Hopefully the Superdelegates don`t get to steal Bernie`s primary win again at the Dem Convention. Last time HRC was given 600 Superdelegate votes before the Primaries started by Wasserman-Shultz (DNC chair).
Yes, HRC won 3 million more primary votes than Bernie in 2016 but these were meaningless votes in ALL Red states that would NEVER deliver a single Electoral College vote to the Dem candidate.
This time HRC shut up vs announcing that "Nobody likes Bernie & that he has never accomplished anything" as you did this month. He campaigned for you & you did not campaign for Obama when you lost to him in 2008. It is You that could not name a single accomplishment as Sec. of State. Kerry did great work when he took over eg. The Iran Nuclear Deal.
1
There are approximately 700,000 registered democrats in Nevada. Less than 7000 participated in the caucus. Not a good sign..
His nomination means nothing without majorities in Congress. So...slow down Dems. Nothing gets done without legislative power.
4
I hope with all my heart that Bernie and Elizabeth decide to do it together- that they join forces and lead our country together.
3
A commenter likes Denmark:
"... other sources often mention the “socialist” programs in Denmark. People are ... happy and thriving as a result of those programs."
My son spent several months in Copenhagen a few years back, living with some Danish students. Denmark pays the tuition, room and board of any student who wants to go to college. Some students don't really want to, as my son learned, but they do so anyway because it's free. Not so sure I'd like the US to end up like that. I'm in favor of shifting government spending away from "forever wars" and toward "health care," but I don't like the thought of burdening middle class (or any) US taxpayers with the cost of "free college for all."
Not that it matters, since Bernie Sanders' odds of winning in November are about the same as a snowball's odds in hell, but I'd like to see him pick one "free" benefit -- health care -- and forget about the others, such as free college.
3
@Commenter Denmark not only has the highest price for electricity, but is also a major oil/gas exporter and the revenue helps pay for the health and other envied social services.
As pressure builds to reduce production of oil/gas; it will reduce revenue and make health care more costly....or am I simplifying the relationship and the lost of fossil fuel money?
1
As the NYT points out:
"At first glance, it may seem contradictory that the nation’s intelligence agencies were telling Congress that President Vladimir V. Putin is presumably striving to get President Trump re-elected, while also warning Senator Bernie Sanders of evidence that he is the Russian president’s favorite Democrat."
Yes, it certainly does seem contradictory, and those who think Trump and Sanders are radically different -- in the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy -- "have some esplainin' to do."
The NYT provides that explanation in another article. Whether or not it succeeds is up to the reader, but the NYT at least gets an "A" for effort. I think Trump would beat Sanders in November, but he'd beat anyone else too, assuming he doesn't get hit by a truck before then. Maybe the Democratic Party should just give it to Bernie this time. In 2016, I was sympathetic to HRC's claim that she beat Bernie for the nomination fair and square, but it's very far from clear that that will be true this time.
Both Sanders and Biden are TOO OLD, but if they both live till November, I'm inclined to think that Sanders should get the nod. Frankly, it's entirely unclear to me what Biden believes, if anything. As best I can tell, he's emphasizing nothing other than that Barack Obama once picked him to be VP. But that emphasis is getting a bit old. Does he actually believe anything? Sanders clearly does, and I give him great credit for that.
2
Trump’s rise to power was sealed when he touched tiger nerves of the common folks by speaking out against the perpetual war and against illegal immigration. He resoundingly defeated Jeb Bush in Bush country. Obama’s rise was also related to his singular claim of not supporting Iraq war .
It is difficult to believe the politicians trying to occupy the White House .
But at least Democrats can raise the awareness level and push the arguments to where it matters- job and living wages, bank QE, printing of m money - money laundering to the rich and connected by the system ,raising the value of the stocks and housing market to the stratosphere stratosphere ,urban blights from drug and violence, foreign lobbying for wars , racial profiling in incarceration prison ,and justice system ,and citizenry’s concerns about traditional values ( without undermining the rights of the minorities of faith color or sexual orientation ). May be we will start having real discussion .May be sooner rather later some of these will be achieved without revolution .
1
Bernie Sanders is NOT going to be elected:
"My concern has been whether [Bernie] can work with people... I have heard differently from an in-government source. He ... has to first get elected and then deftly work Congress ..."
The real question is whether the Democratic Party should run a Joe Biden and lose, or run a Bernie Sanders and lose. In the latter case, Bernie will at least get across Democratic Party principles, whereas I'm not sure Biden HAS any principles to get across. I do think that running Bernie Sanders may ruin the DP forever, but I can't see that running Biden (or Buttigieg, Klobuchar, or any other "moderate") will do anything but permanently demote the DP to minority-party status. In other words, is it better to go out in a blaze of glory, or simply whimper one's way out?
1
It all depends on what's a "right" and what's a "privilege:"
"Socialism as a message may resonate among a subset of Democrat voters, but not through the entire country."
For reasons that escape me, forever wars are considered a "right" that we all pay dearly for, while health care is considered a "privilege." I'd like to see us spend much less on Mideast wars and much more on health care. I'm no socialist, but I do think we need to change our priorities drastically for government spending.
3
Cheap shot?
From another NYT article:
"Mr. Trump and Mr. Sanders ... are backed by supporters known more for their passion than their policy rigor, which makes them ripe for exploitation by Russian trolls ... "
I doubt that Bernie can beat Trump, but I sure think his ideas are clear. As "A Common Man" points out by his pointed question, in a "NYT Pick comment, the "policy rigor" of Democratic moderates is not so clear. I doubt many would say this of Sanders: One may or may not like what he has to say, but he's been quite clear in saying it.
2
Listen - I’m as anti-Trump as anyone. And Bernie beats a worthy drum on all counts. My concern has been whether he can work with people and be conciliatory. I have heard differently from an in-government source. He can preach revolution but to make it happen he has to first get elected and then deftly work Congress and a potentially more resistant Senate - in the best of that back-slapping, manipulative LBJ style. Other questions of mine have surfaced: what is the real estimated taxpayer cost of universal healthcare(I don’t think we honestly know); do we really need to forgive the student debt of kids from wealthy families?; what ultimately happens to health insurance industry jobs when we move to government run healthcare? No worries, I’ll still vote for the guy. Just curious...
1
Jonathan Martin: I read most of your article. As with others you’ve written about Sanders, you make clear that you want the old status quo to remain in place. Your quote from Buttigieg and the “fatal mistake” quote from the Bloomberg campaign are not masking your or their conservative views—let’s continue the immoral hierarchical systems that have been in place for thousands of years—reward the few at the expense of the many.
Robbing hard-working people of the profits they produce has never been moral. Sanders voters are demonstrating that they are finally ready for an attempt at equality. But you and your ilk want to maintain your privileges and arrogant self-delusions of superiority. If that system prevails, capitalist greed will destroy the planet and you’ll have only yourselves and the slanted conservative propaganda “newspapers” (including the NY Times) to blame.
@Anne Olshansky
One thing you can count on from Bernie Sanders and his positions, is equality. But what his equality means, just like in every socialist experiment, the equality of misery despair shortages and stagnation.
3
@Mitchell myrin
If you study history, current and past, you will learn that your notion of paying for equality with misery is incorrect.
Sanders and other sources often mention the “socialist” programs in Denmark. People are doing very well in that country and are happy and thriving as a result of those programs. Read about it and liberate yourself from the immoral propaganda and lies we have been assaulted by for centuries. (Well, if you are rich, you’d like it all to continue, and to keep deluding yourself that for some reason you “deserve” all that stolen $$$.)
1
Bernie Sanders is the most left wing candidate for president in my lifetime, and I am 67. He is far to the left of McGovern and Mondale. Liberals here at the New York Times, and especially on the coasts do not understand that our country is not a progressive one. It is not a center left one either As a Republican I am thrilled that Bernie is doing well. I still expect the DNC and super delegates to take it away from him in Milwaukee. I hope not, because a Bernie candidacy in the general election will guarantee a 40 state land slide that will force miss Pelosi into retirement.
2
Blow the whistle. Jump start. Runner BS beat the gun.
Think folks. Do not let the media start a stampede.
National Population Ranking - By state -- 2020
Iowa - #31 Nevada -#32 New Hampshire #42
% of US Population - Iowa - .95% Nevada - .94%
New Hampshire - .41% 3 combined = 2.31% Do your homework. Rely on your brain and your heart. Vladimir won in 2016, America lost. Never again. Polls are not ballots!! VOTE!! Dump Trump. Flip the Senate. Take our country back.
1
"You take Bernie to Trump. Or better still, take Warren to Trump."
Warren would do better against Trump than Bernie would do. Either would lose, at this point, but Warren would do better (she's younger and brighter), and she might win. Bernie would lose for sure.
5
What does the moderate wing of Democratic Party stand for? Do you have any clear idea? Please tell me, because I don't.
Mayor Pete is a moderate. Job Biden is a moderate. What do they stand for. I don't know.
I know where Democrats stand. They stand with people like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. They stand for universal health care, protecting the consumer, ensuring children go to college for a fair price.
Hillary Clinton lost because her platform was, "It is my time." Now we have Biden who is Jeb Bush of Democrats in 2020. Mayor Pete is Marco Rubio. They don't stand a chance against Trump.
You don't take a knife to a gunfight. You take Bernie to Trump. Or better still, take Warren to Trump.
333
@A Common Man the moderate wing of the Democratic Party stands for corporate $$$ and forever wars.
37
@A Common Man You state a number of things that are so true. After losing the nomination in 2008, HRC was anointed for her turn in 2016--as you put it, "It is my time"--no matter what conditions prevailed in that year. And look what it got us. Even Obama was the right man but for the wrong time. As I've put it, you don't bring a piece of paper to read a brilliant, polite speech at a gun fight.
16
@A Common Man
Great post!
15
Democratic socialism = public schools, fire departments, police departments, public roads, universal healthcare, common defense, environmental protection, worker rights -- you know, all of the things the vast majority of us support.
220
@Gone Coastal And it also means everyone has a right to a home, a lifelong job and a funded college lifestyle in their 20s, regardless whether they take steps to earn those things. It would condemn most of us to being an underclass of equal peasants living in filth, except the 1%. Source: history and economics.
5
@Gone Coastal: We have most of those things WITHOUT Democratic socialism.
5
@Gone Coastal - So true!
And the rest of the civilized world already has!
Now, it's our turn to have it!
2
Research shows that in the key battleground states there are a segment of supporters who will only vote for Sanders or Trump. They are against the establishment, due to anger and feeling abandoned by both parties. Nominating Bernie is our only hope to win the WH.
Polling shows that there are enough Sanders--Trump voters in swing states to ensure that no other Democrat can become POTUS. Sanders--Trump voters are like a cyclone, a force of nature that cannot be controlled. Therefore, if you truly want to defeat Donald Trump, there is only one possibility. Democrats must nominate Sanders or lose next November. For details, see swingvotersmatter.us.
It is certainly clear now that many Latino immigrants want socialism in the U.S., which shouldn’t be surprising...it has been tried everywhere else in Latin America.
9
If so then why don’t they want to go to Venezuela or Cuba?
The Democratic establishment have no one to blame except themselves. They have played identity politics against Republicans for years and have created a class of free-loaders who believe their suffering is always somebody's else fault.
Bernie comes along and says that we will just take from those that have and give to those that need, otherwise known as Communism. News flash: we will not give away anything. If they want it, they will have to fight for it. Good luck with that.
19
We want OUR taxes to pay for OUR health care. We don’t trillions every year thrown at a bloated military industrial complex.
We want a small tax on Wall Street transactions so that every young person can have the opportunity to go to community college or vocational school and get a start in life. What’s your objection ?
26
So you’re happy to pay Amazons taxes for them, and pay for food stamps for Wal-Mart workers on behalf the Walton heirs?
1
Stereotype much there JGaltTX? All democrats are free-loaders? Really? Know anything about history, other countries and how they provide for their people fairly and equally? Know the difference between democratic socialism and communism? I thought not.
3
I never thought I’d say this, but I have to donate and vote for Trump to help preserve America. A crowd full of socialists chanting and screaming are about the only sight that could push me in that direction.
15
@DRS
Exactly what is it that you don't like about Bernie's democratic socialism ideology?
We're talking about a thriving free market in conjunction with a humane and comprehensive social safety net, modeled a la Scandinavia.
Sure, the Scandinavians pay higher taxes, but they consistently rank, year after year, as the most content people on the globe.
They feel safe in their communities. They know that getting ill does not mean financial hardship. They know their children well get a quality education. Their elder receive quality care. Their prisons are progressive, humane models of what incarceration and possible rehabilitation can and should look like.
What's your beef with that?
76
We have many “ socialist” programs already in place. I’d rather keep them than risk losing them under a second Trump term.
1
@DRS I thought that was what was happening at Trump rallies.
2
If Bernie wins and passes his agenda paying for my children's health care and education then I will retire the next day. Work is for chumps when the necessities are free and you don't need the money and taxes are that high.
73% Sanders fed rate, plus 13.3 CA rate. Who is gonna work for 13.7 cents on the dollar? Think about this: at that fed rate I could double(!) my after tax income by moving to TX. You can have high Fed rates or State rates, but not both. Sander's plan destroys the blue state model.
12
The voters are speaking loud and clear.
The obstacle to unity is the political class -- the professional pundits, consultants, high elected officials, party officers, and others who get paid well whether the Dems win or lose, whether legislations passes or not -- who are pretty clearly in thrall to the billionaires and corporate donors whose interests are always well represented.
Get on board or get out of the way.
9
@Christopher
So you’re going to drain the swamp again?
A vote for Sanders is a vote for Trump.
15
A vote for Sanders is a vote for Trump.
22
Ohmygod, 3.523 votes for Sanders! A landslide! Obviously, the nomination of Sen. Sanders is not all but assured and his rivals should do the decent thing and bow out of the race!
It's a "triumph", a "burst of momentum", a "major victory", a "triumph" (again), a "landslide victory" - all from the article, and I'm not even beyond the fourth paragraph...
3.523 Americans have spoken. Who needs to hear what the other 3.300.000.000 have to say on the subject?
The only thing more fckd up than the American election system is the way even world class media report the results.
8
@Michael Seriously? Are you even following this thing? 3,523 is the number of county convention delegates. Bernie received 21,864 votes so far, with 40% of the votes still not counted. The American election system is definitely not fair but in this case the media reported the results accurately.
@Michael Ooops, 3 billion Americans is a bit much. But 330.000.000 is still a pretty big number, even if many of them are not of voting age yet...
@Michael Those are not votes (3,523), they are county convention delegates won. Bernie Sanders has now won the popular vote in all 3 primaries and holds a significant lead in delegates over the rest of the field. It is still early in the campaign but not only is Bernie the most popular Democrat in the race so far, his rivals are most notable in their unpopularity with Democrat voters. The current trend is for Bernie to win the Democratic nomination and for Trump to win in November.
2
It's a simple formula. Everything will be free. The rich will pay.
Everyone is a Socialist until they get a good job.
20
@John Doe when only 20% of the population has anything close to what can be considered a 'good job' which I assume means high pay with good benefits and good working conditions, that is an acknowledgement that serious change is needed.
9
@John Doe The rich are robbing all of you too, you will never be part of their club. And nobody ever said anything would be free, nobody.
Bernie has inspired fanatics to show up at the Democratic caucuses and primaries, but these people do not repreent most Americans. Some people made the same argument four year ago about Trump, but I think Bernie's ceiling is lower.
Trump's people can start planning the Inauguration.
2
For you people that aren't Sanders supporters just remember we need the Senate no matter who gets the no.inationin order to get anything done. McConnell has 400 bills he's sitting on! Sanders has goals we may not get to but at least he's aiming in the right direction.
We all need to get behind the eventual nominee and best Trump!
3
The progressive wing has Sanders, Warren is toast. The moderate wing has several choices and will not be able to agree on any one candidate. The nominee will be Sanders and we’ll lose!
2
God love Mayor Pete. Because when Democrats need advice on who to nominate for their party's presidential candidate they need to pay close attention to the informed opinions of the ex-mayor of the 4th largest city in Indiana. THAT guy's in the know.
1
Voters under 45 are the most diverse and liberal in U.S. history. The future is already written folks. Are we gonna do this now or later? Because it's happening.
If Warren isn’t in the top three after Super Tuesday, she should drop out and endorse Bernie.
Way to go Bernie!! A perfect candidate like he is the best hope we have in 2020.
1
Most are off work today... our comments should be getting posted. (I'm 0 for 5 since this morning.)
Im a lifelong Democrat and have voted Democratic in every presidential election since 1980. I want to be very clear here. I will not vote for either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in 2020, even if that means giving Donald Trump four more years. I think they will do more harm to the republic than Trump will and, believe me, that is saying a lot. We need a moderate and I support Michael Bloomberg.
40
@SM
Even if you do not like their policies at least with them we would still have a Democracy - this mean we can always vote and make changes.
Under Donald Trump - it seems like Democracy is at an end because he is unraveling its very foundations and checks and balances - and this is deliberate.
Do you have any doubt that he will call an election where he does not win a "Hoax?"
I also hope Bernie is not the nominee but if he is I think he needs to win big and I will vote for him.
If it gives you any comfort, the only way we can get a senate majority is in some red leaning states -I looked at the Senate map - so if Bernie is the nominee - he won't be doing much of anything
We would need a moderate to lead the ticket to win those seats and win the Senate.
And since climate change can't wait - I hope we get a moderate so we can get things done.
Bernie is being dishonest when he says he can win these red state Senate seats and get a majority
5
@SM Even large part of moderate disagree with you in their vote for Sanders. As an European, i am certainly puzzled by the level of mistrust toward Sanders program.
US is the only first world country stuck on such absurdly expensive and non functional healthcare system. Not even to mention that before the neoliberalism hit the Dems and Republicans went beyond recall, it was seriously considered by parties and presidents from both sides of the aisle.
The Green Deal Sanders is pushing is thoroughly Democratic Party looklike initiative.
Most of his proposals are quite pragmatic in fact and the truth is that return to more viable option of economy will be welcome after the initial severe groaning by the majority of big business. As they know that the current situation is very precarious and the truth is that
the next economical crise which is in making as we speak will probably wipe not only small business, but entire counties at the time.
The utter lack of economic regulations is finally bringing the doom doggedly predicated by economists for the last decades and do you ask your self why the real kings of the wealth today as the techs boys are consensually silent at Sanders rise? Washington post (belonging to Bezos) is in fact one of few major media in US staying civil and reporting basically realistically Sanders campaigning.. As if the current lack of regulations is not brought to heel, the world as we know it might change for something far less pleasant. For all of us.
9
@SM I voted Democratic also beginning in 1980. But the Dems left us behind in the 1990's. I'm voting Sanders or Warren. If they are not on the ticket, I'll vote Green. So there, we cancel each other out.
Medicare for All. Nothing else matters. It's time we join the rest of the developed world and cut out the useless, profit-making middleman whose only purpose is to collect money from us, then deny us care.
8
As a two-time voter for President Obama, I will proudly vote for Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders in the November election.
I will also vote for Warren if it is her. Otherwise I will vote Green.
My one issue is non-profit, universal healthcare. God Bless Bernie.
1090
That is saying you would prefer Trump over anyone but Sanders or Warren, correct? "This is why we can't have nice things," they say...
186
Exactly why Trump is going to win again.
207
Then I hope you enjoy your four more years of Trump
200
When Bernie wins the nomination and then the presidency, it is imperative for Democrats to also win the Senate. With the power hungry, arch-conservative Mitch McConnell in charge of that now discredited body, nothing will change. The Dems need to unify and bring this country into the 21st century.
Extreme inequalities in income, access to health care, and education are having pernicious affects on our fellow citizens and the future of the country. Enough is enough.
I’m not given to conspiracies, but the constant disparaging of Sanders by the media shows how corporations (even apparently liberal ones) exert a powerful drag on this country. The people need to be empowered again not just vent anger. We’ve been pitted against one another and dominated by entitled, wealthy interests for long enough.
Social democracy doesn’t imply draconian measures or communism for goodness sakes - just more fairness, an equitable tax system and placing our primary attention on the common good.
6
Nearly all the comments here are devoid of any analysis of why Sanders’ message resonates with so many Democrats. To those with their heads in the sand, let me let you in on an open secret: universal healthcare, income inequality and climate change are real concerns for voters. Bernie has not only made them central to his campaign, but he addresses them with unmatched clarity and passion. Unless his Democratic opponents can come up with a more compelling message, they will never make up the lost ground. And to those who have already concluded there is no way Sanders can win in the General election, I say just remember 2016. Trump was never supposed to win and look how that turned out. Anything is possible.
6
Bernie Sanders is on fire. He is the only Democratic presidential candidate who can draw the crowds. Does it remind you of someone? President Trump. He can also bring out his supporters. If Bernie Sanders continues this momentum, it looks like he will be the one to win the nomination. It will be Bernie Sanders vs. President Trump. Do you want a socialist country or a democracy. The voters will decide but my guess is that democracy will win out. People do not want the government governing their lives. It has not worked in Cuba or Venezuela and it will never work here. That is for sure.
1
Sorry , but I must ask a question or two . What has Bernie accomplished in the senate? What legislation has he garnered support for & passed ? How will he now do what he has been unable to do in the past? Even if he were elected , how would he pursuade Congress & the courts , when he was either unable to or unwilling to?
Why does he challenge Democratic Party rules when in the game , when he has had a lifetime to make changes?
I am & my family have always been social Democrats.
Bernie cannot say that. Are we going to trade one populist demagogue for another?
7
The DEM drift to the right, especially since Clinton took us right of reagan in 1992, does not move the Center from which left and right are measured. Therefore you cannot honestly call these people, all of whom are in line with or further right than Bill Clinton, Moderates. They are all right wingers. Some of us who are old enough to remember the real DEM Party would say, radical right wingers.
Bernie Sanders is the Moderate, or if you will the Center of the DEM Party from which left and right are measured.
3
People forget that the DNC created superdelegates precisely to stop the next George McGovern (aka Bernie Sanders) from gaining the Democratic Party’s nomination. All moderate Democrats need to do, is deny Bernie a majority of delegates on the first convention ballot. On the second ballot the superdelegates will select a Bloomberg + Hillary ticket. That ticket will likely lose to Trump, but not in a landslide. The money behind the Democratic Party is already focusing on 2024, when a moderate Dem will regain the White House.
Instead of getting so tripped up on Bernie, the person, how about questioning what he represents to these voters? He’s a symbol more than anything else. If you want to understand why he’s surging in the polls talk to his supporters. And it’s not just “Bernie bro’s” that support him, as many commentators seem to think, look around at his supporters. At his rallies, it’s diversity in age, race, gender, and sexual identity.
5
Among the other two thirds of the electorate (i.e. registered Independents and Republicans) it has been reported that there are many who would vote for a Democrat even though they didn't necessarily agree with their policies, simply to get rid of Trump. But there's a limit to how many of those are prepared to hold their noses for Bernie. Most Democrats agree with Bernie's policies in general but to implement policies you first have to get elected. I wish someone would do a poll of registered Independents to find out who is the Democrat most likely to succeed. (Republicans are mostly a lost cause and might tend to choose Bernie and skew the results).
Mr Sanders victory in Nevada signals that he can be the leader of a practical coalition of working people including the tens of millions of people of color, youth, and other marginalized demographics that the DNC and their centrist candidates largely ignore. They are acting as if the Democratic Party were their exclusive club. Buttigieg, in particular yelps that Sanders isn't really a democrat and has an "inflexible ideology", becoming the DNC's favored left-baiter. Sanders is here to tell them that their exclusive club funded by Big Money, is now going to be the home of the Democratic rank and file.
1
I'm seeing history being rewritten, once again, by Sanders supporters who are trying to vilify Democrats.
They pretend Obama could have gotten something more than the ACA done and that things were "squandered" They use GOP talking point and pretend we had a Supermajority ignoring that we had to rely on a independent to caucused with the Dems who was fresh off the campaign trail with McCain and prior to this we were relying on moderate republican votes to even pass the Stimulus.
It is misrepresentations like these and this vilification that makes me wonder about the Russian influence and if the main objective is to destroy and divide the Dem party for the benefit of Trump and the GOP.
We barely were able to pass the ACA and it was a huge accomplishment. If even a public option was added at that time we would not have had the votes.
We only had the Senate for a few months due to the death of Kennedy (who collapsed at Obama's inauguration dinner) and also due to the delay with Frankin and even after all of that we had to rely on Lieberman who caucused with the Democrats to get to a majority! Thus, we had to rely on Lieberman's vote and he was fresh of the campaign trail with McCain and a bit more conservative - even with the stimulus we had to get 2 republicans to get a majority for it to pass and we got three thanks to Joe Biden.
Nothing was squandered .
4
Sanders is 78, he has no friends in the Senate and he has not done anything in his past. What makes all these people think he can suddenly change the world?
I have cancelled all my subscriptions and cable TV , I am also 78, I will allow myself to be surprised but my guess is it will be 1933 in Germany all over again.
3
Unfortunately it won't matter how much change is desired while the Senate is controlled by the Republican party. And there is no way that Democrats will regain the Senate with Bernie Sanders as the nominee. They may even lose the House as well. How impactful will Sander's policies be as president with two other branches of government completely against him for the next two years? The smart option should be to elect a moderate who leans left on some issues and who will try to make incremental changes. Then once the country sees that Democratic change isn't as scary they may be ready for a Sanders type revolution. Right now is not the time for a major political change or shift because it's not needed to remove Trump. Remember most of the country will not see a need for a major radical change this November because for the most part the economy is doing well. Most of the country knows that Trump is bad and they will vote him out as long as there is a viable alternative to him. The Democratic party just needs to shift things back to a normal that will keep the country moving forward without driving everything all the way to the other extreme. For the most part people don't except change very quickly unless there is a dramatic event of some kind. The country may have been more open to a Sanders presidency years ago after the subprime mortgage crisis. It will be a hard sell to tell most voters in America that the only other option to Trump is socialism.
