested in oppo research regarding opponents in his own party like Bernie has.

[ehrnst]

17. It's easier to get angry when people won't simply shut up and do what you say than to do the hard

work of listening, and re-evaluating your own policies when you get new data...