"What’s unity worth if it’s just to change the name of the person telling us we can’t have health care"
In case you missed the news, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a third challenge to the Affordable Care Act this fall, and this time they could very well kill it for good. Which would you prefer: the bare minimum of keeping the ACA in place – and ideally adding a public option at some point – or the possibility under four more years of Trump of eliminating it entirely?
"Or take serious action on climate"
Again, Trump is the one who pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, on top of eviscerating dozens of EPA regulations and advocating in favor of opening up millions of acres of national parks to petroleum & lumber interests.
While obviously Bernie & Biden have significantly different views on these subjects, the choice between Trump & Biden (assuming he wins the nomination) should be amply obvious at this point.
Sometimes there really are significantly worse options than voting for "establishment" political candidates.
15
Longwell's false equating of "the political insanity of the right and the left” is emblematic of the skewed thinking of too many centrists. Trump is a unstable autocrat, while Sanders -albeit cranky - is perfectly sane with plans that align with New Deal/Great Society policies that brought the parents of today's suburban voters out of the working class. I am a white suburbanite who lives among centrist Dems and never-Trump Repubs. Political conversations in my corner of the burbs make clear that above all, political decisions are guided by the perceived impact on one's portfolio. This is prudent to a certain degree, but when is enough enough? Among my cohort, a sense of a responsibility to those less fortunate is largely absent. While we fret about whether our food is organic, not many are concerned that 37 mil. Americans are food insecure, including 11 mil. children? Do we worry that the family of the gardener could be among of them? Do we care that 80% of restaurant workers have no health insurance or sick days, and that the CDC has traced 50-80% of nonovirus cases to them? No, but we will when one of them gives us or a family member nonovirus or coronovirus. Do we care that most home health aides don't get paid sick days? No, but we will when one of them gives an elderly parent coronovirus. Dear suburban Dems and never-Trump Repubs, you are going to be fine. Time to open your eyes and hearts to those who aren't. Joe offers them nothing. Or maybe that's the attraction?
10
No they won't haha!
No Republican would ever vote for a Democrat. They might sit it out but they're not gonna vote for the other team hahaha!
4
Never Trump Republicans are a myth.
7
I care as much about Never Trump Republicans as Susan Collins cares about sexual assault victims. You know, just enough to frown but not enough to actually do anything. Exactly that much.
6
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump, I voted against Hillary Clinton”
I’ve heard this so many times from working class, heartland voter. It’s a dog whistle if I ever heard one.
It means, “I’m not a misogynistic white nationalist. I just play one in the voting booth.”
12
I love the idea that the survival of the democracy is on the ballot in 2020. Ah source???? You folks act like some bad tweets are coming for your children if Trump wins again. Try to be a little bit more realistic Biden voters! There are fewer never trumpers now than on election day '16. Check this https://www.axios.com/full-list-2018-midterm-election-seats-flipped-34d99826-0929-41c6-a1f0-e4d02861c835.html
of the 40 house flips 6 were in Cali, who won Cali again the other day? There was 1 in TX and 3 in VA but Hilary won VA. There were 2 in MI but none in OH or WISC. There were 5 in PA but they don't vote till the end of April. And of course say Hi to ex-FL senator nelson who i guess was done in by the anti-castro vote or something, he was just so radical that's why he lost right?
1
I saw a picture of Joe Biden on a milk carton this morning at the store.
Anyone seen him?
Apparently someone's kidnapped him and isn't going to release him until November 5th.
3
What we need to do is to start referring to Trumps re-election for what it is........ CREEP.
To help people understand the awfulness of Trump we should refer to him and his re-election as CREEP.
Committee to RE-Elect the President : CREEP
Do you want the CREEP in office for another 4 years......
(this should be Bidens war cry)
In Trumps world it is all about the connotation, so lets connotate: TRUMP IS A CREEP.........in more ways than one.
6
"It's the economy, stupid".... and now it's tanked because of his inaction and disputing experts. The hold-your-nose-and-vote-for-him folks got the supreme court, guns, and deregulation... and the economy - Now (tragic reason), the economy has tanked. and it's in part due to his incompetence, his smartest-man-in-the-room syndrome, ignoring information, and being out of touch with the everyday world. So yeh, they'll switch.
5
Trump will win if his base feels satisfied. That is America: aging silent majority with some help from Russian trolls.
3
Correction needed: The South Carolina primary was Saturday before last, not on Super Tuesday.
1
Words I never want to hear again:
“Democratic establishment”
“Corporate shills”
“Dementia,” as applied by non-medical professionals to Biden (okay to apply it to Trump).
“Oligarchy”
“Trump troll,” when applied by Berners to anyone who expresses dislike of Bernie.
“Progressives”
“Elite”
“MSM,” when media mention anything the slightest bit negative of Bernie.
“Billionaires” — used to be accompanied by “millionaires” until Bernie finally showed his taxes and revealed HE is a millionaire.
“Sweden,” “Scandinavia,” “Canada”
Bernie as the new F.D.R. Bernie as the new Ralph Nader (well, not so new) doesn’t grate on my ears.
And condescending comments as to why we who have successfully resisted Bernie’s lure are dupes of the establishment, etc.
4
Even Democrats question Biden's cognitive health. Biden is not a well man. If, after 4 years of re-tooling, the best the DNC can come up with is an elderly man who is clearly failing, then how is anyone supposed to have any faith in the DNC? You tell us over and over and over and........that Trump must go.
So you want a man whose wife wants to be FLOTUS so bad that she runs his interviews.
Admit it, the DNC BEGGED Bloomberg to run, and he got mauled by irritating Warren, who, dropped out herself. Thousands of NYT commenters banked on Bloomberg. He's sharp as ever, filthy rich, and was a great mayor. Can't have that!
The DNC is in complete disarray. Biden needs to go home. Sanders is a (cardiac) joke. Tulsi who? Oh.....right.....she's suing Hillary for "being a Russian asset". So there goes Hillary's chance of inserting herself in the race. Tulsi prevented Hillary's 2016 victory, oh, I remember now...........I listened to all those Russian bots that turned me from hard core left to Trump!
For all the Left's hatred of Trump, it'd be a miracle for anyone to prevent his re-election. Corona virus, crashed stock market, whatever, the DNC gets an "F" for 2020. Don't have any expectations for 2024, a lousy FOUR YEARS wasn't enough to find a candidate who didn't belong in assisted living.
5
That’s because Biden is basically a Republican. Thanks for spelling it out for us.
5
Contrary to popular belief, parties do die. The Federalists did. The Whigs did. And the Democrats have every confidence they can do it, too. And they should. A more sleazy, cynical betrayal of a mass voting body has perhaps not been seen since the Reichstag Fire.
When the nation demanded a party dedicated to the health, prosperity and welfare of a yearning citizenry, what it got was vile betrayal and cowardly abandonment by Democrats, who sold every iota of concern for Americans for the money of a grasping, visionless, suicidal capitalist oligarchy.
The fact of Bernie brings the reality of the Democratic Party today into plain view and exposes, as an open casket does, the grisly horror within it. The last fifty years have seen the appalling descent of the Party from one which could--when forced--take halting steps to benefit our People, to the money-hustling brothel it is now.
America finally got a belly full of it, and the inevitable reckoning came: enter Trump and his coven of inverts, sociopaths, and kooky Christer warlocks.
If the combine of reactionary nonentities who bombed, with Mike Millions, and vindictive team mole Warren, deny Bernie his majority, then the Party will nominate its flaccid, fatuous Nowhere Man who will be joyfully flogged by Trump, beaten like the vacuous drum he is. In that event, the Party dies of permanent 1% donor withdrawal and mass youth abandonment.
6
Amen....
1
Nobody seems concerned about how the center of the Party is now made up of ex-Bush neocons, Republican establishment hacks and Regan Democrats; all the while ignoring the fastest growing voting block in modern American politics. It's class warfare. Moderate Dems have more class solidarity with the Bush GOP than with the poor and working people who are so beaten down by this unjust system and so busy trying to survive that voting seems futile. And then comes a candidate who only speaks to them, inspires them to participate in this system and they are mocked for being idealistic. Black and brown women are excluded, mocked as "Bernie Bros" from "the island of misfit black girls" and much much worse. The Party, their millionaire consultants, their media apparatchiks and well-off liberals are united in gaslighting rage at legitimate grievances at their own peril.
4
"Nothing is more important than beating Trump is nonsense and irrational." I've heard people mumbling that kind of thing for about 60 years.
So nothing changes for the better and this so called "wealthy nation" does not progress. It declines and declines and declines. More poverty, more unhappiness, more debt, more suicides and drug deaths, more living paycheck to paycheck (poor wages). More insecurity. I could go on but you know what I'm saying.
The propaganda from the elite/wealthy and oligarchs keeps the people in fear and brings out the worst in them. The greed, the selfishness and the human species declines in its hopes and what great things there could be. We will not make it on this planet or any other. Capitalism has failed us and it has only been a weak substitute for the other failed economic systems: slavery, monarchy, lords and serfs, mercantilism, communism, pure socialism and commercial capitalism -- to name a few. All failures. None of these, including the last few, have succeeded. We need a blend of them where the basic needs of people are taken care of but greed produces people who want great wealth like the pigs -- you remember the pigs -- everyone was equal on the "Animal Farm" except the pigs were just a little more equal! That exposes the greed and human selfish nature. It can be done with the right controls, worker coops, controlled capitalism and some of the current elements of "socialism" we have in US. Let's keep trying. But it does not look good.
6
I'm a part of the Warren base: an educated woman. She was my candidate. Observing Ms. Warren's treatment by Sanders adherents has really soured me on his candidacy.
If he's the nominee, I'll vote for him. However, I can hardly stomach the ugly mixture of whining and vitriol I'm reading.
Hey, perhaps these followers are actually Russian influencers. I can hope that is so.
3
I would argue that making Biden the Democratic nominee is actually elder abuse. He embarrasses himself in public day after day, seemingly unconscious of how incoherent and incompetent he sounds, especially in comparison with debate videos of elections past. Is the party deliberately setting him up for failure? How can it possibly be ethical to put him in such a humiliating situation? He should be sitting on a dock fishing, not running a superpower.
4
Longwell's false equating of "the political insanity of the right and the left” is emblematic of the self-preserving, narrow-minded thought of many centrists. Talk about fake news. Trump is a lunatic fascist, while Sanders -albeit cranky - is sane and his plans are in line with New Deal/Great Society policies that brought the parents of today's suburbanites out of the working class. I am a white suburbanite who lives among centrist Dems and never-Trump Repubs. My conversations with them make clear that above all, the size of their portfolios guides their politics. This is prudent to a certain degree. But when is enough enough? Among my cohort, a sense of a responsibility to those less fortunate is largely absent. While we fret about whether our food is organic, do we pause to think that 37 mil. Americans are food insecure, including 11 mil. children? Do we worry that the family of the gardener could be among of them? Do we care that 80% of restaurant workers have no health insurance or sick days, and that the CDC has traced 50-80% of nonovirus cases to them? No, but we will when one of them gives us or a family member nonovirus or even coronovirus. Do we care that most home health aides, the people who care for our elderly, don't get paid sick days? No, but we will when one of them gives a frail parent pneumonia. Wake up, selfish suburbanites. You are going to be fine. Time to open your eyes and hearts to those who aren't. Joe offers them nothing. Or is that what you want?
4
Democrats have, for more than a generation embraced this less idea that fretting Republicans just need to be coaxed with a further right democrat to entice them over, and like Charlie Brown kicking the football, it ends up with democrats on their back wondering why they were so foolish.
Yes, Clinton won as a third-way candidate in an election that already had a vote splitting Perot. And then they went with Gore, who continued the centrist appeal to Republicans, and then Kerry who continued that tradition. And then Obama campaigned on liberal ideas, but his presidency was largely neutered by trying the same "appeal to Republicans" approach. Then the democrats fielded another centrist candidate in Clinton. Here we are seeing them poised to make the same mistake yet again.
When are democrats going to remember their FDR roots? Appealing to moderate republicans is a fool's game of trying to appeal to a vanishing sliver of people from a pool of primarily single issue voters and cult of personality followers. A solid minority of the electorate is Republican, so why try to appeal to them and go for a real alternative?
4
Trump will eat Biden up. Amazes med that people don't se what a liability Biden is. For christ sake, they even make Biden give shorter stump speeches so that he doesn't risk going of rails in a totally incoherent way.
Master bully Trump will depict Biden as s senil old man - that we can be certain of because Trump has already started commenting on Biden mental fitness. And Biden's record and policies doesn't impresse. He is a liablitiy because in one-on-one debates - when he is put under pressure and can't hide - all his weaknesses risk being exposed and those who might prefer him now will surely have second thoughts.
Those who say that Biden is the safe bet against Trump need a reality check. Again, Biden is a liability, that is hard to deny, and that means that he isn't a safe bet.
2
So comforting to know that there are still some Republicans that are not brainwashed and recognize just how bad this President has been for our country. History will recognize how important your vote was and we owe you an enormous debt of gratitude for putting country before politics.
1
Oh, great.
So now we get a candidate picked for us by Republicans? The single most right-wing candidate of the original 23 options, and one who is in clear mental decline. How nice.
Religious fundamentalists and white supremacists have driven the money-focused Rockefeller Republicans into the democratic party. And now we'll have a Rockefeller Republican as our candidate.
So now that the secure, affluent moderate Republicans and 65+ retirees living on their pensions and socialized government benefits have completely taken over the democratic party, where are the progressives supposed to go?
3
Sarah Longwell delivers a compellingly convincing and forcefully descriptive Opinion of the inept, incompetent, and immoral actions of the Vietnam War draft dodger pretending to exercise moral authority during this pandemic crisis. Make no mistake about it. Jack Nicholson's poignant words echoing from "A Few Good Men" are just as appropriate in 1992 are the searing message they portend in 2020. "You can't handle the truth" is the mantra the informed, educated, and involved American electorate should, and must, accentuate daily through the November election, persistently reminding voters that the draft dodger is incapable, and ill equipped, to lead. Die hard MAWA supports, rabid GOP sycophants, and blind Fox News worshipers must be confronted with this irrefutable, incontrovertible, fact. Irregardless how the American right spin the corona virus pandemic, the hard cold grim reality is that their glorified leader is not cut out for the job as America's leader. The American right see in him the last defense to a falsely perceived onslaught, a warped imagined invasion of dark and brown complexioned persons posing a dire threat to their way of life, denying them of their jobs, displacing them, relegating them to second class citizenship (sound familiar?). The indefensible conduct displayed by the Vietnam War draft dodger who sheepishly wraps himself in the American flag at CPAC conferences is that he represents the pinnacle of Caucasian male privilege. Simple as that. Race maters.
1
After Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell,
NEVER TRUST REPUBLICANS.
2
Anyone who would support trump over even a dead dog has to have their judgement questioned.
4
Warren should IMMEDIATELY endorse Biden, for the good of the nation. She has no business waffling on this for days, now. It's time she did everything in her power to get the Orange Con Man out of office, and if this means wholeheartedly endorsing Biden, that is what she should do.
1
Oh come on, Ms. Longwell. Republicans will never vote for anyone other than Trump or someone just like Trump. They will never ever vote for a Democrat because they believe that Democrats are bent on destroying the USA and turning it into a communist dictatorship. Remember that the typical Republican voter believes that coronavirus is fake and made up by the Democrats. Believing in "Liberal Republicans" is a fantasy.
1
-- the two of them!?
1
You bet they'd vote for Biden. He's their boy, and has been for what, 40 years? Lock up black and latino youth? Check. Regime change wars? Check. Corporate bailouts? Check. Corporate Health Care? Check. And only in a world where every year, we have to vote for the "lesser of two evils" (i.e. two candidates cut from the same corporate cloth), does it make sense to remotely care who "Never Trump" Republicans will vote for. They only exist in Washington DC and in addled minds of pundits.
3
They why didn't a single one of them stick up for Biden's son when Trump tried siccing foreign leaders on him? Romney was the only one who spoke up.
1
Classic buyers remorse...
1
A significant proportion of US independents voted from Trump in 2016. Their reasoning, one supposes, was that he was an outsider of the political mainstream (he was) and would 'drain the swamp' (he instead enriched it). In other words, he lied.
I fail to see the logic, therefore, in supporting Biden's candidacy. Those independent voters who feel betrayed, but still are unenamoured of the status quo will not be inspired by Biden's campaign and those are the voters mostly likely to vote against Trump. If offered a candidate who understands the need for structural changes including recognizing universal health care as a right and the need for redistributive taxation who appears consistent and authentic these betrayed Trump supporters would flock to the candidate. Therefore - if only in terms of electability - the candidate should logically be Senator Sanders.
4
@D. Yohalem
The word “logically” is the flaw in your argument.
1
Longwell's false equating of "the political insanity of the right and the left” is emblematic of the self-preserving, narrow-minded thought of many centrists. Talk about fake news. Trump is a lunatic fascist, while Sanders -albeit cranky - is sane and his plans are in line with New Deal/Great Society policies that brought the parents of today's suburban voters out of the working class. I am a white suburbanite who lives among centrist Dems and never-Trump Repubs. My conversations with them make clear that above all, the size of their portfolios guides their politics. This is prudent to a certain degree. But when is enough enough? Among my cohort, a sense of a responsibility to those less fortunate is largely absent. While we fret about whether our food is organic, do we pause to think that 37 mil. Americans are food insecure, including 11 mil. children? Do we worry that the family of the gardener could be among of them? Do we care that 80% of restaurant workers have no health insurance or sick days, and that the CDC has traced 50-80% of nonovirus cases to them? No, but we will when one of them gives us or a family member nonovirus or coronovirus. Do we care that most home health aides don't get paid sick days? No, but we will when one of them gives an elderly parent coronovirus. Wake up, selfish suburban Dems and never-Trump Repubs. You are going to be fine. Time to open your eyes and hearts to those who aren't. Joe offers them nothing. Or maybe that's the attraction.
4
@CH
Offers them nothing? When has Sanders actually promulgated and successfully championed any important piece of legislation? Biden has and was important in getting the affordable care act through Congress. I’ll support the person with the track record.
1
Impossible to understand how Joe Biden can appeal to blacks in general?
First there are far more poor persons in the black community than elsewhere-- fact. Joe Biden?
Biden does what he must do for himself and will lie and exaggerate for that reason. Many examples of that in his history. His character and compassion are weak; he has argued repeatedly against Medicare for All and recommended social security and Medicare be reduced or adjusted up to higher ages, etc. That is a fact. How do you suppose he became a multimillionaire and collects large amounts of dollars from the health care corporations; and corporations in general? He keeps them happy and makes sure Pro-worker candidates do not rise in the dem party; same as republican leaders. He is a bad deal for the worker and for unions and the average person.
He is a fake. He is for Joe and a very average weak person. No progression upward there.
Next we have the college educated suburban voters. Why for Joe? He will not tax them extra to spread the dollars around. Two new studies must be read to understand the horrendous advantages of Med for All. You must read them. The country grows with them, the people all become happier, 68000 lives are saved, people can feel secure in their health care and insurance and they don't go bankrupt relative to medical costs. So those great "college educated suburbanites" will just have to do some thinking and caring. Or we can ignore them.
4
@Frank
Is Vlad paying overtime to attack Biden?
1
What's wrong with this picture? If Trump is so unequivocally awful for so many it should be a lock, a cinch to beat him. How come it's not? How come it is just the opposite? How can he be so dreadfully unfit, uncouth, so "un-presidential" and unsuited for office that it's such a monumental struggle to dislodge the guy?
25
@Maj. Upset
Sometimes it's a monumental struggle to remove a grease stain, not cuz the stain has some merit.
Secondly, look at what happened in 2018. Those votes weren't against 40 or so congress people. Those were votes against President Trump.
Then look at the impeachment. It wasn't coup as Mr. Trump likes to call it. It was sanctioned by the American electorate. That's how representative democracy works.
Finally, I am proud of the decency that the American people displayed as they chose to work within the system unlike the fringe groups who were forming militias to fight against the Obama government.
So, now we wait till November. He'll be dislodged.
18
A lot of Democrats who held their nose and voted for Clinton in 2016, only because they felt forced to, are going to turn their backs entirely on voting if the DNC does the same thing this time around. We're not Republicans. Sheesh.
4
I don't get why Sanders is branded as a left-wing fanatic. Or not electable. In any other industrialized country or government he'd be considered moderate.
4
@Chris Look around you. We’re not in another country. Unless of course you are....
Longwell's false equating of the right and left is emblematic of the thinking of too many centrists. Trump is a unstable autocrat, while Sanders -albeit cranky - is perfectly sane with plans that align with New Deal/Great Society policies that brought the parents of today's suburban voters out of the working class. I am a white suburbanite who lives among centrist Dems and never-Trump Repubs. Political conversations in my corner of the burbs make clear that above all, political decisions are guided by the perceived impact on one's portfolio. This is prudent to a certain degree, but when is enough enough? Among my cohort, a sense of a responsibility to those less fortunate is largely absent. While we fret about whether our food is organic, not many are concerned that 37 mil. Americans are food insecure, including 11 mil. children? Do we worry that the family of the gardener could be among of them? Do we care that 80% of restaurant workers have no health insurance or sick days, and that the CDC has traced 50-80% of nonovirus cases to them? No, but we will when one of them gives us or a family member nonovirus or coronovirus. Do we care that most home health aides don't get paid sick days? No, but we will when one of them gives an elderly parent coronovirus. Dear suburban Dems and never-Trump Repubs, you are going to be fine. Time to open your eyes and hearts to those who aren't. Joe offers them nothing. Or maybe that's the attraction?
3
Oh all five of them. Who cares?
The Coronavirus pandemic helps make the case that all citizens should have access to free or affordable healthcare. We should care that our neighbors and community members are healthy and have access to vaccines. If they get sickened with an infection, we are at risk of contracting that infection too. Healthcare should not be an entitlement for only those who can afford it, it should be a basic right, especially in a rich country.
4
ANYBODY BUT TRUMP.
Good for "Never Trumpers" who have the common sense to support, and to vote for, a Joe Biden.
We need a major demonstration of common sense on November 3, 2020.
2
Despite agreeing with every single bit of this article, I already know I can't share it with any of my friends on Facebook or Twitter – a majority of whom support Bernie – where it'd be effectively guaranteed to result in 100 or more responses along the standard "Biden is no better than Trump" and "Bernie's the *only* one who can beat Trump" lines of argument. I've been hearing the latter for much of the past year, and if anything Biden's comeback after the South Carolina primary has only amplified the increasingly irrational certitude of this belief, not the other way around.
2
Give it a rest. The Blue no matter what chant is all about Biden being a Republican. He’s soft on unions, a woman’s right to choose, regulating out of control corporations and banks. My goodness, he specifically told corporations and billionaires that NOTHING WILL CHANGE! The problem is Biden supporters are living in a fanatisch world that he’s any more pro human that Trump. He isn’t. His optics are better but that’s it my friend. That is it.
2
So the Democrats are now going to allow the Republicans tell them who will be their nominee! I’m so pleased, not. But then the corporatists at the DNC are just that. They just want their big donors happy. What is what vote blue no matter who is all about. Now we have two Republican Parties. Isn’t that special.
3
@Justice Holmes Both Trump & the GOP have made it painfully clear that they want Bernie as the nominee! (because they believe - correctly or not - that Trump can beat him)
And while you can repeat till the cows come home that "corporatists at the DNC" are trying to manipulate the election in Biden's favor, it won't change the reality that this is just as big of an unfounded conspiracy theory as much of what Trump himself pumps out on his Twitter feed each day.
1
Another indication that the Republican Party is doomed to irrelevance, and we will maintain the two-party system when the Democratic Party splits into a Progressive Party and a Centrist Party made up of centrist Democrats and Republicans.
1
If Joe Biden becomes the nominee, then the Trump campaign is going to have a field day with the Ukraine/Burisma scandal. The never Trump-ers will become never Biden-ers when they inevitably learn the truth about the corruption.
What I cannot understand is how the Democrats continue to nominate the worst possible candidates to take on Trump; first Hillary Clinton and now presumably Joe Biden. Frankly, I think that Sanders would fare better. From what I know about him, at least he's honest.
5
@Fred Dorbsky The Burisma "scandal" is a manufactured one, created by Trump with some help from the Russians and Giuliani. On the other hand, there's the scandal of Jared and Ivanka using their White House connections to enrich their personal businesses, and the scandal of the White House enriching Trump's properties by requiring the secret service to stay there. For some reason, they're avoiding releasing the total bills on those stays.
1
I believe this analysis is correct, from my personal experience. The only open question is how many Republican leaning voters Biden may pick up versus how many votes he may lose from lefties or those who are simply not energized by Biden, and stay home or go for dark horse third parties or write-ins.
1
No doubt many never trump republicans would vote for Biden.
Remember, in 2916 plenty of Bernie supporters voted for trump and may do so again if they don’t get their electoral revolution.
1
If these Bernie Supporters vote for Trump again, just because they are not able to march towards their revolution, they are putting an axe on their own feet. This is very childish thinking! Looks like they don’t analyze the consequences of their actions.
They will end up with an ultra Right, utterly incompetent, dictator. A complete reverse of their desired leftward march. What a flawed argument!
1
Why is it that when a Sanders supporter says they won't vote for Biden, is evidence of Sanders' divisiveness - but when a Biden supporter says they won't vote for Sanders...it's also evidence of Sanders' divisiveness? Either everyone is obligated to vote for the lesser of two evils, or no one is.
8
I hope to god that all of this squabbling is just posturing and bluster. If we don't unite and get rid of Trump in November we'll all be equally well and truly screwed, and we will have done it to ourselves. Everyone that does not vote for the Democrat will be helping to re-elect Trump.
5
I am as liberal as they come. I prefer Bernie but at the last minute, I voted for Biden because Trump is scared of him, plain and simple. Why do you think the Russians are supporting Bernie’s campaign? Because they know if he wins the nomination it will be a win for Trump.
