2016 Postmortem

pnwmom

(109,567 posts)

118. Bernie would have been vulnerable on a 2-foot thick folder of issues,

Fri Dec 2, 2016, 02:28 PM

Dec 2016

according to Kurt Eichenwald, the reporter who viewed the opposition research that the RNC had prepared and was dying to use on Bernie in the General campaign, if he got that far.

For example, the bill he authored trying to get Vermont's nuclear waste sited in a rural, heavily hispanic part of Texas. Or his vote against the Amber alert system. In a long, productive career like Hillary's or Bernie's, there will always be votes the other side can use against you. Bernie wasn't the magical exception.

Some people have the fantasy that Hillary was the only vulnerable candidate the Dems could have put forward. Not true. Look what the RNC did to John Kerry, the war hero -- turning him into some sort of coward. When they don't have something on you, they just make it up.

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In the end, Bernie Sanders was right, and what the Democrats need to learn from his campaign. [View all] Yavin4 Dec 2016 OP

Except "Most progressive platform" in decades and the "revolution" failed to show up. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #1

The revolution was DOA leftofcool Dec 2016 #5

lol, the revolution is JUST GETTING STARTED! InAbLuEsTaTe Dec 2016 #126

Just what we need....more unicorn talk. democrank Dec 2016 #7

We tried the moderate position this time around and lost. white_wolf Dec 2016 #18

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #77

Check your ageism. Sanders' ideas are not old fashioned and he appears to be in great shape. JudyM Dec 2016 #109

His ideas are amazing. I voted for him and donated to his campaign. white_wolf Dec 2016 #112

Sanders' star has just begun to rise, now that he has national visibility. He will continue to find JudyM Dec 2016 #116

You got that right! InAbLuEsTaTe Dec 2016 #131

Yes Judy... Bernie is young at heart! Gotta love him!! InAbLuEsTaTe Dec 2016 #127

if "Failed to show up" means getting the 4th most Democratic primary votes in the history of yodermon Dec 2016 #9

THE PRIMARY WAS NOT THE GENERAL ELECTION. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #13

Absolutely. They are unable to see the full picture. JudyM Dec 2016 #22

The "swath" wasn't big enough to win a primary, and that "swath" said fuck you to America... uponit7771 Dec 2016 #25

the swath is a TREND, which mainstream Dems are ignoring for some reason yodermon Dec 2016 #37

This is false on its face by so many empirical indicators, Sanders swath was not even as diverse uponit7771 Dec 2016 #39

I am not interested in a populist message that is a lie.. JHan Dec 2016 #51

+1, more people like you and me than those who believed in unicorn solutions uponit7771 Dec 2016 #64

You are right about the distraction... sfwriter Dec 2016 #80

#1, don't nominate a candidate who spends a year BlueProgressive Dec 2016 #94

Every time gop-lite dems lose, they lash out and blame mainstream liberals, who dionysus Dec 2016 #56

Bingo.. disillusioned73 Dec 2016 #101

Thank you. Tarheel_Dem Dec 2016 #49

You clappin in my ear teyin to make me deaf? That's it! Put up yer dukes! dionysus Dec 2016 #59

Hey dion. You're back! And in fightin' form I see. I've missed you. Tarheel_Dem Dec 2016 #60

I moved home to help dad the last few years when he was dying of cancer. My heart just dionysus Dec 2016 #61

Sorry about your dad. Been there, done that with both parents. It takes time. Tarheel_Dem Dec 2016 #62

What youre calling "far left" used to be mainstream liberal. You guys keep moving dionysus Dec 2016 #55

Take away late voter registration, selective co-opting, faux DNC scandals, etc... TheBlackAdder Dec 2016 #76

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #110

Pack a bag then. nt BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #111

There it is. Oakenshield Dec 2016 #130

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #134

In the end? Bernie was right about everything from the very beginning! putitinD Dec 2016 #2

Yes, he was. potone Dec 2016 #10

Rally size and hypothetical match-up polling mean next to nothing. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #12

Yeah at least Bernie didn't brag about grabbing women by the p***y yodermon Dec 2016 #17

