Bernie's Choice: Ride or Die

[George II]

Does he want to make his followers feel righteous, or beat Donald Trump?

by RICHARD NORTH PATTERSON MARCH 17, 2020 5:21 AM

Donald Trump must be defeated,” Bernie Sanders insists, “and I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”

But will he?

After Tuesday’s primaries, Sanders will confront a defining choice: continue his doomed campaign—further attempting to damage Biden in the minds of both swing voters and his most fervent supporters—or seek an accommodation which preserves his influence and maximizes Biden’s chances.

His course remains worrisome. As Paul Krugman puts it, “Sanders and those around him have a bad habit of suggesting that anyone who questions their political strategy is a corrupt tool of the oligarchy.”

In the narrative too often embraced by Bernie’s base, Sanders never actually loses—he gets screwed. His designated antagonists are “the Democratic establishment” and the “venomous” and “corrupt” “corporate media.” From this perspective, the media slights his agenda. As for the party: “One of the things I was kind not surprised by was the power of the establishment to force Amy Klobuchar [and] Pete Buttigieg… out of the race.”

Four paragraphs doesn't do this justice. More:

https://thebulwark.com/bernies-choice-ride-or-die/

[William769]

1. Kick & recommended.

[relayerbob]

2. There's always the third path - JOIN THE FUCKING TEAM

Sorry for the outburst, carry on

[Turin_C3PO]

3. Good article.

I hope Sanders does the right thing.

[Thekaspervote]

4. Me too...but

[wyldwolf]

5. yeah, that reads like a Sanders supporter intervention.

In sum Sanders, his campaign, and too many of his followers embraced an electoral strategy premised on magical thinking.

[ehrnst]

6. Kicked and recced for truth.

[NCProgressive]

7. KnR

[NurseJackie]

8. Only ONE party can defeat the GOP: DEMOCRATS. Only ONE candidate can defeat Trump: BIDEN.

Only ONE party can defeat the GOP: DEMOCRATS. Only ONE candidate can defeat Trump: BIDEN.

It won't be the Green party, or the Socialist party, or the Libertarians. It won't be Bernie, it won't be Jill, or Roseann Barr, or Deez Nutz, or Bofa DeSnutz.

It will be JOE BIDEN and it will be the DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Any vote that does not DIRECTLY benefit Joe Biden ends up benefiting Donald Trump. If it doesn't ADD to Biden's total, then that's just ONE LESS VOTE that Trump needs to surpass him. It's simple math.

[George II]

11. +1,000,000

[betsuni]

16. +1

[showblue22]

9. Great article.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Hey, Bernie did such a fantastic job of denying Trump the office last time...

we should just let him do more of the same this year.

Unless, maybe, just maybe, he would SHUT THE FUCK UP AND JOIN WITH BIDEN.

[Cha]

12. Bernie Sanders insists, "and I will do everything in my power to make that happen."

Yeah.. he did say that, didn't he? Thanks for the reminder, George.

[Cha]

13. PS Bookmark!

[Cha]

14. KICK!

[Just_Vote_Dem]

15. K&R

Thanks George, great article

[Scurrilous]

17. Excellent article.

'In sum Sanders, his campaign, and too many of his followers embraced an electoral strategy premised on magical thinking.'

Magic fairy dust revolution? LOL

That magical thinking was evident when they spent a week or so spamming 'Biden senile' then went into the debate thinking Bernie would trounce, bounce, and then win today because 'Biden senile.' They bought their own magical thinking. Suckered themselves.


Magical thinking presents: Very Strong Decisive Victory Win. Also, Surge (Polls Rising).

[Cha]

19. smh.. what else can I do?!

Mahalo for that, Scurrilous Stay Safe

[Scurrilous]

20. You too Cha!

[Cha]

21. ..

Mahalo!

[betsuni]

18. That article is exactly true.

[Scurrilous]

22. Yep. Touches on most everything.

"Especially telling was that more non-college whites have turned out in 2020 than in 2016—and most of them have voted for Biden."

There was a major poll in the Independent? Economist? that came out right before Iowa showing Biden in first w/ this group. Bernie paid it no heed. Instead posited himself as the working class hero. Condescending clownery.

[radius777]

23. "Sanders insists that his campaign is winning on the issues

and losing only because primary voters fear that he’s not electable. But this misses the point: Voters fear he’s unelectable because of his positions on the issues."

Excellent article, much respect for the Bullwark, who are anti-Trump Repubs.

Dem voters are overwhelmingly center-left pragmatic people who support safety-net capitalism not socialism or nationalized healthcare that removes private choices. Americans like choice and options, so what works in Europe and other places will never work for us. Why we need to build on Obamacare like Biden wants to.

[George II]

24. Whatever the reason, he can't win the nomination and obviously without that can't be President.