That said, if Bernie DOES win the nomination I will put every ounce of energy and money that I can dig up behind him. We cannot survive another 4 years of the “inmate running the asylum.”
5
If you are living in the US and interacting with a lot of people at work, leisure, or just going to the store (yes, happening, even with corona virus) you will find that most people do not think like the writers at the NYTimes, or it's board. Most do not care for AOC, Sanders, and even Warren. The truth is that most don't want a revolution, even those that are low income. We don't trust radical politicians, we know about unintended consequences that are a part of every big legislative piece, e.g. ACA.
I'm a moderate, although not affiliated with either party. I would NEVER vote for Sanders. I've tried to give him an ear, but reading his desires for the future of the US on his website scare me to death. He appears filled with hate, filled with division, and quite frankly, not too bright. I realize Biden has some serious drawbacks and am not sure he's of right mind. However, he is better than Sanders. Bloomberg would have been better than Sanders. Pete and Amy would have been better. I really do not understand how he has the support he does. Suggests a lack of critical thinking?
5
People keep talking about 'taking back our democracy'. How democratic was it to align all of the 'liberal' press and party to stop the then leading Democratic candidate before super Tuesday?
8
There is always an excuse for Bernie’s failure, and it usually involves implying that there is a conspiracy out to get him. Why can’t Bernie fans accept the fact that not everybody loves him the way that they do?
4
@Fabian Because it's not the "liberal" press. It's the corporate press.
4
First and foremost, I support Bernie Sanders's platform, most especially Medicare-for-all. Our nation already is an oligarchy that may be beyond the point of no return. As Louis Brandeis put it, "We can have democracy, or great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both." However, the bottom line is simply this: If Trump is re-elected, there is absolutely no chance of reversing the oligarchic trend in this country; he will continue to destroy everything that America ever has stood for; he will continue to destroy the planet; he will continue to sell out to Putin and our other enemies; and he will pack the SCOTUS and federal bench with more radical conservatives. He is a clear and present danger, the proverbial existential threat, to all of us. And if that means supporting an aged moderate like Biden, we have to do it.
2
I have plenty of doubts about Biden. The only reason he is enjoying an apparent and momentary upsurge is his recent endorsement by James Clyburn, who received a large contribution from Big Pharma. His abysmal record of supporting the Iraq invasion, his stated willingness to go after Social Security and Medicare, and his poor history of failing to support Anita Hill, among many other blemishes, mean he will be easy pickings for Trump. Biden has a record of supporting barriers To immigration and severe punishment for minor drug offenses. He is also weak on climate control. I am not impressed by his supporters and endorsers — wannabe members of the Democratic establishment. If he succeeds in conning his way into the Democratic nomination, I think it is high time to support Bernie and join the Independents.
8
Are you implying that Bernie only cares about nomination from Democratic Party, otherwise he will be independent again?
If so, he should never been allowed to contest in the primaries. Republicans don’t allow a non-member to contest their nominations!
Trump winning in 2016 was thought by many to be highly improbable, but it happened. Some Republicans see the possibility that could happen for the Democratic Party and want to do what they can to ensure that isn’t Sanders, who scares the bejesus out of them.
6
‘Never Trump’ Republicans Will Support Biden, Not Sanders
Exactly. Which is why I don't support Biden. He's too far to the right for my liking.
9
Clear, concise article. Although Mr. Sanders has a long, noble history promoting the welfare of all rather than the oligarchy, he is not positioned to win the presidential election against Trump with the overwhelming numbers that will be required to offset the voter suppression programs of the republicans and the obsolete electoral system that gives small population states inappropriate weight in national politics.
2
All of this hand wringing and postulating to what end. It doesn't matter if its Bernie or Joe wins. Even if either one becomes president the Republicans will control the senate Checkmate.
1
As a conservative Republican, I'm eager to support Biden. While he and I may not agree on a number of issues, I have no doubts about his commitment to liberal democracy. I cannot say the same of Trump.There will be plenty more elections like 2012, where the decision will be between two men of principle with differing policy prescriptions. This election is not about them. On the right, we have an incompetent leader with autocratic dreams. On the left, too, is a man who wishes to end liberalism. And in the center, is a man whom I respect and trust to preserve America. It's an easy decision, and I wish it were so clear to my fellow conservatives, so many of whom see willing or eager to toss out liberal democracy.
2
@JC As a conservative Republican, you support Biden. That says it all. When Democrats allow Republicans to control our own party, the third party will rise.
3
Democrats never learn. Isn't this the same argument made in 2016 when we said Hillary was the only one able to capture the moderate vote? At the moment Biden's public faux pas might seem harmless but one public temper tantrum (he seems to be prone to do this) where he says something offensive could derail the entire campaign and re-elect Trump. Watching Biden in public reminds me of GW, the same incoherence and 'spaciness'.
9
I'm not sure if my neighborhood counts as the suburbs, but as a caucasian college graduate, I voted for Sanders. I'm not afraid of a leftward march towards justice.
I suppose I'm just one voter, though.
11
@JT
Me too. I will happy and unreservedly vote for Biden if he is the nominee, because getting rid of Trump is the highest priority. Nothing good will happen if he is re-elected.
2
This article presents with a crystal ball headline that you would only see in the NY Times when they are attacking Sanders. It's not even true. Trumpster types have hated on Biden for years, and particularly since he's been closely associated with Obama. This publication has become disgusting in its center right boosterism disguising itself as journalism.
8
I'm one of them; and I look forward to supporting Biden not just with my vote, but with my pocketbook and shoe leather too. I would not do the same for Sanders.
3
What is actually going on is the take over of the democratic party by the disenfranchised republicans who are now masquerading as democrats. These crypto republicans have had Joe Biden for dinner. They do not want an idiot, Trump, screwing up their present ownership of the U.S.A. And they are scared to death that an actual human being, Sanders, who actually cares about the Common Good and General Welfare becoming anything other than a senator.
They really do want a halfway do nothing to rock the boat of their comfort and billions. The halfway delusion of doing something has worked for them the since Reagan. Clinton got slapped silly for trying to do the healthcare thing. Obama got as much as he could out of them but of course that did not include a Supreme Court appointment.
They jimmied or Putined the election of the nut case Trump who, of course, promptly went nuts. So now they are trying to slip sleepy Joe who is niece, gracious, decent and not even halfway, more like a fourthway guy in there. God only knows what they will be able to squeeze out of him in say the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice.
Can't really say anything about policy, other than it will be what ever passes for decent and gracious.
Maybe lightening will strike something and Liberty and Justice for all will surrive...AGAIN!
7
@Tom Carney There is a compelling argument that Obama as as much of a crypto-Republican, based on the way that he ran his presidency.
3
Let me give NYT yet another possibility for their trash bin:
I looked into the argument (now treated as truth) that YOUTH voter turnout for Bernie so far in these primaries is LESS than in 2016. It turns out, it seems to be simply untrue! The youth have been voting in HIGHER numbers, compared to 2016, just not as much as the older age-classes have. Furthermore, the fractions of older age-classes (that make up "baby boomers") are higher than in 2016, also giving the ILLUSION that youth voter turnout is less this time. The share of the electorate of younger age-classes have gone DOWN. (Beware of misleading, mainstream media data that are based on GENERATIONAL trends rather than age-class trends, because each generation does NOT correspond to the same length of time, i.e. boomers occur over 18 years, whereas Generation Z involve just 5 years.) Furthermore, since Democratic party affiliation is much lower among the youth compared to older age-classes, data from closed and semi-closed primaries ESPECIALLY under-represent the likely participation from youth in the 2020 general election (which is what's really important here).
https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/essay/an-early-look-at-the-2020-electorate/
https://vtdigger.org/2020/03/06/politifact-a-closer-look-at-turnout-young-voters-and-a-key-bernie-sanders-strategy/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l5fpK7ysQhQbZPv9hnZ_-PO1J1zBVPXSSQjNejTXecY/edit#gid=1189109697
7
All I know is Bernie was disappointed in the youth turnout.
In the end, Republicans are going to vote for Republicans, like last time.
13
Trump won without the NeverTrump voters, and he ran in the Republican party. Please explain to me why Democrats need these voters to win.
BTW, please understand that NeverTrump Republicans are likely to vote red downticket, making it more likely that Democrats will lose the House and Senate.
11
I cannot tell you how little I care about who Republicans will vote for.
14
The Walter Cronkite Republican notes again, Senator Lindsey Graham got it right the first time.
1
Ahhh yes. Democrats continue to cater to Republicans. I wonder what Democrats stand for anyway?
11
Openly admitting A hatchet job on sanders making republicans vote for Biden in dem primaries.
8
There are only two never trump Republicans. It's an imaginary constituency.
9
@Max Briggs There are some Democrats who are against Trump and also identify with parts of the Republican party. That might lead a certain kind of NY Times commentator to believe there are a larger number of Republican never-Trumpers.
There is a massive, well-organized, well-funded, and incessant effort underway to destroy the candidacy of Mr. Sanders. Not only is it rampant in the conservative media, it has infected the NYT where pundits like Stephens, Brooks, and Friedman plant the seeds of destruction.
The principles underlying the Sanders candidacy are a threat to many in the wealthy and influential elite, whether it be the threat to corporate profits, threat to corporate and individual privileges, or threat to the interests of certain foreign powers.
The principles of fairness, of the law, and of human rights must be protected and upheld by all Americans of conscience. The forces of destruction must be met by a strong counterforce. While elite money may drive the big media operations, the people can exert their strength in social networks on the internet. Get connected! Find a rallying code (eg."BUCKEM") and start showing your counterforce.
14
@Greg
We'll just have to go through the fire. Thanks for your concern. By The Way, do you pledge to vote for Biden if he is the nominee?
2
Those who are disenchanted with a Trump and recently converted suburban mothers are the same. I just don’t see Sanders winning the general election.
6
Any vote other than Sanders is a vote to destroy the earth through irreversible climate change.
Non-Sanders votes are not "moderate." They are unhinged, delusional and insane.
11
@VoiceofAmerica The intractability of Sanders' supporters reminds me of another politician's supporters.
3
@Steve Kay Except that Sanders' supporters have the weight of entire scientific community behind their claims, while Republicans' only source of knowledge and authority is Kid Rock.
There is no controversy.
We are out of time.
11
None of the Democratic candidates have ignored the fact of climate change and the need to address it. Their supporters are not deluded and insane, and it really does your candidate no favors to make such claims.
1
Remove Trump. That's the agenda for most Americans. By inference the choice is Biden, not Sanders. Trump has his loyal base on the Right and Sanders has his on the Left. But bases are not enough to win in November.
3
And who will us "never Biden' Dems support? You'd better start asking that question too.
"republican Lite' is what has failed this party. It may have worked here and there in local congress races in 2018. But nationally, It will fail again.
10
Yes, because Biden is a Republican-Lite. I'll vote for him out of desperation but I have no illusions about him backing the status quo and doing very little for the majority of working Americans. He just won't lead the country into a dictatorship. Vote Biden he won't become a dictator, is a sad campaign slogan.
9
@Steve He no longer has the cognitive capacity to lead the country into anything. If he becomes a dictator, it will be because somebody led him into it.
2
Mr. Trump and his vulgarity threatens the general atmosphere of peace and comity that has ruled our nation since its founding. Moreover, Mr. Biden will most definitely discontinue Mr. Trump's transparent favoritism of the nation's business elites. Finally, Mr. Biden will heed calmer voices who seek a reasonable immigration policy for those who want to come here and work. With Mr. Biden America can get back to business as usual.
5
@Keitr Biden has spent his entire career sucking up to business elites, look at his voting record. He will continue to do so if elected.
2
I share Sanders’ dream but understand his political weaknesses. Ditto Warren. Biden is intellectually lazy but accommodating to the point of gratuitousness, and rather grasping in an old, political boss sort of way. If Biden is rested, he can hold his own in a debate with Trump. I would have preferred Warren debating Trump, she is much smarter than Biden and could have presented a stronger image of the America we should aspire to. I believe any of the three could win against Trump, although it appears Biden has the largest vote count. I just wish Obama could have chosen a different person to be Vice President, but he might have though Biden’s age mitigated against a future run for President. I’m not interested in pandering to disaffected Republicans. Their message has no traction if you discount constantly programmed Fox News listeners and religious bigots. The only way Republicans win is by constantly brain-washing their followers and fixing elections, there is no there there. My voting solution will be to vote for Biden if he wins the nomination, hope he chooses a younger, viable VP - maybe Buttigieg or Booker and allows for a political process that involves listening to voters’ needs.
3
@Barbara Snider His VP choice would have to be a woman, preferably Warren, but we can't afford to lose her Senate seat.
2
Again, "Moderate" (aka right of center) Democrats fail to understand that Trump is a symptom of a much larger economic problem going on in this country; a problem that has led to soaring inequality, soaring debt, and lots of disenfranchised people. If they had for a moment looked at their 2016 failure and reassessed, maybe they would have noticed that. The only thing Biden has going for him is his whole "Let's go back to normal" motto. People do NOT want to go back because if they were happy with the way things were, they would have elected Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump.
8
But Hillary was made a ‘damaged good’ by constant harping of Republican propaganda, Ben Ghazi and e-mail pseudo investigation. In America, you can sell anything by targeted marketing, and they Bought DT.
It is all because of lack of analytic thinking from our education system.
2
I do not see Joe Biden wooing the young voters. Bernie Sanders knows how to engage our youth. Joe, not so much. We shall see what happens. In the end, I believe voters will support the Democratic Party candidate no matter who he is.
5
In other words, the people who molded the GOP into a party that eventually voted Trump into office now want to help shape the Democratic Party.
Does that sound like a great idea?
Make no mistake, the xenophobia, the divisiveness, the lack of care for the working class that lead to Trump's rise and the love for him, all of that came to be under the watch of these "moderate" Republicans.
8
As a Democrat, I welcome their votes. Joe is a moderate and has a nice family. I feel good about voting for him because I prefer incremental change. Bernie is a decent person, but I just don’t know how he could possibly pass his agenda because it involves so many expensive items. There simply won’t be the votes he needs to pass his agenda.
3
@Cat48
Whether a candidate has a "nice family" is pretty irrelevant and certainly no reason to vote for him/her. But in this case, Hunter Biden - even without the dodgy ethics - certainly doesn't constitute anyone's definition of a "nice family".
6
@Cat48 A "nice family" as an attribute for a politician is faultless (Obama?) not an albatross (Hunter Biden/Burisma) weighing them down making them look corrupt (Clinton).
1
Could have told you this months ago, democrats, but it seems no one was interested. Correct. Republicans who want Trump out will indeed vote for a reasonable democrat. And Bernie was not that.
5
This represents a TINY group. Trump is more popular than ever among Republicans. On the other hand, Bernie CAN get former Trump voters who weren't establishment Republicans. There are more of these and getting their votes is like getting TWO votes. Shouldn't we try to LEARN from 2016?
10
You don’t provide any evidence for you assertions. Note that Bernie himself admitted that the young voters have not come out in droves as he expected. But they will come out in general election! Again, no evidence of that but wishful thinking!
It is just like Nixon said that he has a plan to end the war. Just believe him.!
2
I grew up as a moderate Republican. Couldn’t possibly support Trump in 2016. So I held my nose and opted for Hillary. But, this year I would gladly vote for Bernie who is a man of character and tells the truth.
8
I grew up as a moderate Republican. Couldn’t possibly support Trump in 2016. So I held my nose and opted for Hillary. But, this year I would gladly vote for Bernie who is a man of character and tells the truth.
10
@John Poole Bernie is authentic. Just as Trump is "authentic" (an authentic liar, an authentic con man ... )
This is how they are similar and the root of their seemingly similar appeal. It's not about policies. It's about their character and who they've been their entire lives.
1
Now why on earth would the Democrats allow the few "Never Trump" Republicans to determine the identity of the Democratic nominee for president?
This is especially true when a nominating process that appears to favor one candidate over another may offend the constituency of the candidate who appears to have been cheated to the point that it would cost many more votes than the "Never Trump" Republicans would cast.
It is not wise for a party to offend its most hardcore base.
7
But that do called hard core DEM base never comes out to vote in droves! They can’t be hard core if they will vote for a Dem who offers pie in the sky, with no chance of getting any of his agenda passed.
@Dr. Planarian you refer to African Americans? Because they are not supporting Bernie.
What if the 2020 election offers a poisoned chalice to the winner? In 1976 and 2004, there were relatively close elections. In both cases, events beyond anyone’s control made the incumbent party a sure fire loser 4 years later. The next President will face a $1 trillion deficit, an aging economic boom and a international epidemic which could trigger a recession by itself. If Trump is re-elected, the GOP will own all of it, and the long awaited Democratic sweep of the White House, Congress and state houses could occur in 2022-2024, with a clear mandate for change. Putting in a caretaker Biden Administration that squeaks by in November with no mandate, a disaffected progressive wing of the Party, and a GOP controlled Senate, could be setting the Democrats up for a 2010 - style pasting in the midterms, followed by a very tough re-election against Nikki Haley, the dream Republican candidate.
3
@Murray Kenney If Trump is re-elected what you say may indeed come to pass. However, what will certainly come to pass is at least one more hard-right Supreme Court justice. Which would mean a very right wing Court for at least a generation.
The impact on the Right to Privacy, Roe v Wade, Griswold, and other key rulings along with the impact on environmental regulations, gerrymandering, gun regulations, etc. would be horrific for any moderate or hard-left voter.
5
I grew up as a moderate Republican. Couldn’t possibly support Trump in 2016. So I held my nose and opted for Hillary. But, this year I would gladly vote for Bernie who is a man of character and tells the truth.
7
Let me first say that the middle is always where most of the votes are. For the life of me, I can’t understand why Sanders and his supporters think this eternal truth can be blithely ignored.
If someone can accept this as a realistic assessment, and many can, then I wonder why it was so difficult for some to vote for Hilary Clinton. Of course more voted for her than for Trump, and but for the Electoral College she would be President. Nonetheless she is an intelligent and reasonable politician who has teased out a few left-of-center positions but isn’t a wild-eyed radical.
Clearly she made some errors by not campaigning in the states she needed to win the Electoral College. Yet any voter who made the simplistic decision to vote for Trump over her (or not vote at all in a fit of pique) is also to blame. Hindsight is more accurate than foresight, and some people are naively surprised to discover that there are important issues and policies worse than the status quo that they apparently thought Clinton embodied in a negative way. “Shaking up” the system as an alternative turns out to have disastrous consequences.
3
@Marshall Doris Are you going to argue, then, that Donald Trump is a centrist?
3
There simply aren't enuf registered Dems to make a "get out the Dem vote" strategy work. But that is precisely what Dem operatives have told me their strategy was in 2016. Reminder: in Iowa in 2016 this purple state lost to "the Great Divider" Trump by 10% points and lost both houses of the state legislature, and we didn't regain either the governorship or either house back in 2018, with the same failed strategy.
How can the only party that wants to save our republic and our democracy from our national disgrace of a president and his morally and intellectually corrupt party win if they leave it in the hands of God to turn out enuf independents and never-Trump Republicans willing to vote Dem? My God is indeed an awesome God, but it's not theology that will win in 2020--only intelligent, direct appeals to a necessary emergent majority.
2
There may be tactical advantages but on a personal level, I am dead set against these people voting in Democratic primaries. It is just plain unethical. They are not going to become Democrats. In four more years they will be right there for Mike Pence or someone similar.
6
This article is very opinion-heavy and statistics-light: few election-day stats breakdowns. What is surprising over the last 4 years is how many mainstream Republicans have continued to support the Trump administration through thick and thin. They were right to do so through the "Russian collusion" mania, which Mueller dismissed, and they tend to shake off Trump's tweeting and some rants as a personal foible. With the good economy, they voted for their pocketbooks. But the question is: would they drift toward a centrist Democrat if the economy flattened? We will see. … nothing is proven yet, and this could be 2004 all over again, with a President liberals hate beating a flawed Dem Senator.
“...For many lapsed and former Republicans, voting for Mr. Biden is the least-bad option.”
I think a sizable portion of the Democratic Party might share this point of view too. But that’s not a terrible outcome either at all in view of the ongoing terrorism of the Trump Administration. Biden can be the bridge we need return to a more united and less angry, hate-spewing tribal nation. Enough already.
American voters need to be strategic now and line up behind a decent guy who respects the rule of law, the constitution and a well managed government.
1
@Christina L. That would be Sanders, then. Somebody who's not doing dodgy deals with foreign countries on his son's behalf, which is going to be the #1 Republican talking point if we pick the baggage candidate.
2
Get rid of Republicans like Mitch McConnell and only then maybe we can talk.
This is just more of Biden and his ilk slip-sliding to the Right. Unity to Biden is
6
Never Trump Republicans are a very small minority of Republicans. Most fell in line.
However, Bernie Sanders has a much larger contribution to make than all these Never Trump voters in this election - he is drawing in people who normally stay home or vote third party. Myself, I have been a member of the Socialist Party USA since before i could vote and I don't even vote Democrat when Democrat and Republican are the only options. I refused to vote for Sanders in 2016 because he was still too far right and lying about being a democratic socialist.
I am voting for him today and in November because we have 10 years to legislate and enact a major climate bill or the best case scenario is civilization collapses by 2100 - more likely we are extinct. Bernie will do it, Biden will doom humankind. There are many times as many of us as there are these Never Trump Republicans. Bernie has also proven capable of stealing Trump voters just desperate for change. He is the electable one.
https://yttribune.com/2020/02/08/if-you-want-to-understand-democratic-socialism-look-to-orwell-not-sanders/
7
@Veronica Tash There is no such thing as a never-Trump Republican. The whole concept is fake news. ALL Republicans are wed to the same despicable ideology and support the Trump agenda, even if they may find Trump's delivery appalling. That is why Flake, Romney and all the rest vote with Trump on party lines over 90% of the time. So let's stop with the "Never-Trump Republican" nonsense. The term has absolutely no meaning.
7
This is what won in 2018, and it is what will win in 2020.
Biden isn’t my favorite candidate, and I know he’s not the favorite of many Bernie supporters. It doesn’t matter. Ending the Trump nightmare is Job One, as absolutely no progress can be made in our society with that most despicable person in charge.
As the coronavirus episode is proving, Trump has absolutely no business being President, and it is the responsibility of all patriotic Americans to remove him from office.
Vote blue, no matter who.
3
@David It's not what happened in 2018. Candidates of change, not business-as-usual, prevailed in 2018.
It's also not what won in 2016. The early coronation of a conservative mislabeled as a Democrat is a repeat of 2016, that is true. But that candidate didn't win. Doubling down is going to be disastrous.
1
How is Bernie not offering basic human decency? By definition, healthcare as a human right and action of climate change .are. the .most. humane and decent we can get. Continuing to let the obscenely wealthy strip mine what’s left of the middle class is as indecent as one could get. Leaving half the country to literally die, is indecent. Biden and Hillary would have us in an Orwellian nightmare, where down is up. Praying that enough people can see through the haze created, in part, by the NYT and vote for true decency.
8
Of course “never Trump” Republicans want Joe Biden. Why not? He’s center right and pro-Wall Street—what used to be considered a Republican candidate.
I’m also tired of rightwing Democrats saying that only Biden can win. They said that last time about Ms. Clinton (and having no one else to vote for during the general election, I voted for her) and still through her ignoring states she thought were safe and a bumbling DNC she won/lost the election.
Now “centrist” (read rightwing) Democrats are saying that I have to vote for Mr. Biden (which in all likelihood will be the only possible choice in the general election, assuming that I don’t just get fed up and not vote,) but I am growing tired of the right wing of the Democratic Party manipulating me like this, just as I have grown tired of the constant pulling of the country to the right by the Republicans for the last 40 years. The centrist Democrats (backed by the NYTimes and WaPo) claim they are trying to end the nightmare known as Trump, but they are using it as an excuse to shore up power for their wing (the plutocratic wing) of the Democratic Party.
When are people like me who want to see America progress going to get a say?
8
We don't need to destroy our government to get things back on track. All we need is someone who will reverse Trump's policies. Biden can appoint people who understand finance, education, health, welfare, defense. Dump the Trump tax plan because we have seen there is no trickle down effect. Re-establish relationships with our friends in Europe. Stop building an ugly and unnecessary wall. There are other ways to solve the immigration problems. Things were on the right track when Obama was in office. The problem was a Republican roadblock in Congress to every effort to improve the country. Those are the people who prevent progress, Progressives. Remove them and positive things will happen.
2
We don't need them. Read Rachel Bitecofer: We need to get out the Democratic vote.
3
When push comes to shove, most Never Trumpers will vote for Trump.
5
These are the same Republicans that spend time and resources on supporting voter suppression and gerrymandering and supporting the locking up of children in cages . I don't care how these people vote. I know that I will never trust a Republican to do anything that requires courage, honesty, integrity or ethics ever again.
6
Oh hogwash! Never-Trumpers voted for Trump. If they truly were a demographic worth tracking they'd of run someone against Trump in the primaries in their own party. Instead I've got to sit here drinking my coffee reading the times explain why democrats need to be more like republicans to win. Enough watering down of the party that cares about poor people and the perpetual 'others'. I'll take big ideas and solutions over more 'no-we-cant' moderates who pander to the never-trumpers and billionares and try to tell me its in my interest.
6
@Jeremy Butman. Some of us think Biden has a much better chance of beating Trump than Sanders. Some of us will vote for Sanders despite the reality. Not sure how old you are, but do you really think insurance companies and their powerful lobbyists will go for a Sanders M4A plan without an ugly fight? Do you really think Trump won’t slander Bernie far worse than Biden? All he has to say is “socialist.” Biden appears to be much more electable right now in the face of 4 more years of the orange Menace. Hasn’t Super Tuesday indicated that? So accept reality and be flexible enough to vote for Biden if he’s nominated. I will. Are you going to throw a tantrum and vote for Trump? Stop the wishful thinking and vote to get Trump out of office already.