It meant nothing to Trump supporters. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #87

Neither does "it's her turn." JudyM Dec 2016 #23

You know I never heard anyone use that as a rallying cry for HRC. Nor did I ever hear HRC say it. Fla Dem Dec 2016 #24

You can't be serious! She was denied in'08, etc etc... JudyM Dec 2016 #36

So what, show me where she used it as a reason for voting for her? Fla Dem Dec 2016 #43

I'm not the least bit interested in looking up her old quotes, that's ridiculous. So if that makes JudyM Dec 2016 #66

Never heard anyone say "It's her turn" other than alleged Bernie supporters. emulatorloo Dec 2016 #47

Well it's Bernie's turn now! Go Bernie! InAbLuEsTaTe Dec 2016 #132

He was un-electable. He lost the primary election. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #14

Primaries are closed to independents.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #32

22 states have open primaries. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #45

That unjustified smug superiority is part of the problem.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #72

Again, know your history. Bernie won Wisconsin's primary with Republican votes. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #98

I have a right to be smug. Bernie would have beat Trump. Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #106

"Hey Norm, if the moon were made out of cheese, would you eat it?" BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #107

It's not just ME saying that. Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #108

Most independents are party loyalists. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #90

Here in Vegas that caucuses were a joke.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #92

Your theory is bernie was unelectable. What's fact is Hillary actually WAS dionysus Dec 2016 #58

She lost but that doesn't mean she was unelectable. Garrett78 Dec 2016 #91

Point is if she was so good it shouldn't have been close! dionysus Dec 2016 #93

He was not right about Cornell West so this is false on its face uponit7771 Dec 2016 #26

You think that is what Donald Trump offers and that is why he won? OMG.. boston bean Dec 2016 #3

Oh FFS! leftofcool Dec 2016 #4

I was surprised that Schumer was very positive speaking of Bernie & his ideas for outreach think Dec 2016 #6

Why don't you do a little research on all the candidates the Bernie revolution supported Fresh_Start Dec 2016 #8

here's some research killbotfactory Dec 2016 #11

Thanks for posting /nt think Dec 2016 #15

That appears to be a list of people who won state-level office in mostly-blue states. BobbyDrake Dec 2016 #16

Not bad! white_wolf Dec 2016 #19

Wow. Is this 1996. BainsBane Dec 2016 #20

Some old shit ismnotwasm Dec 2016 #21

Yeap, I don't believe some of this bullshit that is posted here. There was NOTHING about Clinton tha uponit7771 Dec 2016 #28

Her staff didn't run her 3rd way, they ran a litany of "hits" that didn't form a positive plan. jake335544 Dec 2016 #50

We need to learn not to let non democrats run in our primaries bravenak Dec 2016 #27

and keep running even after they've lost. grossproffit Dec 2016 #67

As a former Bernie supporter, when did you come to that conclusion? JCanete Dec 2016 #113

When I saw how he had no skin in the game and tore down our party bravenak Dec 2016 #122

Is the party still what its about? I'm not interested in rooting for the home team, I'm interested JCanete Dec 2016 #124

This is party politics. bravenak Dec 2016 #125

well I spoke to party politics in my post, and the strategy you advocate. nt JCanete Dec 2016 #129

I would mention that Sanders no longer calls himself a Democrat. stopbush Dec 2016 #29

I disagree completely...and Bernie could not even win a primary so we don't need to take advice Demsrule86 Dec 2016 #30

Also we had the most progressive platform in my memory...but Demsrule86 Dec 2016 #31

Polling showed that the vast majority of Sanders supporters voted for Clinton. eom guillaumeb Dec 2016 #44

In a close election...the ones who didn't could have made the difference. Demsrule86 Dec 2016 #96

Very possible. guillaumeb Dec 2016 #103

No one reads the platform jake335544 Dec 2016 #78

I know that, but we had a divisive battle about it...didn't we? Demsrule86 Dec 2016 #95

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #84

Thank goodness we still have Hillary supporters to deal with posts like this.... Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2016 #33

Bernie should be challenged. Especially by his own supporters nt NWCorona Dec 2016 #42

