The value of a contested Democratic primary
I think it’s great that Sanders is giving Clinton a run for her money. It couldn’t happen to a nicer or more deserving woman.
However, it’s one of those “be careful what you wish for” things. I think this country has gone far enough to the left that, if Sanders were to actually be nominated, he has a chance of winning the whole shebang. And although I would say that he’s a contrast to Clinton in terms of honesty, he’s still a leftist and would be a disaster in that sense.
But I do see great value in the fact that Clinton voters will have to fight Sanders voters, and that therefore Democrats will be motivated to vote in their own primary rather than cross over to mess up the Republican primary even more than it’s already messed up. When there’s an incumbent (for example, in 2012) that’s not true, and with the open or semi-open primary rules of so many states, you can get a lot of Democrats voting in the Republican primaries in order to help what they consider the weaker candidate to win. Originally, when the Clinton nomination seemed like a cakewalk, I was afraid there would be a great deal of that sort of thing, but now I think it will be minimal, at least in Iowa and New Hampshire where Sanders seems strong.
I’m doubtful that at this time, an unrepentant socialist like Sanders is electable. If Hillary does go down, I think it likely that Biden will allow himself to be advanced as Hillary’s replacement.
A Biden/Warren ticket is arguably, a winner.
Bernie is going to have trouble with blacks and hispanics. Same would be true if he somehow won the nomination. Most people in this country still do not ascribe to socialist principles. Bernie has a huge following with younger voters, who tend to be more easily influenced and idealistic. I’m not worried about Bernie.
What I am worried about is a new Dem jumping into the race who gets to skip all of these stuff and slides right into position to take the nomination. If Hillary is indicted, the Democratic Convention would be interesting. Would that be a chance for a brokered Dem convention? Just wondering.
Biden has been talking an awful lot lately about his regret in not running, and putting some positive words out there for Bernie, which I find interesting.
Yes, a Biden/Warren ticket is a real threat, especially with bho campaigning for the ticket on the national debt dime, crisscrossing the 57 states on AF1. I wish to note that I predicted this would be the ticket many full moons ago. Hrc is toast and bho has the toaster on the burn setting.
“At Alton, Illinois, during the last of the “great debates” with Douglas, Lincoln told a story that illustrated how he felt about a political feud that was currently raging between Democratic senator Douglas and the head of the Democratic Party. He said he felt like the old woman that, not knowing who was going to win a brawl between her husband and a bear, decided to cheer for both of them: “Go it husband, go it bear!””
Oh yeah,…
Great American History – Lincoln’s Humor
Let’s be very clear about a few things:
– Sanders is a self-proclaimed socialist, the only one in the Senate. His Liberty Score at Conservative Review is !5%.
– Did you know that Sanders has, by far, one of the two highest scores for the non-Republicans in the Senate? Most of the “Democrats” don’t approach 10%. Does that not make them outright Communists, or totalitarians/statists? Calling them “Democrats” allows them to dishonestly claim the mantra of the party of Scoop Jackson and Joe Lieberman as “liberals” who actually loved their country. It’s how they keep the reflexive vote of millions of low info people who don’t know how far left they’ve gone since 1972.
– If Sanders at 15% is a Socialist, what does that say about Republican Senators Murkowski (18%) and Collins (14%) or Alexander (21%).
– Only 8-9 Republican Senators get passing grades (70%), and 4 of those just barely.
I’ve stopped referring to the “Democrat” Party. Whenever possible, I only use “far left”, “leftists” and “Marxists” now.
— Sanders is a self-proclaimed socialist, the only one in the Senate. His Liberty Score at Conservative Review is 15%., not !5%.
Yeah, I know what you mean about be careful what you wish for. Part of me wants to send Bernie $5 to help against Hillary. (of course that would only help in the number of small donors category) But then I might feel stupid if he won. But then again, my dream match-up is Sanders v Cruz. Give America a clear choice.
All week long, Sean Hannity has been reporting on his radio show that he has high-level sources in the FBI saying that Hillary WILL be indicted. Possible in two to four weeks. And his sources, he says, are multiple high-level FBI sources.
He says that this behind the scenes story is the one that drove last weekend’s Biden regrets not getting into-the-campaign story.
Say what you will about this info, it has the merit of coherence, a time-frame, as well as back-chatter. Namely, the idea that if pol appointees kill a Hillary indictment, then there will be some kind of mass or high-level resignations to convey disgust and illegitimacy.
So, given my last post, what’s the scenario?
Will Hillary be pressured to resign? Will the super-delegates become party appointments for a Biden candidacy? Will Warren be the token woman Veep to smooth the way for a transition?
Will the Clintonistas fight this tooth-and-nail? THIS could get astonishingly interesting, soon.
Having a real contest on the democrat side will help here in Washington State. We have an open primary and the dems often cross over to vote for the R they would most like to run against. Bernie is very close to the normal politics of the democrats in King County (Seattle – Which now has an avowed socialist on the city council.). He might give HRC a run for her money here.
Nothing stops a lot of the Dims from voting early AND often; I can’t see a little technicality like ‘not being cricket to vote in both primaries’ stopping them. And the Repubs are so limp-wristed about their relentless fraud and Cheating that they almost never call them on it.
So, anyway. But it would be good to see a Dimwit Gotterdammerung. Get out the popcorn.
The Left does not want to win this election. They’re in it for the long game. It’s time to step back and deflect blame for the mess they’ve made.
“he’s still a leftist and would be a disaster in that sense”
I will not disagree with that, Neo, but Bernie Sanders would be a disaster in more senses than that.
This guy is a small-town mayor who suffers the Affliction of the Senate — believing that belonging to the world’s most exclusive debating society makes him qualified for the highest office in the land. We’ve seen over the past seven years how well that worked out.
If Texas Governor Gregg Abbott is successful in his call for a Constitutional Convention, I hope someone will add to his proposed list of amendments one that prevents Senators from running for president unless they have executive experience. I know it won’t pass the Senate, but really folks, you don’t have the qualifications.
Someday soon, a clever Republican is going to push Hillary further under the water by focusing attacks on Sanders, showing that he considers her finished and Bernie the front-runner. And everyone keep those Creepy Uncle Joe posters saved to desktop, because we may indeed need them soon.
goekstr, my look at those numbers suggests that Sanders is socialist but not always liberal. It’s something that is seen in Europe more than here. Bernie doesn’t reason all that well*, but he’s got some ability to stick to what he thinks and keep fighting.
*I’m still reeling from his “Is the economy rigged?” ads. “Well, some people are really, really rich and others aren’t!” He’s not just saying that to manipulate voters, it’s what he really thinks. But in no place does he walk us through how he thinks B proves A. He just thinks it’s obvious. Very primitive, almost hunter-gatherer approach to wealth.