"And they’re willing to cross over to vote for a Democrat."
The definition of insanity, DNC style. Charitably known as magical thinking.
3
@Reynolds Definition of insanity: keep doing the same thing expecting different results. I.e. nominating "centrists."
3
I was a life-long registered Republican since I voted in my first presidential election in 1972. At times, I voted for a 3rd party candidate when I couldn't vote for the GOP candidate. In '16, I hoped for a Biden candidacy as I could not vote for HRC; I voted Libertarian. I am now registered Independent/ unaffiliated and will not vote for any Republican who has failed to stand up against Trump's many unethical, anti-Constitutional actions - never! Maybe, when all of these individuals are out of Congress, I will consider once again voting GOP; until then I'll vote Dem. While I do not think Sanders and his policies are right for the U.S., he in comparison to Trump has character and ethics. I support Biden, but if Sanders is nominated by the Dems, I will vote for him.
4
"‘Never Trump’ Republicans Will Support Biden, Not Sanders"
This says far more about so called "never Trumpers" than it does about Sanders.
If Sanders gets the nomination, it actually becomes a threat. They'd rather waste their vote by going with a third party, than supporting the Democratic nominee.
Whatever. You will get the democracy you vote for, or, in "never Trumper's" case, do not vote for.
4
Biden voted to authorize the Iraq War, essentially voting to cede the constitutional power to declare war from Congress to the president. Biden is therefore unfit for the presidency. When someone makes such an egregious error in judgment, that person should not be given another opportunity to make an enormous decision, which would be routine in the Oval Office. Moreover, if Never Trumpers could vote for Trump against Sanders, then they are not Never Trumpers to begin with. Still I suspect as many real Democrats would not vote for Biden as Never Trumpers would. It's a wash, and therefore not a reason to support Biden over Sanders.
3
Lots of comments about why Biden won't be as good as Sanders. I like Sanders and truly believe Medicare for all would save money and improve health. That being said, there are two reasons that the nomination of Sanders will result in a Trump reelection. The first reason, as summarized in this article, ivolves the suburban Republicans who will switch over. Maybe-- but I'm not convinced.
The second reason seems more likely and powerful: If Bernie is the nominee, Fox News will go to work in September scaring old people about changes in Medicare. Then they will scare Cuban Americans about socialism and show a few clips of Bernie admiring something about Castro. Goodbye Florida. Hello Trump.
This is literally an article about me. Moderate Republican / Independent, military Veteran that will *not* vote for Trump, but would vote for Biden. If Sanders wins the nomination, I'll leave the Presidential section of my ballot blank.
2
Ask yourself, if you aren’t a DNC troll... How is Bernie not offering basic human decency? By definition, healthcare as a human right and action of climate change .are. the .most. humane and decent we can get. Continuing to let the obscenely wealthy strip mine what’s left of the middle class is as indecent as one could get. Leaving half the country to literally die, is indecent. Biden and Hillary would have us in an Orwellian nightmare, where down is up. Praying that enough people can see through the haze created, in part, by the NYT and vote for true decency.
1
Why wouldn't they--the "moderate" Dems are now Wall Street-loving Republicans. There is no longer a voice for progressives in the Democratic party. There is no choice for them other than to break away and form their own party.
8
Yeah, and? I'm not interested in appealing to or appeasing Republicans who are willing to take away a woman's rights to choose, who continue to support the idea of a for-profit healthcare system that keeps millions of people without coverage, who may not like Trump personally but support most of his immigration and tax policies. We need to take care of everyone in this country, not just the wealthy.
7
So the Democrats have a had choice to make. Go for the mythical center, the never Trumpers, and throw away the 30% of the party that voted for the progressives. Or go for the progressives and risk losing the mythical center. Based on Trumps choice of Pence and the results on the turn out of the GOP during the 2016 electionI would go for keeping the 30% of the party that voted for Sanders/Warren.
3
I am a Progressive voter. Bernie Sanders politics are close to mine on the majority of issues. The Democratic Party as Republican Lite left me behind long ago. But, we are in a national emergency. I am voting for Joe Biden, originally my last choice, because it is the only rational alternative. I would like to see the party draft Michelle. Biden-Obama 2020, a sure winner. Maybe the old guy will pass on to his reward and we will have a real President. Win first, start fixing things later. A slow, hard road but the only one out there.
1
Then you are going to be part of why Trump won last time. And will will again this time.
4
Then how do you explain the negligible difference in national polling? Never Trump Republicans are apparently few and far between, and maybe not worth courting, considering they are Republicans after all, and we're Democrats.
4
Most never Trumpers have folded. Look at Lindsey Graham. He may respect Biden, but he's not voting for him. None of the Democratic candidates are competitive against Trump. Maybe we should select presidential candidates randomly, like a jury duty summons. The odds couldn't be worse for Democrats.
4
Sanders use of the word socialism is a non starters for fiscally conservative Republican & Democrats - A belief doesn't have to be true to have a utility. Bernie is aware of the impossibility theorem, a concept in social choice theory that proves when voters have three or more differentiated choice or options, the absence of ranked order voting system can lead to rankled preferences of individuals over a community-wide ranking in addition to meeting a pre-specified set of criteria. This concept affects the political process by treating all conceivable rules under a common framework. This provides the meaningful tool for expressing social welfare. Instead of getting distracted by outrageous Trump tweets, voters should get acquainted with the list of economic paradoxes. Afterwards, voters should list the top three economic paradoxes they believe are impacting our country & indicate where to draw the line for each. Doing this exercise has made me aware of the danger of tyranny that inevitably results from government control of economic decision-making through central planning. I believe the disparity in the division of wealth should be addressed by allowing a polytheistic approach in the future since the current conservative two party system makes it tempting to equate the opposition as evil. Self imposed biases have hampered many of us from understanding the value and validity of having an open mind. How do we get better at something we don’t think we’re bad at? #Bloomberg2020
I am an independent voter. For years I have avoided primaries because I distrust both parties and don't feel like a member of either one. This year, I have finally decided that the Republicans are hopelessly corrupt far beyond the Democrats, and I will be voting in the Democratic primary for the first time.
1
In performing my job, I work for many conservatives, many extremely conservatives as well. I know for a fact that some of them will pull the lever for Biden in the privacy of the booth and lie to their friends about voting for Trump. Pennsylvania needs those voters to go blue in November. If Sanders is the nominee, Pennsylvania goes red. Period.
1
You mean neither of the never-Trump Republicans would support Bernie?
Good thing we've created Republican Party 2.0 ("centrist Democrats") for them.
4
How many of these people could there be considering Trump has a 94% approval rating among Republicans? The number of moderate/right voters left must be deceptively small and, certainly, out of proportion to the amount of media space dedicated to them.
6
Establishment, crony (Hunter, Wall Street, pharma, ...) politicians like Joe Biden are an important reason why people vote for the iconoclast Trump.
Casually reversing that argument to endorseme for Biden as opposed to Sanders is not a thing.
3
I wish we could stop misusing the term "moderate." A candidate who supported the illegal invasion of Iraq, was in the administration that initially enabled the war against Yemen and targeted with drone attacks US citizens who had not been charged, and who is committed to continuing the rapacious status-quo of the health-care industry is "moderate" only in the right-skewed hellscape of US politics, which gave us Trump in the first place.
6
@Jeff
Moderate is a term that really stands for the "status quo".
4
I believe we are now seeing the corporate/establishment democratic party in the final stages of its existence. In order to attract this "disaffected Trump" crowd and continue to attract large corporate donors, it is clear they are willing to "jettison" their large progressive movement consisting of the younger voter(future of the party)and working people whose ideals that were ONCE an integral part of the parties existence. It is also clear that because of the never ending propaganda spewing forth from the MSM and corporate wing of the party, about Sanders "unelectability", for the sake of disposing of Trump, many voters are swallowing their pride and principles and buying in to this narrative, not because of policies(Biden has none).
The nomination of Joe Biden(Hillary 2.0) a weak candidate who can now not even stand up during debates, let alone withstand the barrage of a Donald Trump, is a risk that they are willing to take even if it means Biden doesn't win the 2020 election. It is very clear the establishment and especially their corporate donors, would actually prefer Trump over Bernie Sanders.
The party has jettisoned their future and working people. From this point on, the younger voter and working people will jettison the democratic party and since there will be really no other option, a new third party will form and the democratic party which is now just an appendage of the republican party, will gradually cease to exist.
9
@Deus: If Trump wins again there will be only one party going forward: the Trump Party and Trump will be succeeded by Don Trump jr. or Ivanka. It would be a good idea for you to stop spewing received dogma and actually read Biden's Platform. Who do you think to convince with your lecturing of moderate voters?
@Deus Always interesting to hear the delusions of our neighbors to the north. A nice break from hearing Bernie's delusions.
Couldn't agree more!
This article is reading my diary! Or maybe just listening to my Google Home recordings.
I would have been excited to cross parties and vote for mayor Pete...but I will shrug my shoulders and vote for Biden because it has to be done. I wouldn't have voted for Sanders however.
2
You're not a never-Trumper if you prefer Trump to Sanders.
6
@Andrew Dabrowski
As long as the dems insist on moving right and attracting republicans while throwing the rest of us under the bus, again, Biden should run with Mitt Romney.
2
keep chasing the center right losing identity and left and you'll end up like Hilary, Kerry, Gore, supreme court judges federal judges etc.
4
What might Trump say to his followers about Biden’s removing the corruption investigator and Hunter Biden’s work in the Ukraine for Burisma? Will Trump make fun of Biden’s gaffes and saying weird things? When will the public get to see Joe Biden’s complete medical records including about his operation 20 years ago to remove 2 brain aneurysms? Is Joe Biden going to debate Sanders and, if he is the nominee, Trump? Will they let Joe Biden ad lib and answer press questions?
2
@Joel H: I want to see Trump's medical records (recent emergency visit for "partial check-up" - yeah right) and tax returns first!
3
Ms. Longwell is, no doubt, correct in asserting that “Never Trump” Republicans will move over to support Joe Biden, because Biden is clearly Republican light, straight arrow in his alignment with Poppy and “W” policies: his joined-at-the-hip allegiance to Wall Street, as well as banks and corporations based in his corporate-friendly Delaware; his shepherding through the Senate Judiciary Committee the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to SCOTUS in 1991, his deep-sixing of Constitutional Democracy now in its 29th year; his cheerleading of a so-called bankruptcy reform bill (early 2000s), which put a foot on the neck of ordinary families trying desperately to recover from devastating health emergency costs; his major help in passing the mid-1990’s omnibus crime bill (e.g. mandatory minimum sentencing), which, teamed with the “War on Drugs” led to mass incarceration, unfathomably cruel and discriminatory to countless black men in inner cities; his full-throated support of W’s lies-based War in Iraq, Biden’s help instrumental in passing the War Powers Act, which is, today, the bane of any sensible foreign policy; his energetic support for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; his welcoming support from George W. Bush Republican Michael Bloomberg.
Of course, Never DJT Republicans would perhaps gleefully embrace Biden. He is, after all, a latter-day Gibber, a clone of W. Predictably, Tom Perez and Establishment DINOs blow kisses to Biden.
6
Biden is the way back to the good ol' days. Remembr those days, that don't really exist. Just another fake liberal do nothing in love with Wall Street and big donors.
11
Both have gifts and both liabilities. Choose your favorite but keep it clean. Remember a random farm duck would be a better president than the current one. First, win.
1
Biden doesn't feel like "beating" the systems that brought DT into power. Biden is that systems "Ooops" man. Bernie Sanders will address the systemic problems. Biden will try to work inside of them. I think the way most progressives see it is that we are always being pulled to the right to appease the corporate power take over of our government. We're sick of it and Biden is just more of the same...
7
I don't see any way that the Republican Party can attract young people with their divisive brand of nastiness and intrusive social policy. Most middle of the road voters are tired of the ongoing debate over abortion (nearly 50 years and counting since Roe v. wade) and weary of attempts to control who people marry and where they use the restroom. Middle of the road voters are tired of the ongoing threat to public safety exacerbated by the almost unrestricted proliferation of firearms and, perhaps most of all, weary of paying increasing taxes (thanks to the cap on state and local taxes) while watching large corporations and the MEGA rich pay ZERO in taxes. We need a middle of the road candidate that can repair the damage done to our economy, our institutions of democracy, and the common decency of all our people. We need ANY president other than Mr. Trump to put to rest a people weary of the bullying, Twittering, and narcissism. We need a president that can lead us in a crisis and that will put America back at the forefront of advocacy for our planet and her resources. That person will NEVER be Mr. Trump.
1
The Democratic prays now the Conservative party. The Republicans want to build walls, bar muslim s, and tear up; the constitution. The Democrat's apparently want to keep things as they are:preserve and enhance the ACA, fully fund Social Security and Medicare, repair our relationships around the world. All very laudable, but definitely not an inspiring vision for the USA.
1
"Mr. Biden may not offer these voters a galvanizing vision for the future. But to those exhausted by the past three years of political upheaval and nastiness, he offers something even better: basic human decency."
Is the implication here that Sanders somehow isn't offering basic human decency? I'd argue that he offers BOTH a galvanizing vision for the future and basic human decency. And even better, a vision that actually does more than pay lip service to human decency: Medicare for All, Green New Deal, $15 minimum wage, tuition-free public college, etc.
9
@Nathan I will never vote for someone who screams at me.
We have friends of friends as well as neighbors who voted for Trump last time....but will not again. Some liked Bloomberg. It was a money thing.
The word among these folks is that they would vote for Biden because they think Trump is crazy and now...they consider him irresponsible. But they would be hard pressed to vote for Sanders. Bernie and his crew scare them.
1
You got it. People who want to get rid of trump need to get it too. Mayor Pete said it in his speech when he left the race - “I’m leaving the race for President because nothing is more important than beating donald trump.”
231
@jkk Which is no different from the stated Republican goal to make Obama a "one term president". That was wrong for the Republicans to say then and it's wrong for the Democrats now.
Candidates should look to what they stand for, not on tribalism and the sole goal of beating the other party. Trump will not be president in 2025 regardless of who wins in 2020.
6
@jkk
The Never Trumpers voted against Trump last time. It wasn't enough.
90% of the Republican Party supports Trump. There are not enough Republicans to beat Trump in the center.
We need independents, and Independents want an independent, not an establishment Democrat. If independents wanted an establishment centrist, they would have elected Hillary or Jeb in 2016.
All of my life, every election cycle was dominated by talk of the "independents." Then Bernie started running for president, and corporate pundits stopped talking about independents.
There is no reason to assume that independents are all bunched up in some mythical center halfway between centrist Republicans and centrist Democrats. They are spread across the spectrum.
Right leaning independents love Trump and made him president.
Left leaning independents love Bernie.
Moderate independents don't love Biden.
Moderate independents are independents because we think both parties are full of corporate dupes who keep selling us out to global corporations while having fake arguments about social issues that divide the electorate in half.
On economic issues, most independents lean to the Left. Many vote for Republicans, because the Democratic Party refuses to take their side on economics, leaving them wondering who cares about workers.
Trump won because he pretended to care about workers, while Hillary protected "free trade" for global corporations.
Independents still love Bernie, and outnumber Never Trumpers.
9
@ Carl M it’s not wrong. It would be a luxury to have a perfect candidate, but the goal of getting a destructive, self-absorbed, evil liar out of office is a fine goal. Better for the species, the planet, pretty much everybody whether they realize it or not.
27
What about winning back the blue collar voters that voted for Obama and then Trump? Those lost voters were the demographic that sunk Hilary, those voters are staunchly against neoliberal economic policies that destroyed their communities. Do you really think they will switch to Biden? I doubt it, blue collar folk view Trump on their side, and Biden is viewed as a threat.
3
If your subjects would not vote for Sanders, the label "Never Trump" is meaningless.
6
Not this Never Trumper; my vote is for Bernie or no one in the general election.
6
Why is it that Democrats must always be the moderates? Republicans can move further and further right for decades but the moment a remotely leftist candidate (read: centrist in any other first-world country) runs on the Democratic ticket, we have to concede? No more. History will not look fondly on the cowardly Democratic party.
6
This voter you write of could be me. Biden was never my preferred candidate (will never forget his treatment of Anita Hill), but I can’t vote for the anger, lies and disarray that Trump has given us, nor for a socialist-flavored alternative. Sanders is a decent person, and the concerns of his supporters should be heard - but his “revolution” would wreck our economy. And I sincerely hope that the societal ugliness brought to the surface by Trump & Twitter will crawl back into its slimy hole after his departure from the White House and real news will be respected.
Multiple NYT columnists have already made this point of view very plain. Do we need another random think tank to bang the nail in any further? This is the most conventional of the current conventional wisdom. It certainly deserves an airing, and it has had one on the opinion page. The powerful counterarguments--to me far better informed, more thoughtful, and more persuasive--have not. I appreciated Ben Smith's recent column pointing out that Sanders' complaints about bias in even the perceived liberal press are fully justified. It now remains for NYT to be more reflective about the range of opinions they offer readers.
It is far from clear that Biden is a safer pick than Sanders, by any measure, and over-coverage of this point of view is unhelpful.
5
What makes you think primary cross-voting Republicans were signalling they would vote for a Joe Biden Democrat? I don't believe that for a second. They will find some little reason between now and November why they "just can't vote for Biden." I can think of a few reasons already. Even if they do, they will still vote for the vile Mitch McConnell gang in the Senate who will obstruct everything a President Biden tries to do unless he completely capitulates and abandons his Democratic voters.
If they were saying they are leaving the Republican Party and voting a straight Democratic ticket, I would welcome them. Otherwise, they are wolves in sheep's clothing. I'm voting for Sanders, the real Democrat who's not a Democrat.
4
This should be obvious to all. As should unequivocal support for whichever Democrat us ultimately nominated to oppose Trump.
I don't vote for republicans. That includes Republican-light Neo-liberal corporate owned democrats like Biden. Hope that there are enough " 'never Trump' republicans" to make up for all of us progressive liberals who are not going to vote for Biden regardless of all the wailing and gnashing of teeth that comes from mainstream democrats like we see in this article. We need real change and Biden has already made it very clear that he doesn't intend on changing anything.
5
Not voting for the democratic presidential nominee is a vote for Trump. We must remember that we still have two additional branches of government that have influence, and that Supreme Court Justices are in for life (if they so choose). Do you really want a court that is stacked by the current Republican dogma? And if Congress does not not agree with presidential initiatives, they can stonewall progressive legislation (remember 2012-2016?). I prefer the more progressive candidate, but will definitely vote against Trump, no matter who is the democratic nominee.
@Marc Hutton The takeover of the Democratic Party by Republicans has finally made NOT VOTING meaningful as of this election.
I, too, will be waiting and watching for all the 'never Trump Republicans" and Joe Biden lovers rushing to the polls to make up for the many people like Marc and me. We're not going to change our minds. Save your lectures for people who are listening - it's not a campaign strategy and it's counterproductive.
It was supposed to be anyone but Joe Biden. Anyone. Unacceptable and reprehensible. Enjoy.
3
The Never Trumpers of 2016 overwhelmingly voted for Trump. Every indication is that they have only become more comfortable with Trump, my never Trump neighbors idolize him and view him as nearly a god. They even go to rallies, something they had not done since the 60’s. Democrats are never going to get them to vote for either Biden or Sanders.
Democrats need to get their voters to get off their butts and vote. Convince the disgruntled who loved Sanders or Warren or Buttigieg or Booker to get their crying eyes off the pillow and go vote. But unlikely to happen. The young will stay home, the Hispanics will vote in tiny numbers, the elite college groups will stamp their feet and whine that Sanders and the social democracy is once again dead but not vote. And the Never Trumpers will go out and vote—for Trump. Near certainty
1
Most of these comments sound like they are from the old, conservative business class. There is no two party system...it is strictly the 2 parties that represent the ruling business class. Healthcare, pensions, unions, environmental protections have all been eroded by Big Business. Trump and Biden are equally craven and demented...only the super PACS of corporate money that support them differ. They are both beholden to special interests. Welcome to the most corrupt and obscene Democracy that money can buy. Most people don't bother voting at all because they know its a travesty! Why aren't there any new, young people running? Because they know the system is rigged and they don't have a chance against the good old boys! They are not in the club!
4
Quietly give Bernie a place in the future cabinet. Problem solved.
1
Many republicans in the South register as Democrats so they can help pick the worst candidate. If you really think these people are going to cross party lines to support Biden because he's not as crooked as trump I have one word for you; Burisma. You'll find out what that really means after Biden is given the Democratic ticket. Get ready for four more years of trump.
3
What Republicans want is not the proper test for what Democrats should do.
7
If you add up the votes in California for Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg and Klobuchar they far exceed those of Sanders. There is no majority constituency for Sanders - half of Warrens voters will also go for Biden. The majority wants to win and a moderate who isn’t a sociopath is a wonderful thing
Pick a good VP uncle joe and let’s go!
Of course "Never [loser]" voters would vote Biden. They oppose the loser, NOT his (and his party-cult's) equally vile policies, and Biden seems most likely to "look forward" by not only not locking the loser up, but letting their policies fester.
I hope "It is over" Biden was lying to the donors he told "nothing will fundamentally change"...except of course, when it comes to the Social Security he's wanted to de-facto cut.
2
So these folks aren’t really ‘Never Trump’.
1
Bernie gets endorsed by Joe Rogan. Cheered when he appears on Fox News. Is strong on issues Trump ran on in 2016: anti-corruption, pro-worker, anti-war.
But Biden’s the one who will get swing votes. Sure. The NYT’s insistence that Never Trumpers somehow represent modern conservatives is ludicrous.
3
An interesting face saving device. Voting against Hillary that is. I wonder what the excuse will be for all those rally attendees? Free popcorn?
1
It s gonna be Joe.
Liz, Pete and beto
last Monday endorsed
the front surging horse,
the old guy named Joe
To be fair
Bernie made good try
but it's clear that he won't be the guy
it's gonna be Joe.
he's old, white and slow
but it's gonna be Joe
While the Democratic primaries are going on, the GOP is taking note of where the votes are so that they can figure out how to suppress the vote in those areas that are threatening to comrade trump. At least, that's my opinion, based on years of watching them do it against other dem contenders. Trump and the GOP are anti-American and a bunch of cowards.
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”
This is the kind of ignorance that gets us exactly what we deserve. Sorry, but you voted for Donald Trump and now we have to clean up the mess you made.
I'm always reading about the possibility of "flipping" suburban Republicans who just might be convinced they can still count on a status quo weighted in their own favor, if they are given the choice of just the right (leaning) Democrat...
What about the disillusioned working class who became Trump voters, and the masses of disillusioned non-voters, who could be convinced that Bernie has the platform that at long last will realign our priorities to undo what has frankly been 500 years of exploitation and dismissal of the have-nots?
I am one of the million plus campaign volunteers that would make the very most of an opportunity to reach out to the largest voting block of all - those who have given up on a political system that they rightly believe does not represent them. Bernie has EARNED our trust, through his voting record and his alignment with the needs of the poor and working class.
Things absolutely must fundamentally change. Bernie is not afraid to say exactly what that looks like. Let's unstack the deck, and work together towards that positive vision of widespread dignity and a livable planet.
3
The "never Trumpers" are a very, very small constituency. Many of the leading never Trump Republicans are extremely reactionary, like Bill Kristol and David Frum, architects of the Iraq war. Why should they dictate terms to the Democrats? Why should Democrats make electoral choices out of fear of alienating them? They are not allies of the left. They have devoted their entire careers to defeating the left.
Instead, the Democrats should be focusing on better serving the mass constituency it has abandoned: the multiracial working class.
4
How telling that the Democratic party would rather cater to Republicans than compromise with its own progressive base.
6
@Benjamin Hinkley It does seem like the Democratic party runs the risk of alienating progressives for more than just this election. Particularly when they chose Clinton in 2016, choosing Biden in 2020 starts to show a pattern. It's up to the party to decide what their base should be, but it seems clear they don't want progressives in it.
5
@Carl M
It is also clear the democratic party, in its present form, is not interested in a future either.
2
If Sanders wins Michigan--particularly if he wins by a large margin--I will recalibrate my thinking, but so far, I see no evidence that enough Americans want what he is selling. I know many of his policies are normal or near-normal in other countries and are likely the best way to address issues of health care, inequality, climate change, etc. But the Overton window just doesn't seem to be there for now.
On the converse, Sanders has already pushed the party to the left of where we were before Trump--and it was already far more liberal than the current Tea Party GOP. Biden's actual policies are quite socially progressive and bold, as Yascha Mounk has argued. And he wants to strengthen democracy and reduce corruption, not erode the Republic for personal gain, like Trump and McConnell. Despite his issues, Biden is a good candidate electively and policywise.
But come fall, to beat Trump, the Center and Left need to come together. If anything, a far-Left candidate like Sanders will be even less likely to win in 2024 as the GOP consolidates power for four more years and cuts the very programs Sanders wants to expand.
The author of this article writes for a Bill Kristol organization and that shows how far right (and totally wrong) the Democratic Party has swung. Biden’s record has received almost no critical analysis from the Times who promotes him day and night to preserve the status quo of the wealthy and powerful. He has the backing of 60 billionaires.
As we slide into a severe recession, a climate emergency and pandemic, the DNC’s man Biden shows signs of confusion, disorientation, and emotional volatility-a suppressed storyline by the MSM
Good luck to us all.
7
@Bob Dass just to be fair, Biden also has a whole lot of regular, ordinary, everyday citizens. I, for one, dont buy this whole idea that the media, the elites, the DNC etc, etc are making me cast my vote for Biden. Not everyone thinks alike, right?
I am also not wealthy or powerful.
2
Oh no! We'll lose all thirteen never-Trump Republicans!
5
All 10,00 of them?
1
This is a complete joke. You mean Mitt Romney?!?!? He’s one guy! Conway?! Mike Bloomberg? Wow! We’re at three! Is that worth throwing away the future?