2
The pols do not reflect the results from voters - yes Sanders tops the list but Pete B is a close second - media continues to try to promote Warren and Amy who languish begins d the leaders.
1
I believe everyone over 65 has tales of their entrapment in an ever more complex health care industry, which welcomes their pent up health needs.
Once you get on MEDICARE, the sky's the limit and you deal with every thing bothering you. And then aging catches up and you break a leg hiking or a spouse falls and needs a partial hip replacement or has an undefinable motion disorder. Scans, specialists, etc.
We now have weekly visits and checkups and don't bother adding up the bills. Prescription drugs are the least costly; try a hospital transport for 500$ + or occupational therapy or a rehab. facility for two weeks.
We now have over 11 physicians providing services....G.P for a network, cardiologist, urologist, oncologist, Orthopedic surgeon, foot & ankle specialist, audiologist, optomologists(2) and an audiology Neurologist. Under them are various physician assistants who do the work. Then you have various dentists like extractionists who prep. you from implants, and dentists who make the replacement teeth. These are out of pocket costs...4 teeth at $5,000 each, out of pocket.
The vision of a family physician is long gone, and the network providers are dominate. There are so many nets run by hospitals and others in Maine that they compete for your business and if you aren't careful you will be shunted to their provider network.
As it gets more sophisticated and the technology more complex, the costs are soaring and there is no end to it.
Maybe by now I am hyper-sensitive to media denigration of Bernie Sanders. That being said, I must observe that all I have read at the NYT so far this morning about Bernie's lead for the Democratic nomination only reinforces my perception of Bernie Bias.
Just in this one piece, the wording focuses on how the other Democratic nomination hopefuls are focusing on finding a way to win against Bernie, instead of maybe addressing how Trump is of questionable sanity, a threat to the world, and the need to defeat Trump by electing ANY Democrat to go to the White House in January 2021.
May I humbly suggest that those who want Trump out of the White House pull together to remove him, instead of against any Democrat that will be nominated? Those who claim to want Trump out of the White House but say they will only vote for a Democrat if their guy/gal is nominated are talking out of both sides of their mouths. Trump is a dire threat to our world! He must be replaced and anyone would be better than him.
Biden's adaptation of slang by using terms such as "Y'all" and "ain't" is clearly a ploy to get support in Southern states.
Mayor Pete must not know that just about a week ago, Bernie sent out a message to his supporters asking for donations that would be split out and spread down ballot.
Liz's uncharacteristic joke seems pretty desperate to me.
I support Bernie Sanders but will vote for any Democrat that is on the ballot come November.
Trump must be booted out - he is dangerous.
4
It's funny how Bernie supporters constantly scream "Rigged"! each time Bernie doesn't win, but when he does win with what I consider to be a highly suspect margin, all of a sudden Bernie people think the process is totally legitimate...
3
Bernie Sanders can win the caucuses, probably win the Democratic nomination but can he win the presidency? When he appears in debates against President Trump, President Trump will chew him up and spit him out. He did this against all his opposing rivals in 2016 and is an expert at this. President Trump will frighten the voters as to the extreme positions that Bernie Sanders is proposing. He will stress over and over again just how radical Bernie Sanders is and his policies are not sustainable and will ruin our democracy. Bernie Sanders is having a good run but it will end once he is held accountable for his way out policies. President Trump will no doubt see to this. Bernie Sanders should enjoy his positive showing now because it will not last when November 2020 rolls around. Trump 2020 is what will occur.
1
A lot of folks who seem to be Trump supporters are really upset by Sanders's win on these message boards. I think they are scared. They should be. This is the continuation of the backlash against the criminal Trump.
6
If Bernie wins the nomination, Trump will get reelected. Even Putin is clear about that.
2
There couldn’t be a better gift to Trump than the GOP having Bernie the socialistic-communist running against Trump. Trump may win re-election in a landslide. the only one’s who will be voting for Bernie will be leftist dreamers and out of touch flower children. Trump 2020.
1
None of this makes sense. Bernie got a few thousand votes. Now that's a landslide?
2
Free stuff and class warfare is, apparently, a potent combination.
2
Putin was celebrating last night. If by some miracle (and it would be an engineered miracle) Sanders gets the democratic nomination, the only winner is authoritarianism. Putin knows that, that is why once again he is throwing his lot with the Bern. And if Bernie's supporters think he is just naïve and doesn't realize that Putin is assisting him with disinformation, well Bernie and Trump have some nice bridges to sell the fools.
2
The corporate and 1% ownership class seem to be most fearful of being "Berned". Their knee jerk response is always to pay the MSM hacks some more wampum for a stories with ulterior motives. (Bernie is a Putin fav)
A world where Bernie is elected and his cabinet is filled graciously with people who's brains and hearts are actually in working order is a huge affront to the corporate "Citizens United" crowd.
The thing the "Theys" should fear most is this isn't over with election.... This is a movement that is just beginning to define itself and gaining momentum. An active nervous system is forming where the head and toe parts are on a more equal footing. It will walk the walk and talk the talk... "if we can keep it"
2
Mayor Pete is starting to get on my nerves. He is writing the script for online Russian trolls, if Bernie does win the nomination.
3
Please stop whining about the media's treatment of Sanders. It's not as though they'll ever secretly spy on his campaign, investigate him for collusion with Russia and impeach him, right? Until that happens, it's kid glove handling.
3
This is a watershed event. The democratic establishment is breaking down before our eyes. America's "have nots" now have more to hope for! The establishment's mechanisms of public management are becoming sloppy and spinning free. Just look at this forum, only 6 of the top 20 Readers Picks are NYT Picks (usually it's twice this)... and these 6 are pro-Sanders comments (how weird is this?) These numbers do not lie. The corrupt methods that the establishment has used to manipulate public opinion are coming undone. When the people rise against this establishment - using even their own corrupt instruments, like State Delegate Equivalents - the game is over and real change will happen... finally. (And maybe most of my comments in these forums will finally get posted instead of blocked.)
1
This Trump voter shouts an enthusiastic "Go Bernie!".
3
It was a caucus. They are ridiculous. I eagerly await a full vetting of this power hungry little man.
2
Just so tired of the “moderate wing.”
3
Frankly it’s going to be a struggle for Bernie to implement any of his well intentioned plans, and if he wins, he’s doomed to fail. Medicare for all is unrealistic. It’s funny that comparisons are made with Denmark by Bernie. That is a country of just over 5 million people where over 80 percent of healthcare provision is in the public sector. For a country as larger and diverse as the US with each state having its own health system, trying to implement this one size fits all plan with ballooning budgets is set to fail. Other countries that Bernie and John Oliver in his recent episode alluded to such as the UK have significant challenges with the current state of the NHS, where despite good quality care and financial access, the waiting times are really long and have gotten worse along with rising, unsustainable budgets. There’s growing private insurance in the UK with the set up of Schoen Clinic, Germany and Cleveland Clinic setting up a new hospital.
Australia, another eg of Medicare for all, now has 54 percent of the population with private insurance over and above social insurance to mitigate long waiting times and to ensure patient choice of physician. Netherlands & Germany use an insurance based model i.e. managed competition, which is more effective. In all honesty Joe Biden has the best plan and best chance of success to enhance Obamacare and address the challenges in healthcare in a manner that’s realistic and palatable.
4
The platform presented by Senator Sanders might be attractive to many. There is no doubt that the programs he promotes are are ambitious and attractive. However, are they realistic, and if so, can they be implemented without enabling legislation?
The simple fact is, the magnitude of the structural reorientation advocated by the Sanders campaign will not occur unless passed into law by Congress. While the House of Representatives is currently controlled by the Democrats, the Senate remains in the firm grip of Republican Mitchell McConnell.
Selection of Senator Sanders as the Democratic nominee all but assures the re- election of Trump as President. It also practically guarantees that Republicans will continue to control the Senate. In addition, a Democratic Party headed by Sanders probably will result in Democrats not being able to maintain control of House. maintain.
There is no doubt that major changes are needed in the American health care system. However, the coming election is too important to take the risk of continuing the Trump Presidency and McConnell Senate.
However, if elected can be govern? The 2020 election is not simply about who will serve as POTUS for the next four years.
In order to govern effectively, next President must have a a President must have a Senate and House
3
About 550,000 people across three state have been involved in two caucuses and one primary and Sanders is seen as the anointed candidate - 170,000 in Iowa, about 295,000 in New Hamphire and about 70,000 in Nevada.
This is the problem with the system of choosing our candidates.
Maybe Sanders is the best choice, but the system basically gives millions of Democrats no say whatsoever in the selection process.
4
This is 60 percent of the vote, with 46 percent of that going to Sanders, for a total of 41 possible delegates. He also won 11 delegates' votes in Iowa (one less than Buttigieg) A candidate needs 1,991 delegates' votes to win the nomination. Isn't it a little early to be canonizing Sanders as the Democratic nominee?
12
@Piri Halasz it’s called “Clickbait”. Welcome to the for-profit news outlets.
1
The US has gone mad. On the right people cheer a serial lier, white supremacist, and narcissist. On the left we support an octogenarian whose faculty is impaired and spews anger against his capitalistic opponents. I suppose there was always the question how democracy can survive mass folly.We will see over the next decade.
10
@Jzu
Septaugenarian who cares.
1
So, in a center-right country, we may have a choice in November between a socialist and a fascist? I know for whom I’ll be voting: neither. Great job, America.
5
We had a moderate last time, did the "I vote with my principles" people help us then. I'd like to remind you that Trump dismissed Russian interference in our election whereas the "the marxist" told them to stay out, and if he wins, he'll keep them out. Tell me, which one is better fir America in the long term?
3
@David voters under 45 are the most liberal in US history. ain't gonna be a center-right country for much longer is it? the future is already won--that's the good news, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
3
If you told me 4 years ago that someone with zero government experience who brags about grabbing female’s genitalia with immunity and makes silly promises like Mexico will pay for a wall they don’t even want would win- I would think you’re delusional.
And then we elected him.
The economy or rather “the stock market” has made me wealthy. I’m not the norm. Most Americans are hurting which is why Trump got elected in the first place. Since Trump has been president he’s done little to zip for the down and out lower middle class that elected him.
Trump will be defeated and Bernie Sanders will Be our next president.
13
Senator Sanders does represent the moderate/FDR wing of the Democratic Party, NYT. Your political scale is off. Ms. Warren also. The others are the right wing/neoliberal wing.
14
@Eugene Debs
Let's not pretend that FDR-like changes would represent the "moderate wing'. (Actually, there's no such thing as a moderate "wing".) The people - especially those beyond the Democratic party - want MAJOR change and Bernie is going to give it to them! Ms. Warren intimated to the media and party insiders that she wants a "revival", not a political "revolution". That was her undoing. After all, everyone wants THAT... even Hillary wanted that. If Warren wanted substantial progressive reform she would have likely endorsed Bernie in 2016 before Mass./super Tuesday when it would have been huge. (Instead we got faux endorsement/NYT page trickery that undermined this important election for Bernie.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-democrats.html
1
We must save Capitalism: Trump 2020 !
6
Biden represents the conservative, Republican lite, corporatist wing of the Democratic party, not the “moderate” wing. Is the NYT really calling Biden, who agreed with Republicans in cutting Social Security and Medicare, a “moderate?” Anyone who believes the NYT is a “liberal” institution doesn’t read the NYT. It’s pro corporatist all the way. Bernie would be an old fashioned moderate anywhere else in the modern world but the US, yet the NYT doesn’t have a single opinion columnist who supports Bernie. The American people are tired of the status quo conservatives who control society and bring us things like Trump, McConnell, a stacked far-right extremist Supreme Court and their Republican lite apologists like Biden. Biden has not once said he will take on the extremist factions that control our government. No, he thinks he can work with them because he is one of them. Biden always caves to the conservative extremists.
10
We are sick and tired of being robbed by the .0001%. It is amazing how clueless overpaid corporate, media shills just don't get it.
15
@MDM
Please explain to all of us how you can be "robbed" of something you've never owned, are not legally entitled to and have never held in your possession?
1
Can the New York Times please stop printing headlines on this topic solely characterizing Bernie’s wins as due to externalities (e.g., factors that “aren’t him”)? He won half the state - what will it take for the media to understand maybe a broad swath of people DO hear like his message and him as a leader?
18
This is an unmitigated disaster for Democrats. Why is that ignored?
8
You ain’t seen nothing yet. Watch Super Tuesday. Landslide in CA and watch TX-could show signs of hope for FL.
7
I supported Warren throughout this campaign but maybe the 'writing is on the wall' ...Bernie 'crushed it' in Nevada with NOT just his 'base'...maybe he should just continue to steamroll over the next set of primaries and tell the democratic 'elite' to fall in line and join him to crush DJT, the worst president EVER, in November !!!
10
I don't know much, but here is what seems obvious. The NYTimes and cable outlets should stop attacking Sanders and find some reporters to cover him fairly or you are going find out that people don't trust your reporting. Same thing for the Democratic party. Don't pick sides and stop with the brokered convention nonsense. The Democrats would do better to help Sanders rather than sandbagging him or else they may find the Democratic brand tarnished forever.
18
I'm sure this win is making all of the Bernie Boys sigh a sigh of relief that they won't have to check the box for the gay guy in November. Buttigieg is obviously the better choice in terms of electability. If homophobia wins (and it will) we've got 4 years of the tRump to look forward to. #ButHisHusband
@PF You really know nothing about Bernie if you think his supporters are homophobic, we cant stand Pete because of the 40 billionaires who own him. Could not care less about anybodies sexual orientation.
4
Wow, the Democratic Party really has lost its mind.
12
@Thomas Aquinas Yeah, health care as right, are we nuts.
3
“The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope.”
--- Vladimir Lenin? Joseph Stalin? Karl Marx?
There is a lot of controversy about who first came up with this quote.
But I watched Bernie last night, and I know for sure he is thinking it.
3
If Warren could just stop and back Bernie we could put this baby to bed!
9
Its time for Amy to drop out. Along with a few others. At least Biden pulled off second for a change. I'm surprised Pete didn't do better since he has been pretty flawless up till now.
And before I go to bed, I just have one last thing to say - Bernie!! Bernie!! Bernie!!!!!!!!
10
@tom harrison Pete doesn't have the experience that Biden has. Biden doesn't face a learning curve, so the wheels will go back on the bus quickly. We've wasted enough time.
1
This election is about control. If you want to take control away from the people ripping you off , making yours and your families life harder vote Sanders. All the others are just talk.
10
What a shock that the incessant MSM's attempts to block Sanders are not working. What do working-class Americans care about anything the MSM media say? Bernie soundly beat Trump in the Rust Belt exit polls of 2016, the dirty secret the MSM never, ever, mention. He would have been president today if the big money had not bought the black vote for Hillary. Sanders, needless to say, won the white vote. Now Sanders is by far the favorite of Latino America, and close to Biden, maybe ahead by Saturday, with black voters in SC. If Sanders is able to simply win a good chunk of the Rust Belt whites who preferred him in 2016, he will crush Trump.
10
A lot of ordinary people want capital C change. (On both the left and the right.) And Bernie represents a real shot at that. His political vision is fundamentally humane and he's spent decades working with people who don't share his values to make small, progressive changes. I'm voting for Elizabeth Warren in March, but I am so excited that young people are responding to who Bernie is and what he values. Gen Y will raise their kids in the future we are making today. I hope they take that future in hand in November.
11
One realistic reason to back Sanders is to keep his supporters
from throwing the election by boycotting anyone else or refusing to vote at all. Current supporters of other candidates will most likely vote for Sanders or any candidate that wins
the nomination.
9
Democrats are doomed. Trump will be re elected with out any doubt. Independents and Sub urban voters will stay away without which Democrats does not have a chance to win. I hoped racist Trump nightmare will end this year in my home country. It's tells more about what kind of people Americans are rather than what kind of person Trump is.
17
As I'm looking at this article, Liz has been off to the right (of the web-page, not the agenda) on live feed...
Surely you – and she – are jesting persistently...
That post-debate bump looking more like a big pothole…
Give me a minute…
There – I turned my monitor upside down…
Still looks like a pothole – but I’ve never seen her smile so much…
If I simply excerpted the pandering half-haikus she’s mouthing in the direction of every oppressed demographic – Twitter’d probably throw me off their platform…
And I’ve never even had an account…
e.g: “now’s the time to address gun violence”…
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-discusses-gun-control.html
Knew Las Vegas and Seattle were a few time zones behind NYC – but didn’t realize it was that many…
3
It is so critical that Americans be on the alert for voter tampering, even in these caucuses. I dont see how Sanders got 46%. He was not that impressive. Where are the stats for Bloomberg? Already something smells like a rat.
3
Bloomberg was not on the ballot. Perhaps get facts before jumping to conspiracy theories.
3
@pb I was there and caucused for Bernie and we smashed the competition. Time to wake up to the reality that poor people exist and they don’t like their current state of living!
3
Why does Russia love Bernie and Trump? Could it be that they are both anti-NATO and Russia is salivating to take back Latvia and Estonia?
7
Bernie can handle Putin. My concern based on trumps snarky congratulatory tweet to Bernie implies trump is being fed intel that Putin has something really big on Bernie. Who knows if that’s true! I really don’t understand why nothing sticks to trump. What’s he greased with? Oh the fake tan.
10
While it’s way to early to declare a winner, rest assured that a socialist will get crushed in the general election.
Wake up!
16
I look at this and wonder, did the Russians make this happen?
6
@lulu roche nope. Diverse Americans did. Better get used to it or maybe Romney will have a centrist camp for you in 2024
Petulant Pete needs to stop tearing down his Democratic rivals and start turning his fire on Trump, the real enemy.
15
Interesting photo Ms. Bridget Bennet of "Supporters of Mr. Sanders caucused at Coronado High School in Henderson, Nev., on Saturday"
One may read it as editorializing.
What do Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton all have in common? All of them were cynical Iraq War supporters, and none of them will be president. So how’s that “strategic” vote working out for you folks these days?
18
God, please keep him alive.
12
Would the results have been different if any Klobuchar and Tom Steyer had dropped out?
1
"Bernie can't win..."
Yeah, Trump couldn't win either.
17
@DeepSouthEric they're both Russia's pawns.
Oh the fear of the fake New York Democrats! The Bernie is coming to get them. No sympathy here. Greed and corruption are greed and corruption whether it be Trump or corporate "centrist" Democrats.
You may have to start a war and declare a state of emergency and martial law. Blow up those enemies of our corporations.
7
@chris
I am sure cities like Toronto or London would be eager to take in those nasty Wall Street banks and any other capitalist organization we would like to trash.
How many people do co-ops employ?
He got 2000 votes- an accurate snapshot of the Nevada electorate. Lol.
5
@Robin
2000 delegates, not 2000 votes
2
America needs a "Bernie Spring" of its own.
And it needs to keep it, by keeping the greedy big bank "Democrats" from stealing it all in the end.
Hugh
9
Quality comment, Hugh Massengill, as usual.
Bidens very old tired news. Buttigieg is flat out wrong I’m what this Nation’s people need and want. Bernie may have an even better point than I thought about “wine cellar doaners”.
9
The goal is the general election. It’s a bigger country beyond the primaries.
1
Bernie should pick Dukakis as a running mate. And start the McGovern party. Or maybe call his followers Adlai-ites.
4
Berning brighter than ever!!!
8
We will continue to read the "Bernie can't win" meme fostered by the DNC and arm chair Nostradamuses, including the N Y Times. Sanders got over 47% of the caucus votes in Nevada. Do tell, who do these prognosticators think can win, Warren with 10%, or Klobuchar with 5%? Oh, I forgot, these last two were recently anointed by the Times, whose powers of prognostication have long proven to be suspect.
21
@Charles Focht
It's a caucus, first of all. The real test will be a big state primaries and electoral states. Second, if the majority of Democrats are voting for an aggregate of other candidates, that's a problem, regardless of whether Bernie has the highest plurality. Or perhaps you think it's okay for the minority to overrule the majority? It's likely Bernie will pick up bigger numbers and I hope so, because I don't want a brokered convention, but it's not the DNC's fault Dems are voting the way they do.
4
"“Senator Sanders believes in an inflexible, ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats, not to mention most Americans,” Mr. Buttigieg said, adding that Mr. Sanders wanted to “reorder the economy in ways most Democrats, not to mention most Americans, don’t support.”"
_______
Mayor Buttigieg is in denial.
Every time he repeats this mantra, it annoys more voters.
15
If it's a choice between a stubborn, abrasive old man who won't compromise, but will immediately address our needs to adjust to climate change, the devasting cost of health care and the inequity of our tax system, or a corrupt, immoral old man who feeds off of our tax system, feeds off of the division of American citizens, relishes in the support of white supremacists because he's a racist, revels in chants to lock up his opponents and shoot civilians crossing the border illegally; if it's a choice between those two, well...
It's sad to think that this is actually a "choice" for millions of "moderates," in the USA.
19
I already knew Sanders would be the nominee long ago. Once I read the lies, misinformation and vicious attacks coming from his followers, I knew he has successfully mastered the Trump playbook. So here is the choice for you, America: two Russian stooges, two populists, two unhinged ideologues. I was disappointed in every Democratic candidate who danced around Sanders instead of asking him directly. Do you still think that the USSR was a workers’ paradise? Do you still believe that the Sandinistas were heroes? Do you still support Maduro who is starving children? Why do you claim that Denmark is a socialist country when Danish politicians call you out? What are you going to do about destroying the billionaires as a class? Take a leaf out of the Soviet playbook? Nobody had the guts or the knowledge to go after him. But judging by the memes I see on FB form conservatives, Trump does. Either Bernie loses and brings disaster upon the Democratic Party or he wins and brings disaster upon the country. Your choice, America.
15
I was stunned by the chutzpah of Kevin Sheekey opining that nominating Bernie Sanders would be a "fatal error"; a now possible fait accompli.
He should have thought about that when preparing his candidate for the debate stage, instead of now blaming it on the voters in Nevada!
Mike....., the fatal error was made by you when you appointed this guy your campaign manager. Tell him "your fired"!!
All those wonderful free progressive ideas won’t mean squat if you don’t have a job. And Bernie will be a job-killer.
6
@M On the contrary, having access to medicare, affordable education and retraining, unemployment insurance, and good national infrastructure will make all the difference if you should lose your job and need to find a new one or start a business.
1
Good. No more Bloomberg, no more Biden. Equality is coming to the U.S.A.
9
Bernie supporters are the most stubborn impractical votersI've seen in my lifetime.
We will have them to thank for Trump's second term
12
Please, NYT. Acknowledge the damage you and the other powerful "liberal" media did four years ago by joining the Democratic National Committee and its insiders in tearing down Bernie and promoting Hillary to the point where Trump became president because enough usual Democratic voters were so disgusted they didn't vote, wrote in Bernie or wasted their ballots on the Green Party.
Please don't let it happen again. Call off your attack columnists. If you can't be positive about Sanders at least be neutral until it's time to make an endorsement.
16
Fifty percent of the precincts reporting. Wake me when it's 100 percent.
1
The Times They Are A Changin...Bob Dylan
3
Finally, Bernie Sanders has proven that ONLY he can create a strong revolution for change in the Democratic party...!!!
5
@Carl O why didn't he try to change the republican party? The party's are interchangeable according to him. He simply an opportunist. I hope there are enough real Democrats out there who see him for what he is. I'm not addressing his message. Somehow he has convinced people that democrats are not sufficiently "progressive". How Trumpian. The man serves only his own ego. We are supposed to ignore the pain and suffering he brought to our most vulnerable citizens by enabling Trump's ascendancy? I will never forget. He couldn't care less about the collateral damage that results from his vanity project.
1
@AM that's rich considering Clinton ran on "it's my turn."
1
Bernie’s people say “welcome to the Revolution,” but he and all of the down ballot Democrats will get clobbered if this non-Democrat is our nominee. This was the Democrats year and we decided to blow ourselves up. It is truly shameful.
And Amy, Pete, Joe and Mike deserve a lot of blame also because if they really cared about beating Trump, they should draws straws and at least two of them should get out. Bernie wins, we lose and the stupid 15 percent rules means he could get delegates disproportionate to his vote.
This is darn nightmare.
8
@Jay Young people will not vote for Joe Biden, period. Sanders voters will not vote for a former-Republican billionaire, period. Amy and Pete might get moderate votes, but neither of them can win the general election against Trump for a variety of reasons.
3
Young people, black people, Hispanic people, native Americans, environmentalists, and union members, the Obama coalition lives!
The only difference is that now it’s being led by, instead of a young black man, an elderly Jewish guy from whom voters hear a message of hope and change with maybe a little more anger because after all times have changed and sadly not for the better.
This is the coalition which brought the last Democratic candidate to power despite the fears of Party leaders.
12
"His triumph will provide a burst of momentum that may make it difficult for the still-fractured moderate wing of the Democratic Party to slow his march to the nomination." (NYT, 2/23/20)
The doomsday tone of this NYT subhead is myopic and totally inappropriate. How about we stop making Bernie sound like the anti-Christ and instead recognize that he is a change agent whose time has (finally) come? How about we get on board with the idea that a different kind of candidate is the next stage in the evolution of the political party that is generally for things instead of against them? How about we (NYT) weigh in with the message "the people are speaking, change is in the wind, let Bernie show the way"? It can in NO way be worse than what we are experiencing now and may result in a truly transformational stage in our democracy's evolution.
9
@Jhw
I don't see anything "doomsday", non-factual, or inappropriate in the NY Times' assessment. It's true. Many Dems are still fractured and unsure about a Bernie presidency. That's their right as voters. They should not be discounted. They are the "the people" too.
1
I will vote for whoever the nominee is. End of story.
12
We may have two teflon candidates. Nothing sticks to either Trump or Sanders. Fascist vs. socialist. That's different too. A unique competition. Hard to see how it will end well for America.