A New Deal Part 2? guillaumeb Dec 2016 #34

Exactly. Give the people a list of how your policies will improve their lives. Yavin4 Dec 2016 #35

And, as Trump's campaign showed, slogans can be effective. guillaumeb Dec 2016 #38

Speak in broad policy terms like both Bernie and Trump did. Yavin4 Dec 2016 #40

Agreed. And this should be done starting very early next year to lay the groundwork for 2018 and to guillaumeb Dec 2016 #41

Yes, this is why Russ Feingold and Zephyr Teachout won in big landslides! emulatorloo Dec 2016 #46

I'm happy Teachout lost... /sarcasm jake335544 Dec 2016 #48

Yes, Sanders was right when he said that "Hillary on her worst day is an infinitely better lapucelle Dec 2016 #52

Big ideas definitely needed; elleng Dec 2016 #53

Free tuition and I cannot remember what else Sanders was campaigning for Kolesar Dec 2016 #54

So if he knows what the problem is, why did he lose the Democratic primary by 3 million? (nt) ehrnst Dec 2016 #57

the miscalculation... djsunyc Dec 2016 #63

Lesson #1 - At Rallies "Lock Her/Him Up" Chants Work otohara Dec 2016 #65

Democrats all over need to start advocating tuition-free college. Tatiana Dec 2016 #68

Yep. And Lowering the debt burden of student loans. Yavin4 Dec 2016 #69

He was right about the angst many in our country feel agalisgv Dec 2016 #70

No, and no. nt stevenleser Dec 2016 #71

Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #73

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2016 #74

McGovern 2020! go further left after GOP ascendancy! TuslaUltra Dec 2016 #75

Humphrey's team literally campaigned for Nixon... Should we go further than Bernie or Bust tactics? jake335544 Dec 2016 #81

Because the party's move ever further to the right over the last 35 years has served us so well nt dflprincess Dec 2016 #86

So true... the country has moved right...they elected fascist Reagan/Trump Demsrule86 Dec 2016 #97

It's going to take a lot of fighting to survive Trump! Joe941 Dec 2016 #99

Correct Cosmocat Dec 2016 #120

Dare to be great. HassleCat Dec 2016 #79

Bernie inadvertently helped Trump, paving the way for him pnwmom Dec 2016 #82

Unforgivable otohara Dec 2016 #83

I've noticed that. He never changes. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #85

Hillary inadvertently helped Trump by being vulnerable on all these issues, and being mealy mouthed JCanete Dec 2016 #115

Bernie would have been vulnerable on a 2-foot thick folder of issues, pnwmom Dec 2016 #118

comment on that Eichenwald tweet already. That was like out of the Trump playbook. JCanete Dec 2016 #119

No, you didn't. I wasn't referring to a tweet. pnwmom Dec 2016 #135

why would you come back at me with the nonsense that I thought Bernie would have been our savior? JCanete Dec 2016 #136

Correct Cosmocat Dec 2016 #121

I think Bernie's big ideas combined with a young charismatic candidate andym Dec 2016 #88

If sanders was right, zephyr teachout and La Lioness Priyanka Dec 2016 #89

This is true. I think Sanders is pushing for the right things, but that doesn't mean JCanete Dec 2016 #128

I'm glad you had the guts to say it. Joe941 Dec 2016 #100

One could also argue that the BS voters decided to burn the country to the ground than get some... liberal N proud Dec 2016 #102

He wasn't just right "in the end," but was right all along. Orsino Dec 2016 #104

No reason these programs couldn't have been done except kacekwl Dec 2016 #105

Despite Sanders losing in the primary? LiberalFighter Dec 2016 #114

He was a no-name candidate nationally before he ran. killbotfactory Dec 2016 #117

NO. About 80,000 voters too many in 3 states wanted to believe LIES. Persondem Dec 2016 #123

Big unabashed, progressive, policy proposals sounds great. Eko Dec 2016 #133

You don't worry about getting them through. Yavin4 Dec 2016 #138

K&R SMC22307 Dec 2016 #137

This kind of thinking is such a joke. stevenleser Dec 2016 #139