4
@Philippe Egalité Supporting Bernie Sanders' delusions and narcissism is throwing away the future.
Who cares?? Have you seen who he’s floating for his cabinet?? Anyone with half a brain can see there’s no real choice here. I will be staying home. Sincerely, a low propensity voter.
5
@Casey S And if Biden's the nominee, he'll get your state's electoral votes whether you stay home or not. Enjoy!
If the election isn't cancelled to save lives from the spreading coronavirus infections, the decision is simple math, will Biden's gain of more Republican votes outweigh the loss of Sanders Democratic votes? If you examine why so many want Sanders, you'll understand why Biden isn't a good substitute. Giving Biden the nomination may be sadly self-defeating. Also polls show Sanders winning the general.
4
Why should anyone trust these people? They knew what Trump was when they voted for him. Presumably they've suffered less over the past 3 years than the migrant kids Trump put in cages.
2
Ms. Longwell wants the Democrats to pursue the 15 Republican voters who might support a Dem, rather than expand the electorate by speaking to the needs of the middle and working classes and the poor.
While we're on the subject of Joe Biden, as Glenn Greenwald pointed out today, the issue of Biden's cognitive decline is an open secret, even among the Democratic Party elite:
https://theintercept.com/2020/03/09/it-was-democrats-and-their-media-allies-who-impugned-bidens-cognitive-fitness-yet-now-feign-outrage/
The Democrats can keep chasing rainbows to their hearts' content, but they'll never reach their pot of gold.
2
While Bernie Sanders is by no means a Donald Trump, they both have authoritarian tendencies. Look at his campaign's kerfuffle with Chris Matthews, and take it in full context. First, here is the actual "footage" from Matthew's show:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/02/22/chris_matthews_compares_bernie_sanders_winning_nevada_to_france_falling_to_the_nazis_in_1940.html
Nowhere did Matthews compare Sanders to the Nazis explicitly. That was left to Sanders' team.
Both Trump and Sanders promised what their bases want (and Sanders promises things I agree with) in order to get their backing. Both inspire an almost cult-like fervor in their followers.
The last thing we need is a cult. The last thing we need is four years more of Trump and his collaborating GOP, not to mention keeping GOP control of the Senate and regaining control of the House. But that is what we'll get with a Sanders candidacy. We need a centrist to heal the nation.
The perfect is the enemy of the good. You can't turn a 45-knot ship to move in the other direction instantly. The Repubs had nearly 50 years to build their authoritarian revolution, and it cannot be overturned overnight. We must start with what Americans agree on, and then more the goalposts slowly...and surely...back to where they were.
2
@Carl Ian Schwartz
Climate Change is not moving slowly, but it is surely now a Crisis.
Joe Biden’s success should be attributed to everyone NOT on Twitter. The new silent majority.
2
Never Trump Republicans are even worse than Trump. They’re the reason we got Trump!!
1
sarah,
sanders people are not gonna vote.
so good luck with that.
biden wont beat trump
biden couldnt beat even a real democratic field.
he lost 3 times
3
Never Trump Republicans will support Biden, says the headline. Some of them or all two dozen of them?
2
Delegate Count after super Tuesday 2008
Clinton 818
Obama 730
Let not let the Corporate Media's lies keep us from voting.
6
You clearly didn’t watch the two Fox sponsored town halls where Republicans are loving Bernie.
4
@Marty
Sadly, the most progressive, traditional Democrat cannot get that much quality time on CNN or MSDNC.
An excellent article explaining why the left is attacking Biden as Republican light.
He is.
How do I know?
Republicans like him.
They can have him.
And, by the way, saying that Biden’s “basic human decency” is a selling point can’t be taken seriously.
Biden voted for and vigorously supported the illegal Iraq war that killed thousands of Americans and possibly more than 1 million Iraqis.
Biden is a war criminal, not a model of decency.
Nominate Biden and you are on your own, Democrats.
Trump is awful, but even he hasn’t got that much blood on his hands.
5
I would have voted for Bloomberg (sorry that he dropped out) but not Biden (cognitive problems/dementia) or Sanders (brain o.k/on the ball, but too extreme -- a lunatic). So now I will have to vote for Trump. Biden is not capable of leading the U.S. He should retire ASAP. Neither Biden nor Sanders can beat Trump.
Trump can make minced meat of Joe Biden. Only Sanders can stand up to Trump.
4
I urge anyone reading this column to Google Ms. Longwell's Center Action Now. They're a dark money group of Never Trumpers set up to stop Bernie Sanders and give Republicans a center-right Democrat to vote for. They've been meddling in Democratic primaries by airing Anti-Bernie ads.
I'm outraged that the NY Times would print this.
4
@J.C.
"... group of Never Trumpers set up to stop Bernie Sanders and give Republicans a center-right Democrat to vote for."
Sounds good to me! Why is that "dark money"?
When Stalin died, a non-entity named Georgi Malenkov became the placeholder while the factions within the C.P. fought over the Empire. Eventually--and it didn't take long--Khrushchev and Bulganin took over and Georgi Malenkov became minister of electric power in Outer Mongolia.
If a Democrat becomes president of the US, let us hope that Bill Barr be offered a job as an AUSA assigned to fight pyramid-scheme fraud in Utah and the courageous William Mueller III be offered an ambassadorship in Vanuatu or Venezuela, where discretion in the face of madness and tyranny is highly valued.
2
Can we please dispense with the trope of a "leftward march" on the part of the Democratic Party? What this paper, along with the rest of the establishment, calls a "leftward march" is just putting the brakes on a rightward slide. The Democratic Party has been sliding to the right since Bill Clinton. The last of the leftist administrations was Carter.
Before you razz me about Carter, he's the only president in recent history who came close to balancing the budget (yes, it was painful... Duh!). He came the closest to a resolution for Israel/Palestine. And he championed human rights.
His failure with the hostage crisis was not a failure of the left. A true leftist would have extradited the Shah to Iran for crimes against humanity. Carter's refusal to do that led to the taking of hostages.
Since Carter, the Democratic Party has been chasing the Reagan Rainbow. We have yet to find that pot of gold, trickle-down is debunked, and we have seen a high-volume flow of wealth upward to the privileged few. We socialize all risks, and privatize all gain. This is socialism, make no doubt about it. But it's one of the least efficient versions of socialism in the world today.
But every time I hear about this so-called "march to the left" I want to scream. Unless you start the history of America in 1999, you are clearly on drugs if you think there's a march to the left.
4
Yes, I will vote for Biden if it comes to that. My only worry is that once in office, there will be a " laying on of hands" by the lobbyist.
As they say in the South, ya dance with who "bought" ya to the party.
1
But the progressives won’t vote Biden.
2
I would like a photo of one of these unicorns before I even begin to believe they exist.
2
If they won't vote for Bernie, they're not NeverTrumpers.
5
Registered Republican since 1976 and Never Trumper since he announced. Biden is my man, but I will vote blue, no matter who, up and down the ballot come November. I will continue to live as a RINO due to the one-party rule of my county. But you can be sure I won't be voting for any of them until Trumpism is dead.
5
This exciting, expertly-spun opinion piece is from a Conservative Republican Organization!!!
Pretty darn convinced, aren’t you?
By Sarah Longwell
the director of
Defending Democracy Together.
“We are conservatives and Republicans standing up for the rule of law, for free trade, and for more welcoming legal immigration policies.”
2
For 50 years a well organized gang of plutocratrats has plotted and worked tirelessly to undue the social justice and balanced society that Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt worked so hard to create in the New Deal.
From the long scope of history, Bernie just seems like a Jewish version of a New Deal Democrat.
From the same long scope of history and with the help of good deal scholarship of Bidens voting record it clear that Joe was along wth Clinton's at the receiving end of plenty of funding from the same plutocrats that fund the GOP dark money super PACs and in reality Joe is the consummate neoliberal fighting for the values of the profit for the TBTF banks, the businesses they buy and fund and Biden is their man. Banks, Billionaires and Biden.
Is just Joe a better choice than Trump? Of course, he is. Anyone would be. Is Joe going to return America to the "New Deal" and a place where the average Joe has as much of a chance to live a good life as your average child of a billionaire? Never.
The career establishment politicians are on the government-corporate lobbyist dole and none more than Joe. Hillary, Kamala, Pete, and a lot of others are just waiting to get in the corporate honeypot.
Joe made nearly impossible for working people to claim a clean slate chapter 7 bankruptcy if they have medical debt, student loan debt, credit card debt, payday loan debts. But the TBTF still have the right. Lock-em-up Joe was no friend of African Americans.
8
Biden's record will be on full display on the coming months, should he be the nominee. It doesn't bode well for him or us.
https://harpers.org/archive/2019/03/joe-biden-record/
4
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”
So you will vote for Biden but wouldn't vote for Hillary?
If you are a never Trumper then this comment makes absolutely no sense.
I know probably half a dozen people who have told me the exact opposite. That they voted "againt Trump"
I'm one of them myself.
@William There was more than one way to vote against Clinton. The group these articles often overlook are the people who voted against Clinton by voting for Stein. If Biden is the Democratic nominee it seems likely there will be a more progressive third party candidate this time, like last time.
1
@Carl M
The people in this article are Republicans. The people I know ho voted "against Trump" were Republicans too. They wouldn't vote for a "more progressive" candidate.
I'm a GOP down in Florida and in Palm Beach County. Even so, I have a GOP rep in Congress! It's going to be pretty tough for the Dems to take FL away from T-rump but you never know. I plan on voting Dem for the same reason as others have pointed out here. Yeah, the actual GOP is dead now and it is the Party of Trump (POT, so maybe his base is "POT heads"). I never signed up for the Trump party so I am going Dem until I see some real live GOP again.
2
wrong...as it was last time around...Trump will get the second term...The Supreme court will be lost...goodluck Dems...
2
I am wondering if these suburban Republican voters who are amenable to Biden care who would be his VP selection.
Stacy Adams? Amy Klobuchar? Kamala Harris? Mayor Pete?
“Political insanity on the left”? What the heck is that? I always worry about representatives from euphemistically named organizations such as the weird ones this author belongs to. For whom is this a front? You’ve got one guess!
Republican satisfaction with Trump is >90%. Upper-middle class suburban Trump voters will not desert him. He has delivered what they wanted, and they all knew his obscene qualities last time. And if there has ever been a bunch of ineffectual cowards it is the “Never Trump” Republicans whom we are here supposed to embrace? Gimme a break. The only Trump voters who might desert are working class, and they would only desert for Sanders. But of course that would be an outcome even worse for the folk who are really “Never Sanders” propagandists.
5
Well, if the Never-Trumpers want Biden, by all means, let's give them what they want. Isn't that exactly what the Democrats have done for the past three decades..give the Republicans everything they want? Deregulating banks? Check. An industry written bankruptcy bill? Check. The biggest blunder in foreign policy in our history, Iraq? Check. The Patriot Act? Check. No Child Left Behind? Check. Numerous tax cuts for the rich? Check. Abandoning unions? Check. The Republican healthcare bill without a public option? check and check!
Let's just forget these Never-Trumpers, each in their own special way, participated in spreading the right wing ideology until reached it's logical conclusion with the election of a corrupt, ignorant swine. Why, they are born again!
When I cast my vote tomorrow, I'll think to myself, what do Max Boot, Jennifer Rubin, Joe & Mika and Rick Wilson want? And then I'll vote for the other guy. I'll do it for my kids and grand kids. 3/10 12:20
2
Biden, if elected, will be controlled by the DNC. They will hand pick his cabinet, select his judges, and execute their agenda over Biden’s. The Dems will sneak in a liberal minority woman VP, maybe even Michelle, to replace Joe, who may well retire after the election, if he wins. Obama had candidates drop out to save Super Tuesday for Biden. You can bet they were all offered positions in his cabinet, and one lucky candidate, his successor. It would be my plan if I wanted the Democrats to win, and push progressive programs their voters might approve of.
1
That’s five votes sorted then.
1
until Trump cancels the election because he decides the Coronavirus is real . . . .
1
Pragmatic and realistic, as opposed to Sanders. Just like this.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/health/bernie-sanders-medicare-for-all.html
Excuse me?? Your say your organization does not "advocate for a candidate," but then you spend most of your article hiding behind a thinly veiled advocacy for Biden rather than Sanders? You talk about the Democrats' "leftward march" to advocate for your centrist candidate without noting that the Republicans' rightward march has been proceeding for decades and has exponentially outpaced any perceivable Democratic movement to the left. I find this whole article hopelessly disingenuous and the name of your group "Center Action" (Now) a laughable oxymoron.
2
Sanders diehards: please think about the planet.
@SR
Try it yourself. If we do not have leadership willing and able to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, we are literally cooked. Sanders is the only one. Biden is invested in and loyal to fracking and big oil.
1
@SR Joe Biden will do nothing for the planet. His campaign is full of fossil fuel lobbyists. Biden diehards: please think about the planet.
1
@SR Why don't you. Biden has the worst record of all the Democratic candidates on the environment ... isn't going to do what is needed. Educate yourself and get real about the planet.
They will cross over for Biden? Democrats, that says a lot about your potential "standard bearer".
3
Wait, there are still Never Trumpers out there? Well quick, give them a column!
1
Hasn't it dawned on folks why Trump was/is so obsessed with getting dirt on BIDEN from Ukraine? I mean, really.
A bird cannot fly with two right wings.
2
And their opinions should matter not one whit to progressive Democrats.
1
Is this news? Never Trump Republicans voted for Hillary. To no avail.
1
NYTimes headline theorem: ‘Never Trump’ Republicans Will Support Biden, not Sanders"
but let's not forget the corollary: "Disillusioned Trumpers Will Support Sanders, not Biden"
54
@ShenBowen
I’m not sure on what factual analysis of 2020 voting behavior lead you to believe your presumptive corollary.
Research from the Pew Center and fivethirtyeight did find some overlap between 2016 Trump and Sanders voters on racial animus and anti-immigrant views. Perhaps that’s what you are referring to— after all, twelve percent of Sanders voters crossed over to support Trump.
16
@ShenBowen Yes, the new argument is that we need an establishment candidate to get votes back from anti-establishment Trump. As they say in French, n'importe quoi...
5
@ShenBowen I don't see any evidence supporting your corollary. Trump has overwhelming support among his base, bolls show. And if there were a significant number of disillusioned Trumpers, the polls would reflect it in the Democratic candidate vs. Trump results, but they don't.
10
Populist movements such as Sander's and Trump's become dangerous because they drive their base with the anger of what is wrong rather than finding what we have in common to move forward and make the issues in governing the country better.
1
Definition of an oxymoron: Never-Trumper Republican.
2
@Roget T That makes no sense. There are a LOT of Republicans that despise what trump represents and didn't vote for him (me), there are more that voted for trump because Clinton was such a poor candidate (even if she would have likely been an OK president), and then then one reason I hear most often with Republican who voted for trump (the ones I know anyway, in the deep South) - our Courts had become activists instead of letting our constitutional process work through legislative action.
I hope both Parties will focus on developing the next great leaders in our country. I really admire Obama in many ways but he was a disappointment as a leader once in office. That's really a very sad opportunity lost. In 2020 I've been a Buttigieg supporter. In 2016 I supported Kasich.
Biden/Klobuchar should do fine in the election and will govern well.
I would say to the thoughtful Republicans and independents, your country thanks you. We can't go through four more years of this person, his lies, his narcissism, his incompetence, his fawning deference and admiration for tyrants, his total lack of empathy and decency. But don't stop at the top line in the ballot. We need those Democratic freshmen
Moreover, as Mr. Bruni and others here have said, the current Joe Biden is running on a platform far more progressive than that of the President he served. All those voters for Biden are not as Sanders alleges, part of some corporate conspiracy. On Super Tuesday Biden had virtually no ground game, almost no campaign offices and little money. Does that sound like this dreaded "establishment"? Sanders needs better propaganda.
4
It is unlikely that a president Biden would address the issues that led to the election of Donald Trump, such as a bankrupting healthcare system and corrupt government. Bringing us back to where we were under President Obama would simply put off the day when someone like Trump, or perhaps someone even worse, gets elected by a disaffected minority.
4
The "Never Trump" meme and the retreat to Biden reflect the Democrat Party's true desperation. And it is based upon a huge falsehood.
The mammoth effort establishment Democrats were forced to expend to stave off Bernie Sanders shows just how much that party has been captured by the progressive left. And we know that Democrat control of government, whether under Biden or any other Democrat, will mean more government control of healthcare, higher taxes, and extremely radical social and environmental policy.
The Never Trump meme now being stoked by the media asks moderate voters to ignore the ruinous policies Democrats support and to focus solely upon the personal war progressives have been waging against this President since the moment he was elected. Between now and the election, the Democrat strategy will be hide Biden as much as possible, to speak as little as possible about the policies Democrats actually stand for and to scream Never Trump as loudly as possible.
If this strategy actually fools the American people, get ready for higher taxes, slower growth, less prosperity and being lorded over by know-it-all identity warriors.
1
I understand the reference to "madness on the right", but what's this "madness on the left"? Universal healthcare, climate action and a $15 minimum wage? What madness!
It comes as no surprise that Ms Longwell is the director of a conservative Republican organisation (I checked).
Even so, I dunno... if enough conservatives cross the aisle maybe it'd be worth running a milquetoast centrist if the Republican party collapses. Let the Democrats take over as the centre-right party of the new two party system, which is where they belong really.
2
Big change from 2016. Democrats are suddenly happy with open primaries because Republicans are voting. When Hillary Clinton ran though, open primaries were the devil incarnate because they benefited Sanders. I detect more than a small hint of hypocrisy. Just goes to show moderate and mainstream Democrats are simply Republicans by a different name.
3
Never Trumpers have been reviled by both the left and the right. It's delicious that we're flooding into the Democratic voting ranks in sufficient quantities to both alter its trajectory away from Sanders and unseat Trump. And to think the smart set dismissed us as only a "couple of dozen loudmouths".
To obliterate Trump, all Biden has to do is run on the "I'll make the crazy stop" plan. Done.
2
If Biden wins where HRC did not, I have nothing to say beyond a sizable portion of the American electorate is blatantly sexist. She's indisputably a better candidate than he is.
For the record, I'm a man.
3
Just a guesstimate, but I'd say roughly EVERY never-Trump Republican longs for the glory days of Saint Ronnie. Do we really want to build a Democratic coalition based on pandering to them?
4
@C J B If it gets Trump out of office, that sounds just fine.
1
It’s a good article, but I take exception to the phrase “the political insanity of the right and left.” There is a cult-like insanity on the right that is dangerously out of control, but it’s wrong to label leftist goals (for instance, Medicare for All and the Green New Deal) as a remotely equivalent insanity. Politically impractical, yes, at least at the moment. Even the wackiest far-left proposal of decriminalizing illegal border crossings is a poorly thought through over-reaction. But insane? Gimme a break. This is false equivalence.
2
Voting for Biden is imperative because the only thing that truly matters is getting Trump out of office. We can work with whatever imperfections exist with the new president, but our country & the state of the world (climate change + international relations) has been damaged by this destructive autocrat Trump and his regime. Even though I preferred a candidate that dropped out, Biden remains immeasurably better than Trump and has the best chances of beating him in November.
1
@Leslie Senior I used to think this but I don't any longer. I'd rather see Trump play out now and be vanquished than a one-term bandaid Biden Presidency that I feel will bring us someone worse than Trump directly afterwards. Biden is unacceptable.
1
If never Trump Republicans support Trump over Sanders (if he gets the nomination) by not voting, they will be hypocrites failing to do their civic duty. We will get what America deserves.
Never Trump Republicans! What a sweet sounding term - so happy it exists.
It is my hope that in the future after Trump is long gone from the Whitehouse and in jail for any number violations from sexual assaults to illegal finance scams, that this period of history is recorded as only a footnote of a wonderful country.
"He’s [Biden] a backstop against the political insanity of the right and the left."
Now wait just a minute missy. There is no insanity on the left. Let's say you're seeing half the population suffer through poor schools, poor health care where they have a lower life expectancy than their richer neighbors, facing cops who more often than not beat them as compared to their white neighbors...
After realizing all that our society brings to the disadvantaged and you compare other societies in Europe that see the most important asset they have is the people and put those values to work in universal health care, fair tax codes that don't rely on the bottom half to pay for tax cuts to the 1% et al. Now would you call all the westernized countries crazy for doing that or would you see what Bernie sees and fight for reform. The fault lies in us and we are not insane for demanding as such.
3
So Republicans are messing with the Democratic primary to elect Biden, their Republican candidate. If he loses they get their other Republican candidate. Not much different than what the Russians are doing.
1
@Fourteen14
Who needs Russians?
If the election isn't cancelled to save lives from the spreading corona virus infections, the decision is simple math (Andrew Yang could help), will they gain more Republican votes with Biden than the Sanders votes they will lose?
If they'll lose more Sanders votes, then giving Biden the nomination will be sadly self-defeating.
1
Karl Rove wrote a paper on how important it is to make sure that voters who will never vote for you, will never vote for your opponent either. That philosophy is that Repubs did to Gore, Kerry and Hillary. In Minnesota for example, almost 100,000 voters did not vote for President but voted for down-ballot candidates.
I'm a #NeverTrumper, and I firmly support Sanders, not Biden. Sanders has the vision necessary to bring back the middle class and re-distribute wealth through healthcare and college affordability programs. Biden is a wingman, not a leading lady. He lacks vision and stands for corporate Democrats and status quo. While status quo is better than Trump, it's still not what America needs to solve the major problems that elected Trump and move forward.
3
So not only is the party allowing the Democrats who live in solidly Republican states to steer their primary, they're even allowing the Republicans themselves to tip the balance?
That is insane.
6
I live in West Virginia. If Biden is the nominee, get ready for four more years of Trump.
So many people say they voted "against Hillary Clinton." What makes you think they're going to vote for Joe Biden this time?
Trump will destroy Biden in the debates, and spend months spinning a fake story about his son's dealings in Ukraine. And Trump will get reelected.
4
@Jay "So many people say they voted 'against Hillary Clinton.' What makes you think they're going to vote for Joe Biden this time?"
Answer: Almost four years of Trump as president. And it's unlikely that West Virginia's 5 electoral votes will make a big difference.
1
The Republican crossover for Biden in some primaries thus far has received scant attention in the cable news media. Many suspected, as shown here, that it has been significant. Isn't it time, perhaps, for an official "Republicans for Biden" organization?
3
@Robert L Or maybe a renaming of the Democratic Party. Something like the Democratic/Republican Party. I'm fine with that.
The Sanders voters are not Democratic voters. You don't go over to the other (Republican) side for ANY reason. Those comedians at Jacobin are Trump's best friends.
@True Dat More Hillary voters went for McCain in 2008 than Bernie supporters went for Trump in 2016. And Schumer openly said he was going to ignore progressives to try and entice suburban Republicans. It's the Biden crowd who are desperate to make nice with Republicans, not progressives.
1
I can't trust anyone who says, according to the column: “I didn’t vote for Donald Trump," they explain. "I voted against Hillary Clinton.” As far as I'm concerned, people like that can keep voting for whomever they want. I don't need to know how their minds allegedly work and I don't need them in my party.
2
“These voters might not identify with the “Never Trump” group of conservatives who vociferously oppose the president. But in practice, that’s who they are.”
Do an objective survey comparing registered Republican’s response to all candidate.
But dont spin facts out of half truths. This piece is irresponsibly imprecise and speculative.
we have already learned in 2016 that it is not going to happen. Only democrats and independants leaning democrat can be counted on by the eventual democratic party nominee, who it appears at this point of time is biden.
It makes sense that Republicans would support Biden considering he is basically a centrist Republican.
Biden, among other things...
- Does not support M4A or even something close to it.
- Hasn't supported a woman's right to choose. Voted to allow states to overturn Roe V. Wade. Supports the Hyde Amendment.
- Opposed busing for school integration in the 1970s.
- Worked with Strom Thurmond to put more people (disproportionately affecting blacks) in prison
and get more people the death penalty via "tough on crime" bills.
- Worked closely with credit card companies on a bankruptcy bill that made it harder for Americans to reduce their debts.
- Voted against a proposal to require credit card companies to provide more effective information about the consequences of minimum payments.
- Voted for the Patriot Act
- Voted for the Iraq War
- With climate change a priority Biden's campaign is stuffed full of fossil fuel execs.
- Has proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security numerous times.
- On Dick Cheney: "I actually like Dick Cheney, for real, I get on with him. I think he's a decent man," Biden said.
- In December of 2019 stated he would consider picking a Republican as his VP.
- In 2018 he accepted $200,000 for a speech praising Republican representative Fred Upton, which helped Upton defeat a Democratic challenger by 4.5 points. Upton helped craft a bill to repeal the ACA.
8
This is not true. "Never Trump" Republicans will support Trump, as they did before.
2
I’m not supporting any candidate over the other, but I think it’s foolish to rely on NeverTrumpers. These people whined constantly about Trump then sat at home and didn’t vote in 2016. What makes you think they would support any Democrat while in office. In reality they want a Republican, but one less offensive (eg. Bloomberg) Looking at you Bret Stephens. I got news for you even a moderate Democrats like Biden will support the disadvantaged and social welfare, because that’s what Democrats have always done. If your disgusting with Trump please check out every other Republican politician that enables him and tell me why you can hold him accountable. Surely NeverTrumpers have enough say to pressure at least one moderate Republican, but sadly they don’t. Instead of working to moderate their own party they’ll harp on Democrats for being too extreme. Hypocrisy at it’s finest.
1
The NY Times is making a hard effort to put their thumbs on the scale for Biden and against Sanders. First an anti-Medicare for All op-ed from the right-wing Hoover Institution and now this from a Republican group that has been running anti-Bernie ads in primary states.
And not a single progressive columnist to combat any of this. I've had enough.
3
The Republicans in Congress seem to think their constitutents are entirely pro-trump. Just how many of these "never-trump" voters are there, anyway?