5
Who wrote this headline? "In a Show of Might . . ." - might is a loaded word. It exactly evokes elite power - everything that Bernie is expressly against. Undercutting his message, whether deliberately or accidentally.
Would it have been so hard to write "In a show of strength" - ? Of course not. So you chose to include a veiled criticism.
The most powerful headline I can remember from the Times is after the 2016 election. It read, "Trump Rises to Power." Not "wins the election" or something such, but seizes power, just like a strongman would do. It was startling, prophetic, and nailed the moment and years to come.
2
@C
So the Times writes a positive article about Bernie, and you're still not happy? The phrase a show of "might" evokes power, period. It's not undercutting anything, but describing a mighty momentum. That his supporters are reading into this stuff is just crazymaking.
1
@C
Like most Sanders supporters, you have a weak grasp of the language and far too much time on your hands.
1
I've never seen so many conservatives cheering an election victory for a socialist. Strange times.........
7
‘Moderate’ Dems would be considered rightwingers in most civilised countries...
8
Remember this date as the first time a communist style politician won a majority in a red state. You can throw your money away because it will become useless with Maduro style nationalization of banking.Obama already tried socialized medicine ,with the supreme court on his side ,look where that went. Yet you can turn your guns in now because the UN platform for weapons confiscation is very close to the new green deal agenda,local law enforcement will hardly be involved.This is not big government ,this is global domination with fully open borders and tens of millions with amnesty and full social benefits.Don't think so ,try it.
5
@Alan Einstoss Like you were going to vote for the Democrat. From your list of imagined grievances you are clearly not a 'gettable' vote for any of the Dem candidates so there is no reason to even consider it.
2
There's a stunning (unsurprising) blindness in the MSM. The entire meme of "lanes" pitting Bernie/Liz vs. Joe/Pete/Amy/Mike is founded on a premise that actual voting has shown to be baseless: you can put candidates in "lanes" til the cows come home, but the voters aren't following you. Yet the MSM doggedly, defiantly, arrogantly, condescendingly persist.
Already in Iowa, the daily poll-taking pre-caucus revealed that Bernie was 2nd choice across the board, e.g., Biden voters were moving to Bernie if Biden didn't meet the 15% threshold. How can that NOT tell you to give up thinking voters are in "lanes"?
Next a poll on Feb. 14 - https://news.yahoo.com/new-yahoo-news-you-gov-poll-shows-sanderss-strength-going-head-to-head-with-rivals-181522968.html - showed that in hypothetical 2-person primary races, Bernie beat each other Democratic candidate for the nomination (which fits with his being 2nd choice of so many).
And now Nevada exit polls show the same. Bernie's support soared in the 2nd round from 34 to 40% (with 50% reporting), replicating the outcome of Iowa: he's the second choice of so many voters whose first choice had been ...(drum roll)...in the "middle lane."
Lanes shmanes. The MSM Lane Theory of Bernie Blocking is a construct without a foundation.
Instead of desperately seeking ways to block Bernie, couldn't you spend some energy just being curious? about what draws so many to him? Try being journalists who investigate and inform rather than fearmonger.
5
Trump vs Bernie... oh this is going to be a fun election. Too bad we have to live with the outcome!
6
Sanders is the Democrat's Trump.
Guess most people will just stay home in November.
4
@Erasmus People didn't 'just stay home' for Trump, that's how he won! Why would anyone 'just stay home' for Bernie vs. Trump?
1
@Andy
If you really didn't want to vote for either why wouldn't you just stay home?
The population is over 320 million - yet Trump got elected with fewer than 63 million votes. Lots of people stayed home.
1
love it. can we get larry david to run next year?
2
Bernie Bros seem to forget that Democrats have another choice...Trump
Democrats for Trump 2020
6
Democrats, we need to get it together. The vitriol, paranoia, propagating conspiracy theories...it’s embarrassing how much so many of you are spinning out. It’s beneath us. This kind of mess is usually the domain of the right. Let’s leave it there.
Stop bashing Sanders. If you don’t him, then fight his platform. But to call him a communist, a non-Democrat’s, a lover of Putin, Trump 2.0 or whatever divisive, fear mongering slander is the talking point du hour is disgusting. I’m ashamed to be a democrat right now.
Let democracy play out.
8
Sanders is backed by the Russians now, and in 2016.
He is part of the strategy to divide the large opposition majority to Trump.
His 6 million "grass roots" Internet donations are small enough to provide anonymity to the GRU donors.
Sanders said in 2016 that he would do everything in his power to defeat Donald Trump. He did not.
Instead, his ego prevented him from garnering support behind the Democratic primary winner, Secretary Clinton.
I had believed Sanders was honorable and ethical, but it is apparent he is a useful idiot for the Russians to give Trump a pathway to victory.
His statements have shown he is accepting Russian support, doesn't care if Trump is re-elected, and his ego is more important to him than the rule of law, democracy, freedom, the Constitution, and the Republic.
He is for Bernie Sanders, like Donald Trump is for Donald Trump.
He believes the aide provided to him by the Russians and Trump as proof he is a viable candidate, when he is not.
He is a millionaire socialist who conveniently believes people richer than him are immoral.
He has fixed, inflexible, unpopular positions on issues like health care without choice.
He doesn't understand an economy in transition.
He doesn't understand trade, where 7 billion customers live outside our borders.
President Obama should enter the primary to stop the dissolution of the Republic.
Pete Buttigieg and Stacey Abrams will win the election with intelligence and tactics, not extremism.
5
My 2016 Bernie sticker is still on my pickup truck.
If he chooses Stacey Abrams as a running mate, this thing is SO over! (Meaning they’ll annihilate Trump*)
2
Pete Buttigieg has proven the he can only make negative comments about the other candidates... He has not made ANY details available about his ambiguous proposals...!!!
2
"Asked...how he would slow Mr. Sanders’s march... Biden...said: 'I beat him by going to — just moving on. People want to know who’s the most likely to beat Donald Trump.'"
Knock knock, anybody home, Biden? "People" now think the most electable person is Sanders, the most recent poll says:
"Until recently, Democratic voters tended to see former Vice President Joe Biden as the strongest option. But after he failed to place in the top three in either Iowa or New Hampshire, he lost any veneer of invincibility. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Wednesday showed that for the first time in the race, Democrats are most likely to name Mr. Sanders as the candidate with the best chance to beat Mr. Trump."
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/us/politics/democrats-ask-who-can-beat-trump.html]
4
Sanders - no thank you. Clearly this caucus process that is unfolding is a huge trap. Press coverage jumps the gun, rushes to be the first with headlines. Ignores the % of the US population involved to date - minimal folks. The real majority of our nation coming down the pike. Do not be lemmings following the misleading process to date. Media desperation needs to be pointed out. Me first!!!!!
3
Did anyone else notice how few people voted? About three million people live in Nevada. Yet roughly seven thousand people voted. Is this a presidential caucus or an SGA election?
8
@Christopher Gerety thank you cooler, prevailing head.
1
*Candidate totals are county convention delegates won, which are derived from caucus vote tallies and determine the number of pledged delegates each candidate receives.
That’s the number of delegates won, not the number of voters.
1
Sanders reporting system from caucuses proves he couldn’t run an ice cream stand.
3
What has Bernie done for anyone in America over his lifetime? In over 29 years in the House and Senate, Bernie got 7 bills passed for which he was primary sponsor.
7 Bills Passed.
On the following groundbreaking topics:
1) renaming a post office in Vermont;
2) renaming another post office in Vermont;
3) OK’ng a Vermont-New Hampshire Water Supply deal;
4) a cost of living increase for vets;
5) changes to a VFW charter;
6) a bill helping the Taconic Mountains; and
7) designating “Vermont Bicentennial Day”.
That's what voters want? Sheesh.
Contrast that with Klobuchar. In only 12 years in the Senate, Klobuchar has over 100 bills that she primarily sponsored became final law, more than any other Senator.
Examples: 1) America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018
2) Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015
3) Innovate America Act
4) Veterans to Paramedics Act,
5) Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
6) Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act
7) Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2016. Senator Klobuchar can be trusted to get things done.
So far, Sanders got the following: 43,698 votes in Iowa, 76,324 votes in New Hampshire, and 18,799 votes in Nevada. That’s it. 138,821 total votes so far, in three unrepresentative states.
This thing isn't over. Let's see where we are in four weeks.
Til then, Wake Up Democrats.
12
Now all the Democrats who said that they would vote for the nominee should stand by their word.
13
The reality is that the Republican “Anglo fascist” and the Democratic polsocialist/communist” don’t reflect the values of 75 percent of the population. Only because we”re forced to choose the lesser of two evils that we end up with Trump and Bernie.
Education Is everything. Teach civics and how the world really works.
4
Trump making gave mistake thinking that he will crush Bernie... He will never crush anyone even if democrats nominated labrador retriever)... I m confident that Bernie will win if he is nominee... Trump would be much more better against likes of Biden...
1
Biggest winner after Nevada: Trump.
Biggest loser: 1) the American dream, where if you work "hard", you'll achieve success. 2) Corporate America: how else can we pay for all those programs Bernie has promised? 3) The Culinary Union for refusing to endorse a candidate.
5
I have serious doubts about Bernie as the candidate, but have to hand it to him - he was the first to call Trump a pathological liar. Maybe he can instill enough anger to pull it off.
5
We've learned how ignorant and short-sighted most Republican voters are. Now we are beginning to understand that Democratic voters generally share those qualities. Voting for someone to vent your feelings is profoundly immature. Should Sanders win the general election (VERY unlikely) you will see the House go Republican and he will get literally nothing done in 4 years. Look at how hard it was for Obama, a once in a lifetime figure, to accomplish anything in 8 years. Sanders will give the Republicans a way out of the mess Trump has made of their party.
5
Fully HALF THE VOTERS in Nevada said NO!! to Sanders' candidacy.
6
We will never beT Trump with Sanders!
3
The Times ran a scare headline yesterday about Sanders’ (“democratic socialist”!) support of the Sandinistas in the 1980s, as if that was wrong or not a common position of those on the political left. Maybe you could add context, like the fact that congress actually prevented financial support of the Contras, leading to the whole Iran-Contra scandal. Perhaps rather than try to smear Bernie (or “Teflon Bernie” as the headline put it) in service of the status quo, you could actually own up to your own role in normalizing the Trump nightmare we live every day.
4
Bernie is one cough away from Hospice. We don’t need another extremist in the WH. This election is about RESETING normality and civility in this country - not a revolution
8
What a decrepit state of what was once a Democratic Republic that it takes this kind of a landslide from a candidate that refuses corporate bribery and NDA’s to overcome the corrupt theft of our elections through hat switching, goal post moving voter suppression.
Or even just to get mainstream media to even report that Bernie is a front runner and that there’s a revolution happening... 🙄
4
Sanders is 80 and has heart problems. He has hidden his medical records. Will he last even one term? Two terms is even harder. What happens to socialist democratism after that ?
3
Sorry but you need a younger and more charismatic than Sanders...Trump will wipe the floor with him.
Buttigieg just looks the part and acts the part.
Put Sanders in and another four years of Trump will follow.
6
You Democrats try hard to convince people today's America is a dark and mean place that needs to be structurally changed top to bottom. The fact is, however, people living in America today are among the most fortunate humans to have ever lived. Most Americans know that. The Democrats' 2020 election problem is that in modern America there just aren’t enough actual victims to win.
8
I think Klobachar would be a much better candidate to oust Trump. But when all is said and done, if it is Bernie, then I will jump on board and fully support his candidacy with my time and money.
There is no arguement for not voting for the Democrat. The alternative is to surrender the U.S. to Valdamir Putin.
There is only one patriotic choice this election and only one traitorous one.
Vote D.
4
Bernie Sanders is 78; Donald Trump 74
Bernie Sanders has had a heart attack; Donald Trump has coronary heart disease.
Bernie Sanders succeeds politically by knowing how, and which, political hot buttons to push on the left;
Donald Trump succeeds politically by knowing how, and which political hot buttons to push on the right.
Bernie Sanders is from New York; Donald Trump is from New York.
Bernie Sanders succeeds politically by knowing how, and which, political hot buttons to push on the left;
Donald Trump succeeds politically by knowing how, and which, political hot buttons to push on the left.
When Bernie Sanders makes a point he doesn't speak to people, he yells; When Donald Trump makes a point he doesn't speak to people, he yells.
The only real difference between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump; Sanders has more hair.
4
Great! Now we will likely have two candidates for president who both believe in American carnage and claim that only they can fix it.
4
So many people voted for Bernie that he can't possibly win. Huh?
8
Being #1 relying on heavy Latino turnout in Nevada’s Dem primaries is very different than winning nationwide.
I fear Bernie is setting things up for trump winning this time with a majority.
I miss Obama and Hillary.
4
In France we had twice extreme right candidates reach the final vote; both times the French bit their tongues and voted for the other candidate, once it was Chirac, a do nothing President, who at least did little harm, the next time it was Macron, who, fortunately has done a lot. C'mon America, buckle up and vote for who ever is running against Trump.
5
Does anyone remember George McGovern and Walter Mondale? How about losing 35 to 40 states in November and losing to Trump?
4
All I care about it that voters come out and VOTE.
If people turn up their noses and decide not to vote out of protest then Trump will win again. Stop and think about what 4 more years of this corrupt administration would look like.
Any democrat would be better.
6
Across our entire country, in a general election, under the present economic performance, Bernie will NOT defeat Trump.
Trump will sound the class war bugle again & again.
Bernie will be forced to acknowledge the cost of his progressive programs.
And forced to acknowledge how EVERYONE will need to pay for these programs and that it's likely to significantly slow our economy.
He'll lose the electoral college vote. And we will seal the fate of democracy with 4 more years of a corrupt, venal Trump.
5
Some people say “Unless Candidate X is the nominee, I am voting third party.”
If you vote 3rd party, for whatever reason, you have thrown away your vote.
We use secret ballots, so nobody knows that you voted 3rd party. All we know is that some people voted for a guaranteed inconsequential loser.
Only the D or the R have a chance of winning, hard as that is to swallow.
In 1992, Perot got 19% of the popular vote and ZERO Electoral College (EC) votes.
in 2000, Bush II beat Gore by 537 votes in FL out of about 6 million, and Ralph Nader got about 98,000 votes.
In 2016, in MI, PA, and WI, EACH of Stein and Johnson got more 3rd and 4th party votes than the margin by which Trump beat Clinton in EACH state.
Vote 3rd party at your peril.
Now here is a RADICAL idea.
I see the "nominate MY CANDIDATE or I vote 3rd party" as the same kind of cult mentality as the members of the Cult of Trump. The "dear leader" can do no wrong, ever.
Personally, I do not want to have to choose between a cult on the right and a cult on the left. The leaders of BOTH make lots of grandiose promises that they will not (and may not even intend to) keep.
I guess my problem is that I do my own thinking, and am not persuaded just because my friends reach certain conclusions. As an experimentalist, I have always looked first at the facts, such as things that can be measured, and decide what makes sense based on that data.
2
Hillary out polled Trump until she lost. This optimism is a bit premature.
4
Interesting how no one is talking about Bernie's horrible track record on gun control.
He voted against background checks, he voted against keeping the guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, and he voted to protect the manufacturers of military style weapons from being sued.
Bernie was a Communist in New York, who could not gain any political traction there, so he crossed the border into VT and could not gain any there either. He then became a Socialist (thinking it would resonate with the VT hippie crowds, it didn't). Then he became a Democrat and tried three times to get elected mayor, he finally did, but he didn't accomplish anything.
He then decided to run for the Senate and won, but didn't accomplish anything, again. The Dems in VT were sick of him not doing anything, but focusing on his political career, and did not back him, so Bernie ran as an Independent Senator of VT.
Now he is back to running as a Democrat. Whatever sticks: Communist, Socialist, Democrat, Independent, as long as it serves Bernie.
Many years in the Senate representing the great state of VT, which has a very small, white population, and he has no accomplishments and no friends in Washington, DC, other than Elizabeth Warren.
He and his gun-toting friends are suppose to win against Trump?'
I just don't see it.
3
Republicans have made a point (especially in South Carolina) of having their people vote Democratic and voting for the candidate Trump's people believe will be weakest against him. The same will be true in California. Thus, it is extremely irresponsible for all these articles on the Nevada caucuses not to point out that they, too, are open to same-day registrants.
In addition, there should be more attention paid to the percentage of eligible and registered voters who actually voted, inasmuch as some campaigns, especially that of Sanders, claim that he can turn out large numbers of otherwise stay-at-home folks from various demographics.
Some cognizance should be taken of the intelligence that pro-Trump Russia is trying to influence people to support Sanders. Is that, in fact, the case? I don't know, but if we are going to believe the intelligence conclusion that Russia is once again aiding Trump, there is no reason not to believe the intelligence regarding Sanders.
The continual focus on "winners" and "losers" without analysis of turnout and whether the numbers have been manipulated by Republican voters and influenced by the Russians is unconscionable, arguably little more than clickbait.
Facts without context are often meaningless, especially when those facts are statistics. In other words, as far as these articles are concerned, there is less here than meets the eye.
As to comments: lets remember that they -- especially recommends -- are open to trolls, bots, etc.
2
In Bernie's victory speech last night, I stopped counting all the things he is going to do in four years of a prospective presidency...most of it giving stuff away for free.
I will give it to him though...he keeps focused and repeats his message over and over and over and over and over....
We don't want to hear rambling platitudes and touchy feely speeches any more...gloves have GOT to be off in order to beat Trump...
If Bernie does get the nomination, I WILL vote for him, even though I don't agree with most of his ideas. I will vote for ANY DEM candidate.
We have GOT to put the brakes on this out of control, lawless, venal government we have now. If we don't we will have a Trump pushed down our throats for the next twelve-sixteen years at least. I am 63. This can't be how it ends for our country.....
6
Intersectionality.
At humanity’s intersection is a great gathering of people of color, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and vast numbers of people who suffer economically.
We are witnessing the groundswell of their efforts not just on behalf of themselves but on behalf of each other.
Elites will continue to lie and obstruct the movement. But to know avail.
Go Bernie!
3
Does anyone really think moderate swing states will vote for Bernie vs Trump? I guess beating Trump isn’t that important to many democrats after all.
5
I cannot understand why my fellow Democrats insist on being goofy idealists and will not look at things realistically and rationally. First, voters must take Sanders' age into account. They ignore it at our peril. It is highly likely that if elected, Sanders will not survive his four year term. Are voters thinking at all about what will happen then? My guess is no. Second, the chance of a President Sanders getting any of his grandiose ideas actually made into legislation and that legislation passing in Congress is almost zero. We will be lucky if the ACA survives at all, let alone have anything even close to Medicare for All within the next four years. And, where will the trillions of dollars, yes trillions!, come from that he will need to give us free college, expand social security, eliminate medical debt, and so on?? Of course, these are lovely ideas, but they will take years, decades even, to become reality, if they ever do. Democrats refuse to look at the world as it is. They only will see the world as they want it to be, and they are constantly disappointed. And, they will be again if they elect Sanders. And, I blame Bernie, too, for filling the heads of his supporters with his pie-in-the-sky dreams. This was the Democrats election, and we're losing it.
7
after super tuesday, it will be sanders vs. warren vs. biden. look for joe biden to get a big boost in contributions.
2
It is symbolic and very satisfying to me that the gambling capital of America rejected the "rigged" casino economy of the Republican Party with such a clear and strong voice. Who better to see and understand the inequities of our government-created and enabled economy than those workers at the tables and slot machines? In casinos, there are a few big winners and many losers and "the house" always wins.
2
More centrist bias. What an absurd headline: "may make it difficult for the still-fractured moderate wing of the Democratic Party to slow his march to the nomination."
Sanders represents what Democrats have always believed the party stood for until it was corrupted by neoliberalism.
7
Anyone who thinks Bernie is 'radical' is living in the early 19th century. Capitalist-based social democracy has been around for 140 years
So let's not talk about the "moderate" opposition in the Democratic Party. The point is that if you're not really rich in America, you're vulnerable to disaster. Oh, and your neighbor has enough weapons and firepower in his basement to kill a small town.
Although I'd prefer someone in the middle, the current mob in power has millions of followers and is destroying the constitutional republic. We need a strong voice for simple social justice. If the ruling mob is on the ultra-right, then Bernie is a moderate.
6
Well, we tried it the moderate way, and what did we get? A healthcare system in shambles, a minimum wage that can not sustain even a basic lifestyle, and record breaking income inequality. Oh, and did I mention a record deficit (taking place under the "fiscally responsible" Republicans)? So why all the hysteria regarding Bernie? Is living in a more fair society really that distasteful to mainstream America?
7
I have bad news for Trump supporters. Sanders will win those swing states in the Midwest. He has tapped into the resentment of working class people of all ethnic backgrounds, young and old.
And people can sense a movement. This movement will be a tidal wave in November. The young people of America will vote to creat the reality they want for their futures. It’s quite exciting.
7
You want Bernie? If he gains power he will push for HUGE tax increases.
And don't be deceived into thinking the money will be coming just from billionaires. There aren't enough billionaires to pay for the mammoth government "programs" he envisions. Rather, the middle class will be paying, and paying, and paying.
And the U.S. government is EXPERT at wasting money (unlike the governments of low-popuation countries in Scandinavia where everyone looks and thinks alike).
U.S. taxpayers will get nothing from all the money Bernie will be taking from them - other than a wrecked economy.
7
Why are all the moderate Democrats and the mainstream media talking about stopping Bernie rather than helping him beat Trump?
Could it be because they are actually Republicans?
And is that why Bernie is doing so well?
6
it's nice to see so many young Latinos turn out to vote.
Like I always said, the person who gets the most votes is the most electable. The proof is in the pudding and on and on.
It comes down to integrity and a respect for our Constitution and rule of law. If we all keep that in mind, we should win. It's not about you, it's about us.
3
Pity that Elizabeth Warren spent so much energy and talent focusing her attacks on Bloomberg, forgetting the real adversary is Donald Trump. Her programm is the balanced bridge between Sanders and the moderates and she should have invested more time in detailing it.
Another thing: Bernie Sanders hastily dismissed the rumor that Russia would interfere in the primaries on his behalf. Though it seems weird and far-fetched, it might well be. For Bernie Sanders is the ideal candidate for Trump who will paint him as a communist someone who will raise taxes in a big government spending spree.
Though, really, Bernie Sanders programm is hardly colored in red, looking from across the Atlantic. A nice rosy color ! But a risky color in the US.
1
While it is both tempting and overly simplistic to agree with Sander’s arguments, Teddy Roosevelt was born comfortably wealthy and still enthusiastically busted up monopolies. TR’s rich cousin Franklin created Social Security and the foundations of modern labor law. FDR could reasonably be considered as the political father of the middle class itself. Was John Kennedy a good President or fundamentally bad because his father used the family’s wealth to “buy” his election? Sander’s words are stirring but unproven. There have been and are many millionaires and billionaires both eager and willing to tax and regulate themselves and their peers. Arguments that this all simply can’t be true have been repeatedly refuted by historical facts. Are we really better off electing a well meaning socialist with an extremely long political history of minimal accomplishment?
1
Canadian observer here . . . I never cease to be amazed at the rhetoric that flies around in the U.S. of A. when the subject of universal health care comes up. The system here isn't perfect, but NO ONE ever goes broke because he/she can't afford a medical procedure. Sure, resources are stretched at times, but the system works pretty well. (As it does in most European countries.) There's no reason that a blended system of public-private can't work and work well in America. Sanders needs to start explaining to people that what his critics says i "socialism" is anything but. It's just common sense. If Donald Trump wins this fall's election, the American that we all know (love . . . and respect) will be done. With apoologies to Sinclair Lewis, "IT (fascism) can happen here" . . . and it will
6
If Sanders does win the delegate count, I pray that he picks someone like Kamala Harris as his VP.
God forbid he falls ill during his term that there is someone there with gusto, smarts and a non septuagenarian.
2
The Times and Post need to start dialing it down. Bernie carries the minority vote at this point. I don’t need to explain what the continued pushback against Sanders is starting to smell like.
5
There are three basic, meaningful categories of political platform:
1. Conservative--pro status quo--with all its imperfections--the favorite of its beneficiaries--the rich and super-rich. Bloomberg is one.
2. Regressive--Nostalgia politics--back to the good ole days of ignorance, godstory delusion, prejudice and phobia of all sorts--summed up as "feudalism." Moneylords update the old landlords of their manors. Corporations update land holdings. Employees update serfs. Politicians update vassal knights jousting for their lord's tips, favors and courtly squeezes. Faux news updates the Church selling divine right. Democracy, as government FOR commoners was a mistake. They should be happy with whatever oozes down.
Note Trump/Barr lamenting secularism--belief based on logic and evidence instead of dogmatic faith, wishful thinking, or blind brand loyalty.
3. Progressive--change for the better--especially for commoners. Private interests and enterprises compete--not unlike sports--but government sets and enforces the rules--one of which is public health (well being)--as in biology (medicine, nutrition), meteorology and economics. It aims at the the right balance between private and public enterprise--as in "public goods"--public infrastructure and service--summed up in the original names of the states--"Commonwealths".
The party names are just brand names. Conservatives and Regressives wish to control both. Progressives always have an uphill battle.
5
So will all the Bernie fans on these pages vote for whomever Democrats nominate if it isn’t Bernie?
Every non-Bernie voter I know (endorsing Liz, Amy, some Pete, a few Joe and Mike) is committed to voting for Bernie if he is the nominee.
Bernie backers are the only ones I know who won’t commit to “vote blue no matter who”. Such purity and self-righteousness helped elect Trump in 2016 and will do so again if not overridden by the existential imperative to stop Trump in 2020.
5
The “moderate” wing of the Democratic Party helped give us a tax system where rich investors pay a 14% income take while many of us pay 25%. They helped give us NAFTA and other devastating trade policies. They joined hands with Republicans to give us the Iraq War. And the Party’s 2016 candidate was so chummy with the Trumps that she actually attended their wedding. I would suggest that the “moderate” wing of the Democratic Party isn’t really moderate at all. Good riddance.
