Democratic Primaries

would make Florida a nonstarter for Bernie.

The reality is - if you’re “doing well with young people,” you’re NOT necessarily doing well, if they don’t show up to VOTE. And the reality is - they don’t. Which is a shame.

Who DOES show up to vote? Older people. AND older people of color. Probably because they’ve been around long enough to see, understand, and remember. And it’s the older demographic that “gets” why bringing up Castro is a BIG mistake. They remember the Cuban missile crisis and the “Commie 90 miles off our shores.”

Praising Castro is just stupid. Bringing Castro up in the first place was just stupid. Especially for a self-proclaimed “socialist”! Especially when the very word “socialist” spooks a huge chunk of the public. Lordy, can you say CLUELESS?!?!? And Florida has such a sizeable Cuban demographic - and they remember Castro and not in any positive sense. Is Bernie that stuck in his ivory tower that he does not realize this? That there’s no way you can sell “socialist” and make people warm to it? It’s a labeling thing. One can argue “it’s just a word.” Maybe, but it’s still a fucking LOADED word that evokes some of our most basic fears of totalitarianism that have creeped Amerian ca out for decades. And fears that deep and that visceral take a LONG time to overcome.

It does no good to try to explain about “the issues”. It does no good to try to explain the fine points of what Bernie says we should be doing and enacting as public policy. Nobody has time for that. As has been said before, “if you’re explaining, you’re losing.” We’ve had decades to imprint on, and internalize, the very simple and visceral meme “Socialism = Bad.” And when that impression has had decades to seep all the way into the American bone marrow, it’s a LOSER. And all the “well it SHOULDN’T be” arguments, even while sensible and justifiable, won’t change that. I suspect the demographics who actually show up to vote in Florida will RUN, not walk, to support Biden. I can’t help but suspect that Bernie’s numbers in Florida, if he had any of significance, will head toward the basement.

Campaign Rule Number One: DO NOT hand your opponent free ammo. DO NOT give your opponent ANY opening of ANY size or shape! PERIOD. Bernie, for Pete’s sake, WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING???”