1
The experts Trump Trump’s gut. Trump is a combination of stupidity and certainty. He is showing that he has no regard for anything other than his personal interest.
Are there more Never Trumpers who will not vote for Sanders, or more Never Anyone But Bernies who will not vote for Biden? No one knows. Both of these silly self-centered groups are a threat to us all.
His base will vehemently deny it but Donald J Trump is a dead man walking, there’s 8 months until the election and things can happen but if things remain the same Trump is on his way to a disaster of epic proportions, and he is going to drag the House and Senate with him.
Which is why "never Republican-lites" will NOT vote for Biden. And there are a lot more of them among progressive Democrats than there are Republicans who would vote Democrat. I'd say at least 10-25%. Which is why Trump may have already won re-election.
This is not just an exciting horse race for tens of millions of Americans. They now know why there has not been anything remotely resembling a "New Deal" for working and middle-class Americans for about half a century. And Joseph Biden is that poster boy.
"Hopey/Changey" sloganeering is just continuing to kick the ball down the court, and people who it is now literally killing have simply had enough. They no longer have the luxury of pointing at Trump and yelling, "But he's crazy!!!"
What difference does it make who destroys your life, and what remains of this country?
1
I was a life-long registered Republican until Trump came along and wrecked the party. He and his Senate enablers caused me to change my registration to unaffiliated and to vote for "any functional adult" in 2020. Trump is a thoroughly corrupt, narcissistic, pathological liar who is unfit to serve and must be replaced. I will even vote for a socialist if that's what it takes to free this nation from the scourge of Trump. And I won't be returning to the Republican Party any time soon, if ever.
1
Never Trumpers should vote for the Democratic candidate no matter who it is. Bernie would never get all his plans through Congress. It's much more important to get Trump out of office. He's too dangerous and deregulating water safety and all these other things that protect Americans is criminal. How many people will be effected and children die? I'm not a Bernie supporter but I'd much rather have him than Trump raping the country to fill his pockets and his childrens'. If these voters are educated they should know getting rid of Trump will save America and Democracy. They think Bernie is scary? Pathetic. Trump is a monster.
I think a lot of the traditional Rs see an opportunity to get some of what they want from a Biden administration in exchange for their support. Which as a liberal D I think is a good thing that will help heal the insane divisions.
All get some, instead of some get all.
2020. The year "uninspiring" became very inspiring.
Look, if you need to be further "inspired" to vote against Donald Trump and the threat he poses to the climate, to U.S. democracy, to vulnerable minorities, to endangered species, to science...the list goes on and on...then I just don't know what I can do for you.
Here's what has to happen: after Biden sweeps tonight, a phone call to Bernie. While he's not likely to throw in the towel thinking the upcoming debate with Biden will "turn the tide", Biden has to convince him anyway. What might do that trick? Convince Bernie that it's inevitable for Biden, so why not unify now, AND STOP THE RALLIES, protecting the (Democratic leaning) public from the coronavirus! Might that do the trick??
1
No they aren’t “moderate”
We are seeing the birth of the sensible voter.
Bernie and AOC are too left.
Trump is nuts and dangerous.
Rise up sensible voters and take control.
Go Joe.
1
i know a few myself. One told me the only time he ever voted for a Dem was Carter. He liked Bloomberg and will be voting Biden. He said Trump makes him ashamed
"Never Trump" Republicans - politically inept, numerically few, and somehow don't even know the definition of "never".
I am as committed to voting out every R, Trumper out of office at every level as the D/I/M/Never-Trumper crowd (and I am a left-of-center Independent). With that said, it would be unwise of *us* to think the support for Trump is primarily the right-wing (religious, social, economic, international policy)....this great article shows how an ex-never-trumper is choosing to differentiate between the policies vs the person.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/trump-never-trumpers-gop-rebeccah-heinrichs/607618/
Change the group name to Okay Maybe Trumpers with the understanding that it may now include Democrats.
So what.
The "Never Trump" Republicans supported Hillary in 2016.
Where did that get us?
How much you want to bet all these never Trump Republicans get health Insurance through their jobs? They are quickly becoming a minority in this contry.
If Biden is to succeed he will have to introduce the public option to Obama care. The option that the greedy insurance companies fought aqainst because they knew they couldn't compete in a free market aqainst the public option. How will the never Trumpers feel when everybody has access to affordable health insurance? Will they still consider themselves Republicans?
This is an interesting and, to my mind, optimistic perspective on voting dynamics in 2020. What the analysis here shows is that many thoughtful but not particularly ideological people have been witnessing a president who's not only vulgar and cruel but someone whose mind is like scrambled eggs that have spilled out over the entire national landscape. A case in point is mr. trump's dilatory and then twisted response (or non-repsonse) to the Covid-19 outbreak. After experiencing constantly churning stomachs for three years, many realize that they yearn for a calm and calming leader for president, one who seeks out information before speaking or acting. Accordingly, they will not vote for someone who calls for revolution but someone who represents a reversion to the status quo of the pre-trump presidency, much as Jimmy Carter did after the blight of Richard Nixon. First restore order, they'd say; then bring on positive change in a cautious and non-disruptive way. Joe Biden may not inspire people as Bernie Sanders apparently does, but he's certainly more likely to be the one to restore order. And those middle-of-the-road voters described in this piece understand that.
It's clear reading NYT comments that so many moderates have never had to worry about a thing in their life; like, really truly worry. 3 years of Trump to you were the worst thing to happen to you in your lives, the most adversity. For many Americans, that is not the case. It'd be a luxury if most Americans could say these were the worst 3 years of their lives, but that is not the case. It is for a shrinking pool of moderate voters maybe, but not the rest. The chickens have come home to roost. We need some truly sweeping changes to the way this government works, and the priorities it sets for helping its people, or we're going to have someone like Trump knocking at our door every 4 years.
4
I'm for Biden over Bernie, BUT if so many Republicans and right-leaning independents are planning on voting for Biden why are the polls in the swing states -- Michigan, for example -- so close in Trump-Biden match-ups?
3
Latest
Idaho: Biden 15.2
Michigan: Biden 34.2
Mississippi:Biden 39.8
Missouri: Biden 20.9
North Dakota: Biden 34
Washington: Biden 2
Big wins in states mean more for Biden than small margins in big states for Sanders
So, no need to worry about the huge turnout in the non competitive republican primaries?
1
I'm a never-Trumper who just voted by mail in Arizona for Biden, and I plan to vote Democrat down-ticket because I'm terrified of what Trump would do with a full Republican House and Senate. I'm proud of our former senators McCain and Flake for standing up to Trump, but our current Republican senator doesn't deserve my vote or respect for the way she's enabled him the past two years.
If Bernie wins the nomination I would hold my nose and vote for him as well, but my instinct would be to vote Republican down-ticket to try to stop him from being able to pass some of his extreme social programs. This is the danger of Bernie Sanders as the Dem nominee. He has less of a broad-based appeal than Biden, which means he could lose the presidency along with the legislature as well.
3
To me, it seems that the demographic in this article describes a lot of people, black, suburban, college-educated or not. There are lots of ordinary people who just want to get on with their lives and not worry so much, not be subjected to trash tweets and all that.
And to me, it seems we have already been through a WAR with this administration, so I surely don't want a Revolution to follow that.
I want to get back to business and I want the Congress to be able to act for the American people. That's why we send them. So rid ourselves of McConnell and other sleazy, selfish senators and get some moderation with bipartisan work for the people of this country who have been left behind.
203
@mouseone "Back to business" may mean a quiet and happy life for you and me, but for millions of others it means working multiple jobs to survive with no guarantee of healthcare and no realistic chance at saving for retirement. Business is booming for the elite, but business as usual is death for the poor.
20
@mouseone The point progressives are making is that you're not going to rid yourself of any of that unless you overturn Citizens United and get serious about running campaigns without outside corporate donors fueling the whole thing. You will always have people like Trump knocking at the door if you don't, you will always be susceptible to Russian meddling and Saudi oil money and other international money pouring in to influence the outcome.
You will have a smarter, younger, slicker version of Trump in 2024 if you don't change anything fundamentally about how our government is run. Joe Biden is quoted as saying he doesn't want to fundamentally change anything as President, so be ready for more "WAR" in 2024, if Biden even makes it that far.
15
@mouseone "There are lots of ordinary people who just want to get on with their lives and not worry so much"... "I want to get back to business".
Have you tried burying your head in the sand? I hear it works wonders. If you think Republicans will ever allow moderation and bipartisanship in governance then you've got another think coming.
9
What the moderate voters you describe find most disturbing about Bernie Sanders isn’t his ideology. It’s his demagoguery.
They agree we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels; bring down prescription drug costs and provide affordable health care to all; restrain banks from making risky investments; raise taxes on the top 1 percent.
But what they hear from Sen. Sanders gives them no comfort. The fossil fuel industry is greedy and corrupt. The pharmaceutical industry is greedy and corrupt. The insurance industry is greedy and corrupt. The big banks are greedy and corrupt. The wealthy are greedy and corrupt.
It’s little wonder “the establishment” is flocking to Joe Biden. So are millions of Americans employed by oil and gas companies, pharmaceuticals, the insurance industry, banks, and others demonized by Sen. Sanders, who are rightfully scared they’ll lose their jobs if he’s elected.
Voters deserve solutions, not scapegoats. Sen. Sanders should leave the politics of scare-mongering to Donald Trump.
5
It isn't likely that these people will vote for Biden in November. It also isn't likely that Democrats will get the turnout that is needed to defeat Trump. Thinking the Republicans who are Never Trumpers will come out for Biden is delusional at best. This was tried and failed in 2016 it will fail again.
Americans, in general, are apathetic when it comes to voting. Especially if it means waiting in long lines in places like Texas where over 100 polling places have been closed. If you happen to be disabled, it just isn't possible to stand there for hours.
Then there is the issue of Gerrymandering which has happened all across the country. This often means twice as many Democrats have to get out and vote than Republicans have to in order for the Democratic candidate to win.
Then there is the issue of many working people who have multiple jobs not being able to vote at all because they don't have the time to wait in line for hours. This could be remedied with a national voters holiday so that they too have the ability to vote.
Lastly, the younger generation needs to start voting. I know some states have prevented college-aged adults from voting, but those who can not only do so but bring along friends to vote too.
Anyone who can help a neighbor get to the voting booth should do so. The poor and/or elderly in particular often need rides. If you have a car, you can provide that service to them.
4
We all recognize "Common Decency"...shared bedrock American values, actual informed coherent discussions about policy, civility, effective leadership...and the Buck Stops Here mentality....personal responsibility ....from the President on down.
PLEASE...I want my country back. Perfect article. We as Americans of good will can do this. We must.
135
60 million Americans voted for Trump and do not recognize anything close to common decency. 'Shared American Values' has always been a myth pushed by the well off to keep the poor in line.
2
I'll believe the Never Trump Republican unicorn exists when I see it. For now, though, his approval rating among Republicans remains among the highest of any president from that party.
4
I have met and know about 40 Never Trump Republicans while canvassing and calling hundreds, maybe thousands over these two elections. None of them will vote for either Hillary or Biden. It’s one of the reasons I started researching Hillary last time, and could predict she would lose.
6
Since when have so-called "moderate" Republican voters elected "moderate" Republicans? And having abetted the GOP's increasing extremism for 10, 20, 30 years(?), what right do they have now to ask that the Democrats moderate for their sakes, to, in effect, clean up their mess, and with someone that makes them feel okay and not threatened? Talk about white privilege!
4
I'm 48 yrs old, have always been registered as an independent and have never voted for a Democrat. Thanks to this administration I recently registered as a Democrat.
6
Yes, but would you vote for a neoliberal who created the disaster that made people vote for Trump and not the DNC foisted on us by the corrupt DNC?
Make no mistake: faced with the apocalyptic problems we see today, anything less than radical change is failure.
Does anyone truly think that Joe Biden could take the steps needed to seriously mitigate climate change? Does anyone truly think that if he could, he would?
Donald Trump is terrible. And I would vote for Joe Biden against him. But both fall far short of the minimum requirements for a livable future. His moderate voters care more about 'decency' (read: their comfort) and being able to ignore what's going on around them than actually creating a better, or livable, world.
Enjoy not having to hear about politics on the news, at least for as long as it takes for politics to reach your backyard. I can't even really be mad. We get the future we earn.
3
The media and the dnc did not vote on super Tuesday. Democrats voted and they did not pick Bernie. Sanders supporters will undoubtedly be upset when he doesn't get the nomination. To sit out the most important election in decades over this anger is insanity. How is the progressive agenda helped by the re-election of the worst president in our history?
3
The media sets the national dialogue for those who still haven’t caught on yet to how biased they are. They have effectively scared people into thinking they can’t have the basic cornerstones of civilization.
1
Here's the thing: Most of the Biden supporters I know, myself included, have pledged to vote for whomever is the nominee. Which means either Biden or Sanders. On the other hand many of the adamant Sanders supporters (i.e. Bernie Bro's) in my radius have temper tantrums and threaten to not vote or worse, give it to Trump in protest. So now I gotta fret about "Never Trumpers"? We're. doomed.
2
I’m a Warren to Biden supporter because I think Biden has the best chance to beat Trump and hold the House and win the Senate. I think Bernie’s talk of sticking it to the establishment makes far too many people nervous and many people don’t like the aggressive online presence of some Sanders supporters. If Sanders is the nominee I think many too non Trumpers will skip voting.
Once the results are tallied today should show which candidate is favored. A scorched earth Democratic Primary helps Trump and hurts the Democrats chances.
2
The more I watch the race, the more convinced I am that Biden has the real potential of finally beginning to bridge the canyon between the Republican and Democratic parties. Even as a caretaker, one term president, he could become one of the most important political leaders in US history if he reaches out to his political opponents with a moderate agenda (and if they are receptive to it). Hopefully, not too many "ifs" in this scenario….
2
Literally this. We blue folks in NY don't matter. The Red Trump Train guys in South Carolina don't matter.
This whole election comes down to a middle tier of folks who are either undecided, or while nominally Republicans, have eyes and ears and are appalled at what DJT has done at every level.
They could hold their nose and vote for Biden, as he's not really liberal (voting records) and only marginally a Democrat, despite being VP. Likewise, we need the Bernie Bros to hold their noses too, because purging Trump and his grifting family from the Federal Government is Job One, and everything else is just cleanup.
2
Not going to happen this time even more than last. Hillary, Donna and DWS gave us the finger, fought against healthcare and any action on climate change, which we have known about since the seventies, and then tried to blackmail us into voting for her. They still think the same strategy will work this time. It won’t. Even fewer of us will vote for whoever they put up, probably Hillary in the convention, as we all clearly see Biden has lost his marbles. So... Trump it is again then. How many times? How low are you going to bring us before you get it? The world is burning. Americans are dying.
Move along, nothing to see here.
Does that “Never Trump” Republican moniker even have meaning?
What a surprise that Republicans, who have been clutching their purses since Reagan, and who have helped pushed the Democratic Party so far right that Sanders looks like a “socialist”, will side with Biden!
This ridiculous state of affairs can only be remedied by a third party. Too much of the electorate is held hostage by the right wing.
4
Great. Let's appease them. Republicans have done so much for the rest of us, it'd be a shame if our candidate made them uncomfortable.
The two party system insures that we'll never truly get what we desperately need to save this country, and this planet.
5
Trump makes me nauseous. Sanders gives me a headache. Assuming these are not symptoms of the coronavirus, I’m voting for
Biden.
1
I saw a new bumper sticker yesterday: "Don't blame me, I voted for Hillary". Some of my Democratic friends voted for the Libertarian or Independent candidates to avoid voting for Trump or Clinton helping to elect him - how would things be if we had a President Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump?
2
The day Democrats nominate someone because Republicans like that person is the day they lose many supporters. I don't put flowers in Republican guns. I'm smarter than that. You should be too.
5
I wonder how many in the center who went for Trump can really be recovered. The discussions I've had with otherwise intelligent people who were honest about their vote are not encouraging, I sure hope they're outliers.
Just like in 2016, Trump support is systematically underestimated in polls, as many people just won't admit what they did in the booth.
I seriously doubt the center strategy will somehow work this time, unless COVID-19 tanks the world economy past November.
3
Biden is the status quo ante. It's game over for the climate. We are choosing McClelland when we need Grant. Bernie wants to emulate Ike who said, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.”
Or FDR when he talked about the Four Freedoms: “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world. The second is freedoms of every person to worship god in his own way – everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want…everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear…anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation." Franklin D. Roosevelt, January 6, 1941.
4
@Anam Cara Ike and FDR both had some worthwhile things to say, and both had their faults. But neither was a raving lunatic like Bernie Sanders (or Donald Trump).
And please, enough of the "game over for the climate" nonsense. That has the same degree of credibility as "man will never fly".
So Joe Biden really does not have the support of the democratic party, but the centrist Republican and Independents college educated white women.
This was known the day after Tuesday last week. Eleven of the fourteen states were open or partial opened to all.
MSM was to involved paying attention to Biden, in not asking why Virginia vote went from about 750,000 in 2016 to over 1.3 million last Tuesday. The other question(s) not asked by MSM was, if Bernie Sanders was leading almost in all polls until after SC (58% increase?) voted is how Biden won all those states with just the Black Voters in those states with out help from elsewhere.
Initially thought perhaps Trump and friends said hey these are open primaries , send out our voters...alter the results....the other was the Establishment really enforced plan B...the leaving of the race of 3 candidates and all endorsing Biden, calling in all favors, as we can't have Sanders in the WH. Bernie was really popular here as the polls all indicated. Yet he got crushed. And yet all these states are mostly red states for the general presidential election.
My hats off to you if Center Action Now made this all happen.
Bernie Sanders in 2020. This race is not over.
4
@Kerm not THIS college-educated white woman (living in a nice suburb ... )
So we get Trump lite! How does that benefit the country. It is people like Biden who are responsible for Trump and the Republican Dictatorship.
3
Biden is so inspiring. The way he doesn’t feel a need to complete sentences or even thoughts.
He’s going to inspire a lot of people to not vote or vote for Trump.
The last 5 or 6 times the Democrats put up a “centrist” candidate they lost.
Obama won because he pretended to be progressive.
6
@Erik Frederiksen Biden doesn't need to inspire people. He just needs to replace Trump.
Dukakis, Gore, Kerry, and Hillary didn't lose because they were "centrist"; they lost because they ran lousy campaigns.
And thanks to the electoral college, it doesn't matter whether those uninspired people in California (or Maryland, or New York, or Illinois, etc.) don't vote or vote for Trump. Biden will get those states' elctoral votes anyway. Isn't democracy great?
@Carl Yaffe doesn't need to inspire people (snort) yeah just needs to show up via hologram! ... guess what: he's a lousy campaigner
I know a reliable right wing conservative who claimed the Democrats had to nominate a moderate because he could never vote for someone “crazy” like Sanders or Warren. He claimed he has issues with Trump and would support Biden or Bloomberg if they were the nominee.
Now that it merely *looks* like Biden will be the eventual nominee, he’s already reneged. Biden is too old, might be senile, is “corrupt” and a liar, etc., etc.
Get ready folks. That’s what’s coming. Yeah my buddy is jumping the gun but the others will follow.
Then we’ll be left with an uninspiring milquetoast centrist who of course does not pick off the center-right, even those with an alleged conscious. Hooray.
5
Just like they supported Hillary. Never Trumpers are strongly over-represented on cable TV and the opinion pieces in this newspaper versus the actual fraction of the Republican party which is malleable.
3
What an awesome message that would be sent if the Democrats could roll Trump out in a huge across the board landslide.
It would force the GOP to reform itself and America would have an opportunity to shore up the many weaknesses in its governance that Trump’s behavior exposed. Might even get some sycophants booted out too.
1
They don’t want to re-elect Trump but they are doing precisely that. Because they know everyone loves good ol’ Joe. Uh huh.
Joe Biden is completely unacceptable to me as a Presidential candidate and I think it’s insane and a travesty that so many people are thinking he is. On the other hand with so much enthusiasm misguided or otherwise and help from homeless Republicans he should win by a landslide right and no need to give a second thought to naysayers and the disgusted like me.
5
I think the country is just left of center and if the President and Congress can get past the corporate lobbyists and other grifters we can restore a functioning democracy that works for most if not all. The goals of progressive Democrats are not an anathema to most citizens: affordable, quality healthcare; economic fairness; affordable, quality education; affordable, available housing; employment opportunities; racial and criminal justice; a clean environment. The messaging on both the far right and the far left makes these goals unreachable. Free markets and social justice can co-exist in a democracy. Just ask Warren Buffett. We just need to make sure there are provisions in place that prevent people and organizations from engaging in predatory excesses that damage the general welfare of the country and its citizens and provisions in place to protect, educate and employ people during times of economic upheaval and change. Again, just ask Warren Buffett.
Joe Biden isn't perfect. He had his days of being a shill for the credit card companies and Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill was not his finest hour. But Bernie Sanders is seen as too much of a spokesman for the far left while trump is an erratic, mean spirited spokesman for the far right.
There will be no second act for Biden if he is elected, which I think makes him a safe choice. He can eschew the extremes and focus on restoring the people and our values. But he can't do it alone. He needs a willing Congress. Vote.
2
Sanders and Trump are opposite sides of the same coin. Authoritarian, Shouty and loved only by their Fans.
Just saying.
3
The Democratic Party is likely to split as well. It has been off course ever since FDR, LBJ, and Hubert Humphrey-- Democrats who were chiefly concerned about working people and inequality. Should Biden defeat Trump, the party will return to the status quo ante, the party of Clinton and Obama. That led to financial deregulation and the bailout of the banks in 2008-2009.
The likely scenario would be three parties--a Trump Rump, a conservative Democratic Party, and a progressive Berniecrat Party.
2
I am a fan of The Bulwark, her website, and love listening to her and Charlie Sykes and Mona Charen and JVL and company on their podcasts. The column here was excellent of course.
I dont really have anything insightful to say, but I never get to feel fanboy excitement, and I was excited to see a column written by her here. Just wanted to give a shout out! Ok, I'll leave now. 🙄
If I were a Republican strategist today and suggested to the candidate hiring me that they appeal to the political left in order to attract moderate Democrats, I would be laughed out of the room. They know being browbeaten to support ideology they're directly opposed to constitutes an extortion racket. Why don't Democrats?
3
I’m curious where Biden is relative to Hillary Clinton’s policy positions. Left? Right? Same? Because if he’s the same or to the left of her, and I hear that a bunch of disaffected voters didn’t vote *for* for DJT but rather against Hillary, can they just finally admit that they voted against her because she is a woman? Give me your long list of anti-Hillary rhetoric, and I will show you an equally long list of Biden’s shortcomings. You’ll vote for him but not for her, yet they have very similar policy views. Hypocrisy & the patriarchy are alive and well.
@L Faith I also wonder, if those who said "I didn't vote for Trump. I voted against Hillary," are happy with what has happened to the country since Trump got into office. Are they happy now that they couldn't bring themselves to vote for Hillary?
1
The problem with our political system is that, while right-center Republicans will vote for Democrats, left-center Democrats will not vote for Republicans.
This simple truth explains the outcome of the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Presidential elections and, more tellingly, the 2018 House of Representative outcomes. It also explains the move to the hard right by the Republican party-getting your base to vote is more important than attracting the center. Until the Democratic center becomes less partisan, we will remain yoked to the political dysfunction of the past decade.
As a lifelong Republican who'd voted for every GOP candidate since 1980 but cast his first Democratic vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016, I would warn the GOP that, like losing one's virginity, once one has crossed that line it no longer seems taboo. And if my anecdotal conversations with others who've made the leap are any indication, once one is no longer anchored by GOP doctrine, attitudes towards a host of issues, including guns, climate and even abortion, become much more flexible.
As blue-collar whites trade places with college-educated suburbanites in the respective parties, the realignment that began with the exodus of Jim Crow southerners to the GOP will be complete.
3
The promised ''Childrens' Crusade" never showed up for Bernie.
And then there is the genuine fear of women losing all their rights and being in "A Handmaids Tale V.2"
Responsible gun owners realizing that the local criminals should not be able to stock up at a gun show with no back round checks.
More than anything the courts sending us into a theocracy.
1
I'm a never-Trumper. But I am not a Democrat, and I do not believe I should be allowed to vote in the Democrats' primary. If I want to help pick a party's nominee, I should join the party.
Ms. Longwell and her organization would be doing a far greater service if they formed a Never Trump party and put a candidate on the general election ballot so that that people who don't like Trump but cannot bring themselves to vote blue have a lever to pull. (I am not one of those people; I will vote blue no matter who. But I am an anecdote, not an avatar.)
1
I'll believe it when I see significant numbers of Republicans actually voting for Biden.
4
@EJS Check out George Conway’s twitter feed. There is a lot of R power behind Biden.
Be careful. There are plenty of "never Trumpers" that will go into the voting booth and pull the Trump lever.
7
If Bernie Sanders - who will never get much of his radical agenda through Congress without compromise, a severe test for him and some of his starry-eyed followers - is more concerning to voters than Donald Trump, then we get what we deserve. Sanders, like Biden, is a decent man who will be frustrated and frustrating if in office, but will not put the Republic in danger to save his narcissistic image of himself. Biden has the benefit of knowing his weaknesses and strengths, and will likely surround himself with a team of strong advisers. But his best days regarding agile thinking and creative solutions are past.
Since the voters of the country were for some reason perplexed and fearful again when confronted with several capable women candidates - Warren, particularly, but also Klobuchar, Harris and Gillibrand - we are left with three old white men of varying degrees of competence and integrity. But there is no question that Trump is the most dangerous of these, and should be voted against, if need be, without hesitation.
4
Centrist candidates for executive branch offices will always attract the majority of American voters.
The best path for progressive goals is to fill the Congress with progressives. Our legislative branches draft and pass legislation, not our executive branches. Elect enough progressives to Congress, obtain a veto-proof majority, and the party affiliation of the President will not matter.