5
For all this talk about Americans not supporting Bernie's agenda, he sure seems to get a lot of votes.
5
Stock market should surge tomorrow....
Sanders "win" will GUARANTEE another four years of Trump.
And then, the rest of all his children of majority age.
4
I listened to part of Bernie's victory speech while I was preparing dinner last night. As a lifelong liberal Democrat, even I was a bit taken aback by the sheer volume and breadth of the "free" stuff he was promising people. It is wholly unrealistic.
This morning the analysts are saying that a large segment of his supporters are young, many are not highly educated, which is fine, but I hope those masses cheering him on realize that they probably won't get much of the pie in the sky promises from last night. Even if Bernie wins the presidency, we will need a large majority in congress to pass any of his promises.
I hope I'm wrong, but rather than feeling energized about the
Bernie win, I have a real sense of foreboding about the future, because Repubs are not going down without an ugly, filthy fight, the likes of which we've never known before, against what they perceive to be a Liberal threat to America. Add to that Bernie voters who might be disappointed at not getting all the things they want on the Bernie agenda, (they are not in the mood to compromise on anything), and we might have frightening discord to deal with.
One thing's for certain, vote for Democrats down ticket or nothing will be done under a Bernie presidency, except stonewalling and division.
6
I do not understand the negativity toward Bernie Sanders. He tied in Iowa with 26.2%, won New Hampshire, and won Nevada. The naysayers say he can't win. Apparently he can, because he is winning. He's a liberal. Trump is his polar opposite who has harmed the country immeasurably in three short years. I'm one of the members of multiple minority groups the naysayers claim he can't attract but I'm voting for him as well, and so are most of my friends and family of similar demographics. He offers a big change because that's what we need. Half measures are not enough. It's apparent from these results. Democrats need to stop being so scared of bold proposals for fear of alienating people. We have a formidable competitor and we need to step up to the challenge.
11
Trump didn’t win by running as a moderate. He’s a divisive president with a highly motivated base. Therefore, it’s demonstrable that you don’t need moderates to win an election; you need a passionate and motivated base. Historically, young people haven’t voted in the same numbers as older people. It’s a disenfranchised sector of voters that has never been fully activated, until Bernie. He’s also building support in other sectors, like the Latino community. Whether it’s enough of a groundswell to beat Trump, only time will tell. The flawed logic of the past is that the youth vote can be essentially ignored because “young people don’t vote” - but maybe they don’t vote because they haven’t been presented with a candidate who reflects their core values. With the threat of climate change, it’s their future that is literally in jeopardy, and I can’t think of a more motivating factor than that.
4
I sure hope Democratic voters know what they are doing.
Because if Mr. Sanders is the candidate and loses, it seems possible, likely even, that there won’t be elections in the future.
The Democratic Party would be outlawed, and, after Donald Trump died in office, Donald II would take power.
5
I’ll take this bet: Sanders will not only lose the presidency should he be nominated, he’ll lose the Senate and House for Democrats as well.
He’s like a prophet of old, scolding America’s wealthy and powerful for betraying too many Americans - a worthy voice.
But his track record on pragmatically getting things done working with others is abysmal.
His proposals are extreme for most voters, who want health care options not health care tyranny.
Most Democrats and center left independents want to restore progressive taxation in higher income brackets. They want to close tax loopholes so corporations no longer avoid paying their fair share.
But exploding the deficits and/or imposing significant tax increases that hit more modest households are far less appealing. Those with retirement accounts see him as a threat to their financial security.
I’m old enough to remember the zealous, mostly young supporters of ultra liberal George McGovern, who I recall won just one state in 1972, handing Nixon his second term. I was one of them, working in Chicago. Youthful idealism and aspiring to a more equitable society are wonderful things.
But giving Trump four more years and at least two more Supreme Court Justices is sheer folly.
Every political data analyst I’ve looked at says voters who matter in the pivotal electoral college districts are not Sanders voters. They are not “blue no matter who voters”. They veer older and moderate to center left.
11
Sigh from Trump to yet another polarized leader. He appeals most to folks who are young, those who have less education, and really those who want a lot of free handouts. If I was an immigrant with a difficult path towards a comfortable life, Bernie with his shortcuts would be my dream candidate. Trump voters elevated the under-educated to rule the so called thinkers and elites. Now, Bernie appeals to the same crowd. Indeed once again America will remain in the abyss for the next four years. If we really want change, then please Warren offers the same plan, but so much more thoughtfully. We are in a sad state. The educated have stopped voting.
2
The well paid well insured "pundits" scoffed at the prospect of Mr Trump winning and he unfortunately did...The well paid well insured "pundits" now claim Mr Sanders will not win.
Mr Sanders will win...and the "pundits" will have to find other jobs, grateful for Mr Sanders' health care revolution.
7
With Sanders at the top of the ticket, the Dems have two paths to the White House. The first is an economic calamity unfolds during the summer and early fall that causes people to vote for change not matter what.
The second path is called 2024.
6
The more Bernie is attacked, the stronger he becomes. Just like Trump in 2016. At this time 4 years ago nobody thought Donald stood a chance of getting the GOP nomination.
People say Bernie's campaign on behalf of real working people in this country is too "radical." There is only one true radical running for President, and that is Donald J. Trump.
9
I was at a party recently talking with someone, and before they told me where they worked, they profusely apologized. Only then did they tell me they worked for the big local health insurer. Even their employees hate the insurance companies.
8
The press is picking up and reporting a concern from the middle who think Bernie can't win, but the question is will they make it a self-fulfilling prophecy and not vote for him if he becomes the candidate. I'm to the left of that middle and I will vote for him. Once in office, he will work with all Dems and that should not be a problem. Let's try it and get some problems solved. We have so much work to do!
3
As bright as Mayor Pete seems, his decision to fall in line with what it is increasingly clear is simply out-of-date punditry disappoints. We are witnessing a seismic electoral paradigm shift that apparently is going to leave everyone who still adheres to conventional wisdom behind. I'm old enough to remember when Reagan was too old and out-of-touch to suit the "moderate wing" of his party. He not only won, he shifted the electoral paradigm rightward for forty years. The perfect storm seems to have arrived.
2
I'd love to see a Sanders / Klobuchar ticket; it seems a surefire way to get those swing states back.
2
Sanders is building the kind of multi-racial, multi-generational coalition that Obama built in 2008. This is the kind of energy and enthusiasm we will need to win in November, especially with the kind of vote suppression and negativity we are going to encounter.
The only way democrats will lose is if we allow ourselves to be divided.
Sanders has built this campaign without support from the DNC, without support from most "liberal" newspapers and media-- he's withstood a barrage of of smear and attacks from within our own party. He is a rising is because of his ethics and record on the issues. Polls constantly show he is the most well liked of all of the candidates running and the issues he is championing are popular.
Get on board folks! Let's bring some hope back to this country.
7
How do we know that the Russians haven't interfered in these primaries to tilt the scales in Bernie's favor? The problem with Iowa's software? The delays in Nevada's reporting? Aren't these a bit suspect? It's just too convenient that Russia's favored candidate is also in top place in the primaries. Americans like what Bernie says but why do the Russians like him? What's the plan to ensure that Trump wins?
3
@Getting The Picture
At what point does this argument become a pathology?
1
Based on many of the comments in this thread, it seems to me that there's a misconception about Sanders' electability: Many people are arguing that he is unelectable based on his unfavorability with moderate voters ("Progressives do not make up the majority of the party"). Yet all of the major polls indicate that Sanders is actually pretty favorable among moderates, being the second choice for many such voters, having an overall high favorability among democrats, AND winning in head-to-heads against Trump.
The only demographic that seem leery of Sanders are 65+ democratic voters. Now I understand that this is a large part of the NYT's reader base, so I am simply asking those voters to look around and understand that you do not own nor represent the entirety of the moderate vote. Furthermore, this demographic is not representative of the quality of life for most Americans, given their access to Medicare and the fact that many are not building a career in this political climate, nor attempting to secure stable housing. So please temper your claims that Bernie has no appeal to anyone outside of fiery young progressives. None of the results or polling that we've seen are consistent with this, only the claims of MSM pundits and the comments that we see in threads like these.
8
I would like to set up a reality television show designed to give supporters of the economic status quo a firsthand experience of what everyday Americans must endure to make ends meet in this country. I would like to start with their work experiences. I would like to set up The New York Times editorial board and opinion writers in a part-time warehouse job at an Amazon fulfillment center for six months. The hourly pay starts at $15 and they would start with a shift of 16 hours. I am confident that by the end of the experience all of them will have an opinion of our economy that is more in line with Bernie Sanders’s opinion.
6
The beauty of Bernie's victory is that it signals the coming together of individuals, groups & tribes, all proud & self sufficient, yet willing to care & respect one another in a bonding the nation needs as never before. Our identity is intact, our care & compassion is complete.
For those who've disrespected the majority, through their greed & ostentation, denying the most basic of human rights in regard to health & happiness, hoarding the wealth of the nation produced by the labor they disdain, the reckoning is at hand.
Liberty, fraternity, equality.
4
Sanders is giving Trump a second term.
I'm a life long democrat who despises Trump, but candidly America is not and hopefully never will be a socialist country.
Why is it that so many throughout the world want to come to America to pursue their dreams of success. Cant recall the last time someone said they were going to the Netherlands.
15 years ago I was fired from my job when a new mgmt. team came in and decided to "shake things up". On that day I decided I would never again be dependent on the whims of someone else for the future of my family. I cashed in my 401K, took out an SBA loan, mortgaged my house and started my own business. Today we have 60 employees and are prospering.
I don't consider myself rich, but we're doing well for sure. The SBA loan has been paid back and we're opening a another location. The risks I took years ago were enormous, but to me they were worth it. My story is that of America and what it represents.
When I hear Sanders and other talk of free this and free that by "taxing the rich" they don't get it. It's not about taking from this person or that person but redesigning our tax system entirely which was developed in 1913 and is totally obsolete today. I'm in favor of a Use or VAT tax to replace the archaic system we currently have so stop playing one group off of another.
Working hard and being successful are part of the American dream. Unfortunately to Sanders and some of the others, these are values to mock and distain.
10
100 of the nearly 4,000 delegates in the Democratic nominating contest have been allocated by the three contests thus far.
Claiming momentum and inevitability from such sparse data only prejudices the outcome.
4
Donald Trump won in 2016 because almost 40+% of the eligible public did not turn out to vote, and a majority of those come from demographics that would normally have voted Democratic.
Why? The reason appears to have been public apathy or animosity towards Hillary Clinton. (This is aside from Trump accepting and even welcoming help from Putin.)
If Bernie wins the nomination and in addition arouses the bottom 50% of disenfranchised Americans to vote, he can beat Trump.
This is a clear message to the Democrats but will they listen?
3
While not totally decided as yet on my Democratic selection.But no centrists will get my vote.
I want to state that after reading many of the comments for this article that I do hope that the people who write your opinions and editorials are reading these comments.
These commenters are real people speaking from the heart and head about someone who has earned their confidence to lead America.
3
I do not understand the negativity toward Bernie Sanders. He tied Buttigieg in Iowa with 26.2%, won New Hampshire, and won Nevada. The naysayers say he can't win. Apparently he can, because he is winning. He's a liberal. Trump is his polar opposite who has harmed the country immeasurably in three short years. I'm one of the members of multiple minority groups the naysayers claim he can't attract but I'm voting for him as well, and so are most of my friends and family of similar demographics. He offers a big change because that's what we need. Half measures are not enough. It's apparent from these results. Democrats need to stop being so scared of bold proposals for fear of alienating people. We have a formidable competitor and we need to step up to the challenge. If Bernie Sanders becomes the nominee and loses, so be it. Centrism is not a golden ticket to victory.
4
Before last night, no candidate in the history of competitive primaries, Democratic or Republican, has ever won the popular vote in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
Bernie Sanders just did that. It is unprecedented.
Once again, the corporate media pundits and Democratic Party establishment are proven to be terminally out of touch with what is going on in the heads of voters in this country.
Watch: Bernie Sanders is going to defeat Donald Trump. And Medicare For All is going to be a reality whose time has finally come.
6
Many of these comments seem to suggest that all "moderate" voters in swing sates aren't bothered by our inadequate healthcare system, or feel pleased about all the low-paying jobs in this so-called "great" economy. Maybe they're not paying attention when Trump and the Republicans try to pass a budget that guts Medicare and Social Security. Maybe they're all OK with forgoing college for their families due to the astronomical cost. The political pundits should quit the hand-wringing and give everyone a chance to vote in the upcoming primaries before reaching the conclusion that "Bernie can't win."
5
No one is going to elect a moderate dem...republicans will never vote for anyone but trump...the democrat primaries prove they want a change...get over it,it's time for Bernie...moderates are past their expiry date
7
NYT- Please stop using 'socialism' as a scare word or concept. It's a part of the daily life of every single American citizen. The problem is, most citizens do not correlate our socialist programs as socialism and supposed journalists like NYT should do more to link them as opposed to creating a 'boogeyman' scenario if Bernie wins the nomination. Just the facts please.
9
Guess who's jumping up and down with Bernie Sanders? Donald Trump.
4
Bernie is vying to challenge a pathologically lying tax cheat who has openly embraced several strong man dictators who threaten American interests, American democracy, or America itself -- and the best the corporate establishment and its minions can come up with is that Bernie is a socialist (of the same stripe as the Norwegian people said lying tax cheat finds quite charming).
Oh, okay, NYT, CNN, DNC, XYZ, . . ., say it again: Bernie is a democratic socialist, just like the people from the wealthiest, happiest countries on Earth. And that's supposed to scare us? Compared to Trump? Um, really?
13
I love the smell of exploding Neoliberal heads.
Smells like victory.
9
If Bernie keeps winning, sooner or later corporate media outlets like the NYT and MSNBC will actually have to start paying attention to his campaign.
7
A moratorium on deportations. You sneak in, you can stay. That's gonna play well in the heartland.
10
Can we lose the horse and buggy caucus system?
4
It ain't Bernie and it ain't Joe. It is the master Dem politician Nancy Pelosi who has already beaten Trump and will beat him at a debate and on election day. Wake up Dems!
1
Never mind the spectacle of the woke Dems who've lectured the country for years now about the evil of rule by rich old white men but now place a rich old white male as their front-runner; what I'd like one of the Trump deranged among the NY Times readership (which is about 90%) to answer is: assuming there is validity to the claim conveniently "leaked" by entrenched members in the deep state to the same Dem media handmaidens like the NY Times and WaPo, who first pushed the Russia Trump conspiracy hoax onto America, that Russia is again taking control of the presidential elections -- but this time the Russians are to either again elect Trump or alternatively Sanders -- of course by amaaaazing coincidence both just happen to be despised by Hillary and the Democratic Party establishment -- then what will the Trump Deranged say who consider any Russian interference to be ipso facto proof of treason or "stoogery" if Trump OR Sanders is elected? Will that again be ipso facto proof Trump is a traitorous stooge of Putin, and by logical extension apply the same logic and same conclusion if Sanders is elected? And would that mean to the holy warriors against divisiveness and rube rule that the entire presidency is ipso facto illegitimate whoever of the two is elected? After all, if Trump is illegitimate because Russia got him elected, then Sanders would also be illegitimate since the Russians did the same for him. Yes? And so any presidential decisions by either are void?
4
I am not trying to be a party pooper for Bernie Sanders...more power to him...but his victory is as much a sign of weakness on Joe Biden's part.
In the beginning Biden had a clear coast to the nomination, but somehow lost his track along the way.
But it became increasingly clear that he was stuck in that past, and had no vision for the future of this country.
1
Any one else taking bets on how this paper and the entire DNC run media (CNN, MSNBC) will seek to cast aspersions or outright smear Bernie this week? They had this Russia story lined up and in the chamber last night before the Nevada caucus... I’m certain Monday morning on these pages we will see yet another line of attack on his campaign by the likes of Ember and her clearly biased cohorts.
4
The tally of Nevada Dem. caucus voters, some 50 percent counted, is some 54.000. What can/does this imply for november's pres.election?
Nevada state has some 3 million inhabitants!
With anxiety&best wishes HansF
2
WOW!
Bernie clobbers the other candidates big time in Nevada.
I guess he wasn't a sucker bet after all.
6
"[A] liberal from Vermont." Liberal? A preview of things to come. Thank you New York Times. Now we know how the Times and its left wing media companions will try to sell the avowed and loudly self-proclaimed Socialist, very likely the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate. Have no fears. He's a "liberal."
3
Ah yes. Here comes the rebranding of Bernie the socialist. “Diverse Coalition” will be one of the buzz labels you’ll see over and over again. The liberal media is coming to terms with the fact that they’re going to have to spend the next 8 months defending Bernie, so start the narrative now.
Sorry. Not happening this time around. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to hide the fact that Bernie is an admitted and proud socialist. And not just a little socialist either. This guy honeymooned in Russia, and unapologetically supported the socialist Sandinistas. He’s been calling himself a socialist his entire life. The next 9 months won’t be able to hide that, especially with a brash in your face President like Trump.
This election is going to be an epic battle between good ole American capitalism, and socialism.
Guess which side wins?
8
I’m a Warren supporter. I’m not giving up on her yet. But increasingly I have the feeling that Sen. Sanders will be our nominee against the fascist cancer squatting in the White House. If that’s the case, then I’d strongly suggest that any non-Trump cultist prepare her- or himself to get behind Bernie 1000% and concern themselves about his “agenda” after the election. This may well be the only shot we have at saving the Republic. Let’s not blow it.
5
Hey, NY Times: What were the vote totals – the numbers? All I found in the article was descriptive language.
4
Only Mr. Sanders, with his uncompromising message ... has shown traction in both predominantly white Iowa and New Hampshire and the more black and brown Nevada.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/us/politics/how-sanders-won-nevada.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage
If the Times weren't such an inherently racist paper, maybe this wouldn't come as such a surprise.
4
Dear NYT:
As an MSNBC analyst, Jason Johnson, so aptly put it:
“Racist, liberal whites seem to love them some Bernie Sanders."
Sanders, according to this critique, "cares nothing for intersectionality. I don’t care how many people from the island of misfit Black girls you throw out there to defend you.”
Bernie's tepid embrace of "intersectionality" -- it is not a rejeciton, by any means -- should be regarded as a plus.
We Democrats have far too many race-baiting illiberal progressives who disdain civil rights and notions of equal opportunity, and instead make a living shaming various constituencies, while utterly failing to grasp the economic (not racial or gender-based) character of so much of our suffering.
Bernie is not exactly up to speed on the new economy and thre threats it poses, but he is way ahead of most academics clinging to the feel-good intersectional fantasy.
Yes, black lives matter. But we need to focus on more than the occasional police shooting of a young black kid, on why oppressed people remain oppressed.
The "intersectional" critique offered by academic critical realists is a bogus and divisive pseudo-ideology that we should expressly disavow. Bernie, who is an old-fashioned "New Leftist" like so many of my aging neighbors in Berkeley, should be applauded for ignoring it.
4
NYtimes, I worry that you are doing it again. Why must we compare Bernie to moderates? All your stories sound like you are desperate for someone, anyone other than Bernie to save us. Please, be careful.
3
God help us all.
6
The Status Quo Is Toast.
"Russia isn’t attacking our democratic system – our own ruling class is." That's Tucker Carlson earlier tonight - he seems to be seconding Bernie's analysis. Well, right on!
The NYT needs to sit up and take notice, or FOX (FOX!!) will steal a march on them again. They may end up on the wrong side of history as in 2016.
Tonight is the start of the People awaking from their somnambulant status and taking their country back from the status quo. We zombies are waking up.
As Bernie gets traction he also makes Trump look a little better, like Trump's been on to something bigger than himself. Now that's a thought.
Even Sarah Palin's "lame-stream media" is lookin' perspicacious. Could the Trumpsters be idiot savants?
Maybe the Moderate adults have been wrong all along. Maybe time's up for their comfy status quo hold on power. Heck, maybe Putin isn't as bad as the mainstream media always says. There's a lot of rethinkin' going on tonight. This could be a tipping point.
Seems like tonight something changed and the People started thinking different with a new set of possibilities.
Like Sydney Ember wrote: "Many people are probably hearing this Sanders stump speech for the first time. It feels so much different now, even though it’s what he always says."
That's right. Time for the NYT columnists to rise up against their status quo masters.
My gosh, could Bernie be the Second Coming? And if so, what was Trump?
3
Russia must be having a ball meddling in our elections.
First, they sic on us a crazy, unglued conservative autocrat. Now, they’re dangling an elixir salesman, well meaning, but incapable of delivering....
7
Americans are just tired of all this selfishness. Bloomberg isn't successful, he's disgusting. Hoarding behavior is mental illness and Americans are tired of the hoarding behavior exhibited by America's selfish and neurotic elites. Who wants their kids to grow up to be a self-absorbed troll like Trump or Bloomberg?
Bernie also is not a radical. This is just warmed-over FDR. Only neurotic hoarders who live in glasses houses could mistake him for an actual revolutionary.
4
Now, this is what 'Morning in America' really feels like!!!
Bernie 2020.
14
Congratulations to Bernie, he won fair and square. I will gladly vote for him in November if he is the Democratic nominee.
Having said that, we now confront a situation where, for the second election in a row, a candidate will likely win the party nomination with only about 30 to 35 percent core support, with the remaining 60 to 65 percent of the party splitting their vote among a large number of more moderate candidates.
This situation desperately calls out for some kind of runoff or ranked choice voting process that would require a nominee to get majority support.
Here in Maine we did just that by adopting ranked choice voting after the debacle of our 2010 gubernatorial race, where the successful candidate won the GOP party nomination with only 27 percent of the primary vote against six other candidates and then won the general election with only 36 percent of the vote, when a third party candidate split the votes of the moderates.
The uniquely American system of minority rule, with an Electoral College, multi-candidate primaries, a gerrymandered House and a US Senate where states representing only 18 percent of the population control a majority 52 Senate seats, is neither healthy or sustainable.
We need to make changes in the Electoral system by 2024 before it is too late.
9
Congratulations to Bernie, he won fair and square. I will gladly vote for him in November if he is the Democratic nominee.
Having said that, we now confront a situation where, for the second election in a row, a candidate will likely win the party nomination with only about 30 to 35 percent core support, with the remaining 60 to 65 percent of the party splitting their vote among a large number of more moderate candidates.
This situation desperately calls out for some kind of runoff or ranked choice voting process that would require a nominee to get majority support.
Here in Maine we did just that by adopting ranked choice voting after the debacle of our 2010 gubernatorial race, where the successful candidate won the GOP party nomination with only 27 percent of the primary vote against six other candidates and then won the general election with only 36 percent of the vote, when a third party candidate split the votes of the moderates.
The uniquely American system of minority rule, with an Electoral College, multi-candidate primaries, a gerrymandered House and a US Senate where states representing only 18 percent of the population control a majority 52 Senate seats, is neither healthy or sustainable.
We need to make changes in the Electoral system by 2024 before it is too late.
2
I just looked at Bernie Sanders’ website and frankly was shocked at how little detail was provided on Medicare for All. I am a physician and would love to have a system that is affordable, practical, and inclusive that provides quality health care to patients. I’ve wanted universal healthcare for twenty years. But, Bernie’s MFA is missing components and amazingly does not address the workforce crisis that would occur.
Where are the providers going to come from? In my city it can take 4-6 mo this to see a gynecologist for a first time patient-unless I call in a favor. There aren’t enough doctors and getting enough of them is at least 10-20 year project. Some schools are churning out NPs and PAs that are woefully undertrained based on my interactions.is that what people hope for. And if it’s all free demand will soar. And provider workforce is just one aspect. I truely fear that MFA will become Bernie’s “Who knew healthcare could be so complicated?” Moment.
6
I am a Conservative Democrat who finds "give away, class warfare promoter" totally unacceptable. He would be as bad in his own way as DT is in his. Regarding electability -- zero - zilch - denada.
10
@Richard Frauenglass . Exactly, I'll take grifter Trump over Latin America-style free everything Socialism any day of the week.
Bernie Sanders would like you to believe it will be more like Scandinavian socialism, but the reality is that Scandinavia has super low corporate taxes (lower than ours) and depends largely on offshore oil to sustain its tiny homogeneous population.
@Richard Frauenglass You've got it precisely wrong. Republicans are the ultimate "give away, class warfare" promoters. They promote endless "give aways" for billionaires and corporations, and wage "class warfare" on the middle and working classes.
3
NYT Stop! When oh when are you going to stop your doom and gloom coverage of Bernie Sanders? As this very newspaper reported today, " a multiracial coalition of immigrants, college students, Latina mothers, younger black voters, white liberals and even some moderates who embraced his idea of radical change and lifted him to victory in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday". He won, big time. Just stop.
17
@MatthewJohn Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. Sanders supporters need to stop the hateful rhetoric.
2
It’s shaping up to be a race between a socialist and a sociopath. It should be interesting.
14
Congrats Bernie! I am one of the many who thought Clinton could do it in 2016, as did millions of other international observers, given her experience and understanding of what the role entails, but alas her past arrogance, her husbands past infidelities and her evident disregard for States that historically voted Blue was her undoing. Bernie has a chance to remedy the mistakes of the last cycle. While many pander, he remains true to his beliefs, energizes the youth and evidently wins votes in States with diverse populations. As a European, his beliefs in our eyes are centre left, even moderate, depending where you look, but I keep hearing that many in US believe hes... Communist and/or a militant socialist? Really? Have you looked at Western Europe lately? That place where people live longer, have better healthcare, less inequality, less crime and less enemies? You really should check out that Jeff Daniels speach from NewsRoom. Not everywhere outside the US is the mess it once was, just so you know.
I hope voters give Bernie a chance. After the ignoramus-in-chief, America deserves a leader that loves his country, respects women and wont be laughed at in public and in private. America once led the developed world in everything that mattered, not just obesity, gun crime and inequality.
Give Bernie your vote! 👍
21
Fo get about it! It's a shame we still have to wait until Super Tuesday for the Dem Candidates wanna bees to drop out. What a crew of losers, the biggest will be Bloomy. So now with Bernie, put something away for that rainy day. He's a tsunami. Trump in a Landslide!
4
Ever since 1924, and Calvin Coolidge, we’ve been waiting for a Mulligan. Looks like were finally going to get one.
2
bye bye Liz. The last thing that the Dems need is an angry person who besmirches everybody. Come back as a calmer person in 4 years and we will evaluate you again.
3
Buttigieg really needs to pack it in (if that weren't already clear from the Buttigieg Platitude Generator). I mean, seriously, what chuztpah after he just got trounced by a factor of 3! What makes him think he is in any position to advise the Democratic Party or Democratic voters about what's good for them or what the public will accept in the general election? He never deigns to explain on what he bases his divinations about not alienating the putative "moderate middle" that would warrant anyone taking him seriously. Sorry, "Mayor Pete" is just acting like a sanctimonious sore loser. I look forward to his swift exit, and to not have to listen to his pompous bromides anymore.
12
Words are important, and some of this article has the language of anti-Sanders propaganda. Sanders “trumpeted”. He “boasted”. These are loaded words designed to make him look bad, even unhinged. The article makes Pete look so much more reasonable. The editor saw this and approved. Many of us expect the so-called liberal media to veer to Trump, subtly of course, if Sanders wins the nomination. After all, American business is more important than America in this global world.
12
Can The New York Times clarify/explain the open caucus and if Republicans were able to participate in Nevada?
This is an important issue.
5
Why do we continue to allow the media to tell us who controls the race after 3 sparsely populated, mostly white states have held caucuses? This happens every 4 years and needs to stop because it is and has never been democratic. Want to know how we got a reality TV star as president (or a B-movie actor that starred with a chimp)? Just look at how we treat our election cycle. It's all flash and sound bites, titillation, scandal and self-promotion, and speculation presented as facts. And that is for the "serious candidates"...
6
Tell me how winning the second least populous state is a show of might?
9
Kudos to the ground game of the Sanders campaign in Nevada. The jubilance from the far far left is clearly noted. I hear the popping of champagne bottles in The White House. Miss Pelosi, get ready to retire.
4
Why not have just three primaries and call it a day. At this early point in the process, to listen to the Sunday morning commentary shows, as well as this publication, Sanders just practically won the nomination. Did the foreign influence being reported account in part for this surge in popularity for Sanders?
7
Both political parties now seem to have been bypassed by a significant segment of the population, led by the young. The GOP tries to relive the "great days" of the pre Civil Rights era. Mainstream Democrats appear to be stuck in the Obama era. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders and a good chunk of the American people have moved on ahead.
15
Sanders’ supporters don’t know history and so are repeating it. I’m nearly 64 and I’ve seen this film before. It’s called 1972. The economy is good, though with a few storm clouds on the horizon. In the White House is a president reviled by the left but loved by the white working class who admires and identifies with him, largely because they sense that he hates the same people they do. The Democratic Party leaders, seeking to avoid a repeat of the left wing backlash against the nomination of a moderate in 1968, let grassroots choose the nominee, who then enthusiastically choose a senator from a small state who’s their liberal dream candidate, who then loses the general election in a landslide, losing every state except Massachusetts.
Now there are a few differences: McGovern was a decorated war hero, a Christian pastor, from the rural heartland, and did not, ever, call himself a socialist.
16
People getting too high on Bernie. This was a small caucus, the turnout was a fraction of Nevada voters. Wait until Super Tuesday before you declare Bernie the winner. Sure he won, but its not necessarily representative.
17
As an older person, I can see why Sanders is appealing to younger voters. But we have a Presidential election process that does not require winning the popular vote. Sanders' supporters should ask in which of the states Trump carried in 2016 would Sanders likely prevail? I can't see any myself.
22
@Dan Broe - The corollary to that question is “What 2016 Clinton state would switch to Trump rather than vote for Bernie?” And I believe the answer is “zero.” All it takes is for Bernie to flip a state or two and he gets the win.
I could see Bernie eking out a win in Michigan and Wisconsin, especially given their loss of manufacturing jobs under Trump. (Before you trumpet, O Trumpists, go look it up.) But Pennsylvania, after the attacks on fracking and the promise to shut it all down?
Florida, with all the retirees who’ll worry about keeping their Medicare? Arizona, which is at most light lilac?
Can’t see it.
@Dan Broe
Sadly I must point out that under our electoral system you do not need a majority of the vote to win the office of President. See Bush and Trump as examples.
Who's winning the Democratic primaries? The Russians. Bernie cannot win the general.
22
@Dianne Karls - “Bernie can’t win!” And neither could Trump. Until he did
Winner in Nevada: Trump
Loser: the American dream, where if you work hard, you will be rewarded.
18
@Patrick McGregor The American dream of "hard work = rewards" died long ago, with no help from Bernie.
1
@Patrick McGregor We've lost that a long time ago. In Trump's America, cheaters win.
2
@Patrick McGregor "if you work hard, you will be rewarded..." Ask Michael Cohen how that worked out for him.
A sizable portion of Republican and Trump supporters will also support Sanders in Nov. Those poor, working class Americans in rust and corn belt also likes Sanders and they too know that he is among the very few decent and honest politicians that the US has today. Sanders is just total opposite of what Trump is- in every sense- including honesty, straight talking and fighting for the poor and working class.
Republicans would repent a lot for defending a liar and a criminal like Trump.
22
Electoral college reality check. In the six or seven swing states how many have the same demographics as Nevada? Just asking! Wisconsin? Michigan? Pennsylvania? Iowa? North Carolina? Maybe Florida and Arizona. Maybe...
6
@Fred Instead, why not ask how many voters in these swing states are one illness away from bankruptcy. Or need to work more than one job to survive in this so-called "great" economy. Maybe they're not so different from the voters in Nevada after all.
@Fred
Bernie beats Trump in all the six states, right now, and also nationally. That's your reality check.
The comments full of vindictive anti-Bernie hysteria from alleged Democrats here are fatuous. If you feel so deeply motivated to post a cri de coeur claiming that you are a Democrat yet absurdly believe that Bernie is worse than Trump, I find it hard to believe you ever shared the basic values of 98% of Democrats. Bernie's program is a mainstream platform that FDR, a beloved and wildly popular President who was elected 4 times, would have recognized.
44
@J.M. Agree. The comments posted by Democrats sound like they are actually coming from Trump supporters. The negativity and despair saddens me. They have already given up. "If Bernie wins, Trump won." It ain't over till it's over. I'm voting no matter what, and my vote doesn't even count really.
3
I don’t believe he’s worse, of course. But I have realistic, serious doubts about his electability, and I KNOW some of his plans and promises are crazy.
Oh, and I really get tired of being bellowed at because I don’t agree with the Berniacs.
@J.M. That was then, this is now.
I just read a post below by a Sanders supporter who claimed that “environmentalism is a luxury” and you must be well off to rank the environment as your number one priority. This is the kind of knee jerk response to any hint of criticism of Sanders’ candidacy that I have come to expect. Sanders is always right. His critics are rich elitist snobs. Even if that means ignoring your actual beliefs. Who do you think are the people who are going to be most affected by climate change? The poor, of course. They should care, and I know that many of them do.
9
@Ben
Healthcare is the primary clear and present danger to most people right now, not climate change, which is the further out disaster.
2
Good news, then, that Sanders has the most far-reaching plan to address climate change, endorsed by the Sunrise Movement and scoring an A from Greenpeace.
2
That comment by a supposed Sanders doesn't make any sense. Even the English is off.
Photos of Bernie in Russia and lauding it; recent photos of him with Omar "some people did something" and Palestinian flag wearing Tlaib. Result? He will lose if he's the nominee and then he'll go back to being an Independent who only becomes a Democrat when it suits him. We Dems will lose again. And if he's the nominee, we deserve to.
21
@leftrightmiddle
We could do the same with Trump. Do his followers care? No.
I don't care Russia Bernie went to Russia on his honeymoon. Be honest, do you really?
1
So if you add the C.C.D's of Biden, Buttigieg, and Warren up you don't even get the number that Burnie got. Not sure what this means, but I would imagine the "Moderates" have some hard thinking to do very soon.
12
It is time for the economists to show the country how
2
Could it be the "Deplorables", forgotten and young want radical change which benefits 95% of the population? We will see in November!
10
@Coger
"wanting" isn't "getting."
Sanders will never put together a Congressional majority to deliver on any of what he talks about that is outside of an executive order.
2
"The Associated Press named him the winner"
When has the AP been the decider of when and who is declared the winner ?
2
I guess that the Democrat establishment breaching the secrecy of an ongoing criminal investigation wasn’t enough. Telling everyone that Russians were trying to aid Sanders election chances was supposed to allow Warren to take the lead. Maybe next time the DNC will claim that outer space aliens are helping Sanders.
10
@William McCain When I read about the Russians my eyes glazed over. Twitter suspended 70 sites paid for by Bloomberg--he's worse than the Russians.
2
This is so exciting! And so awesome!! Go Bernie! Go corporate accountability! Go Medicare for All! Go unions!!
13
You know Bernie just entered the final orbit to nomination when:
- Cable news hosts are upset and their anchors sigh openly as they watch him win
- Pundits and opinion writers start insulting his supporters again
- Establishment start a rumor that Russian is meddling to help him win
- DINOs hope for Bernie to be impeached to save their wall street party
- President Trump congratulates him on his Nevada win
14
As climate change makes more and more citizens of the planet refugees, as the walls of nationalism continue to be erected between nations, and the scourge of weaponry is the only thing allowed to pass freely between nations, how do we change the arc of a society that makes civility a target, where good governance and decency are shouted down, and instead treat each other across the planet with kindness and love?
We know that Trump is ignorant, ignoring and denying climate change.
We know that Trump is a bully, afraid of his own shadow, a little man in what he thinks is a big man's world.
We know that Trump is corrupt.
What most Americans don't know is that the United States of America is already a socialist country.
To the tune of nearly a trillion dollars a year, $1,000,000,000,000.00, we use taxpayer dollars to prop up the private sector with tax breaks and subsidies. We socialize risk, and privatize profits, for our corrupt version of capitalism.
And Democrats are every bit as guilty as Republicans at playing the 'public/private' game of funding projects.
Sanders, to his credit, is a threat to this cash cow.
Can you imagine feeding children, instead of using public money to buy apartment buildings? Sanders can. Can you imagine taking better care of the elderly, instead of using tax dollars to build another shopping mall? Sanders can.
It is time to stop pretending that we are good and decent, and recognize the rot and corruption that have taken root.
19
@David Roy
...and?
Do you honestly believe that anybody who’s in any way likely to vote for Sanders hasn’t heard all this stuff a kerjillion times?
The notion that Bernie can’t win reminds me of that Yogi Berra-ism: “Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore. It’s too crowded.”
13
The Democrats need to realize that Bernie CAN win.... anybody can beat Trump with the right coalition, voter motivation and engagement. All this negative talk amounts to a circular firing squad where the chances of winning are getting squandered....Trump is unpopular!!! and with youth and people of color, a win is entirely possible. Vote anybody over Trump. Period.
16
Stop calling them "moderates" and "centrists".
.
Those are both misnomers.
6
@Richard Blaine Yes, they are republicans with republican ideas. do we have to wait another 20 years for national health care?
It would be more accurate to say that Bernie won a diverse coalition of less than 5% of eligible Dem only voters
Has anyone looked at the Senate map where we can pick up seats?
I provide it below
There are only 4 toss-up seats and if we got all of them and hold all our our blue seats we would only be 50/50 in the Senate and one of the tossups is in AZ
A large majority of open Senate seats are in Red and red leaning states 20. Then there are only 11 Seats in blue states that we have to defend- Only 4 are tossups.
20 Red
11 B
4 T
Look at this interactive map and try it for yourself !
https://www.270towin.com/2020-senate-election/
The GOP are already pairing the Dem challenger in AZ with Bernie calling him too radial, too liberal, socialist - etc.
The other 4 possible seats are in states that lean red. With Bernie as the nominee - we are unlikely to get any of those because the Dem challengers will be trying to run as moderates to win - and they won't win with Bernie on the ticket.
That is it!
There are ZERO places on the map where Bernie can get a Senate majority and since the GOP are already pairing all who run with liberal Bernie - we could lose the House as well.
Trump and Putin want Bernie as the nominee because they know he will lose the Senate and the House and if he loses the Presidency - also likely - Trump will have full control
The places where we can win Senate seats we will need moderates to do so.
10
In Iowa Bernie told us that only the first vote mattered and you bought that. Well Bernie got 33.6 % of the first vote. Hardly the landslide that you are claiming with a headline Stalin would envy. I have subscribed to the Times since the 1980's but I will be canceling my subscription. As part of that 65% I am tired of being ignored.
3
@Greg Jones Were you ignored in 2016 when Clinton got the nomination?
Thr GOP establishment did not realize how angry their base had become in 2016. "Jeb!" wasn't going to do it for them.
The Democratic establishment does not realize how angry their base has become in 2020. "Joe" isn't going to do it for them.
Both of these pushbacks against the status quo are cathartic and healthy in a democratic republic.
Better a political shift in the voting booth than keeping the status quo lid on so tight that the shooting starts.
7
Bernie Sanders is almost as dangerous to democracy as Donald Trump. We can't let him get the nomination. #neverbernie
10
Sanders believes in democracy and the rule of law.
He is no threat to it, at all.
Wonder where you got such an outlandish idea from...
1
Vote blue no matter who. No matter who. This is about democracy vs. oligarchy.
14
Bernie Sanders will be a disaster for the democratic party and the country. He will lose the presidency, and the democrats will lose the house and senate. I feel almost as sick about the idea of Sanders winning the nomination as I did about Trump winning the presidency. Sanders is revolting.
10
Bernie is NOT a Scandinavian socialist. If Bernie was Swedish, we would label him a left-wing marxist or even a communist.
Didn’t anyone read the fineprints in Bernies plan? Look up ”Corporate Accountability and Democracy” at the bottom of Bernie’s ”Issues” page. Here are a few examples:
1) Bernie wants the state to expropriate 2% per year of the stocks in all publically traded and large privately owned companies, until it owns 20% of all medium-sized and large companies.
2) Additionally, the state will appoint 45% of the board of directors in all large companies, to represent ”workers”, and controlling the direction the company, making sure companies are not focusing on profits, but on social awareness.
3) He wants to expropriate additional Shares in all companies using robots and automatization to optimise production, to protect workers from technical developments which reduce the necessity for labour.
4) Companies cannot be sold without being offered to the workers first. A state-controlled bank will be launched, to provide low-interest loans for workers wanting to buyout their owners.
5) The constitution of all corporate boards will be state controlled for diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexuality.
Is this for real? Why aren’t ALL of Bernies opponents talking about this, all the time? This is hardcore Sovjet Union communism, right there on his website.
7
@Scandinavian Please, Joe McCarthy died a long time ago. The C and S words just don’t work anymore when your relatives are dying for lack of early intervention health care or your kid can’t afford college!
2
@Scandinavian One thing is for sure, you are NOT Scandinavian. Bernie would be just left of center there. Now, I do think just over half of America is not yet ready for Bernie’s policies because they have been blasted with decades of GOP propaganda and fear. That is an entirely different issue though. America is way far out to the right at this moment, in the world Bernie is not that far of center.
1
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
Sanders's Corporate Accountability and Democracy platform does NOT say those things.
Here's what its key points are:
* Fundamentally shift the wealth of the economy back into the hands of the workers who create it.
* Give workers an ownership stake in the companies they work for.
* Break up corrupt corporate mergers and monopolies, including reviewing all mergers that have taken place during the Trump administration and institute new merger guidelines.
* Finally make corporations pay their fair share of taxes by reversing Trump’s corporate tax breaks and closing corporate tax loopholes to raise up to $3 trillion over 10-years.
See
https://berniesanders.com/issues/corporate-accountability-and-democracy/
There is no mention whatsoever of STATE confiscation and STATE ownership.
Sanders does call for *employee* share of corporate ownership, i.e., *economic democracy*. To wit,
“all publicly traded companies will be required to provide at least 2 percent of stock to their workers every year until the company is at least 20 percent owned by employees.”
Again, that's the workers themselves being given a *small*, minority share of the stock and, hence, voice in the affairs of the companies they work for. That's a good thing and it certainly isn't “communism”.
Let's stop with the fake attacks.
2
If Buttigieg thinks average Americans don't support reordering an economy that doesn't benefit them, and hasn't for decades, he's way too out of touch to be a serious contender.
8
Sanders is my first choice for the Dem nomination. Let’s see him try to convince a majority of all Americans that socialism is the answer. His defeat in November will be ugly & decisive.
6
I don’t understand why Biden did so well. Maybe it is true that he has better support among minorities. Bloomberg wasn’t even on the ticket? He’d better get moving!
I voted for Bernie just like my dad voted for McGovern!
6
Thank God Bernie won. Just wondering when my time share at one of his properties or percentage of his book deal kicks in.
4
This Democrat has heard Sanders spout the same rhetoric for years. The thought of choosing between him or Trump is horrifying.
10
Bernie pulling ahead bodes well for President Trump.
11
Tio Bernie? It should be more like Abuelo Benie. He can't win.
5
Great news. Make it a ticket: Sanders and Warren. A plea to the Democratic Party. please do not destroy the momentum. I'm still a bit surprised at why Warren has been running so behind. I guess Americans are not ready for a woman yet. She's fantastic. And Klobuchar should throw the towel. She's not going anywhere.
6
Big losers:
- News media leadership (including The Times) who breathlessly declared Warren the runaway winner of the NV debate as if it mattered. Voters no longer care about nor are listening to the opinions of traditional news outlets.
- Culinary union leadership. The rank and file ignored the anti-Medicare For All message of union officials.
- Warren. Her slide continues, regardless of her silly pronouncement in Seattle Saturday night.
- Biden. A distant second does nothing to attract voters nor badly needed funding.
- Anyone not named Sanders, including Buttigieg. A weak third-place finish hardly furthers his claim on the role of centrist to defeat Trump.
Our chances to win the White House in 2020. Current betting odds are that Trump is re-elected. That’s depressing.
4
Wow. Bernie Sanders huh?
I guess I’ll be only be casting votes in the down ballot races in November.
7
Okay, all of you "Moderate" Democrats who are calling for "party unity": Now is the time.
14
@Bunk McNulty Hard not to notice all the people who beat down on Sanders supporters for not embracing Hillary, joined the Resistance, etc are now refusing to support him.
2
"Congratulations on your reelection, Mr. President." Four more, even uglier years. Good job, DNC. And thanks, Joe, for taking all the early oxygen out of the room so more qualified candidates didn't run, like Sherrod Brown, Mark Warner, Mitch Landrieu...
6
President Trump represents capitalism without mercy - at its ugliest - raping the environment and the Treasury for the 1%. The United States now has more oligarchs than Russia heading the government. Amazon pays NOTHING in taxes and it's not the only company fancy free. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are the only two candidates that care about people who aren't millionaires.
5
Putin’s nominees, Trump and Sanders, are advancing.
8
Sanders is the "Wishmeister" of progressive politics. He has unfettered freedom because what he's been promoting for decades has zero chance of being implementing.
When it's all talk, the sky's the limit.
8
Bernie is going to loose to Trump on immigration. Trump is going to hound him on this and it will not be pretty.
5
Even the Washington Post was able to put together an unspun headline for this event. "Show of might"? What, like Ivan the Terrible or the other Russian dictators that the NYT, et al, are struggling to get a dwindling number of people to believe is the "communist's" super-bff's?
But I'm one of the Bernie Bros, so I'm either in Russia's pay or insufficiently polite to those who call Sanders a Moscow-honeymoon-loving Communist dictator ready to herd people like Chris Matthews into Central Park to be executed.
See, having your taxes raised is, to these people, just like being executed in Central Park. Annoyed Sanders supporters online are reason enough not to support him, even in the face of climate change.
They expose themselves every single time they rant. Lennon (not Lenin): One thing you can't hide is when you're crippled inside.
As usual, the hysteria achieves the opposite effect. A "paradoxical effect" to those so used to their well-marketed audiences acting as mirrors for their opinions.
You can count on more of the same, even though it objectively helps Sanders. They can't stop themselves.
You can count on the non-Sanders candidates tearing each other apart and letting him win handily, too. None of them have the control over their egos, the solidarity, to drop out now. Which is itself a wonderful advertisement for Sanders' entirely different attitude.
They openly announce uniting to steal it from him at the convention...but for whom? Good luck with that.
8
46.6% < 50%+1
1
It is time to revisit the positive aura surrounding terms such as “moderates” and “centrists”. Why is the centre good when the whole political spectrum has been drastically shifted to the right in the past decades? How is being moderate going to deal with issues such as growing inequality and climate change? Even worse is the NYT’s recent introduction of the term “left-centre” to describe people like Bloomberg, Biden and Buttigieg. This is nothing more than a fairly transparent ploy to burnish their progressive credentials - and draw voters away from Sanders. Unfortunately - or should I say fortunately - the Nevada results are debunking all the criticisms of Sanders - that he has a narrow base, that he’s unelectable, that nobody likes an angry socialist etc.
7
Unless the economy goes south Donald will win reelection. I hate it, but that's the fact. May as well go for broke with Bernie . . . or not. we have 3 78-year olds running. 🤦
4
Well, hold on now -- if the system is rigged, then why should we accept this result as legitimate? Bernie thinks an election is somehow fair -- even a crazy, unrepresentative caucus like this one -- when the results favor him. Otherwise, it's the billionaire class, and the corporatists, and the Boogeyman, all out to get him!
4
If the DNC let Bernie win last time it would have saved the world a lot of grief. Please, DNC: Let Bernie win! America wants Bernie. They only went for trump because Bernie was blocked by faithless super delegates. Not just voter suppression, CANDIDATE suppression! Let voters vote.
8
On this Saturday evening, 22 February 2020, let's get a navigational fix on our location in politi-space: Latitude: a nominally Republican president who's a lying, etc., etc. wannabe autocrat, actively engaged in trying to destroy the democratic America we thought we had. Longitude: a non-achieving, bellowing, grouchy loner offering vague proposals that the people don't understand, that he can't explain, and that in any event would crash the US economy, thereby destroying the democratic America we think we have.
Lewis Carroll? Kurt Vonnegut? Mark Twain? Ambrose Bierce? Who concocted this nightmare, anyway?
6
@Mercutio
Lorne Michaels?
Larry David?
Here are the front-runner positions that matter. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida. Nevada, perhaps.
Perhaps.
4
This country is an embarrassment on the world stage: healthcare as a privilege not a right, outrageous college tuition levels, gun proliferation, investment income taxed less than work...only Bernie wants to fix these badges of shame.
7
A great night for Old Cootism. My blood is feeling the bern right now -- or was that my heart? A triumph for the hand-waggling, bathrobe-clad class and the youngsters they somehow get to mow their lawn for them. Boarding that one-way train to nowhere right now, but man, look at all those young, pretty faces sitting next to me.
4
i understand the appeal of Bernie and drastic change to younger people. I can see why people with pensions. families with kids, and lower income individuals support him. But what about people in their 50’s and 60”s whose retirement is based on 401k”s - this is basically everyone who worked for large corporations starting in the 90”s. Sure, the current game is rigged, but it’s hard to ask people who have played it for the last 30 years to start playing a new game.
5
@bella Maybe it’s time to look beyond your own personal finances and care about something bigger.
1
@Linda McKim-Bell We gave Obama 8 years to implement big Democrat ideas. All he managed to achieve was a doubling of the national debt, from $10-20 trillion. Maybe it's time to look beyond the idiotic schemes of Washington elites and care about spending beyond our national means.
2
Noticeably, Sanders total in Nevada, at last count, was greater than that of Biden, Buttigieg, and Warren combined.
7
I definitely support Bernie and wish him good health; and while I truly care about him as a human being and hope that if he wins he can serve all 4 years, I cannot understand the panic concerning his age! What if dies the day after his inauguration? Who cares????? Its the POLICIES people! If you don't support the policies, that's one thing, but the panic about him being too old - for God's sake - do you think he's going to have Rick Santorum as a running mate? Elizabeth Warren, for instance, is sprightly 70 years old so just relax.
6
Maybe now the Democratic leadership can understand that we live in a democracy and stop trying to shove Bloomberg and Biden down our throats? The things that the leadership are saying are quite disgusting. They're worried that a candidate that is being popularly supported is gaining too much momentum. This isn't the old days when you go into a back room and pick a candidate. Go Bernie!
6
It doesn’t matter one bit to me who the nominee is. I’m going to support them. But then, it doesn’t matter one iota what I think because the electoral college cancels out my vote.
Tonight I had a discussion with a room full of fed-up Republicans about this (and some Democrats) and the overriding theme was that we really don’t have a voice anyway, and that’s often enough to keep people from voting.
Isn’t it time to abolish the electoral college? Do people know that its purpose was to give slave states an “equal footing,” you know, since a slave, who was counted as three-fifths of a person, couldn’t vote and made up such a substantial portion of southern states? Yeah. It’s disgusting. And it’s time to get rid of it. Donald Trump would not be president today if we’d gotten rid of it when we should’ve a long time ago.
5
Way to give Donald Trump the election! Congrats. The only viable candidate is Bloomberg.
8
I wont be voting for bernie sanders in the primaries. my folks in georgia did not like him last time and voted for trump of all people. yes, for disgusting donald. because they are republicans who feared taxes going up. they did vote for obama in 2008. i don't think obama republicans will support bernie.
7
sanders is less 'radical' than FDR. i hope this is the last we will have to hear about the corporate candidates 'mayor pete' and 'amy klobuchar'...although i suspect the editorial team of the ny times will do their best to reanimate their campaigns as well as continue to vilify bernie sanders...