And the same holds at the State level. Pay attention to those lower-office races. They are where the real action can happen.
1
"...Republicans who supported candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney."
That tells me all I need to know. These RINOs will sell out the country every chance they get. Trump beat the lot of them in 2016, he'll do it again in 2020.
There will be two things said after the first Biden/Trump debate. About Trump, "He was so mean." About Biden, "What is wrong with Joe?"
5
The status quo is not working. I’m tired of seeing homeless people at every intersection, of folks having to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, of healthcare and higher education being denied to poor people’s kids, etc.
We are not decent people. It’s Bernie or Trump for me. If the system needs to be broken before it gets rebuilt, so be it.
4
The mass of moderate, college educated Republicans far outweighs the totality of the Bernie or Bust crowd. This is especially true in the midwestern states that went for Trump by a Russian Bots breadth. If Biden plays this right and reveals Hunter-gate as the farce that it is, Trump could be beaten by an electoral landslide. If Hunter-gate doesn't work, we will soon hear that the corona virus is a left wing conspiracy funded by George Soros. Of course, those of us on the inside knew that it was Oprah all along :)
2
@Bruce Rozenblit Many proxies for Biden, including sane Rs, are ready to scorch the earth against Trump’s creepy offspring the second the Hunter “campaign” launches.
It is quite reasonable that never Trump Republican voters will support Biden’s and not Sanders, because Biden is a member of the so called moderate corporatist duopoly party cabal wholly owned and funded by Wall Street, corporations, plutocrats and the fossil carbon energy industry.
These Never Trump Republicans are simply voting for “GOP Lite”!
You can count the poor, working class and middle class never Trump, Never Biden voters like me among the die hard social democratic supporters of Bernie Sanders and his revolution.
Beating the plutocracy and Reining in American Capitalism is more important than choosing between two equally corrupt shills of the plutocrats like Biden and Trump.
I will Vote for Bernie Sanders or if he is denied a place on the November Ballot, then I will vote for the Green Party USA candidate for POTUS and for Scandinavian style Democratic Socialism. Like I did on 2016.
5
Because of Biden's age, a lot will hinge on his choice for a vice-presidential candidate, who would also need to be moderate for Longwell's thesis to work. Amy Klobuchar checks two boxes: moderate and female.
1
What is going on with the NY Times? On the same day they publish an anti-Medicare for All hit piece from the Hoover Institution, they print this piece by a Republican group that has been running anti-Bernie Sanders scare ads in Democratic primary states. Is this becoming a right-wing newspaper right before my eyes?
9
@J.C. The column is simply pointing out (accurately) that moderate Republicans who could see themselves voting for Biden are unlikely to vote for Sanders. The column could also have mentioned that the midterm saw the Congress turn around exactly because of centrist candidates like Biden, not because of candidates closer to Bernie's end of the spectrum. Those are facts, even if they are inconvenient to you.
2
Republicans are willing to vote for a republican? Big surprise.
4
Most of us here will vote for anyone against Trump. But Trump’s campaign is NOT going to be about pulling over moderate voters or keeping a handful of “never Trump” Republicans from the poles. Trump’s campaign will be to display Biden’s record, statements and lies, all in order to paint Biden at best as an unimpressive, uninspiring candidate and at worst a candidate who is against what many potential liberal voters believe they want and need in a president.
Trump’s campaign is all about KEEPING DEMOCRATIC TURN OUT DOWN. It was the play in 2016 and it will be that again. It is a certainty that 99% of Democrats who are afraid of a Trump second term and are voting for Biden in the primaries out of fear of "who is electable" would vote for either Biden or Sanders in the general. To win you need to inspire - to not only motivate people to the poles but to get an energized electorate to canvas and get others to the poles. Biden is not simply the "oh well” “ho hum” candidate, Biden’s record and past words will be used by Trump’s campaign to genuinely put off liberal minded voters that we desperately need to turn out. Please look at Biden’s past, because Trump has already done so and is ready to destroy Biden in the eyes of many left leaning voters. This election is not about the moderate Republicans, Never Trumpers or frankly about swaying the large portion of democrats that would vote for even a rock against Trump. This campaign rests on inspiring and not disenfranchising.
3
@B Briggs
Indeed, Biden's record is no secret and will cripple his chances.
https://harpers.org/archive/2019/03/joe-biden-record/
I think Joe Biden has the best chance to beat Donald Trump and to help get the country back on course.
Everyone who can must vote in 2020.
5
"trust to govern responsibly" - Really. An 80 year old man who can barley finish a coherent sentence can govern responsibly?
"rule of law" - Really. Enriching his son and his brothers while he was vice-president is following the rule of law?
"basic human decency" - Really. Getting up close to women and kids and touching and smelling them is human decency?
4
@Mike You have to consider the alternative (in the form of the current occupant of the oval office).
January 2021 is too far away. 25th Amendment now.
3
I don’t understand why the Bernie Bros vilify us more “moderate” democrats and Independents. Many of us aggressively support a liberal cultural agenda (strong environmental protection, improving infrastructure for all, gay marriage, abortion rights, a social safety net, equal treatment of the sexes etc) .....but we don’t want our economic system completely upended. This does not make us monsters!
8
I am a registered Democrat. I have voted for Republicans but you can count me as a "Never Trumper." I support Joe Biden, and I would have supported Mike Bloomberg or Amy Klobuchar. But you can also count me as a "Never Bernier."
4
Trump has become an authoritarian president. It’s taken 3 years but that’s where we are today - rule by fear and threats. It’s normalizing fear, hatred, division to keep us divided and easy to control or manipulate. Part of that normalizing is also wearing people out, making them exhausted with constant disruption and confusion in their lives. And the last part of normalizing this is where people come to no longer expect or hope their government to do anything to protect or help them. It’s like a one-sided sad and hopeless relationship.
So this November election will come down to whether we can return our country back into a Democracy or will we be swallowed up by fascism.
4
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”
When those people sum up the result of their choice today, I hope they say, "I didn't vote for Donald Trump. I voted against my best interests."
6
Seven members of my immediate family voted for trump in 2016. All seven told me that they would not vote for him again. I think the tide has turned against trump and we all know that he can't swim .
9
@stan They would not vote for him again. Okay, that's good! But... are they going to vote... at all?
Or are they just not going to vote for president at all and instead focus on keeping Republicans in control of the gridlock and disfunction that is the senate?
I guess Never Trumpers don’t actually mean “Never”.
3
So I suppose that the "politically homeless" who are college educated and able to afford pat houses in the suburbs take precedence over the "politically homeless" progressive/working class who have worked hard to finally reach a political milestone to allow them to just "afford".
Yes, the Black Community is being pragmatic about supporting Biden, and it looks as if they may achieve a voting bloc that could enable Biden to win as a primary candidate and in the general in November. Even though I intrinsically support Sanders, I do hope that if the Dem majority does vote Biden in, everyone who says they will vote Dem will vote in November. If the Biden delegate majority does occur, I also hope that it's reached by a healthy margin so that Sanders supporters can gracefully acquiesce and vote Biden. Just the fact that progressive issues are in the forefront now is a win. It may take time, but if the youth don't become too jaded and apathetic, then things could change. it's hard fighting big money. Don't give up. Get both chambers and seed.
We just want trump to disappear. If it takes Biden to be the magician, so be it.
6
The fact that moderate Republican voters will vote for Biden but not for Bernie Sanders just solidifies my vote for Bernie. Voting for Biden, the same old same old, will change nothing. Corporate America triumphs again at our expense.
8
@lrb945 The problem with Bernie supporters is that they view the need for compromise the same way Trump supporters do. Either support their candidate, or else. Life, and politics, simply do not work that way. Compromise is not bad. In fact, it is how our democracy came to be. I am most troubled by the cult of personality I see among Sanders supporters. Biden is an intelligent, thoughtful man, who will lead our country with integrity. Too bad that isn't enough for either the hard left or the hard right. For the rest of us, a return to normal is exactly what we are seeking.
5
@shep I keep hearing about all of these rabid Bernie supporters, but I have yet to meet one. Maybe it's because all of them that I know personally are like me--older and more realistic. We know that there will be compromise--there always is, which is how democracy works. What we do not understand are people who refuse to aim high with the knowledge that compromise will happen. Aiming for the same old middle and getting even less is a fool's game.
2
A Sanders win will ensure a Trump second term. And he would never select a moderate as VP. If Biden wins the nomination, a key will be who he selects to be his VP. Biden’s age and apparent incipient memory issues make this decision critical. If he selects another moderate Democrat, e.g. Klobuchar, he has a good chance of beating Trump/Pence. Select a more liberal VP such as Warren, and all bets are off. Bernie Bros are significantly outnumbered by moderate Democrats, Republicans and Independents who want an alternative to Trump, but not a socialist in either slot.
8
Joe Biden can't lose unless he makes such a gaffe that lets Trump show he is better than nothing.
I can't see that happening, unless Biden does something really stupid like inviting Sanders or Warren to join the ticket as vice president.
Either would be a slap in the face to the most loyal and dependable part of the Democratic Party, Black women. Biden will affirm his commitment to the constituency that elected Obama and himself to office twice.
Think about that in the context of the Trump era for a moment. The Democratic coalition elected a Black president twice. And the opponents for those elections weren't arrogant fools like Trump. They were good men both, John McCain and Mitt Romney.
To mess with that recipe that worked so well before is to court disaster.
In my opinion, Val Demings, Florida Congresswoman, who was a brilliant member of the House Democrats Impeachment Trial team would be his most strategic pick for VP.
Beside bolstering Democrats' chances to win Florida this fall, Demings could prosecute with first hand knowledge the 19 Republican senators up for re-election this year who acquitted Trump without calling a single witness.
Turning out both Trump AND McConnell is a Democratic imperative.
Helping to win Florida which would be a knockout punch to Trump, and helping defeat Senate Republicans which would put McConnell on the sideline, makes Val Demings Biden's smartest move.
Also, the former Orlando Police Chief can handle a crisis, like now.
3
10 votes for Biden! I'm glad we are running a republican in the Dem primary.
1
I’m one of those college-educated McCain-loving voters who is done, done, done, done, done with the GOP forever. You could literally put Condi Rice at the top of the ticket and I’d pass. And I have so many reasons why, but the main reason is that the GOP has abandoned honor and decency. I look at people like Richard Shelby and think, dude, you’re about a hundred years old and you’re ruining your legacy simply by being hitched to Trump. How sad to be that old and to totally destroy a life’s worth of work. We really could use John McCain’s voice and wisdom right now.
Let me tell you what has affected a lot of Southerners in my generation (early millennial, those who spilled the blood and treasure after 9/11) more than the Access Hollywood tape, more than the vulgar language, more than the pathological lies. It’s the way Trump has handled Afghanistan and Iraq.
Inviting the Taliban to Camp David “in secret” and then melting down and telling everyone about this secret deal on twitter was a huge dealbreaker for one of my Afghan war vet friends who is about as conservative as they come. It’s as if it’s just a board game to Trump, and he’s too ignorant of geography and history to know how to play Risk, so it’s more like Candyland. You cannot turn the United States military into a kids game and still have the support of conservatives who love and respect our military.
So my point is, college-educated suburban conservatives have a laundry list of reasons to vote against Trump.
358
@Corrie
Well said. I used to live in the suburbs and started having trouble with our foreign policy during the Vietnam War. France got out of Vietnam and we went in. I went to my first "peace demonstration back then. Fast forward to Iraq - the largest peace demonstration in the world and it did no good. In we went - Cheyney wanted the oil, I guess. And now Afghanistan. When do we dial back on the endless foreign wars? This is why I support Senator Bernie Sanders.
22
@Corrie I'm glad to read this. I'm left leaning independent, and I know it is time for all of us to have a dialogue, to learn to work and live together, and to toss out the authoritarian blowhards on both the right and the left. This is America. It is a soup of many points of view, beliefs, and ideas. Let's stand up for all of us who are willing to work together and take these people who are my-way-or-the-highway jerks and show them the highway.
24
@Corrie Well, gee. Have you forgotten, Condi Rice was Bush's National Security Adviser when 9-11 happened? (Read that sentence again, slowly.) Intelligence reports to her in August 2001 predicted terrorists flying planes into buildings. After Sept 11, she said, "Who could have imagined they would fly planes into buildings?"
16
'“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”'
If it's people with this thought process on whom the fate of our Republic hinges, we're in a lot of trouble.
6
The author's thinking is that of a Republican. Another disguised voice for moderation, aka, GOP lite. Democrats should go down fighting for moderation. 20 million Americans w/o healthcare under Biden's scheme is no big shake. Let's continue reliance on insurance companies and the profit motive to determine who lives and dies. Aspire to the status quo.
5
Swing voters, to the extent they still exist, absolutely must hold their noses and vote for Sanders if he becomes the Democratic nominee. However much they may dislike and even worry about various of Sanders' positions, he's not going to endanger democracy and the rule of law as such. Further, there's no chance he'd be able to enact all of his positions. In fact, he probably wouldn't be able to get any of his program going beyond what could be done purely by presidential action. But, the most important thing, he won't be a narcissist with an aversion to democracy and an expressed admiration for the powers of someone like Kim Jong-un. When he says "democratic socialist" he means the "democratic" part, and the "socialist" part is mainly rhetorical. He's not going to have the government take over the means of production. He just really wants programs for people without money and influence. We can disagree with him about how far to go with that and how to go about it, and still manage to live with him if it's necessary.
3
There are two issues that stand out the most for Biden. Will he fight for putting Trump in jail for all of his constitutional criminal activity and will he roll back his tax program for the rich? This includes his property tax cap at $10,000 dollars which was directed at the blue states. I'd rather vote for Sanders, but in this case, Biden will do. I hope the younger people would wake up and vote for Biden if he wins the primaries. Not voting will get Trump re-elected. This is a continued nightmare.
4
The voters need to remove anger from their motives and substitute reason in its place. There has been too much, far too much anger, fear, and hate in politics. Regrettably, this trilogy has been among the strategic tools of the progressives which resulted in Trump getting elected.
Please, however you may identify yourself, don't get angry because the candidate you like did not get the nomination, just think what four more years of Trump will do this this country and to the world and get up and vote for the Democratic candidate for president.
4
The latest Gallup poll found Trump’s support amongst Republicans to be 92%. These Never Trumpsters are few and far between.
Now that they've installed their candidate in the so-called Democratic primary, they can vote Trump in the general election. Their simple strategy will give Trump a landslide victory and give them the House.
4
@Fourteen14
Indeed, a Biden nomination is a gift to Trump.
4
@Fourteen14 The only way Trump will win is if Bernie is the nominee. Trump is well-aware of this fact, which is why he was putting so much pressure on Ukraine to smear Biden. Trump KNOWS Biden will defeat him.
2
@shep
Polling data, which was 80% correct in 2018, does not support what you say.
But if Biden wins then a Republican gets into the White House anyway and the people lose again. A rigged democracy is no democracy at all.
2
This NeverTrump Republican would vote for Sanders, though less cheerfully, over Trump any day of the year.
5
I'll vote for any Democrat against Trump, but many of my NC neighbors won't.
I believe that Biden will help down ticket candidates and produce a real blue wave that can win over the Senate.
Early polling in NC has Tillis slightly behind Cunningham, it's a seat that should be easy to flip.
4
The question for the Democrats is If these Never Trump Republicans are willing to make the relationship permanent or if this is just a one-night stand.
The Democrats risk losing their loyal long-term partners in exchange for a brief dalliance with a small number of Never Trump Republicans.
5
New York Times daily Bernie bashing is getting embarrassing. I like Joe but Bernies got my vote for now. Just stop and let people decide. The man has started an important movement and moved the needle significantly. No other liberal has made such headway in decades.
6
If the Democratic Party bends to ally with Republicans, there is literally no party for Bernie Sanders or his supporters. What do you think the result will be?
I've always voted for Democrats even though I've never felt the party represented my interests. But this just goes to far. Give me a break. It's as if there is an orchestrated campaign underway to alienate Bernie Sanders' voters as much as possible and make sure they never vote for a Democrat again.
4
Corporate Democrats would rather have Trump for a second term than a progressive Democrat in the White house. Hands down fact.
You better hope that with Biden saying he is not ruling out a Republican VP and wants Bloomberg and Jamie Diamond in his cabinet will be enough to bring in Republican voters.
They will need every vote they can get because no progressive will vote for Biden. Period! The progressives gave the Democratic establishment one last chance to reform but they are 100% in the pocket of the rich. They could care less for the working , middle class and poor.
57
@gene
I'm a progressive who was for Bernie in 2016.
After Biden won South Carolina, I decided to support him because my number one concern is defeating Trump.
Not all progressives want to cut off their nose to spite their face.
332
@fast/furious
Thank you for being a progressive who isn’t threatening to sit out this vital election if the preferred candidate isn’t nominated.
I sincerely thank you.
55
@gene I am a progressive Democrat and I plan to vote for Joe Biden in November (assuming he is the nominee).
So when you say, "...no progressive will vote for Biden," you are mistaken.
I understand that my passion for progressive change with minimal delay is not universally shared. I also understand that politics requires listening and compromise. We're all in this together and I hope you will join those of us who want a new President sworn in next January. The alternative is unfathomable.
36
This piece just highlights the extent of the self-identified "right-of-center" voter has been completely blinded and indoctrinated by their brand of politics.
They are treating a potential Sanders presidency as though it would behave like the Trump administration, with every idea and legislative wish getting rammed through the Congress.
Even if there were no Democratic opposition/infighting to a Sanders agenda, and even if Republicans in the Senate either did not lose their majority or use the rules to obstruct, they are saying they prefer children being locked in cages and dying to slightly higher taxes on people much wealthier than they are. They are saying they prefer a US that has abjured its role in a world it created and maintained in (general) peace for 75 years, creating some of the worst humanitarian crises since the World War II to the uncertainty of insurance companies' business models going forward. They are saying they prefer leadership that castigates and demonizes the weakest and most vulnerable of our fellow citizens and neighbors.
Their moral cowardice and lack of a desire for a better future, one based upon actual experience and evidence rather than hypothetical half-baked models, is disheartening.
4
The short answer to this question: Not likely.
I would have supported Biden over Trump in 2016 if he had been the Democrat nominee. But now Biden seems to have experienced significant deterioration in his mental capacity. I know, many will say he is still smarter than Trump, but I don’t actually think that is the case. He is a much nicer person than Trump, but in the final analysis I don’t vote for someone’s because I like him or her, I voted for policies. Biden’s policies are all over the place and contradict his previous positions. So, no, I don’t think the n ever Trumpers as a group will vote for Joe.
3
Three democrats voted against drug price transparency recently. They talk big and vote against the best for the majority. Since 2000, the middle class has lost much more income and wealth while the income of the affluent has only gained 1%. The people whose earned income falls under the carried-interest tax rate have had 5% increase in both income and wealth, while they've suckered the affluent into investing for an 11% increase in wealth--well, before this virus-caused financial assets to drop. I voted for Hillary in the last general election after canvassing and voting for Bernie in the last primary. If Biden gets the next nomination and loses the general election, I've had it. Going full-blown extremist and supporting Antifa.
2
Yeah, right. Like they supported Hillary Clinton in 2016. Much good did it do her? The only difference, this time around there are much fewer of them. So that's how much their support is worth.
3
Why should republicans of any stripe have anything to do with selecting the democratic candidate? I’ll wait.
3
The last thing Democratic party needs are college-educated suburban voters. They are irrelevant in political numbers. Petit bourgeoisie obsessed with appearances. They would vote for Romney in an instant. So, now we should be fine with Romney? Because of Trump? How low did we put our bar in making this society more economically fair and equal to everybody? Never Trumpers are clever deception. All of them around the country put together can't fill a single football stadium. They are pathetically insignificant to Trump's hordes. Of course, they would support Biden. He reminds them of Romney. He reminds me of Romney, too. That's why I voted for Bernie. Majority of Bernie's supporters make less than $100k/year. And that is 90% of the country.
5
The same team that attacked and destroyed Jeremy Corbyn in the UK elections are now targeting Bernie Sanders in the USA. They and their masters cannot tolerate foreign policy based on international law and human rights.
4
So, we're saying Biden running against Trump as a moderate Republican (albeit nominally the "Democratic candidate") would assuage #neverTrump Republicans to vote for Biden over their party's leader and incumbent, Trump.
Well, fine and good, but please consider this strategy as compared to THIS article in THIS paper TODAY "The People Who See Bernie Sanders as Their Only Hope" by Jennifer Medina and Sydney Ember, and explain to me how electing a moderate Republican is going to be a betrayal to the voters profiled in the Medina/Ember piece and obviously doesn't remotely address their plight and needs.
And, assuming Biden can speak to this traditionally Important cohort of the Democratic Party -- the struggling working class, non-college educated voters and get elected, how is this person going to govern so that Biden's "centrist" watered down neo-liberal "status quo" as of 1999 or 2016 platform doesn't get him tossed out on his butt in 2024 with an even more discouraged, unmotivated "base". So the wrecking ball of Trump is stopped, but is four years of drift, inertia and gridlock going to do anything for the working class, or for anyone for that matter?
Going after suburban professional cross-over Republicans wasn't such a great strategy when Hillary Clinton and her advisers did it in 2016, what makes you think it's a great idea this time around?
4
These people are just wanting Trump to win. Only vote that will take out Trump is Biden.
I'm a lifelong Democrat. I knew early on that Trump would beat Hillary. I feel 100% certain that Trump will beat Biden with ease. Biden has a ton of baggage, a terrible record, no platform, no energetic grassroots support base and, the elephant in the room, is not playing with a full deck, anymore, bless his heart.
What I see happening in November is nothing short of a disaster for America and the world. The worst part of it is that the Democratic Party establishment appears incapable of ever learning any lessons from their failures.
7
So now the Democratic Party is joining the never trumpers in order to continue being the republican-lite party - leaving behind blue collar workers and the poor. Good luck with that!
3
Republicans who voted for Trump in 2016 knew who he was and it did not make a difference. The majority of white men and women voted for Trump. A Biden option will not make any difference.
3
Seems like we're ready for a three party system.
4
We desperately need to get back to having "common decency" from our leaders.
Time to find the things that we all have in common, like goodwill toward one another.
Enough with the abuse and denigrating of people.
Vote Joe
3
In 2016 Schumer was recorded saying they don't need sanders voters .They would pick up 2or 3 Republicans for every blue collar democrat they lose. When the progressives don't come out to vote for biden you do know they don't vote for down ticket also right?
Are your new Republican voters going vote blue for governors and congressmen and state ticket. Does it really take me to point this out?
4
Though I doubt the Time will post this, Sanders did a great job of addressing many of the concerns and fears voiced by centrist on FOX (of all places) last night. He comes across well and with a good sense of humor yet maintains the high road and indeed demonstrates a keen mind and a presidential mien.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/10/even-fox-news-audience-agrees-sanders-makes-case-broad-appeal-progressive-ideas-eve
3
I don't think we should be too picky about who the Democratic nominee is. Never Trump does not mean Never Trump except ...
Sitting it out, voting for Jill Stein or your dead gecko, won't do. Otherwise it's 2016 all over again.
Try thinking past the individual candidates. Imagine Biden and Sanders nominees to the Supreme Court. Then imagine Trump's. On board with Blue No Matter Who yet? No? Well go down the list of all Executive branch appointees. Starting with Attorney General. Hope that does it for you. I mean, really, what'll it take?
193
@pi Never Trump does mean Never Trump except Bernie Sanders for many many people I know. They hate Trump and want him gone, but they find Sanders too extreme and scary. There are many former Republicans who are ready to vote Democrat for the first time, unless... This is the reality on the ground in the Midwest battle states that tend to determine the outcome of the general election. Like it or not.
16
@Tracy
Because Trump isn't extreme and scary? Frogs? Boiling water?
Hating Trump is worse than useless - it rots the soul and wears you out. And he's not going away unless you vote him out. Even if you have to hold your nose and jump. But Sanders' ideas are not unknown waters.
Sanders' platform is in the tradition of FDR's New Deal, Truman's healthcare proposals, Eisenhower's tax rates, LBJ's Great Society, and heck, even Nixon's early education and environmental policies.
The Bible calls it the golden rule and the Founders called it civic responsibility; it's doing our fair share to help each other. But Republicans want to terrorize you by calling it socialism. And that's extreme and scary.
15
@Tracy if your friends haven't determined that Trump and the entire Republican party is far more extreme than Sanders, and wouldn't vote for him because he's "too extreme", we will get what we deserve. It would behoove you to explain that Sanders is a "socialist" only in name. In my opinion, labeling himself as such was a huge mistake for that reason alone. People hear "socialist" and that's the end of the conversation. Implore your friends to do even a LITTLE bit of research into Sanders, I'm sure they will find more of a centrist than they think.
2
As a never-Trumper, I would vote for Biden in a heartbeat, and I've talked to a number of friends who feel the same way. While we disagree with Biden on many policy issues, we consider him to be a survivable event, especially with a divided government. A Biden presidency is a small price to pay to eject that clown from the White House.
Bernie Sanders, not so much.
3
I have canvasses a thousand households. I got exactly the opposite feedback. They would never vote for the neoconliberal who created this systemic catastrophe.
5
@Lilly You lost this progressive Democrat at "neoconliberal [whatever THAT means...] who created this systemic catastrophe." Personally, I blame the Sanders supporters who actually voted for Trump out of spite for Clinton's defeat, and the numbers bear me out. If you see no difference between a Trump presidency and a Biden presidency, all I can say is "there are none so blind as those who refuse to see."
Instead of choosing a 'safe' conservative candidate to possibly appease some republicans, shouldn't Democrats worry about appeasing THEIR OWN BASE? Give Bernie a shot! People wanted him in 2016 and they want him now! Going for Biden is gonna be another Hillary. Avid democrats that want to see true progress are gonna stay home.
And enough of these articles repeating constantly that Bernie won't have a chance, you're part of the problem. Its a form of fearmongering that we insult fox news for doing, but here we are.