7
Four more years of Trump is Sanders is the nominee. Ugh.
7
I canvassed for 2 days in Reno & was a Precinct Caucus Asst today. The caucusing experience was demoralizing for me as a Biden supporter from CA.....For one thing, the first precinct I observed hadt 500 registered Dems , yet only 94 voted! That is less than 20% which is inexcusable. NV just allowed voting by mail this yr which accounted for 63 of those 95 votes. The other 32 showed up in person to vote. If a candidate didn't have 15% (or in this case, 14 people, the candidate was considered not "viable" & their vote didn't count. Thus, in this 1st precinct I observed, Biden has 12 votes Pete and Bernie had over 15....Steyer had 10, Amy 4, etc....all these people who voted for someone else besides Peter or Bernie...their votes didn't matter & they could walk out or vote for either Peter or Bernie. That was their option. This proces is v discriminatory. In other rooms Biden was VIABLE (the VIP word!) and Pete (or someone else was not).
The NV polls are inaccurate bc they force people to vote for their 2 or 3 choice, not their first! I saw first hand many who voted for someone else besides Bernie have to compromise in the end to give Bernie his/her vote.
Nevada has only been causing since 2008 bc Harry Reid pushed it Most people don't like it. I heard that 75,000 people voted by mail (thus those who voted for Bernie by ballot are giving him an HONEST vote and not being forced to compromise). Only about 12,000 showed up today to vote by caucus.
6
How does an article updated at 1:34 a.m. still include the sentence—eight paragraphs in—"As results were being counted on Saturday night, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the billionaire investor Tom Steyer and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were all competing for what would clearly be a distant second-place finish."
With 50% of the vote in it's clear enough to warrant conditional mention that Joe Biden is in second place, and Pete Buttigieg—who narrowly won Iowa and virtually tied Sanders in his neighboring New Hampshire—is third.
Even clearer, something I've seen no coverage of, the tally has sat at 50% for about ten hours as I write this (6:30 a.m.), so apparently in Nevada as in Iowa before it, nobody in the state party cares enough to have a night shift counting and computing votes.
That severely damaged the bump in momentum Buttigieg deserved coming out of Iowa, and caused the first several days' reports to erroneously suggest he may have been wrong to claim victory.
Keeping Biden's best showing of the first three out of the news hampers the public's perception of his trajectory on the road to South Carolina.
In the primaries narrative is everything. Failing to update both counts themselves and news thereof combines to effectively skew the story away from 55%-75% of the three states' electorate and these other two candidates those voters placed first or second.
2
People in America want REAL change for the first time ever. Since we have a very undemocratic "democracy", our President will be elected by 100,000 or so hayseeds in the middle of the country. So, the question is: What do the hayseeds want?
3
@Phil
Well, for a start they don't want to be referred to as "hayseeds".
4
@Phil
Guns,bullets, ammo, vests, grenades, howitzers.
And leagalize meth.
And some new hubcaps for their homes.
1
@Phil
Looks like Phil and Ignatz are reprising Hilary's 2016 "Deplorables" playbook. How'd that work out last time?
Nobody in their right mind believes Bernie has even the glimmer of a hope of beating Trump.
The votes for Bernie are votes against the corrupt Democrat establishment.
And they are willing to see the Democrats go down in flames to make their point.
9
@Ken
So you admit the Democratic establishment is corrupt, but you support putting up another corrupt establishment candidate? Nobody in their right mind believes that has even a glimmer of hope of winning.
2
@J.C.
I don’t support what the Democrats have become in any way.
I am just enjoying my popcorn, watching the comi-tragedy unfold, amused.
Sanders & Warren = the dream team ticket for 2020! Yes to Bernie Sanders and return power to the American people!
7
So it's on. The most dogmatic, aggressive, confrontational elements in America now own the field. That Cheshire cat grin you see is Vladimir Putin patiently waiting for Trump or Sanders (he doesn't care which) to precipitate the demise of the defender of Western Europe and East Asia.
2
We can survive four years of Bernie. And you know what? We can also survive four more years of Trump. Do you want to contain Trump? Focus on flipping the Senate. And, if Bernie wins, Congress will also contain him. Please stop panicking.
4
Bernie: please say something about your support for entrepreneurs, capitalism, free enterprise, individual freedom, independent judiciary.
I am pretty sure that America cannot recover from the overtaking of this malignant parasite called republicans - who have installed quite successfully an anti-democratic, authoritarian, banana-republic with their tribal chieftain Trump. Not in my lifetime. That Trump - despite daily evidence of shocking ineptitude, megalomania, sociopathy, and corruption remains popular with half of voting Americans - is a testament to the destruction of the moral fiber of the nation caused in no small measure by the religious right, Fox, Limbaugh and other nuts.
But that does not mean America wants to be socialist. So, Uncle Bernie: please say you support free enterprise. Because nuanced arguments (like the ones made by Nobel prize winner Krugman) fall on deaf ears. Would you please start and end your speeches with: I support capitalism for everyone, just not for billionaires only. Thank you.
4
@Kalidan
"But that does not mean America wants to be socialist"
Ridden on any roads lately?
Availed yourself of Firefighter or Police protection?
Been aided by a streetlight anywhere ever?
America is socialist.
3
@MaryTheresa
Well, if America is already socialist, then we don't need Bernie, right? Right?
I have the solution, Sanders - Bloomberg ticket for 2020. Bloomberg can bankroll Bernie who can't compete with Republican and corporate money. Bloomberg like Bernie is not a Democrat so no conflict there, Bloomberg will appeal to voters in the 40 states where "socialist = red communist" and Sanders hasn't a prayer in winning.
2
Didn't Mitt Romney say that Donald Trump is a fraud and a con man? Isn't that what Bernie Sanders is, just on the left? Isn't he just telling his supporters what they want to hear?
Listening to Sanders' victory speech in Nevada I was stunned at the breathtaking grandiosity of his promises. "And how are we going to pay for that?" kept flashing through my mind. I went to his web page. Ah, I see now. We're going to tax every act of economic life, and who knows what else. No, I suspect that we are not. I suspect that the American people are going to say overwhelmingly, no. I suspect that if this kind of delusional romanticism prevails, and Sanders gets the nomination of the Democratic party that I belong to, we are going to see the Republican party control both houses of Congress, the re-election of Donald Trump, and the expansion of his personal power.
11
Hey Biden, if New Hampshire and Iowa were too white, what’s your excuse this time? It’s clear that people are voting for a set of ideas, not just against Trump. Biden’s message is falling apart.
3
Another step down the road to a 2nd term for DJT.
6
Young people vote for Bernie, because he inspires them. He's a fighter. Every time he's been knocked down, he's gotten back up. And he feels genuine; like he's fighting for us and not for himself. That's what we want in the leader of our country.
4
A Thumping, Joyous, Victory !
LAS VEGAS — Senator Bernie Sanders claimed a major victory in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday that demonstrated his broad appeal in the first racially diverse state in the presidential primary race and established him as the clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination
3
Sanders is not a Democrat. In this election, if he the nominee, I will happily return the favor Bernie and his supporters gave us real Democrats in 2016. I will vote of Jill Stein.
Sanders is a different kind of evil. Trump and Sanders are anti-American.
8
Beware to all Bernie enthusiasts. Electing a president with communist tendencies will destroy the United States. I saw this happen in Venezuela where I am from. The only difference is in the US we get a Chavez split between Trump taking care of destroying the system and Bernie taking care of destroying the economy.
5
"Show of might"?
Lessee...out of a population of 3 million, around 22,000 (as of 6AM per Politico) voted for Bernie. Let's bump it to 30,000 - still only 1% of the state's population.
A victory it was. Not so sure it was a "show of might". Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations...
4
@Tourbillon
How did your candidate do?
1
Let's all ignore the Russian "Bernie Bros" sowing discord. The primary is doing what it does. True Democrats will rally around the nominee. Stay positive. Refuse the hatred. Change is coming
3
So it's on. The most dogmatic, aggressive, and confrontational elements in America now own the field. That Cheshire cat grin you see is Vladimir Putin patiently waiting for Trump or Sanders (he doesn't care which) to precipitate the demise of the defender of Western Europe and East Asia.
1
Manity: unfettered, overwhelming Male Vanity. Sanders will lead MY Party to its biggest Defeat since 1972. And, He is NOT even a Democrat. Irony, Much ?
6
Sanders “leaves out most democrats”? The majority of Nevada’s Democrats voted for him! Who counts as a democrat for Pete? Who does he intend to represent?
3
Way to go Joe! Second place is good! Now go WIN in South Carolina! Bernie can't beat Trump, but you can.
2
49.3 don't want Bernie so it is now time for all others to drop out and let Biden go after him.
1
Go voters! Being pushed into a corner where you can no longer stand it, you are taking back what is rightfully yours. A decent living and healthy planet. There is plenty of wealth, it’s time to redistribute!
4
There is a good chance Bernie will become the FDR of our times.
6
The real concern of a typical coastal elite person is not socialism, communism, how the internet monopolies intrude in our privacies, the dissemination of constant falsehoods by the media. No, all they are concerned with is whether the Brooklyn guy can edge the guy from Queens. Nothing else matters to them.
My advice to Bernie.
It's a euphoric time for you.
Naturally.
You would have beaten Trump 4 years ago.
The time was right for a shake up and you were the better man.
Now, you feel your oats.
Of course you do.
And, the faithful like the oats too.
I am coming to like them as well.
As well as I did when I was young before all the oat haters and schemers knocked me and millions off course.
But, back to advice-
1) your base believes you and is propelling you. Now, with the spotlight on your every word, is the moment to look beyond the infatuated and speak to the ones who'll need convincing.
2) so, look in the camera and slow down a bit when speaking. Also tone down. Say hello to the skeptics and remind them that you especially hold the American ideals we love dear.
More than a phony called Trump.
Lean on those ideals and tout them patriotically. Show your connection to the gut of Americans who are being fed a false line about you.
3) make yourself folksy, friendly, safe.
You are more in line with the American core than the Republicans who now believe Russia is their way to hold power. (Our founders spin in their graves!)
Use humor as you often do.
4) let Americans know you support free enterprise. You do. Because freedom in our economic lives is part of human freedom.
5) your "trump" card- economic freedom is ENHANCED by better, free education and access to health care allowing a sense of financial safety that let's one dare to be creative. To dream big!
5
Bernie's opponents remind me of Bruce Willis' character in "Sixth Sense," i.e., they don't know they're dead.
Am particularly disappointed in Mayor Pete. Why would such a seemingly candid, trustworthy veteran stand up and say that Bernie lacks support among minorities, when the truth is just the opposite?
"With its mix of Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American voters, Nevada offered Mr. Sanders a rejoinder to critics who claim he cannot broaden his appeal beyond his base of white liberals."
What kind of a schmooze job is Pete trying to pull off!
Political campaigning does indeed reveal the person behind the mask.
5
So it's on. The most dogmatic, aggressive, confrontational elements in America now own the field. That Cheshire cat grin you see is Vladimir Putin patiently waiting for Trump or Sanders (he doesn't care which to precipitate the demise of the defender of Western Europe.
1
The media likes to pigeonhole Sanders's supporters as extreme left wing zealots, crackpots, naive youth, and..."socialists", and not very often just fed up working class people. His supporters ARE very diverse. Right now I think the *main steam* media is doing all it can do to persuade the electorate not to vote for him in the primaries. If Sanders does indeed become the nominee, we shall see what stuff they are really made of, and if they do their best to get him elected.
I have always wanted Warren, but I will vote for whoever will be the candidate, even Bloomberg. Will you?
2
I watched Bernie's victory speech from San Antonio last night and can now confirm that he is certifiably insane. His policies will destroy the #1 economy in the world. Millions will suffer not only in the US but in the world. Our agriculture exports feeds millions more overseas.
History has been a great teacher demonstrating that socialism and communism never work. Bernie and his followers are either too ignorant or crazy to care.
5
Most so-called "centrists" or "moderates" in the Democratic Party and even those moderate "Independents" around the country, are not really against Sander's "socialist" plans. They are just afraid that his plans for REAL change may be too much too fast and could scare off voters who don't like Trump but are brainwashed to fear change, especially from someone who calls himself a "Socialist". It is not what Sanders wants to do that scares them, it's what his opponents keep saying about him that scares them. Trump's election in 2016 showed that you can still fool some of the people some of the time. Will Sanders election in 2020 show that you can't fool most of the people all of the time?
2
Let's all say a prayer for Tom Steyer. He's spent over $11,000,000 on adds in Nevada alone. Imagine what that money, and all he's spent already and will spend tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, could do for a real candidate. Let's all say prayer that he wakes up and smells the coffee.
Billionaires are bright, right? Hmmm....
3
I hope the DNC and liberal pundits will finally run with it and stop dousing our bonfire.
It’s Bernie or bust now, the people are making themselves crystal clear.
6
So the master tactician Pelosi and main stream media, and their shampeachment of Trump is slowly backfiring because during the process they clumsily and unwittingly blew up Biden who was their best hope to beat Trump. And they will never admit their colossal blunder. They will continue to hide their huge mistake from their constituents.
2
It's looking more and more like the choice of a vice-presidential candidate may be the only way to salvage a win over Trump, whoever the presidential candidate is. These
presidential candidates seem to have a talent for shooting the party in the hoof.
1
Instead of articles focusing on “Trump-voters-at-a-diner” like the NYT likes to do on a bi-monthly basis, it would be great if we could see profiles on Bernie supporters. All of my friends and family are Democrats and all are middle or working class. At this point only two of them are Bernie supporters.
I also think that some of the younger Bernie supporters should take note from huge Obama fans, such as myself. In him we saw the most brilliant candidate of his generation run headlong into the awfulness and mendacity of the Republican Party. Many of us are still smarting over that and don’t want to see a repeat where the best intentions of egalitarianism got clobbered by GOP cynicism and under-handedness. Bernie is going to need to come out guns a-blazin’ if he wants to avoid a similar fate...
1
BERNIE was a little quick to bash Putin - with Russia’s help BERNIE surged ahead. He should be more attentive to what’s going on. Also, with Bernie saying the things he said about Putin - can we risk BERNIE as a President? Do we want war with Russia? BERNIE has already called Putin a thug. Where does BERNIE go from there?
1
Excellent choice we have coming.
Vote for the destruction of the country? Or, vote for the destruction of the country?
5
How does an article updated at 1:34 a.m. still include the sentence—eight paragraphs in—"As results were being counted on Saturday night, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the billionaire investor Tom Steyer and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were all competing for what would clearly be a distant second-place finish."
With 50% of the vote in it's clear enough to warrant conditional mention that Joe Biden is in second place, and Pete Buttigieg—who narrowly won Iowa and virtually tied Sanders in his neighboring New Hampshire—is third.
Even clearer, something I've seen no coverage of, the tally sat at 50% for about ten hours until 8:53 a.m., so apparently in Nevada as in Iowa before it, nobody in the state party cares enough to have a night shift counting and computing votes.
That severely damaged the bump in momentum Buttigieg deserved coming out of Iowa, and caused the first several days' reports to erroneously suggest he may have been wrong to claim victory.
Keeping Biden's best showing of the first three out of the news hampers the public's perception of his trajectory on the road to South Carolina.
In the primaries narrative is everything. Failing to update both counts themselves and news thereof combines to effectively skew the story away from 55%-75% of the three states' electorate and these other two candidates those voters placed first or second.
1
The US is on its way to become a full socialist state. The problem is Bernie will not be able to stand up to a vulgar Trump, who knows how to crush the opposition. Democrats lose again...
3
This is how America will finally get Medicare for All.
It seems impossible in every other way but this.
The Sanders campaign is using the disgust that 70 percent of Americans have for Trump as a Gravitational Slingshot.
Not only are we accelerating toward Jupiter, but we utilize the momentum of Jupiter itself to propel us out to Saturn and beyond.
In another year, a blander one, the quibbling would kill Medicare for All with a thousand little jabs.
Trump is a crisis that must not be wasted.
When you vote in November, bring you latest health insurance bill with you — and kiss it good bye.
3
The "moderate wing" of the Democratic Party is really a Republican Party in disguise, with Biden, Buttigieg, and Bloomberg its chief, fear-mongering shills. That Democratic Party threw the downtrodden to the wolves, and wants to do it again.
Bernie stands for something else, not because it's suddenly fashionable, but because he believes it, as do millions of Americans. That's how he's getting the vote.
3
I'm puzzled why no one brings up Sanders voting record in Congress. He voted to protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits and against the assault weapons ban. He's been most successful in making post offices. I'm sure some will say but that was years ago. Yet they are unwilling to give other candidates the same benefit of the doubt. They still excoriate Biden for a vote in 1992 and his vote authorizing Bush to use force in Iraq in 2003. In 2011, Sanders voted against reducing the payroll
tax for both the employer and employee and introducing a 3.25% tax on incomes over $1 million.
1
So the Trump slow moving train wreck will continue on another 4 years. Maybe 2024 will bring about candidates on both sides who try to win over as many people as possible rather than shove extreme agendas down the other side’s throats.
4
@Rob Rob, what a novel idea! Actually working for all the people instead of a radical group. You know, that is a great idea.
2
I can live with Bernie. He is not a vengeful racist. If he accomplishes one is thing of taxing all income as ordinary income, that will be a huge win for the country.
8
America is about the individual not the collective.
All Bernie will ever accomplish is the destruction of the Democrat party, and the reelection of Donald Trump.
5
@David Kane
Isn't the Democratic Party a collective?
@David Kane yes for the rich, of the rich, by the rich. What happened to United we stand, divided we fall?
1
Wow. The Democrats are headed for the biggest loss in a generation. Why don't any of them seem to get that?
5
If Bernie Sanders wins the 2020 presidential election it will show the world that we are serious.
6
Trump will beat Sanders. The Russians know this, and their bots are pushing for Sanders, accordingly. Trump will play the fear card of Socialism! Same as Communism! Only I can save American Greatness from Socialism! That will be enough for Trump to win the critical counties in the critical states. American just. will. not. elect. a. socialist. Period. Democratic Socialism? Oh, great. Archie Bunker sees Democrat and Socialism together, that's all. Don't try to be rational. We have Trump because rational has nothing to do with it, anymore.
2
Yes Bernie! Throwing over 160 million people off their private health insurance they are very happy with you. Please get the nomination and ensure a Trump landslide both electoral and popular. I'm sure all the seniors will love the prospect of losing their supplemental private insurance plans. Are democrats this insane?
4
@peversma
Yeah, they'll really hate having to give up paying for their supplemental when all of that is covered. I'm sure they'd much rather give that money away.
1
Question: WHEN will Warren and Klobuchar and Steyer drop out? They have ZERO chance of winning the nomination and, rather than helping, their continued presence is only hurting the Democrat’s chances in November. This is especially true of the egomaniac Warren, who has tried to slander her way to the top tier. If she couldn’t win New Hampshire (where she came in a distant 4th) where can she win? These stragglers are doing terrible damage to our chances to rid ourselves of the gangster-president we have now, but their obscene egos prevent them from facing reality and coalescing around a winning candidate and strategy.
1
Question: WHEN will Warren and Klobuchar and Steyer drop out? They have ZERO chance of winning the nomination and, rather than helping, their continued presence is only hurting the Democrat’s chances in November. This is especially true of the egomaniac Warren, who has tried to slander her way to the top tier. If she couldn’t win New Hampshire (where she came in a distant 4th) where can she win? These stragglers are doing terrible damage to our chances to rid ourselves of the gangster-president we have now, but their obscene egos prevent them from facing reality and coalescing around a winning candidate and strategy.
4
It is time to stop calling it the"moderate wing" of the Democratic Party.
.
It isn't the "moderate wing".
.
It is the Conservative/Republican wing of the Democratic Party.
6
OK, here we go: Sanders and Warren as his running mate. Elizabeth has shown that she is the perfect Trump attack dog. Bernie's broad appeal is undeniable. My millennial children have been Bernie supporters since 2016 and I've considered them a bellwether for that generation. Their complete lack of enthusiasm for the moderates in the field and disdain for the Bloomberg option reflect the powerful movement that is taking this country. Anyone who is concerned that "Bernie can't win" is not paying attention. Bernie will win and he will mobilize the largest demographic in this country in November to finally rid us of the worst and most dangerous president in our history.
3
The "still fractured moderate wing" of the party should get its act together and remember that its voting base is the tired, poor, huddled masses, as well as former union members and middle class folks whose children used to have a chance to advance in our country.
We're not really interested in paying $2.00 less for our cable TV when the air and water are sickening our babies.
3
Judging from the video, it appears Bernie is spending some time under the tanning lamp these days. Gives him a look of health and energy.
It is ironic how people are so brainwashed by fear of some socialist takeover, when the former Soviet Union has already basically taken over our country.
Putin helped elect Trump and now he is doing it again. Yet people are afraid of a real patriot, Bernie Sanders, because he wants democracy injected into our political economy?
4
Maybe it is time for the "Democratic Establishment" to start thinking that Americans may finally be ready to join the rest of the Western world in their politics. For many decades, the US has been an outlier in how extremely far to the right its politics actually are. In every other Western state, national politics include a far broader and healthier mix of center and left wing political parties and views. Everything that Sanders wants to do is entirely mainstream and ordinary. Indeed, in Canada, he would be regarded as being in the political centre and Canada tends more right wing than most of Europe (barring the rise of extremist right wing parties in Europe). The problem that the Democratic Party faces is that its tent is very wide and it is trying to incorporate many different views and the entire multi-racial, multi-ethnic spectrum of US politics. In most other countries, these differences would be accommodated by having more than two political parties, but that certainly presents dangers. In Canada, the sole right wing party comes much closer to power than it should because the centre-left splits the vote. Maybe the DP should look at what Sanders has accomplished and realize that he has the best chance of uniting those disparate threads. It should also start redefining what it sees as "moderate." Catering to white, rural Americans who are Trump tribalists and ignoring the many other strands of the party seems stupid and short-sighted.
6
"Nobody likes him," said Hillary Clinton.
Such is the wisdom of the centrists.
8
I wonder it long it will take Hillary to creep out of the woodwork and start slamming Bernie again. She just can’t accept that she has some blame in her loss to the worst POTUS ever.
2
MEDICARE FOR ALL WOULD SAVE $450 BILLION ANNUALLY WHILE PREVENTING 68,000 DEATHS, NEW STUDY SHOWS [NewsWeek]
https://www.newsweek.com/medicare-all-would-save-450-billion-annually-while-preventing-68000-deaths-new-study-shows-1487862
The Medicare For All plan proposed by Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren would save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars each year and would prevent tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, a new study shows.
The analysis, conducted by researchers at Yale University, the University of Florida and the University of Maryland, found that transitioning the U.S. to a single-payer health care system would actually save an estimated $450 billion each year, with the average American family seeing about $2,400 in annual savings. The research, which was published Saturday in the medical journal The Lancet, also found that Medicare for all would prevent about 68,000 unnecessary deaths per year.
"Our study is actually conservative because it doesn't factor in the lives saved among underinsured Americans—which includes anyone who nominally has insurance but has postponed or foregone care because they couldn't afford the copays and deductibles," Alison Galvani, an author of the study and researcher at the Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis at the Yale School of Public Health, told Newsweek.
5
@Pray for Help Thank you for quoting this Lancet report. We need to make political decisions based on facts and not fear mongering by the insurance industry and their paid for congresspeople.
2
Winning makes Bernie look younger and the country look more hopeful.
Realizing all the wars and all the weapons and all the war crimes and all the fraud and all the greed and all the bigotry that is killing this country can be done away with is a great thing.
2
When will Elizabeth Warren, yesterday's candidate, win a Democratic party nomination contest? When will she come in second? Third? A close fourth? She's starting to make Biden look good.
1
I don't lnow if this has been said in the comments and I heard it nowhere pn the nee last night but the two most progressive candidates won a majority of the vores , Electability, plain and simple
Americans favor capitalism 65 to 35 percent. Only 45 percent of americans prefer socialism to capitalism.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/25/stark-partisan-divisions-in-americans-views-of-socialism-capitalism
There is another reality. America is 23 trillion dollars in debt. Trump has already signalled that he will slash social security and medicare. Sanders cannot pay for medicare for all or forgive all student debt without raising taxes on everybody. It is not going to happen. It can't be paid for even by raising taxes on the billionaires and wealthy. Somebody needs to tell him and his supporters that before the november election socks the reality to them.
1
If Bernie wins the nomination we just as might as well get ready for another 4 years of Trump. The election will be Corbin v, Johnson the sequel with the same results.
5
Only yesterday that Bernie denounced Russia for interfering in our election in his behalf.
The day before that, Trump said nothing about Russian interference again in 2020, but fired his head of Intelligence for alerting Congress to that fact.
What is that saying about a fish rotting from the head down?
2
Trump said that Nevada will not report the results in a timely manner. Why did the media not see this too. Clearly This is a media coverup not to embarrass Democrats.
Since when is 'almost a majority' (46%) a 'show of might'?
When there’s 6 other candidates, it’s darn impressive.
1
Minor point - Nevada's black population is less than ten percent and Hispanic is not a race so I wouldn't call the state racially diverse - ethnically diverse might be a better description. Anyway, congrats to Bernie on his win.
1
Bernie : What do your economists say about $20 trillion more in deficits in eight years?
3
@$ 25 Trillion Added Deficit Eight Years No Management Experience
They'd say it's our money anyway so why not spend it on ourself rather than giving it away to the rich? Especially since the rich will just take it otherwise.
you out out touch progressives, if you don't know that independents win elections your out of touch with most America, even if he takes 80% of the liberal/dem vote, if he doesn't take over 50% if the independents he will lose!
4
Unfortunately it's the selfish stance of capitalism, and me-versus-you attitude that has lead America down the long and windy road to arrive at the ugly point of its evolution where it is at present: huge disparity between rich and poor, racism, violence, drug abuse, power-hungry politicians in it for themselves, not for the good of the country.
To those individuals who say I am not going to pay to educate other people's kids, I say you this : your circumstances can turn on a dime. Imagine that you're not in the picture anymore and your kids or their kids are beneficiaries of a system that helps them with their future education, or cover their health care costs. Or that the same "system" helps the person they may meet, fall in love with and marry ? Does it seems so bad then ?
Your "family" is your country. Not just those people under your roof.
America could achieve a lot with what Bernie proposes.
3
2 problems here; 1) The swing voters will all go to Trump over Bernie. Yes, they will say, Trump is a crook but Bernie will take away my 401-k. They won’t mind Trump stealing as long as they get a rising stock market. Bernie’s plans to socialize various private industries will inevitably diminish retirement accounts.
2) Even if Bernie gets elected, none of his policies will ever pass Congress.
6
Bermie is pulling together the working class and middle class coalition that once brought the Democratic Party to power. Forward!
5
The Russians are toying with Sanders. They will make a fool of him: first get him in as the Democratic nominee, then tear him down in favor of Trump. Why should we be confined to choosing between just two pigheaded octogenarians, both of them stuck in the mindset of their fathers a century ago, and both with obvious health problems? Think about listening to either Trump or Sanders for 4 years, afraid every day what will happen next. Neither can be trusted to use good judgment. Why do we go for the most outlandish characters, who have no objective understanding of the modern world? They make good copy for journalists, they appear most manipulable by oligarchs. Neither Trump nor Sanders will make the world a better place for you or me.
4
40 percent of the US who support trump are either people who dont know he is a fascist or people who do and vote for because he is. They will unify to reelect him. The other 60 percent who know he is a fascist, and are rightly fearful and disgusted, will not unify to unseat him. All of the known Democratic candidates are better than trump, from Bernie to Mike and everyone in between. And none of them will fix the system, but the system will be better than fascism and will be one that can be made incremently more just. No one knows who can actually beat trump, but 60 beats 40 every time. It's that simple. And, yes I know many will disagree with me or insult me because I can see this in terms of better and in terms of best.
2
Why do democrats let republicans vote it their primaries?
It makes no sense and isn’t fair
3
Another article on here discussed slow voting returns and stated it was because the DNC had required 100 points of data to be submitted-ahh-just imagine how this will go with Nationalized healthcare. Voting for whoever is not supporting it, thank you.
2
Given the certainty with which it’s been reported, I very well could have missed it; but where are the polls that break down the demographics of Bernie’s “diverse coalition?” Surely it’s not speculation, right!
If Sander is put up against trump he’ll get stomped.
Ridiculous give away policy ideas that couldn’t be implemented in a lifetime, much less 4 years in office.
We need a qualified chief executive, with realistic goals to turn back the damage from trump, and it’s not Sanders or Warren, most Americans will not vote or will stay at home if one of them is the pick.
There’s only one person with the backbone, capabilities and resources to kick trump out of office and truly lead the country to a better place. That person is Micheal Bloomberg.
4
Bernie could be Putin's worst nightmare.
Imagine if Bernie called for the Russian People to rise up against their oppressors, the Putin status quo, and take their rightful place in history.
Happened before. Who better than Bernie to make it happen again?
They have nothing to lose but their chains. And why exactly shouldn't the workers of the world unite? Because the status quo capitalists say so?
Bernie has historical potential Far Beyond any Moderate.
2
@Fourteen14 I think Bernie is Putin's dream. Bernie would cause further chaos amongst Americans. Putin's nightmare would be a US President that unites us again.
"Show of might" follows New Hampshire's "Tightens grip". Winning elections isn't the same as seizing power.
Reality Check Bernie represents party not the people. Party only allows American people to vote for politicians who run by party
1
If Sanders win Democrat nomination, I'm done with the party.
7
Excellent news. Sanders is tackling the right problems. It's about time. Go Sanders!
2
Every time I hear one Dem candidate criticizing another (for example: «nominating Mr. Sanders would be a “fatal error”») first I cringe, then I picture an army of back-door GOP strategists gleefully adding the clip to their arsenal of attack-ad ammunition.
So if Bernie, for example, is the eventual nominee, they will pull out the Bernie file and the world will be inundated with ads showing Bloomberg declaring Bernie is a communist, Warren declaring Bernie is a misogynist, etc etc etc.
The same is true no matter who is the eventual nominee.
Sadly, Dems bashing Dems will come back to haunt them, and will if anything help trump get re-elected (double-cringe).
On a brighter note, there is no shortage of GOP politicians who were abundantly clear how they felt about trump in 2016 (google Lindsey Graham kook" for perhaps the best example). Will the Dems trot out those clips?
2
Bernie has not been my first choice but he seems to be the current logical choice.
A grass roots movement 6 years in the making if one looks at the lead up to the 2016 cycle. It's powerful.
I like Warren but Bernie burns better in her lane.
Pete is my choice for calm rationality. And so smart. The gut of a Patriot. But, he hasn't caught fire as I'd hoped.
Biden, unfortunately, can't articulate well enough it seems to spark the listener hungry for inspiration. Though he may be a logical counter to Bernie in the moderate lane going forward.
Bloomberg could also be a countervailing choice, but he better show up next time!
I worry that down-ballot candidates for house and senate will be inundated with "gotcha" Bernie baggage that will have them awkwardly disavowing some of his core beliefs. Holding the House and taking the Senate will be a huge challenge. It makes one wonder about Bernie coattails.
I do have to say it's bracing to contemplate a person to get behind who can be a focus and baseball bat we can swing at Trump!
Someone to rip him skillfully, mercilessly.
So, well deserved for the Putin-loving traitor.
Is Bernie the best person to do that?
He needs some new material in his act.
Freshen the show.
Some new lines of attack.
A speech writer with a killer instinct.
Bernie has the chops.
He should tack to the center a bit and hit Trump below the belt constantly.
The nation doubts Trump.
Feed that doubt non-stop.
3
It was shameful to hear Pete Buttigieg diminishing Sanders’ momentum last night. Buttigieg finished a distant third, and it is unlikely that he has any realistic path to the nomination. If the Democratic Party code phrase is “vote blue no matter who” that sentiment needs to start right now with candidates like Mayor Pete embracing the victory of his former rival and reaching out to his supporters to shift toward Bernie. No more hypocrisy; if Bernie is the front runner, the rest of the candidates need to act like it so we can win in November.
6
Bernie won. Good! Despite the gloom and doom predicted by the moderates, I believe Sanders DOES have the best chance to beat the stuffing out of Donald Trump. "Crazy Bernie" is a nutso way to describe a man who's willing and able to confront and win over the Fox crowd. Recall his appearance on a Fox program where he left the moderators reeling in disbelief at the applause he received at the end. Recall the performance of Hillary Clinton in the last election, at a time when "radical" ideas were so anathema to Democrats that she lost by failing to even crack the Great Red Wall in that Plains and Mountain West and left us with "Truly Crazy Donald." Consider that Sanders changed the way most Democrats approach their politics. I think Sanders can win....
3
Of course, the question of the moment is, if Bernie becomes the candidate, will the democrats have enough votes to beat Trump? If so, Sanders better moderate his talk so he becomes acceptable and lead to victory this November. Ler's remember, voters are fickle in their preferences and in what they believe ought to happen (confirmation bias?). Tough course, given that if the current ugly frog in-chief, so inflated about himself, who has lost all compunctions, and is abusing the powers of the presidency with glee, re-assaults the White House, further trampling of this democracy is a given.
1
Remind me, what's the total number of people who have voted or caucused for Bernie so far?
@Cowboy Marine
Remind me, who has gotten more votes than him?
1
For most of America the label "Democratic Socialist" is an oxymoron.
The vast majority of us would like the USA not to morph into the USSA.
Progressives have given us their version of Trump and he's just as unacceptable to this Democrat.
4
@Stephanie Wood
I know you moderates really despise the idea of a government that works for The People, but you'll just have to get used to it.
1
@J.C.
You know, JC, it's rather timely that you use the term "The People" in your reply. As many Progressives have a tentative grasp on actual historical facts, you may be interested to know that the most (in)famous politicians to "own" that term were Stalin, Mao, Mussolini and the Austrian Private who gave us WW2.
Be careful of the company you keep.
Yes people love the Bernie rage and “anti- establishment” - the same group he prospered under with net worth 2.7 million, Warren over 4 million and Amy K 1.5 million. Unless Dems win the House and Senate it will be a useless gesture to satisfy a non- Dem ego.
3
Bernie is authentic, consistent and natural.
Compare his performance in Nevada, with that of Warren - everything that comes out of her mouth, sounds like a "Ted Talk" performance.
The American people are far smarter that the elitists think we are.
The ideal Trump destroyer would be someone like Bernie, but a lot younger and a bit more centrist. But as they say in the military, "you fight wars with the troops you have, not the troops you would like to have". Bernie will do.
3
Now, I am not a Sanders supporter but I would like to point out that what he calls a "National Health Care System" is not even close to being a socialist enterprise and for one very major reason and here it is: A national health care system would include all of the medical system assets, like hospitals and specialization clinics, and the Sanders' approach will not. So those right wing poorly educated individuals, and that would include both Republicans and Democrats, need to get off of their high horses and start learning the truth about every issue before they make any more very dumb comments.
2
What I keep reading the Democratic Party's base is not that it's centrist but it resembles the Green Party. When a NPR/Marist/Pew poll puts Climate change second to the bottom of a list of eighteen of major issues, somehow it's interpreted second from the top.
They say Bernie could have won against Trump in '16 and now in '20. I don't think people are being honest with themselves. Moderates vs leftist is running about 50/50. 33% does not make a majority.
The caucuses should remind people of the multi party disasters that took place in 1930's Europe when a minority party was thought to be winners. Back when the whole world was watching and Nixon beat McGovern everyone was knew it was sure thing. And what happened when Beto didn't beat Cruze?
I just hope you guys don't look the way you did when you picked HRC as a winner. I know it's the Russians. And the dog ate my homework.
2
Ok, the far left wants revolution (though it's unlikely most would partake in an actual one if asked for something more from them than a vote), but to pick Sanders who offers NOTHING over Warren, who at least works and thinks, is beyond bad news. No wonder the Russians are backing him; it means four more years of Trump.
This is what you get from a culture that worships celebrity. Trump and Sanders are full of the flamboyant false promises, and gee, watch them rile up a crowd, and that's what matters, apparently. The pretense of a better life for all rather than the actual work for it. So the lies will win (Trump's) and we're doomed.
1
Bernie Sanders is what's happening. This time, what happens in Vegas wont stay in Vegas because it looks like Democrats just conceived a candidate. It's possible we'll have a bouncing baby Bernie in about eight months if he's able to incubate to viability.
1
To the Lonnies - At no point has Sanders supported giving away “free stuff,” he has talked about revamping the current tax structure so our money, money that belongs to us as Americans better serves our needs than the Bloomberg’s or Oil Companies etc that have been siphoning off our social welfare dollars in to there own pockets since the 1980’s. If you are thinking that student loan forgiveness is “free stuff” it’s not. Right now those of with student loans who like me have been buying the equivalence of a house payment every month for 10 years only to have the principle continue to climb because currently interest rates can be compounded and changed and compounded without notification, at anytime to ensure it is impossible to pay them off rather billions are made for families like Betsy DeVos from the scheme. So please stop with the tired “free stuff” mischaracterization. It’s about equality and fairness and stopping our own exploitation.
3
@T Loui
Sorry, I am not going to pay off the student loans of anybody who graduated from college ten years ago and still doesn't (a) know the difference between "principle" and "principal," or (b) understand how compound interest works. I paid back every penny of my student loans and so should you, and everyone else.
It was an impressive performance for Sanders in Nevada; the other significant candidates share of the votes totaled 49.8% - just a little over Sanders share. Does this indicate he can win in November? That is highly questionable. Keep in mind that although many Democrats will vote any Democratic candidate, enough of them as well as many independents may be put off by his far-left views that they might vote for Trump or just stay home. He often impresses me as the left’s version of Trump – though not as crude but still a shrill arm waving wacko. The only Democrat I would consider voting for is Bloomberg. If he isn’t the Democratic candidate my current plan is to just leave the line for President blank – unless Bernie is the Democratic candidate in which case I would consider holding my nose very tightly and pull the level for (Oh the horror of it all) Trump. At least Trump even with his unlimited list of faults didn’t choose to honeymoon in Moscow. And, we can be certain that we will all be reminded about this many times.
3
I'll vote for the Democratic nominee, no matter who, because I have believed since before the 2016 election that Trump is unfit. After three years of him, I believe his is unfit, dangerous, and evil.
Still, it is disheartening that after voters in only three states are weighing in we're told, this is it, it's Bernie, because only he has the organization behind him to run a national campaign.
Meanwhile, I'm of the opinion that taking back the Senate is arguably more important than whoever is president. If Bernie wins and Mitch McConnell is still in power, righting the ship will be that much more difficult.
1
I think we're doomed if Bernie is the Democratic candidate. I think he's campaigning on empty promises. Most of those things are never going to happen. Who is going to pay for all of it? Seriously? Plus, interesting conversation with 2 twenty year old Bernie supporters....Let the billionaires pay for everything! Translation? None of these things are our responsibility. What message are we sending our youth? What value does anything have if you get it for free?
5
I can't believe this ... Some three thousand people in Nevada voted for Sanders. There will be over 120 million people voting in November. How is this "momentum"? Sanders has no hope nor do the Democrats.
5
Anyone remember how centrist Clinton failed to win against Trump in 2016? Maybe not such a good idea to go with a centrist again.
2
So, looking at this objectively, because I am unaffiliated with either party, the question for me is whether things are so broken in this country that we need a complete revolution of the sort that Bernie is proposing. Keeping this short but in general he is proposing higher taxes on the rich, free healthcare, and free college education. Perhaps if this was 2008, I would be open to it because I was so mad with the bankers. However this is 2020 and I would wager a majority of Americans are generally happy with the economy and with their employer healthcare plan and don’t really want higher taxes on anyone to pay for other people’s education or healthcare. Nor can I see this revolution carrying over into congress and helping the Democrats to win the senate and keep the house. In summary there really is not much about Bernie’s revolution that appeals to me and I won’t vote for him and I will wager the same is true for a majority of Americans who don’t see the need to turn the country upside down at this time.
4
Mainstream Democrats are worried that they will lose the House and any chance of taking the Senate if Sanders is nominated.
3
@Jim The mainstream Democrats should be worried about losing their power. They are corrupt and incompetent and have not made their citizens better off. Thank goodness we have Democratic Socialists like Bernie Sanders to take their place in the House and Senate. And the White House.
Those mainstream Democrats are the same people who frantically assured us last time that Hillary was the only candidate who could win.
2
The Dem party has itself to blame if Bernie wins the nomination and loses the election. The math in Nevada and other states is quite clear: The moderates are splitting their votes and Bernie is getting all of the progressive vote since Warren moderated and dropped the Medicare for all bit and moved to the center. Add it up -- Biden, Mayor Pete, Amy, and Elizabeth together with over 50 percent of the vote. It's exactly how Trump got the nomination and the same way extremists sneak into power in other democracies -- becoming fractured and splitting the vote.
We are not "exceptional" any longer, at least not since abandoning the center and compromise as a people. We've become a nation where compromise and centrism is looked down on. And lots of folks contribute to this phenomenon, including both political parties, the media, and gullible people who refuse to read a bit and learn about the long history of centrism and compromise that have shaped our social contract for centuries. No longer.
5
@Jack Smith Of course the center is frowned upon. The center isn't about working with other people. In the Democratic party is it about power. The Democrats lost with McGovern and lost to Reagan and ever since they've thought the way you get power is to "move to the center" and govern as fiscal conservatives. But that hasn't worked out for the middle class. We actually need New Deal type policies instead. Democrats moving to the center gave us two fiscally conservative parties and no real alternative. Thank goodness we have Bernie Sanders. Now maybe we can have a true progressive voice and work together to get good policies done for a change, rather than just competing against the Republicans for power.
3
@Jack Smith
I think you are forgetting the motivation to get Trump out of the White house.
1
The battleground states are never going to vote for a guy who says illegal immigrants are entitled to the same government benefits as citizens. They are not going to vote for a candidate who wants to forgive all student loans, provide free childcare and college. They are not going to vote for a 78 year old who just had a heart attack three months ago and refuses to disclose full medical records. They are not going to give up their private insurance and happily go on Medicare. Just like 2016, they will decide who wins the election. And it will be Trump if people are not willing to face the facts.
6
Who would Nominee Bernie pick for a VP?
That's extremely important, as his health issues (which he won't disclose) may mean a very short presidency.
1
I hope he picks Rep. Barbara Lee or Nina Turner.
@Garagesaler If his health issues are bad enough that he can't serve two terms, then he shouldn't be running.
1
In 2016 it was the Russians - and James Comey - that got trump into the White House. This time, it is Democrats that will bring doom upon themselves. How in the world do they think there is a groundswell of socialist Americans from coast to coast and in the middle that will rise up and vote for Socialist Bernie Sanders come November? That will not happen, Socialism has been tested elsewhere, not a great success.
Sanders is on an ego trip, he doesn't mean well for this country because he is going to give trump victory in 2020.
7
I like Bernie. He’s a decent person. But there is incredible naïveté in his policies. Nationalized healthcare, really? Sounds great when Bernie is President. But what about when Trump Jr or Sean Hannity or Papa John is elected next? Only nationalize things you would be happy to see Trump running now. The private health system has a lot of problems. There are policies that could improve it. But creating a national health system that will be run by people who want to destroy the whole system isn’t a prescription for long-term success. Same with free college education. Do you want Trump to have more control over our universities? Imagining a utopia where benevolent people you agree with run the government forevermore seems to fly in the face of our current predicament.
4
Listen carefully to Bernie's critics and try to understand where their interests are. Their concerns are much less about his ideology, programs, or even taxes. It's much more about the fear of giving up near total control or influence about where policy is set and the possibility having to share that influence with the rest of the population. What a dreadful thing it must be to live in a properly functioning democratic republic.
2
@Mountaineer This is ridiculous. I am a person of zero influence and I support another candidate based on policies and programs. Sanders does not interest me because I've done my homework and I am skeptical of his plans and abilities. I don't care if he's a Democratic Socialist or an Independent, these labels are meaningless to me -- I just care that he doesn't seem particularly effective at getting much done or working collaboratively to make things happen on behalf of ALL the people, not just those who subscribe to his groupthink.
2
Listen carefully to Bernie's critics and try to understand where their interests are. Their concerns are much less about his ideology, programs, or even taxes. It's much more about the fear of giving up near total control or influence about where policy is set and the possibility having to share that influence with the rest of the population. What a dreadful thing it must be to live in a properly functioning democratic republic.
3
@Mountaineer
False. The grown ups in the room understand that there is no "free stuff". It is all about shifting the burden to those who pay taxes.
The idea that taxing the rich will pay for all of this is absurd. The rich just move their money.
1
People need to hold off of their Bernie celebrations. He lost Iowa, barely won New Hampshire, and while he won Nevada, it was not a landslide. He may well turn out to be the front runner but we won’t really know until after Super Tuesday.
This is only surprising because the pundits and talking heads actually represent the minority of Democratic voters. They are doing very well and can't seem to see beyond New York and Washington.
2
So I’m thinking that if there is all of this support for Bernie now that people think he can win the full presidential election, that many of these same people couldn’t “hold their nose” and vote for Hillary even if they opposes her being the democrats nominee. That’s how Trump won.
I’ll like Bernie and I’ll support any/all Democrats in the election.
But these same people that wouldn’t vote for Hillary against Trump are some of the same people responsible for the Democrats loss in 2016.
They would do well to acknowledge that mistake to draw more moderates and independent voters.
Hard core Democrats left or center will vote Blue, but independent moderates, center/right Democrats, and the few enlightened Republicans could be swayed with the “Bernies”.
1
Mr. Sanders might not be guaranteed to win in November if he won the nomination; but I think all of its competitors would be guaranteed to lose.
I am not an American and I am not very familiar with American political life, so I may be wrong, but I think there is only one candidate with a truly ambitious, even radical, transformation project who can win in November against the President Trump.
The mistake that many "moderates", many traditional parties, have made in Europe has been to think that it would be enough to explain that coming to power of extreme candidates, like President Trump in the United States, would be a disaster and it was necessary to vote for them to avoid it without proposing a real social project, real transformations.
This is exactly what the Democrats are doing right now with Mr. Sanders and with Mr. Trump. The default vote to avoid "disaster" is no longer convincing. As in Europe, the establishment will lose against the extremes because it will not have opposed real alternatives, real answers to the concerns of voters.
I'm not saying that Mr. Sanders could apply his program in full if he won in November if he won the nomination. But personally I hope for the Americans that Mr. Sanders and his ideas will prevail, it may be because I am French.
3
Looking at the true numbers, only about 8,000 people could pry themselves away from the gaming tables to actually get involved in the complicated caucus system. Of that, 3,500 voted for Sanders ( probably because he offers the most free stuff, and claims he will be tough on the rich) Biden received 1,500 votes and came in second place, Biden has no plans to cancel student debt and is not running on destroying capitalism, or giving away free anything. Mayor Pete came in third with about 1,100 votes which means he will be hanging around for a while , Both Warren and Klobuchar did very poorly and will both probably be out of the race after Super Tuesday when Bloomberg enters the race and further cuts into votes.
South Carolina is a key vote, if Biden wins ( which he will ) then we have a race.
It’s hard to run against a guy like Sanders who claims he is going to give away lots of free things. ( all of which will probably never happen)
8
Crank leftists, who try to win elections by taking large sums of other people's money via extortionate taxation, then dividing that money up and handing it out to their supporters, have a long history of devolving into tyranny. Cuba, Venezuela, as well as dozens of similar disasters speak to the utter failure of the ideas of socialism. It is a failed ideology which sounds good in theory but leads to misery in practice. Those who lack an honest education about history or are too arrogant to care, are most likely to fall for the impossible promises of socialism. Bernie will lose horribly if he becomes the Democratic nominee. The people that he plans to tax into insolvency to pay for his pie in the sky nonsense about free-stuff will ensure that he is swamped in the election.
1
Both Trump and Obama promised a lot and failed to deliver. Why is that a disqualification?
Bernie speaks my language. As a single mother with debt, non-profit creative professional, environmentalist, someone who has paid exorbitant fees for individual health care plans for me and my two sons, and now, looking at the cost of college, I recognize the need for change more than ever. We need help. And I respect Bernie for not backing down on the issues that matter and are critical to a positive future for our kids, our planet and our global community. Change MUST happen.
Bernie isn't perfect. He's not everyone's favorite. But he's demonstrating that he has what it takes to win. And that's what we need. Right now.
15
Looking at the true numbers, only about 8,000 people could pry themselves away from the gaming tables to actually get involved in the complicated caucus system. Of that, 3,500 voted for Sanders ( probably because he offers the most free stuff, and claims he will be tough on the rich) Biden received 1,500 votes and came in second place, Biden has no plans to cancel student debt and is not running on destroying capitalism, or giving away free anything. Mayor Pete came in third with about 1,100 votes which means he will be hanging around for a while , Both Warren and Klobuchar did very poorly and will both probably be out of the race after Super Tuesday when Bloomberg enters the race and further cuts into votes.
South Carolina is a key vote, if Biden wins ( which he will ) then we have a race.
It’s hard to run against a guy like Sanders who claims he is going to give away lots of free things. ( all of which will probably never happen)
4
I think you're confusing the county convention delegate counts with the number of votes.
A tremendous win for Bernie. He is surprising the Democratic establishment the way Trump surprised the Republican Republican establishment in 2016.
For those who say a progressive candidate does not appeal to a majority of Democratic voters, Sanders and Warren combined got well over 50% of the vote.
Pete Buttigieg has a long career ahead of him in politics if he so chooses. For now, he’s getting on my nerves claiming Sanders has a narrow appeal. The Nevada result says otherwise.
Don’t expect the moderate field won’t shrink until after Super Tuesday.
3
@Eric - 8,000 caucus voters is not a tremendous win. But keep telling yourself that if you must.
@laguna greg , With 60% reporting, Sanders is up by 11,000 votes. At this rate he'll win by clost to 20,000.
But if you read the headlines, it's a huge win for Sanders. Sorry if that makes you unhappy.
Mayor Buttigieg's comments about why not to vote for Senator Sanders, as opposed to why to vote for his candidacy, seem more Republican than Democratic. Perhaps he's getting too much advice to go negative from his wealthy political donors, playing party politics instead of people politics.
12
@Wendy Bossons I am not wealthy and I support Buttigieg. His comments speak to my frustration that my primary vote, still to come, is being ignored in this rush to claim that Sanders should be the nominee. There are many many voters out there who have done their homework and who support other strong candidates, Buttigieg included, for good reasons. We're tired of being put down and told that we need to just "feel the Bern". It is fair to be skeptical of any candidate, including Bernie, and yet when any of us ask the tough questions of him, we're accused of not being Democrats, of being "elites" (HA!), of playing "party politics" (whatever that means to the average voter), etc etc. Sanders IS divisive and has done nothing to set a more inclusive and welcoming tone for his campaign. The "us" he speaks of doesn't include people like me and that's a huge problem.
1
@Wendy Bossons
Bernie is literally arguing to tear down decades and decades of the “status quo” before Trump. It is, by definition, radical change, even if, as his supporters argue, it’s a change back to what they claim to be much older norms (the same argument on which Trump has staked his presidency, by the way).
Pete’s not using Republican talking points. After all, the GOP long since abandoned political norms. He’s offering a defense of the kind of bipartisan incrementalism that characterizes the majority of America’s political history (excepting the Civil War and Great Depression/World War II).
It’s fine if Bernie supporters object to Pete’s argument. But to frame it as Republican propaganda, like he’s some kind of Manchurian candidate, is worse than dishonest: it’s gaslighting. Fortunately, the “no, YOU’RE the revolutionary!” schoolyard strategy is hilariously obvious to the rest of the country. I mean, a nonsense term like “radical centrism” might have currency in the Very Online world of Reddit, but it doesn’t play in real life.