5
Because these folks (most Americans) don’t want to share their medical services with the destitute unhealthy poor and the barely healthy working poor. If Biden gets the bid, and defeats Trump, the same status quo will hold for four years. No changes. If Bernie is elected, things will change for the better for the poor. If Trump beats Biden, it will be the quickest path to M4A. Because after 4 more years of Trump’s catastrophic leadership, the nation will clamor for Medicare-for-All. It will be called “AMERICARE-FOR-All”. Just for a change!
4
Bringing in crossover moderate Republicans is the single biggest reason for Biden over Sanders. Trump must be defeated in a bipartisan landslide. That is how we firmly reject the politics of division, racism, disrespect, ignorance and lies that he has brought to this country.
Joe Biden is ideal for no one, but acceptable to most everyone. That's what need today.
1
@Mad Moderate
If only that were enough but the mastodon in the room is a massively escalating climate catastrophe which will affect everything, including markets, far more than a corona virus pandemic over the next few years. A dissembling neoconservative invested in fossil fuels may make you feel safer than Trump but that illusion will not last. We need a keen-minded leader with integrity not owned by corporations heavily invested in the toxic status quo. This is no time for cowards or shallow pandering opportunists.
2
A lot depends upon who Biden selects as VP. Amy is the only real choice. Warren is a no go. Sanders, impossible.
2
Of course, they won't. After all they're still Republicans. Biden they can co-opt.
2
Who is the author of this article? Sarah Longwell is the director of the nonprofit groups Defending Democracy Together and Center Action Now, that is a very conservative anti-Trump Republican group. Frankly, I don't care if those people vote for the Democratic nominee or not. Certainly, their opinions should not be factor in the selection of the Democratic nominee! The members of that Republican group are stuck in a dead end! Who cares about their opinions? No Democrats should care: they represent a very tiny group anyway! Democrats should not listen to them. If the shoe was on the other foot, surely they would not listen to us!
3
It doesn't matter who Never Trump Republicans *say* they'll vote for. There was a moderate on the ticket in 2016 and they chose Trump anyway; they'll do it again.
Democrats need to stop chasing Republican votes. For decades, Democrats have tried to win voters from the other side not by convincing them to change positions or arguing for what they believe in, but by adopting the other side's policies with a friendlier face.
The political compass is so skewed in this country nobody can figure out where they're going. The Republican and Democratic philosophies are essentially the same. Their platforms sound different, but we always seem to get the same results no matter who we vote for: the interests of the wealthy totally eclipse the interests of the rest of us.
Biden won't fix this. He'll just make it easy for people to tune out again. That's exactly what the wealthy want. We had a glimpse of a better future, and then the pundit industry used misinformation and propaganda to create a bogeyman where there wasn't one so we'll all be docile again.
Does anyone think Biden will be interested in getting justice for what happened during the Trump administration? Ha!
3
Moderate Democratic candidates are the ones that get elected in Arizona, a red state. John McCain and Jeff Flake Republicans will vote for Biden before they would vote for Trump or Bernie. Governor Doug Ducey, Senate Candidate Martha McSally, and local state Republicans are Trump supporters and loyalists. Arizona Democrats currently face major hurdles put up by state Republicans right now. Gerrymandering, reduction in polling stations, excessive voter identification requirements, proposed laws to limit college students voting rights, you name it, they are doing it. We need to also focus on our local elections as well in November if we have any chance of moving beyond these Trump generated divisive and destructive times.
If everything Obama did was obstructed by the GOP what makes people think that Sanders will, like Trump, dictate and bring about the complete collapse of capitalism?
Government moves slowly (too slowly) and negotiation and compromise are essential. Biden will do fine in bringing both parties some relief from Trump's melodramas. If Bernie gets the nomination, he will also, most certainly do better for America than Trump.
1
All basically true. Most of friends are Republicans or Republican leaning and as far as I can tell there is a considerable level of revulsion against Trump and all his works particularly among female voters. Most of these people would be open to voting for Biden who is seen as a return to normalcy. Not the case with Sanders.
1
"Never Trump" Republicans are Republicans, they will vote for Trump when the cards are down, and will make sure that Republicans maintain control the Senate. Biden voters are comfortable, they just want to get back to normal, but normal doesn't exist anymore. I fear that 4 years of corporate friendly nothingness on climate change, healthcare, and education will lead to a much worse demagog than Trump in 4 to 8 more years.
3
So these Republicans are looking for a Democrat they can trust, a Republican in Democrat clothing. Well they've got one with Biden. Biden has supported cuts to Social Security for 40 years. In 2018 he pushed cuts to social Security to help balance the budget. In '95 Biden supported cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Veterans' benefits. Sounds Republican enough, balancing budgets on the backs of poor old people and those who have fought our wars for us. Can we do anything else for you guys, any other agendas you want us to adopt? Democrats may have gained Republican allies and their coveted votes, but they've lost the whole Bernie crowd.
4
@maureen Mc2 You speak for the whole crowd? Wow.
So it is what it is. Progress for all Americans has somehow become a dirty slogan. They don't want to be a more cooperative society. They disdain Bernie's banner, "Not me, us".
We will see if American individualism wins the day leaving a trail of human misery. Poor health insurance, militarism, tepid environmental and social justice. These words are not abstracts but reflect a whole category of ills that still persist in America.
Mr. Biden wants Jamie Dimon to be Treasury Secretary and will veto Medicare For All if it crosses his Presidential Desk. He supported Trade Bills, not in workers's interest, voted for the Iraq War, and was in favor of later age requirements and cuts for Social Security.
Yes, the hate speech will tone down, but true societal justice will have to wait for another day. He will also not do well in debates with Trump and the retro Republican ads as they drag up every misstep including his plagiarism as a yount politician. The country is in for a rough ride in line with the Pogo Theorem: "We have met the enemy and it is us."
3
I’m one of the independents (former republican) who would vote for for a moderate democrat like Biden. I’ve commented periodically to editorials that progressives like Sanders and Warren are unacceptable to moderates of various stripes and that if pressed we would hold our noses and vote for Trump if the choice was a left wing progressive like Bernie. Many commented back that I was crazy and that no one (even the lost souls who call themselves moderates) other than right wingers would vote for Trump. Well, yesterday I early voted for Joe and now we’ll see. Just in case I’m keeping my nose clip handy.
3
I am a registered Republican but would vote for Biden over Trump. I would vote for Trump over Sanders. From my perspective, the editorial is correct.
3
On the day after Super Tuesday, this (white) evangelical pastor and lifelong Republican made the very first political donation of his life to the Biden campaign. I have always given a candidate's moral character greater weight in the voting booth than their political agendas. In this sense Joe Biden reminds me very much of the great Ronald Reagan.
3
I understand that many people who aren't forunate enough to have health coverage want change, but the money must come from somewhere. Currently, with a $20 TRILLION DEBT and so much infrastructure in disrepair, there is no money available for free health care for everyone, let alone free college for everyone. Sander's dream and sales pitch is unsustainable in 2020 and the immediate 4 years following the election. When a candidate does have a plan to go forth with free health care for all - with a -plan to successfully launch that program - people will be dancing in the streets and nominate that Presidential candidate FOR PRESIDENT and, perhaps, sainthood. That isn't happening here, with Sanders. Biden has the best chance of being the Democratic candidate, and, hopefully,. get Trump from bringing the country down further.
2
USA is a free country and Americans can vote for whoever they want. As an open minded independent, I am not ready to throw a vote against anyone demonized by many, but for someone. I meet brain washed people who do not think for themselves every day who say that they will never ever vote for Trump (DJT) even in an alleged Red state, because of his tweets. I am not big on tweeter and the only time I pay attention is when the tweets are retweeted by the press and the media. Even then I see Tweets as a presidential expression of his thoughts and frustrations. As an American, DJT has every right to freedom of expression but I do not define DJTs presidency by his tweet. I define his presidency by the state of the Union which has been the best it has ever been for millions of our fellow Americans.
Actions speak louder than words and I am not going to be influenced by the words of never Trumpers or DJT haters or DJT lovers. The only way I am going to judge DJT is based on how the state of our Union has been during the 1st term of DJT presidency, which was not the best for me personally but has been for the USA. I have documented that in my book.Also, I do not just say that everything is hunky dory but I bring up what is all wrong in our country and I hope that both DJT and the Dem nominee address those issues and how they will resolve them. I would remain open to whoever articulates their solutions and inspire confidence that they can get it done. Let the best candidate win.
1
Mixed feelings here. For myself Biden's win on Super Tuesday was with a "big sigh of relief". And I will likely vote for him in late March in Georgia's primary. But I'm still nervous for our Democratic Party. Our tent is enormous, so to gather all inside and point them in one direction is nigh on impossible, but they can make adjustments.
One of my sons in his 50's is all in for Bernie, and for good reason. He was hurt terribly by the insurance companies, and close to financial ruin because of a "preexisting condition". And today his insurance premiums are almost beyond reach financially. That's a dilemma many have, and something needs to be done. Bernie is on the right track, but...
We have to beat Trump first. And it appears most Democrats, and now some swing voters believe Joe Biden has the best chance.
I just hope, no matter who gets the nomination, that everyone under that big tent votes for the Democratic nominee.
271
@cherrylog754 Georgia is a state where the governor refused to expand Medicaid or set up an ACA exchange on its own. Biden and a Democratic Congress will help out a lot there.
21
@cherrylog754
I understand the reason people are so passionate about Bernie. It is because they see a possibility that he can save them from their burdensome student debts or health issues causing bankruptcies. If I was in that situation however remote the possibility I might vote for Bernie as well. I think it is the very same reason that blue collar workers voted from Trump, the remote possibility that he will be able to get those manufacturing jobs back to the midwest.
The reality in this case is that even the most moderate of democrats will help people in those situations more than Bernie will, and it has to do with their ability to work with people and pass legislation.
30
@cherrylog754
If we don't defeat Trump, none of Bernie Sanders' grand agenda — or Joe Biden's more modest reforms — will matter.
25
The loud voices on the left and the right get the most attention but most people are in the middle and just want moderation.
277
@Wilson Agreed! Moderation and progress. Moderation and (hopefully) a reduction in this paralyzing polarization.
19
But with moderation we never seem to get any progress.
11
@Paul Moderation requires an ebb and flow back and forth, centering over the midpoint every cycle. This means making some gains and later conceding on other policy fights. But, if the dems pull too far to the left, they should expect the GOP to win the next election and respond in kind by pulling back to the right, and vice versa.
We as a country can't have radical policy implementation in one term and a total repealing of that same policy and a move in the other direction in the following term. We're not a socialist country and we're not a libertarian country, but we've got a bit of leanings towards both, and if one side overreaches, the other will reverse those policies (especially if congress writes a vague law to get it passed and leaves the details up to the executive branch).
2
Bernie has had an influence on the conversation. If he loses tomorrow, he needs to get out immediately—and back Joe Biden. If he damages another Democratic presidential nominee, his name will live in infamy in my house.
447
It's the Democratic establishment and media that will be the cause of Trump winning. They didn't learn from the mistake of railroading Bernie in favor of Clinton. It's obvious that MSNBC and the democratic elite would rather have Trump than Bernie. He's the only threat to the power structure. Biden will lost to Trump.
55
@Mitch Unfortunately you and your ilk have not yet figured it out. When Trump won in 2016 he did it with smoke, mirrors, and lies because there was a large amount of voters who did not want another Clinton in office. When they voted for Trump they were really voting against Clinton and not really for Trump. But over the past 4 years they have found out how bad that decision was. Now they are ready to get him out but not at the price that they believe they will pay if it is Sanders.
The Dems have to capture the middle and hope that the progressives would rather have someone from Obama's sphere of influence and platform than sit it out in protest or write Bernie in. Anything that is not a vote for Biden is a vote for Trump.
120
@Mitch
Sanders supporters can blame the media and the “establishment”—but to win an election you have to get VOTES—from actual voters.
It’s not a conspiracy. Each voter has a choice.
If Sanders can’t get votes from Democrats, most especially from people of color, how can he win in a general election?
163
In reading through the replies to this column, I’m surprised that none have addressed the importance of Biden’s vice-president selection in determining whether he draws the centrist electorate being discussed.
Realism suggests that Biden would only be a one-term President, with his vice-president being the likely leading contender in the 2024 election. Further, given the incredible stresses of the presidency and the accelerated aging it causes, the chances of Biden passing away while in office are not insignificant. In short, these two paths to succession for the VP are many times more likely than in any prior election. So, more than at any time in previous history voters will be casting a vote for what could very likely be the next TWO presidents, one way or the other.
So, how does that affect the likelihood of centrists voting for Biden, as the article suggests? I would suggest that as the reality of the likely succession sinks in, it will take on huge importance. For example, I could never vote for a ticket where the VP was Warren, particularly after she resorted to distortions and innuendo to knee-cap the most qualified candidate EVER (Bloomberg). I similarly would prefer not to have a VP that is devoid of any meaningful executive leadership experience, only holding a legislative role. The Presidency is not a place for executive rookies. Even Obama would have been a much more impactful President if he had first been governor of Illinois or at least Mayor of Chicago.
2
More than anything else, I suspect that most Americans simply want to be able to wake up in the morning and not dread turning on the radio or picking up the newspaper to learn what new, reckless, dangerous, malicious, noxious thing their president has done now.
Undoing the enormous damage Trump and the GOP has unleashed in the last four years will be enough for a new administration. A Bernie Sanders "revolution" simply is not likely to happen if he were to be elected, especially since he is unable to command much support from a Democratic party he has been running against as vociferously as the Republicans.
516
Most Americans wake up wanting healthcare and a living wage and know that the babbling media is just talking about a bunch of rich people debating the best way to crush the working class.
14
@Jay The “Bernie Bro’s” are a blatant example of the free for all nature of the online world. It seems that anyone who questions some of Bernie’s ideas often gets very harsh feedback.
Controlling the campaign’s media presence is a very tough problem that’s not limited to the Sanders campaign. Bernie has said he doesn’t like it but I think more could be done. A clear policy of not condoning aggressive online behavior would be a start.
5
@WTK
So once again the Democratic Party runs another acceptable Republican nominee.
Business as usual; the same ol' same old.
Anyone know who's running 3rd party this year?
5
I am exactly the type of voter the article describes. I voted for McCain and Romney. I voted for Biden last week and vote for him in November if he is the nominee. If Sanders is the nominee, I’ll vote for our family cat instead. Trading one authoritarian populist demagogue for another isn’t going to get my support.
493
@A College-Educated Suburbanite
You and I are probably just a rounding error away from the same center - however, I voted against both those candidates in ‘08 and ‘12. In fact I voted FOR Obama, ..but I will not vote for Sanders.
My family and I helped Biden get his mojo back, and if he is not on the ticket in November, we’ll also vote a write in.
Of course, with the electoral college, it is all a formality and waste of time here in SC, but vote we will.
34
@A College-Educated Suburbanite How is Sanders an authoritarian demagogue? I think people often confuse socialism with the worst cases, like when there are dictators involved (ie: Venezula). Sanders has not done or said one thing to make him seem like an authoritarian. The man just wants people to have access to healthcare like they do in Germany, Sweden or tons of other non-authoritarian countries.
68
If Sanders is somehow the nominee, please vote for him. It is imperative to remove Trump first and foremost.
80
We need two things to put this nation back on track: a Democrat in the white house, and a Democratic majority in the senate.
A Democrat as president alone can certainly help, by getting rid of the unqualified people Trump put in the cabinet and other powerful positions in the executive branch. He can appoint sane, appropriate, experienced, qualified people to take their places. And either Biden or Bernie can, and will, do that much. But, without a Democratic house and senate, no progress requiring legislation will be made. The down-ticket races are key.
556
@Joe Runciter This makes so much sense. Are some voters not understanding how legislation is done?
I am waiting for either of these candidates to start emphasizing the need for a substantially Democratic Congress is as important as their election.
42
@Joe Runciter
Democratic candidates for the House and Senate in purple districts and states are ecstatic that Biden is dominating Sanders. Apparently Steve Bullock in Montana has decided to make a Senate run because he believes a Biden nomination will give him a fighting chance in deeply red Montana.
37
@Joe Runciter
Getting these Republican voters out for Biden practically guarantee s we won't get a Democratic Senate, their down ballot votes will be for Republicans. We'd do better if they all just stayed home.
11
And that is exactly why Biden needs to be nominated... bringing the country together by republicans voting for him is what we dream of... uniting us as much as possible
2
It's an interesting time if the Democrats are now more interested in attracting Republican voters than progressive ones. It may be a winning strategy, but the Democrats need to be aware they risk alienating progressive voters for decades.
@Carl M I think it's about attracting voters, period. What this nation needs is a unifying leader who can move forward on a moderately progressive agenda. Neither the far left nor the far right are going to move us beyond stalemate and polarization.
1
I understand. They just want Republican they can vote for and don't care from which party. So they'll vote for ours, as long as he's Republican enough. And if he wins, the Republican-ization of the party, which began with WJClinto, will be well and truly locked in.
So who are we Democrats supposed to vote for?
2
If this is such a great strategy, where was this moderate coalition for Hillary in 2016? Also, I for one, don't really care what Republicans think about Sanders and Biden.
3
In most European countries Bernie Sanders would be a moderate in the center. The US right wing extremists have managed to drag "center" substantially to the right of center.
576
@Greg We have a very gullible, impressionable electorate here in America, happy to go along. Happy to go to war everywhere, happy to have millions of our citizens who can't go the doctor, happy to step over homeless people in the street.
Easily divided, easily duped.
Short sighted.
Always believing in the myth of that if we could just get past THIS NEXT election, then all will be well once again, and we will return to some mythical time of greatness. Usually reminiscing about the '50s. There is a reason America still has '50s diners. We can't let it go. We can't deal with reality in the modern era.
We are like children.
88
@Greg We have a very gullible, impressionable electorate here in America, happy to go along. Happy to go to war everywhere, happy to have millions of our citizens who can't go the doctor, happy to step over homeless people in the street.
Easily divided, easily duped.
Short sighted.
Always believing in the myth of that if we could just get past THIS NEXT election, then all will be well once again, and we will return to some mythical time of greatness. Usually reminiscing about the '50s. There is a reason America still has '50s diners. We can't let it go. We can't deal with reality in the modern era.
We are like children.
6
@Greg
Even in Europe social democratic parties are on the ropes. Labor in the UK just suffered its worst defeat in nearly a century. The Sozial Democratische Partei in Germany is polls in the 20s. Ditto the Socialists in France. I know history isn't a popular subject with your tribe but the idea that Bernie Sanders would be considered moderate in Europe is not quite as true as you want it to be.
44
I'm not understanding the alternate universe that Sanders' supporters inhabit. Repeating something you want to be true enough times doesn't make it true.
Bernie couldn't beat Biden last week, but he's the only one that can beat Trump? I don't give Trump credit for much but he is surely a person who knows who his real opponent is and he didn't get himself impeached worrying about Bernie.
757
@Morgan
"I'm not understanding the alternate universe that Sanders' supporters inhabit."
In many ways, it's the same universe occupied by Trump's supporters 4 years ago. They feel they were and are losing out; the system is not working for them.
The difference is, Trump was and plainly remains a conman.
Bernie seems sincere.
53
@Morgan I am a Bernie (and Warren) supporter. You are right that Biden is winning the candidacy. So no question about it. I will vote for Biden given the horrible, incompetent alternative on the GOP side.
The thing that really upsets me about Biden's candidacy, however, is that real (and tough) issues are not even on the table -- healthcare, subscription drugs, vanishing wages, increasing role of corporations in government. Biden is just a decent, light Republican who will keep the status quo.
But status quo is (literally) killing us. Bernie (and Warren) were a glimmer of hope in at least bringing up these real issues. Maybe one day, we'll truly discuss substance. Who knows maybe even NYTimes Opinion section will follow the good reporting NYTimes news section is doing on these particular issues.
One day -- hopefully not too distant.
61
@Morgan I'm not understanding the alternate universe where centrist Democrats stand a chance against Trump, because last I checked Dems haven't successfully elected a moderate since Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton beat Bernie, but she didn't beat Trump. I guess how well you do against Sanders in a primary cycle (let alone a single day) isn't exactly indicative of your chances in the general election.
32
Here's a conundrum: is it better for the Democrats to seize the Never-Trump-college-educated-suburbanites who reliably vote or hope that Bernie's purported expanded base young voters and non-voters will turn up at the polls... or, stated differently, is it better for the country to play to reliable voters or to activate non-voters...
1
@WFGERSEN That, quite simply, is what the primary is testing: whether the insurgency strategy or establishment strategy pulls in more voters. I'm afraid the Super Tuesday evidence is predominantly telling us that it's the latter. As an actual Democrat, I've been wishing for a candidate from "the Democratic wing of the Democratic party" for decades. But it's looking again like our only choice is to turn the Democratic party even more into the Moderate Republican Party that the Moderate Republicans haven't had the fortitude to create for themselves.
@WFGERSEN So https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/812486517/bernie-sanders-call-for-young-voters-isn-t-working-out-the-way-he-plannedfar, it's not working out Bernie's way.
2020 primary results early on show that the process needs to be overhauled in the future, with "first in the nation" primary occurring in several representative states at once. Biden's "sudden surge" was that the earlier few primary votes were in small and non-diverse states (Iowa, New Hampshire) that did not represent a nationwide base of support, which Biden has had. Nevada showed Bernie's Latino support, and then South Carolina showed Biden's Af-Am support. Super Tuesday was the first from a truly national and representative group of states, so that Biden's strong national support could finally be demonstrated by voters. Also showed that Bloomberg and Warren do NOT have strong national support, leaving Bernie and Biden as the main candidates.
Food for thought: The D party prefers to draw Republicans rather than Progressives in this election.
What's the difference between them again? Nothing. Biden is Republican lite. War, corporations, banks. Let's not forget that he has no empathy for the young (it's on video!).
3rd party is the way of the progressive future.
2
Bernie Sanders represents what I personally believe is best for America. But I support and will contribute to the Biden campaign. This is a very different election -- one that virtually spells doom for American democracy itself should many of us become complacent. I pray that our Bernie-supporting brethren will see November's election for what it historically will be remembered for and vote Blue no matter who.
8
@Alfred Yul We're not buying it. We are furious at what you did to our candidate. That orchestrated attack. FOX News is the only news organization who called it out and described exactly how it all came down. Bernie or Boycott
The questions facing a lot of if not most Republicans are whether the Republican Party they knew and loved has been lost and can it every be reclaimed from the grip of Trump and his rump core. Given how spineless Republican members of Congress have behaved, where all principles have been cast aside, the answer might very well be yes, it is gone for good and destined to eventually be a ever diminishing force in politics until it fades away like the Whigs. So what do moderate Republicans and center Independents do. In the short term support Biden and work for him to wrestle the levers of power from Trump and hope some of the spineless GOP leaders grow a spine and reinvigorate and rebalance the party. However, moderate Democrats are facing the same threat from the far left with the so called Progressives behaving like Trump's Populist, after all they are two sides of the same coin. So maybe it is time for moderate Republicans and Democrats to come together and form a new party based on common democratic principles and ditch the politics of intolerance and extremism shared by Populists and Extremists. As with anything in politics, its all about timing and it looks like the time is approaching where moderate democratic/liberal people will be ostracized and bullied in their respective parties.
4
@NFirinne My thoughts exactly. A Londoner has more sense than many Americans. Who's surprised?
1
The reason I support Bernie Sanders, as a septuagenarian life-long Democrat, is that I think my party needs a reset to its traditional values of supporting working class people,and a removal of big money and corporate influence in our politics. Now if the Democratic party is starting to worry whether enough Republicans will vote for a Democratic candidate then we are truly lost.You can't beat Trump by wooing Republicans. You need to stand up as progressive Democrat like Sanders or Warren.
7
@James C
I notice these kind of comments from Sanders supporters overwhelmingly seem to come from people in places like Brooklyn, Boston, and Seattle, etc, who are completely out of touch with the political reality of the rest of America.
Yes, you actually can beat Trump by wooing Republicans. That is exactly how to beat Trump. That is the ONLY way to beat Trump.
This is a center right country. There are more conservatives than progressives. There are more Democrats who identify as conservative or moderate than there are Republicans who identify as liberal or moderate. Independent voters have a slightly right lean.
More Americans own homes, have no student debt (or have paid it off), and have private health care than rent, have high debts, or lack health care, so there are more voters who have a stake in the status quo and are motivated to keep it than otherwise.
This is why Democrats have a greater need to reach out to moderates than Republicans do, and a greater need to moderate their policies to mitigate harm to the middle.
This is why Democrats can't even pass progressive laws on things like housing and health care in states like California and Vermont.
This is the numerical and political reality. If you want to win elections, you have to deal with reality, not fantasies.
5
@A F OK. I will vote for Biden if he is nominated (I will hold my nose). But I still will decry the neoliberal influence in the Democratic party. It hasn't gotten us very far with important issues like health care and good paying jobs. Instead we now have "right to work states", etc.
1
@A F
Nothing like CT says you're in touch with the "real America".
Take a walk outside Yale in New Haven and after witnessing all that poverty (that's been there for decades) come back and opine about wealthy those people are.
Slums and homelessness around world-class wealthy private universities are the norm in the US.
1
Agreed Biden is a uniter to them, Bernie too far to the left and a divider.
That is exactly what happened the last time Democracy was under threat from somebody like Trump in the Civil war.
Union democrats, conservative republicans and radical republicans rallied around Lincoln to save democracy.
6
OK, so Biden will get the Never Trumpers.
But who will get the Bernie Bros.? This is an important question as to win, the Democrats need both. In 2016, many Bernie-or-Bust people voted for Trump out of sheer peeve, and many more stayed home. We can't let that happen again.
If Joe Biden gets the nomination, he should immediately show us just how good he is at 'reaching across the aisle' and reach over to the left of the Party and take Elizabeth Warren as his VP.