3
@Chris Pining For what it's worth, I was a supporter of Andrew Yang, and am only moving toward the Sanders camp now. The truth is that these are the traditional Republican talking points -- that they are currently abusing their own party for shallow greedy purposes -- that's not my fight.
It's odd that the mainstream Democrats are all talking about how to stop Bernie, rather than the how to help him beat Trump. Isn't that exactly what a Republican would do?
7
@Fourteen14
No, not if they believe a Bernie nomination will guarantee the reelection of Trump.
That said, I think the optics are terrible. It sounds like the same kind of divisiveness they’ve criticized Sanders for. They need to take a step back, breathe, and come to terms with the fact that the Democratic Party is irreparably split, at least for the near future, something few people seem willing to admit. Then, if they really want to beat Trump, they have to figure out how to mitigate the inevitable bitterness that will arise from whichever “side” loses the primary.
1
In strict terms, Sanders leads Biden by a whopping total of 1,700 votes cast, though saying he had 48 percent of the vote sounds much more damaging to Biden. It’s a very low turnout. Joe will do much better in the more populous states. Go Joe Go.
3
That’s the county delegate lead. The popular vote lead is much more substantial.
2
@Cody - yeah um 8,000 people voted in the NV primary. That's not substantial, it's incredibly weak and anemic.
Bernie has a simple appeal. Anyone who has had to mud wrestle (over many months) a medical claim with a major US insurance company gets the idea behind Bernie's policy for a wholesale reform of the healthcare system. Ditto for those who have good medical coverage and even with that coverage the seemingly endless follow-on medical bills that follow any medical procedure that they're subject to pay. The health care system produces medical claims --- that is the unit of production --- more than it produces health care. The claim process is what matters in US healthcare. It's the medical revenue cycle that counts, not the health of the patients. I'm not sure that Bernie can drive a stake through the heart of this corrupt system (now 18% of GDP), but I want him to try.
8
What examples exist that the government, (probably a unit of the IRS) will somehow eliminate paperwork, bureaucracy or waiting times in health care claims? Have you ever gotten into a disagreement with the IRS, the DMV, the Post Office or the VA and felt like your interests were paramount in the matter? Big government always makes things worse. Big government acting as a monopoly by outlawing private insurance will turn all US health care into the horrific nightmare one sees now at government run county hospitals, except there won't be alternatives because the monopoly means that health care will be politicized and rationed, just as it is now in the false utopias cited as examples of existing nationalized health care ( ie. Canada and England.) Free stuff from government is never the best solution as one ultimately winds up with what the (never) paid for.
Still a lot of voting to do. The progressives, Sanders and Warren, combined have a bit of a majority in Nevada (a low population State) but overall the moderate Democratic field have combined support that exceeds the progressives. Plus there are more independents than democrats or republicans. IMO the independents are likely more moderate than progressive. So at this point it is probably unlikely that a progressive can beat Trump. Hold the balloons and the hoopla. Study the field and figure out how to dump Trump.
5
The average American has no clue what the term socialist means. They don't even know that we already have dozens of socialist programs right now, with millions of people using them for decades - i.e. Medicaid, Social Security, National Park programs, etc.
What is even more ironic, and sad, is that those over 65 are the ones who use the first two programs and are also vehemently against anything called a socialist. This is simply a testament to the ignorance of us Americans and their short attention spans and lack of curiosity when it comes to learning about something they don't know anything about.
The word socialist is being used by the GOP and Trump as a scare tactic and nothing more. The GOP preys on the fears of the electorate and have been doing so for decades, remember Bush and Willie Horton? Same premise here with Bernie.
7
@Javalin listen to the Cold War Podcast. Socialism is the elevation of the group over the individual, often built on the graves of individuals who resisted.
The United States is built on the idea that individuals are more important than the group. Large scale socialism is impossible in the US since the constitution protects individuals.
1
@Javalin - the young and the middle-aged also have their anti-Bernie factions too.
@Javalin
“Socialist” might have been a slur, but after a couple years of the GOP’s gratuitous accusations against Obama it was reduced to a rightwing shibboleth. No Democrat self-identified as a socialist, and their policies looked nothing like socialism.
Then Bernie came along. Forget the “democratic” qualifier; the guy has literally called himself a socialist, full stop. What’s more, he has inspired massive interest in socialism—actual Marxism— among The Youth. (Well, the very online young people with disproportionate influence on the media narrative.) Older people think it’s conservative fear-mongering, but they aren’t on Reddit, subscribed to popular political YouTube channels, immersed in Left Twitter, or who have ever even heard of Chapo Trap House. Socialism is a fad in that world, and the Zoomers and Young Millennials inhabiting it are Bernie’s most devoted followers and the ones who have shaped his online presence.
Not to mention the hare-brained strategy to educate the public on the AKSHUAL meaning of “democratic socialist,” which Bernie himself has adopted.
1
The horse race analysts who are caught in the bubble of the Democratic primaries and caucuses keep missing one important thing about Sanders’ victories. The issue of most concern to voters isn’t about whether a democratic socialist is a better candidate to beat a Trump than a “moderate” (notice how Warren has now been shifted into that category). The issue is about whether wealth should rule, the rich should take all, and corporate capital should govern this country ... or not. No other candidate (except Warren) puts this choice in starker or more immediately powerful terms than Sanders. But it’s precisely this issue that the elites of the mainstream party system, and corporate press prefer not to articulate, for obvious reasons. So they stick with horse race and the unsupportable mantra that Sanders can’t beat Trump.
7
I grew up in the 60's and 70's and I've been a Democrat my whole life. My parents came to this country fleeing tyranny and rose up the economic ladder from lower class to almost upper middle class. They were also Democrats. Compared to me, Bernie Sanders is actually relatively moderate. He is no more of a socialist than FDR or LBJ or Robert F. Kennedy were. He wants to restore the American dream of equal opportunity for everyone. He is a once in a lifetime candidate; a throw-back to what the Democratic Party used to be about. That's why I support him and that's why he is going to win in November. The rest is smear.
Bloomberg feels it is his right to buy the White House. He is threatening to cause great damage to the Democratic Party of my parents with his billions. The major networks and social media giants are rolling in his dough. It's un-American. Democrats need to reject the red-baiting fear and remember what we have always stood for: equality; protecting the environment; peace; economic justice; education; women's rights; racial justice. Bernie stands for all those things and they are as American as apple pie.
12
Nice writing Joe.
American spirit of the best kind.
Nice to be reminded in the middle of the current muddle.
Bernie needs some fresh lines.
He ought to say his values are the American pie. Because they are.
Trump's are the phony values.
The processed, store-bought pie.
2
It’s unfortunate that Bernie can’t use the slogan, Make America Great Again”.
It is my very strong opinion that that at least 3 of the candidates whose country wide poll numbers are in single digits should gracefully bow out of the primaries and throw their full support to the few that remain. Otherwise they'll eat each other.
Nothing could be worse than a brokered convention, while those of the centre left, liberal, and far left should all be on the same page that nothing is more important than to send the most corrupt president in the history of this country packing.
Bernie was not my first choice, yet I'll enthusiastically put up a yard for him in the front yard and knock on neighbour's houses.
5
Mr Sanders at one point will run out of other people's money to spend and his whole vision will collapse. For example, his wealth tax is designed to fund Medicare for All, while he has also said it is designed to eliminate the fortunes of the top few percent. Do the math. It will. Sounds like killing the goose that laid the golden egg. How do you continue funding medicare for all once you have "killed your source of funding"? Put draconian taxes on the little guys? There will be no choice. After all in socialism the state "owns" all capital. Bernie's road to ruin. Study the mess in Argentina or Cuba or Venezuela that has resulted from similar approaches over the past few decades, and none of them provide Medicare for ALL illegal immigrants and FREE college for all, although they have destroyed the economic engines of their countries. Bernie wants to do exactly that.
8
With so many billionaires, his programs will have money for many years to come. On the other hand, increasing income of overall population, will expand the tax base, replacing the decreasing wealth of few. It will be everybody's money.
@yulia Yulia, Thanks for making my point. It may last a few years, but not forever. Please alos note capital will flee the US just as it has fled Venezuela, Argentina, etc, killing the ecomic engine. This of course will destroy the value of peoples' retirement savings in 401k's, making a class of destitute seniors. Funny you say it is everyone's money. In a Socialist economy, the state owns all capital. See Bernie's plan to Nationalize power companies.
I wonder how many Bernie contributors (besides me) are Trump supporters? Plus he'll get my vote in Virginia's open primary.
2
@RCS: Well, Donald Trump does not embody those values. A lying charletan who has cheated his whole life, inheriting his wealth.
The virtues you describe are found in many Americans. What is grossly unfair is how the deck is stacked against working class Americans who don’t have a hair’s breath of achieving the goals you describe in the current racist kleptocracy, with a blatantly corrupt government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich, intent in dismantling our rights and protections, every one of them, in service of unlimited wealth and power for the few. Bernie Sanders and AOC are not championing against the virtues you describe. They just want a more fair and level playing field. As does Elizabeth Warren. For proof, see the US and its achievements made by Americans, with strong unions, manufacturing and free or low-cost public education post-WWII. Until the era of “trickle down” Reagan.
To use my own life as an example, I am almost 64 years old and I came from a working class background, divorced parents, very little money. But I made a decent, productive, contributing life for myself, graduating with honors from a state university that I could AFFORD, and made a valuable and rewarding career in public service. Without that college education, which I earned on my own with no help, I’m certain my life would have turned out much differently. My point is that the values you describe are values I have. And so do many people who aren’t born with all the advantages.
1
All the other opponents picked on the wrong guy at Wednesday debate. That is, if their goal was to do better in Nevada and beyond. Or was it just to score some points and look tough.
Poor strategy I say.
4
It's a little early in the process to be all breathless about Bernie Sander getting the Democratic nomination. Regardless of what you think of him (or any of the other Democratic candidates), let's not forget that Nevada is a CLOSED CAUCUS. Only REGISTERED DEMOCRATS (and those who request a special ballot) can vote in the Nevada caucus. No unaffiliated/independent voices were heard. Think about it.
6
@mimi - that amount to 8,000 voters, hardly a broad or representative sample.
We now know that Russia has been interfering in the Democratic Primaries to help Sanders.
Would Sanders have won Nevada without support from Russia?
3
Bernie continues to cruise because none of his opponents have bothered to take a swing against him.
Trump could hammer him on recycled Dukakis ads “He’ll raise your taxes and is weak on defense!” and hang on to the rust belt easily.
4
The press is doing that for them. There is no day that goes without a couple of the articles about how unelectable Bernie is, and I am talking only about NYT. Add other papers and Bernie faces much more attack than any other candidate.
1
If there was any dirt to dig up about Sanders, Hillary Clinton would have found it. She would have hired a former spy to investigate and then published a contrived report about Sanders. Who knows, maybe Clinton’s spy found nothing bad to use against Sanders.
1
The real differences between Bernie and everyone else are that-
1. He has been consistent for the past
50 years.
and-
2. He’s not a liar.
and-
3. His campaign is truly ‘folk-funded’
All of the above truly matter to folks but the reason why Bernie Sanders is winning is because his positions on the issues important to the majority of Americans are in line with the wishes of that majority.
It’s that simple.
8
@John Cummings 8,000 voters voted in the NV caucuses. That's not a win, it's actually a sure prediction of future failure.
@laguna greg
Wrong. There were more than 120k voters. Ask your grandkids to explain the charts to you.
The genuine anger expressed by corporate Democrats, as Bernie rises, suggests they are more concerned about obtaining jobs inside an administration run by their brethren then they are about defeating Trump. Neither Bernie nor Trump will offer them lucrative prestigious positions in government. They are all about self advancement. What a spectacle.
3
When Hillary Clinton was supposed to win, I’m sure that many Democrats in Washington renewed their leases and bought homes. When Clinton lost, many Democrats were hurt financially. This is an interesting story that never was researched or reported.
1
With Bernie's overwhelming victory in Nevada, Trump won re-election. We now have the very real possibility of a full-fledged dictatorship in our country.
3
My best laugh of the weekend came as I read some op-ed piece that observed that the Democratic Party was worried about the possibility of nominating an "extreme" candidate such as Bernie Sanders to oppose President Trump. So now we are supposed to see Trump as NOT being extreme? What a laugh!!!
Nearly all of the news coverage uses terms such as "liberal" "socialist" or "moderate quite loosely. The actual meat of the issues becomes lost as the flavoring of varies positions takes over. In depth analysis gives way to shallow, simplistic views that sway many but provide little substance for making intelligent decisions. I wonder how many people, even in the press, could define "Socialism?"
4
I am certainly not hearing any messages of unity from Sanders' surrogates or supporters. Do they understand that Sanders needs to win over Dem voters like me as well as moderate Republicans and Independents if he hopes to be President? Primary voting numbers have been down, not up, and primary voters are the motivated ones. What happens when the general election rolls around and all other voters (if they show up) are added to the mix? No one has explained how that's going to work out in Sanders' favor. And don't talk to me about polls. The polls were such a disaster in 2016 and I have never met ANYONE who has ever been polled. The sample sizes for many of them are ridiculously small and exclude too many. I guess I'm just supposed to hope for the best, but the frenzy to crown Sanders at such an early point in the process ignores the fact that there are still so so many voters still waiting to make our voices heard and we aren't all "feeling the Bern." I refuse to let my freedom of choice be hijacked by the groupthink of the "Our Revolution" gang.
6
If the polls are such a disaster, how do you know that Sanders doesn't attract majority of independent, moderate Republicans and the moderate Democrats? In order to talk about problem, we need at least identify that there is the problem. It is difficult to do, if you have no tool.
@yulia That's my point -- he might, but we need to wait for more races and more voters to weigh in before claiming Sanders will win the whole thing or urging any other candidates to drop out. It's unfair to ignore the will of all other voters just because of the order of the primaries.
I am crying tears of joy. This country needs universal health care. I would be overjoyed to pay 4 percent (or whatever it takes) instead of the current 40 percent of my take-home pay on health insurance for my family of three. Not only would it be economically manageable, we wouldn't have to worry if we lose our jobs, change jobs, work part-time, or need long term care. What is more, universal health care could even help reduce crime, homelessness, incarceration and addiction and make this country a better place.
8
It's beyond me why Thursday's debate was considered Warren's best because she angrily cornered Bloomberg over something that apparently happened over 30 years ago. I guess the object was to skewer the newcomer on stage, and - this is important - the only material she had was the NDAs. If the 30 year old NDAs were the only negatives Warren has to criticize Bloomberg about, he's a pretty good candidate. I for one am sick and tired of the personal attacks on political rivals.
8
The billionaire class decided Warren was an unacceptable candidate. She's returning the favor.
1
Interesting that Bernie didn't even show on the tallies for Pershing County.
1
It’s exciting to see Sanders building momentum in his drive for the Democratic presidential nomination, but before we all get to excited, I believe it would only be fitting that he disclosed his medical situation to DNC. There’s a lot at stake here that shouldn’t be ignored.
2
If Sanders is nominated, the election result will be the same as McGovern in 1972, a landslide for Nixon.
12
there was a time we all (me especially) collectively admonished each other that, "trump can't win" we don't know what is going to happen. Perhaps, it is because we have Trump that the Nation is finally frustrated enough for Bernie to win. Just a thought.
4
@RC
It's a solid thought, for sure. But here's another solid thought to chew on: Trump now has the ground with a substantial amount of the electorate who do not think like you or me perhaps, and who are not considered his true Base but will vote for him to keep a status quo going out of fear of yet another revolution. People are nervous all around and they seek stability even it its most ridiculous forms.
1
Yes, multigenerational and multiracial.
Bernie is the real thing, literally heart, and soul.
Voters can feel it, sense it. He radiates it.
And Bernie Sanders' ardent supporters (bless their fervent hearts) will not be daunted or cynical—but will swell his revolution (transformation) across all demographics to rescue our country.
That is what voters and citizens can count on.
13
Perhaps Buttigieg is not doing himself any favors by attacking Sanders. His best shot will be to be selected as Vice President.
it is time for the DNC to remain neutral and that goes for the pundits as well.
We need the programs that Sanders is fighting for badly
Obviously the cross section of voters, more diverse than Nevada and New Hampshire, find Sanders immensely impressive.
Maybe the rest of the Country will too.
10
Yes, including the pundits. Part of the reason the candidates have become so combative is that the debate “moderators” word their questions in ways that call for combativeness. It sickens me to see the debate stage now full of people tearing each other up rather than challenging with civility. Save all that combativeness for Trump. It’s further dividing us all.
1
@Jean . Please Mayor Pete already lost the election a while back, although it will be interesting to see what he does when more than 8,000 people vote in a caucus election.
Bernie hasn't won anything yet.
@Jean - So True... Pete Buttigieg has proven the he can only make negative comments about the other candidates... He has not made ANY details available about his ambiguous proposals...!!!
2
Does anyone else think that the process of choosing a nominee should change?
Is too much significance being given to a small number of voters?
Is it likely that the media will anoint a "front-runner" even though a majority of people vote for other candidates?
Would it be better to have a nationwide primary day, and a run-off of the top two candidates if no one gets a majority in the first round?
6
Why is the news media proclaiming Bernie as the implicit nominee because he won 3 early contests? Nevada, Iowa and New Hampshire? Let’s be realistic- these are small States, mostly rural and mostly white. Is this really representative of the Democratic Party and the US in general? Let’s wait until citizens of larger more urban States like New York and California weigh in before we pronounce a winner. Is this what our democracy has come to? It’s already bad enough with the Electoral College. I feel disenfranchised and at the same time feel that we pay a larger share of the taxes.
5
Let the lntelligent voters decide the final outcome of the election , in stead of falling for the tactics used against Bernie Sanders. What happened in the last 2 decades of administration? Did it help the common people or upper crust? If we had better leaders in the past why there are many homeless people, why there was an opioid epidemic, why college graduates are drowning in debts, why we still don’t have a plastic tax, what are we doing to reduce landfills, ant it continues.
4
Much is unfair in our electoral system and those who benefit from this unfairness have the power to keep the system we have. This is what we have and this system will pick our next president.
Bearing this in mind, what should we do if Bernie comes out on top with a plurality but lacking a majority?
He is probably more of a gamble than a more moderate candidate. Should we take the risk? Here lies the quandary for the party.
Consider a retiree who has many family members entirely dependent on him. He has managed to save assets but they are not large enough for the kind of life the family seeks---He must assure his family continuing income.
Should he invest in one or two highy risky stocks---a speculation that might make him very rich---but this is a speculation, a kind of "gamble". Financial advisers would tell him not to take the risk. A retiree must conserve and not risk too much. A conservative and balanced portfolio, far less likely to produce the greatest return is the wisest way to go. Keep in mind in this battle for the survival of our democracy, what really counts is the defeat of Trump and not the victory of any one approach ---of any one candidate.
2
The capitalist system worked beautifully when there was a vast wilderness to be tamed, vast resources to be exploited and an unbelievable number of new technological advances to develop and exploit with available scientific capacity (from electric lights to the internet in 100 years or so!) Give the capitalist system and the associated values like work ethic and personal accountability its due---it really worked in the right conditions. What's driving Sanders' popularity is that everyone kind of knows, without being able to put a finger exactly on it, that the conditions in which capitalism flourished and drove so many positive societal benefits no longer exist in the developed world. Change is needed and people feel it. It is a shame that a retread from the old days of socialism is the vehicle, but I guess that's what we have.
4
@bill smith - that is so very Karl Marx of you , that perspective there. And just as wrong.
My main takeaway is this: Americans are highly emotional when it comes to presidential elections. They don't vote strategically, thinking two steps ahead on the chess board. If they did, these voters in Nevada and New Hampshire would see that in the half-dozen swing states, Sanders is well behind Biden and Bloomberg when it comes to hypothetical match-ups against Trump in November. It's only the swing states that really matter when it comes to ridding the world of Trump in all his destructiveness.
4
Bernie Sanders - and hopefully Elizabeth Warren - will win more votes going forward because either platform is consistent and appeals to people experiencing the demise of the American Dream. The Democratic party and social elites excoriating Sanders and insulting his supporters needs to wake up and recognize the painful insecurity and tragic vulnerability of the ordinary workers of this country. Every social problem in this country has worsened over twenty years-access to health care, housing, education, tax structures, and public safety- not to mention obscene income inequality, appropriation of public lands, and environmental neglect. Sanders makes sense; Warren has plans.
5
I have never been a Bernie supporter. In 2016 I was for Hillary and now I think Warren is the best candidate. However, Bernie is the only one with a compelling story to tell and I have to admit that warren is basically repackaging the Bernie angle from 2016. I wrote Bernie off almost immediately when he used the word “socialist” to describe himself. I figured he didn’t plan on winning. Now I can get behind him - he has a clear bold vision and his supporters have energy and passion though sometimes to a fault. All of the pundits and moderates saying he can’t win makes me more convinced he can. Somehow the people watching the closest tend to miss the big picture. I think Bernie can win - because he has to.
7
I will vote for Bernie if he gets the nomination, but I would caution us. The raw numbers for Bernie at 50% of the results are that less than 4000 Nevadan souls caucused (or early vote? Are those numbers included?). What is the population of Nevada, and what percentage of its population took the trouble or had the time? Unless we can convince 90% of the people to go to the polls for anyone who is not the con-in-chief, we are under threat.
3
As many of Bernie's "radical" ideas have gone mainstream between 2016 and now, so Bernie himself has gained followers. See the trend? The more he talks and explains, the more people listen and comprehend.
If people don't like some of his policies, and I take issue with some, we are all aware that these policies must be passed by our representatives in Congress, right? If the will of the people is strong enough, some of the most controversial policies will not take hold. At least the conversation is being had.
I didn't vote for him in the last primary but I will in this one. I like his momentum. I will vote for whoever wins the Democratic nomination in the general election.
I think the Russians are backing him because of the "he can't win" buzz in the news media, hence they think Trump will win against him. That will backfire on them!
People just like him, like his style, humor and feistiness. These traits, apart from his policies, will win over Republican voters.
Just pair him with a younger VP(I like Warren) and he can win the presidency.
4
In 2016 all the political pundits were wrong. In 2020 they’ll be wrong as well. The only conclusion can be a likely nomination for Sanders followed by an issue-campaign versus and insult-campaign and a 50/50 shot for each. Any further predictions or prognostications today are akin to those who profess to predict the spin of the roulette wheel.
3
If the choice was between Bernie, Biden, Bloomberg, or Klobucher I'd go with Bernie in a heart beat. But take the strengths of all four, add brilliance, a heap of persistence and experience and you get Warren. Anyone hand wringing over a Bernie presidency tally should be taking a long look at Warren.
4
I've read multiple articles about Bloomberg people already courting Democratic superdelegates to win a contested convention in a second round of voting.
Mind you, Bloomberg has yet to appear on a ballot or win a single delegate.
This is while Sanders won every demographic in Nevada except people over 65, who went with Biden. And brought in droves who've never voted in a primary before.
This is like some bad movie from the 1960s about the corruption of our system.
7
I would vote without hesitation for Bernie Sanders in November, but in the primaries I still support Elizabeth Warren, not because she is a woman, but because she believes what she says and she has done her homework.
"Doing your homework" should be the priority of any candidate to the Presidency, and that is why I think Biden, Buttigieg and Bloomberg will never be elected -- at any rate, they will never get my vote.
Biden and Buttigieg are trying to frighten you into not voting for Sanders; Bloomberg is just using his money against Trump -- something he could do without being a candidate. All three, in my opinion, are out for themselves, not for us, and I do not trust any of the three. Be careful when you vote; these three might not give you what they say they will.
3
Alright People! Making youselves heard and supporting progressive values. If moderates won't vote for Bernie, they'll only get more of Trump. I don't want to hear a word about how bad he is if you didn't vote against him. Tired of hearing from so called moderates we can't afford single payer or a Green New Deal. How would they know? We've never tried it, but we know what we've had, and it isn't enough. This country can do better than Trump, can't we? Go Bernie and Liz!
3
We don’t know WHO actually voted for Sanders until we know how many Republicans changed parties just to vote in the Dem caucus for Sanders. Same day registration to change parties, with no reason for Republicans to vote in their own primary.
1
You know, E. Warren didn't just nail Bloomberg. She nailed Bernie when she said "his heart is in the right place. " For the first time, the stifling establishment failed to stop him, and I am now on board.
My big question is this: Can E. Warren have Bill Barr's job in a Sander's administration? How about Stacy Abrams for Vice President.
If Bernie wins Texas, CA and NY none of the other states matter.
2
My wife looked as I waited for results to trickle in last night and tried to explain why a self-selected 3% of Nevada voters were wandering rather listlessly around strange weekend parties in near-empty school gyms.
After five minutes, she gave up:
"They call that *democracy*?"
3
The Democratic Party will not try and stop Sanders. In many ways he represents the same populist anger that Trump was able to bottle but this time its coming from the left. So the Lindsey Grahams and Marc Rubios of the world became Trumpers and this will happen to the Democrats as well.
As students of American history and political science a presidential race between the two extremes of Trumpism and Bernie Sanders is as good as it gets. Let’s see where America is. Joe Biden is right. This election is for the soul of America.
Do we want to be represented in the world by the cruel criminality of Trump for the sake of tax cuts for the rich?
3
I can’t help but thinking what sort of Democrats will we be after a year into a Sanders’ administration with irrefutable evidence he has been skirting long-standing norms, abusing his power and/or ignoring Congress, even breaking the laws ...all for the good ‘of the American people.’ Will we behave as the Republicans - the means justify the ends - or will we stand up to Bernie just as we’re asking Republicans to stand up to Trump?
Conquering income inequality does not depend upon the further undermining of confidence in our institutions. Reducing income inequality demands reconstituting that confidence by reorienting to the proper beneficiaries.
4