3
@Jill
Warren is deeply toxic with many centrist voters, including many women. And her voters tend to be rich white ladies in coastal suburbs who will show up to "Vote Blue no matter Who" anyway. They do not necessarily overlap with Bernie Bros.
Former Republicans and moderate voters not only far outnumber the Bernie Bros, they are more reliable voters. They WILL show up to the polls, no matter what. They are also more geographically spread out, in the suburbs and the states that the Democrats need the most.
Biden should choose Klobuchar for his running mate and make a full on play for moderate suburbanites in the Midwest.
4
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to upend the establishment with Sanders, someone whose radical agenda if realized would benefit most Americans as opposed to Trump’s upending which only benefits Trump, his family, and the wealthy.
But any political agenda has to get past Congress and then the Supreme Court now filled with conservative judges. And too many people who vote all the time, consistently in election after election, are existentially afraid of the boogie-man of “socialism.” Not to mention the wealthy and the corporations who will flood millions into Trump’s campaign if Sanders is the alternative.
4 more years of Trump risks a Trump king becoming a literal reality. If you think stop and frisk or any sexist gaffs are bad, a second Trump presidency means far far worse.
Pair Biden with a Stacey Abrams or a Warren, hold Bloomberg to his promise of throwing his money and organization behind any Dem Candidate, and we have a chance of pulling voters away from Trump which is *key* to winning.
Honestly, at this point, that is all that really matters....
.
8
@SMcStormy
No. As one of the center voters described in the article, I can assure you we're no more interested in Warren as VP than Sanders as president. And given Biden's age and health history, that's really an issue.
6
@martin
Which again demonstrates that principle, even bad principle always wins out over opportunism. Corporate Democrats and the managerial class they represent would rather capitulate to republicans in advance than to stand for the ideas they have pandered to their base for decades even as they sold working class and minority people out.
2
@SMcStormy Sanders and/or Warren would negate the appeal of Biden to the overwhelming majority of independent thinking people. People want solutions not ideology. The so called Progressives are hot on ideology of the past but not on pulling people together and addressing the issues of the future. The person who Biden should really consider is Gina Raimondo, a person who seems to be results and future driven and not bogged down by ideological baggage.
2
Exactly the conversation I had with my neighbor just yesterday. She voted for Trump in 2016, but was not very impressed with him once in office. She would never in a million years vote for Sanders but Biden is possible. I pointed out that Biden, unlike Trump, would surround himself with people selected for their knowledge and experience, not personal loyalty. She agreed this is a better way to run a government.
I think Clinton's random comment about" despicables" upset a lot of voters. If we want to get former Trump voters to consider a Democratic candidate, we have to keep an even tone.
9
Biden has not been a terrific presence on the debate stage causing many people to ask if he still has what it takes to be president. I have yet to see that good debate skills translates into good governing skills. Biden may not be a great debater, but he's a decent man who will try to govern a broad coalition rather than his own narrow base. He believes in the institution rather than, like trump, only himself. That's a huge difference.
13
It's not just about Biden or Sanders. It's about who will most Americans would support. Americans across the spectrum. And it's about what you want for America. Four years of strife, stalemate, and further polarization? Sanders = Trump.
No Congress will give Sanders his agenda, and there's no Supreme Court in place to grant it by legislation. A moderate, uniting candidate atop the ticket is the way to assure more moderate candidates might take seats in the House and Senate and have a leader at the top with an agenda to enact. And at least one Supreme Court Justice to nominate.
11
Supporting Bernie was a dream for most of his people, "free" health care, "free" education etc.. and supporting Trump was a dream for the top one percent. Both are fantasies but with Trump being a nightmare for country and world. It must end in November, reason must be returned. Trump out sanity in. This should be the number one priority.
6
America faces two false Prophets, Trump and Sanders. Each promotes fear, radical decoupling of Left or Right-wing policies from grounding in reality. They use a version of hate to arm their political bases with pitchforks. Bernie places his life-long beliefs above country and Trump places himself above all else.
The country needs a leader who is a centrist, will bring the country together, is committed to balancing policies that promote the many while remaining true to the long term system that has made the US the country that it is. We need leadership that can bring the legislative branch back to a level of functioning. Joe Biden is the only person candidate that can win the election and move the disaffected middle away from Trump
15
@Chris The fear of Bernie is that he would help everyone. Americans hate people and they would rather suffer themselves than help the people they hate. Trump promised to help only whites. Biden promises to do nothing and thus keep Trump voters suffering.
As long as Americans are primarily motivated by hate things will continues as they are.
1
Lots of misleading disparagement from the big money corporate media, yet Iin 13 out of 16 states, CNN exit polls show that Bernie Sanders won independent voters who often swing national elections. Exit polls in the states where Americans have voted so far show that Sen. Bernie Sanders is the most popular Democratic candidate among voters who are likely to be considered "swing voters" in November.
And no, Sanders is not running "against the world" or against the Democratic party. He is running against the oligarchs and giant corporations that have taken over our government and both political parties. If you prefer to be a serf without representation than keep believing those memos from corporate and supporting the egotistical conman or hapless, demented stooge. If on the other hand you want a Republic, a say, safer food and water and competent leadership that puts your safety before Wall Street profits in the coming great global upheavals and pandemics, that proven leader is Bernie Sanders. Your future and your children's is on the block this year.
8
@Al M - not surprisingly, a Sanders supports sounds just like a Trump supporter- blame facts on a conspiracy of the media, promote feat that unless you want a terrible future American, you must have a Bernie (Trump) revolution. Fear, hate, fear, hate,...
We need a centrist to beat Trump, to bring the country back together, and to prevent the divisive and false prophet policies of Bernie and Trump.
2
@Al M : No, Sanders is consistent in what he says, but he is not a proven leader at all. And I and many moderate to liberal Democrats take issue with your polarizing tone. If that's not "against the world" or against the Democratic Party, I don't know what is. We need a broad coalition to defeat Trump and his fascist mob, from moderately conservative to far left, the way Macron beat LePen in France. Otherwise you can kiss goodbye to what you still have, such as freedom of speech and your future Social Security and Medicare. You seem to forget that Obama put many environmental protection regulations in place, and that Trump destroys them. It's very dishonest to accuse Obama implicitly of incompetent leadership and inability to protect the environment, and the public from pandemics. It is Trump who disbanded the CDC pandemic response unit, just so you know.
@Al M
Sanders is a non-candidate this cycle because your party is trying to tell you Joe will lose LESS than Bernie would. Bernie Bros will only come out of their basements if there is a fight. They do not believe in voting. Go along with your party and quit fighting the "socialist" fight. Most thinking adults know that is a losing cause.
Sarah's article was great. I have never voted Democratic for President. But in 2016 I could NOT vote for Agent Orange,,, In my heart I knew who he was and what he would be. So, I voted for Weld=Johnson. I wanted to "feel good" about voting "for" some one as opposed to voting "against" someone. If all of us who did this had voted for Clinton, we would not have the current occupant of the White House. I can assure you, that I will vote for whomever the Democrats nominate this time... even if it is Bernie Sanders or were it Elizabeth Warren.Yes, I personally would feel better about Biden... but I would feel WORSE if I did not vote for Sanders and you-know-who is re-elected. Our liberty and freedom is hanging in the balance and people should be asking "whom do YOU want to appoint Justice Ginsberg's replacement?" Whether the nominee is Biden or Sanders there is no other choice.
20
@David Cartwright
"Our liberty and freedom are hanging in the balance"? Really? Where do you live?
That's the kind of over the top rhetoric that's not only untrue, it actually strengthens Trump's base.
Of course this group supports Biden. He's a corporatist just like them. Biden will ensure the ongoing transfer of wealth from the middle-class to the wealthy and support corporate profits over the well-being of human citizens. That is all they care about.
11
@June: Nonsense. Biden would never have implemented the huge tax giveaway to the wealthy that Trump has. You don't have a shred of evidence to support your claim that Biden is just like Trump, or moderate Democrats and Republicans just like far-right Trump supporters.
I still think Joe is no longer sharp enough, has aged not as well as Bloomberg or Sanders. However, my consolation is that this good, experienced man will bring in the best people to his administration and, unlike Trump, will listen to them and go with good advice, including from Obama's administration and possibly even some of the noble Republicans that Trump fired.
19
Sure, Sarah. Let's defend "democracy" together. Let's never elect people who are too far from the center, who want to overhaul our tax, educational and healthcare systems and promote equality. Let's never elect a candidate with a fire in his or her belly that spurs them on to help those in need. Let's always just vote for someone who knows how to play it right down the middle, appealing to most in a tiny way but without any intentions of addressing our growing problems and doing something meaningful for the country. This is called status quo politics, and I'm not having any of it. I want Trump out. I want him out in a really big way. And then I want a revolution.
10
@Kris: Trump has been revolution enough for me for the rest of my life. The majority of Americans do not want revolution. The only way to get Trump out in a really big way is to vote Blue, no matter who. A third party vote or sitting out the election will only serve Trump.
4
@Anna F The majority of Americans don't know what they want until it becomes a trend. However, I agree that the only priority in this election cycle is getting rid of Trump.
@Kris
I have a mortgage, a marriage, and three kids. My husband and I have made good choices, played by the rules, and worked hard to build a middle class life.
No, we do not want a "revolution" upending everything we have worked for and throwing our lives into economic chaos. We don't want our taxes skyrocketing, our health care becoming rationed and unpredictable, or our school district and neighborhood getting disrupted. We don't want to shell out half our income in taxes like my cousins do in Scandinavia, which would force me back into the workforce and and my children into "government regulated" childcare.
We have no problem supporting things like schools and roads and public safety, but when it comes to our personal lives we prefer to make our own choices with our own money.
You can keep your revolution.
2
I suspect that never Trump Republicans who think Bernie Sanders represents the revolutionary left happily voted for Gingrich's "Republican revolution" in the 1990s or would have done so if they were old enough to vote then. After that, they certainly tolerated the Tea Party people. At best, they simply want to be a more discretely Confederate party; hence their Federalist Society, with its Confederate judges.
New Deal policies are not radicalism. Right-wing reactionary destruction of the government is. The Republican party has been promoting that radicalism for many years.
20
Maine is a closed primary state. In several communities, upwards of 30% of Republican voters left their primary ballot blank. Part of this same trend? One can hope.
5
I have just one thing to say to progressives who say they won't vote for Biden and to centrists who say they won't vote for Sanders: if you don't show up in November and vote for every single democrat on the ballot (no matter who it is) you will be aiding and abetting the destruction of our democracy.
Maybe someday there will be an another party that is potentially worth voting for (I sincerely hope there is), but that day is not today. For better or worse, in 2020 the Democratic party is our only hope.
38
Over the past several months, the conservative Op-Ed columnists of the Times, Brooks, Douthat, and Stephens, have been relentless in their attacks on Bernie. These men are representative of the "Never Trump" Republicans who have been trying desperately to remake the Democratic party into the GOP of their dewy-eyed youth, because they are now outcasts from the insanity that is Trump's party. It's as if you brought a homeless person into your house, and they immediately began redecorating, throwing out pieces of furniture you've treasured for years, but instead of chairs and tables they're chucking, its fundamental Democratic tenets. Courting Never Trump Republicans will continue to turn the Democrats into precisely what they should not be, a reincarnation of the pre-Reagan GOP, the time when Biden's neurons froze into their present state, so he should feel right at home. The rest of us, not so much.
16
@stan continople Sarah's article is not an "attack on Bernie." It is a recitation of data. Pointing out that (A) there is no progressive majority or plurality in the US, (B) many Sanders proposals are rejected by a majority of voters Democrats must have in November, and (C) a big, receptive cohort of moderate Republicans will vote for Biden but not Sanders is not an "attack." Them's the facts.
8
@TomF
It's biased data cherry-picking at your expense and mine. If we are unable to vote rationally for our own interests, maybe we deserve to collapse into a failed, over-armed banana republic.
@TomF
Facts? Really. Sarah Longwell is Direc tor of Defending Democracy Together as the subhead says. Turns out that's a very conservative lbbbying group started by Wm Kristol and Linda Chavez. Think she's not spinning here. Think again. This is an attack ad against Bernie, saying he can't win so you will not vote for him or better stay home if he's the nominee. Never Trumpers turn out to be just mini-Trumpers. I don't vote on who is "electable" but who is gonna work on the two issues that threaten democracy: income and opportunity inequality and global warming. The person who is most electable will be known after the election. Before, nobody knows. In 2016 all the "experts were wrong. BTW getting the endorsement of the NYTimes looks a lot like the kiss of death.
From the beginning My gut told me Biden is best suited to beat Trump. Then came some pretty feeble debate performances, a lack luster campaign, and of course some gaffes.
But Joe found his footing while others have found Joe. The data collected from the open primary states is indisputable and most welcome. It confirms what many like me have believed and/or hoped for from the start. That Biden not only will beat Trump, but beat him badly enough to thwart Trump’s inevitable temper tantrum when he is proclaimed the loser.
Biden’s candidacy will also pull levers for down ballot Democratic candidates perhaps winning control of the Senate and strengthening the more moderate voices in the House, thus lessening the need to bend and bow to the ultra-left wing of the party.
As the goal of a Biden administration is to get things done and done quickly, control of the chamber free of radicals whether right or left, will be essential.
These numbers, in particular the voter turnout figures are inspiring. And frankly, I can use a little inspiration right now.
23
Next up: ‘Never Trump’ Republicans Will Support Biden, not Sanders, but only if promises to be a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-tax president.
10
@Boris Actually, the never trumpers are fairly centrist on social issues such as abortion and guns. Taxes, well they like them low, but it is hard to go much lower on the 1%. This is the winning coalition and won;t it be nice to have decency in the white house.
All the way from here, the numbers for most reliable and to be trusted...of any candidate so far, is Bernie. (Gallup,Morning consult). Number one most liked Senator in the Congress....Bernie. So, investigative journalism might open the door to a different approach. I would not try to change you or anyone else.
We all need to breathe. Chosing candidates for clean, breathable air, and reduced fear, hatred, anger, and delusion is a present possibility lacking in dimension in our past..
4
"But even among many Trump voters, when asked how they feel about the direction of the country, they share a deep sense of concern for the politics of division in America. Even if they are largely satisfied with the economy, they tag Mr. Trump as the country’s foremost political arsonist.
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”"
Sorry, but the quote proves that it's those "Never Clinton" voters who sowed the division in this country, by voting for the man who showed them who he is the day he descended the escalator in Trump Tower with paid actors clapping.
What did Secretary Clinton ever do do deserve the "radical" stamp? Her policies were to the right of Biden's! The "center-right" coalition may include many decent former Republicans who don't like the radical right shift of their party, but that shift wasn't even mentioned in this article. Just buyer's remorse with Trump. Those former Republicans who "just don't like" Trump, will happily turn against the Democrats next time a McCain comes around and spout all the negative rhetoric of a Jennifer Rubin, who tirelessly slandered Obama, now slanders Trump, and will go back to slandering the Democratic President should he be elected, once Trump is removed. What I'd like to hear is how this "powerful coalition" changed their minds about the extreme anti-science, anti-empathy, anti-government, anti-women's rights agenda of the Republican Party as a whole.
7
@BettyK
I am a loyal Democrat who voted for HRC.
However, I understand the antipathy. Her continuing presence is a gift to the Trump base.
3
I am one of the independent voters that has elected to support Biden but will not support Sanders. I will vote 3rd Party again if he is the nominee. I hope that Biden is the nominee as I believe he can win and get something accomplished. Only time will tell.
5
What will he get accomplished? He voted for the war in Iraq, he belittled Anita Hill and helped Clarence Thomas ascend to the Supreme Court, he counseled Obama against fighting for healthcare, and he supported a draconian bankruptcy bill while receiving campaign contributions from credit card companies. So this is who moderates want?
@naidipuz Every human life has a narrative, and I doubt Biden would make any of those choices today. I think he has moved a lot further to the left — thanks in no small part to Bernie. Just look at his platform.
I hope fervently that Biden wins the nomination and then the presidency. But I’ll have to vote for Sanders if he wins. Meanwhile, I wish he and his team would stop the lies and misleading ads about Biden, but I’m not surprised that they’re stooping low. They did the same in 2016.
7
This is precisely the kind of support Biden will draw that will leave the Left out in the cold if they sit home for the general election if Biden is the candidate. The truth is, BIden can win without the Left by drawing moderate Republicans and centrist independents to replace them. The Left can stay home on Election Day, sulking in their tent like Achilles, but will then have no place at the table.
11
Well of course the will (I'm temped to add "Captain Obvious) the current Democratic Party should be called the Republican Light Party. And Biden is the perfect standard bearer.
Bernie Sanders is the FDR of today and the Democratic party hates it.
16
FDR of today under which metric? He has utterly failed to unite the party behind him, even as a frontrunner and has no legislative accomplishments to speak of
23
@jbraudis - Your mouthing the Berners’ latest ridiculous comparison. Bernie is not anything like F.D.R. F.D.R. was able to negotiate and, if necessary, compromise. He actually did more than run his mouth. He didn’t attack Democrats.
If Biden is going to win this thing, he really, REALLY needs to focus on universal healthcare coverage. This election can’t be just about not being Trump, as appealing as that might be.
Americans are ready for a real health care system. People can see with their own eyes what other countries are doing, and we’re all tired of the threat of bankruptcy that accompanies every serious illness in America.
In this, Biden needs to take a lesson from Bernie and start talking turkey.
Just grinning and blowing it off as too expensive isn’t going to work anymore.
12
To all the people saying they world vote for Trump over Sanders: seriously?
One is a would be autocrat who has corrupted everything he can get his hands on, attempted to weaponise the justice system and done probably permanent damage to the rule of law and our democracy.
The other one is a bit further left than you’d like, but is clearly going to have to water down his agenda to get any of it through Congress. And he has at least shown that he’s committed to basic democratic norms and ethical principles.
I am liberal but not a Sanders voter. But if it were him vs Trump, I would vote for him in a heartbeat. I would also vote for Mitt Romney, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Howard Dean, any Republican willing to actually uphold the Constitution, or my cousin with no political experience whatsoever.
We have to get our priorities straight here. Sanders, for all his talk of revolution, is committed to a functioning democracy. Trump couldn’t care less. We should all be single-issue voters on this one.
17
@Elle - It’s the Berners who, some of them, say they won’t vote for Biden.
One of the Congresswomen who flipped a seat in Pennsylvania previously ran in a race for an office where she could and did crossfile as both a Democrat and a Republican. In Pennsylvania school board candidates can crossfile on theory it will make that race and that office less partisan. I know Mary Gay Scanlon crossfiled in her first unsuccessful 2005 school board race because everyone crossfiled that year. Which is why the League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County (PA) had a Wallingford Swarthmore School Board candidates debate in the primary (normally LWV doesn't get involved until the general) and why my mother (then president of the chapter) dragged me to the debate. I have no idea if Congresswoman Scanlon cross filed in her more successful school board races in 2007 and 2011. But my point is some of the people who flipped seats have appeared on both Democratic and Republican ballots. Scanlon has part of South Philadelphia in the new 5th district so her mostly Delaware County (a suburban county) seat is pretty safe, but Conor Lamb in Western PA, Susan Wild in Allentown or even Chrissy Houlahan in Chester County could be vulnerable with Bernie at the top of the ticket in a way that they aren't with Biden.
None of Bernies proposals would ever make it through Congress. We need a fix and he dreams big but doesn't consider the fallout. One step at a time. We were getting there with Obama and Biden. Time for a change back to normal.
20
Biden argued against pursuing the Affordable Care Act at the time. Obama ignored his bad advice.
@karen
Reminds me of playing with my grandchildren. One mouse step forward,; three elephant steps backward. Where are we getting? Enough of the mice and the elephants! We need a stubborn donkey who keeps moving ahead.
1
@karen
Obama and his corporate-coddling weak tea was the overwhelming disappointment that gave us Trump. Now Biden is promising more of the same and branding it as "decency". Don't even bother fastening your seat belts because we're not going anywhere with him at the helm.
Why would anybody want to vote for Bernie Sanders? He is a politician who claims that if only people elect him there will be medicaid for all, no college debt, and a living minimum wage. First of all, he is hardly the first person to suggest any of these policy ideas. Secondly, he makes it seem that these policies will be enacted if he is elected President. Thirdly, he believes that the path to such election is the touting of these policies. In the first case, he steals ideas without giving credit to the originators of these. In the Second case, he forgets to tell us that he would not just have to have a Democratic Congress but a left wing Congress in agreement with these policies. In the third case he is being dishonest about the electoral math. In all three scenarios, he and his followers demonstrate qualities that are similar to Trump's supporters: blame the establishment, blame the mainstream media, diminish and degrade those who do not agree with him. The tone of political discourse will not change if we exchange Sanders for Trump. Nor will ethics in politics change. Sanders, I am sure, believes what he says - unlike Trump who says things for political gain. But, in not being brutally honest about the likely passage of his proposals during his term as President, his effect on the people is the same: an unaware and blinded con job is still a con job. As a politician he should know that and be honest with the people.
24
“I alone can fix it” was what Trump said in 2016 at the RNC. Bernie Sanders subscribes to the same mantra
1
I know at lot of folks (especially woman) who fit this analysis. They generally vote republican but are really turned off by Trump. They don’t love Biden but at least he would be a return to some sanity, decency and competence. And these people always vote.
22
Wow, this analysis is spot on, and backed up with hard data. Thank you!! My spouse and I definitely fall into your target demographic. We will gladly vote for Biden, but sadly vote for Trump to avoid Bernie Sanders. Our favorite was Buttigieg, and that’s who we donated a ton of money to. But Biden is a good second choice. We’d have voted for Bloomberg as well. But never Sanders. Never.
28
We need two things from these homeless Republicans that need some space in the big tent: 1. Don't pull the party to the right. That happened for 40 years and it's ruining the country. 2. Stay until the Republican Party learns it has to change. Hanging around for one election will do nothing.
Do that, and someday we will once again have a responsible center-left and center-right two-party system.
9
@Roarke, who says we need to keep a two-party system? Why not just send Sanders and his ilk to the DSA, Democratic Socialists of America, and let them become the far left third party? Let the Democratic Party evolve into a centrist party that represents the vast majority of the citizens. Leave the GOP for the far right. I am tired of being in a never ending game of political ping pong. Other countries are not tied to a two party system, why should we be?
10
To make that work we either need to go to ranked choice voting or to a parliamentary system where coalitions are possible.
In our current system, votes for a third party are wasted.
13
DSA doesn't work that way. It was founded back in the 1970s and the whole point was that it is a vehicle for change inside the Democratic Party. DSA folks aren't interested in being a third party.
So we will get more of the same but this time it will be branded with a different letter.
This ISN’T a popularity contest. We're talking about the future of this country. An election isn't the same thing as having a vision to fix what's wrong.
12
That’s why I will never vote for Biden. He thinks small, and in terms of the corporate elite who have their hands in his pockets. We have BIG problems that require large solutions.
Bernie 2020
4
@CaliNative: If Biden becomes the nominee and you don’t vote for him, that’s a vote for Trump. Fortunately, that doesn’t count in Blue California.
@Larry L Are you seriously equating Joe Biden with Donald Trump?
But where is the center?
Is a centrist for fiscally sound Obamacare with a public option; renouncing the tactics of Gingrich and McConnell; federal taxes at around Clinton era levels plus the Obamacare taxes and Bloomberg’s tax on financial transactions; reinvigorating antitrust and restraint of trade enforcement, particularly in the labor market; controlling costs at public universities and looking at how the Germans control medical costs; and looking at domestic and military spending with the sensibility of Eisenhower?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chance_for_Peace_speech
Or is a centrist for the status quo after Reagan and before Trump?
11
#1. Remove Trump from office. #2. Pass progressive legislation (including restoring the path to carbon reduction, universal healthcare, immigration reform). In That Order. Bernie is all about #2, but he can't do #1. Biden is all about #1, and he can sign bills supporting #2 passed by Bernie and Elizabeth and Kamala and Amy and Cory. Bernie's all about getting #2 just right, but can't seal the deal on #1.
18
No surprise amidst all this that RT and Putin’s other tools have been so actively shilling for Sanders. They see that Sanders as the D nominee maximizes Trump’s re-election chances, and they’d like nothing more, for far too many obvious reasons.
I think this analysis is spot on about 2018 and 2020 turnout to date. I expect in 24 hours we’ll be reading about how much more inevitable Biden’s nomination is.
I also think the D VP choice will provide either comfort or worry for potential D voters. Face it, anyone in the general will old enough that the VP pick and succession will be on voter’s minds (and, likely in the media). Going through the D women in the US Senate, Tammy Duckworth looks to me like the most formidable VP choice. I don’t think DJT or Rush or Hannity or FN can smear her successfully. Tammy Baldwin is a possibility too.
Who in the heck is going to be a helpful VP pick for Sanders? Without an in-party constituency and given that he’s demonized the D establishment, who is going to run by his side? Warren? She’d be wonderful in a debate about Pence but she’s been tagged by conservative media and Trump for months.
If Biden builds enough of a delegate lead, he’d do well to make his VP pick sooner rather later (and I think doing so would expose Sanders’ lack of legislative partners (were that he were elected).
10
Then they're not really anti-Trump, are they?
They should have stayed in their own party and used their influence to reform it instead of trying to remake the Democratic Party in their own image.
23
Exactly! Trump is squatting on the Republican Party. They have no voice or power there. Whether it’s four more of Trump or the only Democrat they’ve ever liked, Joe Biden, it really doesn’t matter - they are busy consolidating their power within the Democratic Party, a remarkably comfy place for the average Republican.
6
Thanks for this excellent piece. Here in liberal Ann Arbor, I live in a ypical neighborhood that is about 50/50 Democrats and Republicans. We have an open primary and, unlike 2016, my sense from my neighbors is that many Republicans will be voting on Tuesday for Joe Biden to be the Democratic nominee so that they can vote Trump out. These are people who mostly voted for Trump in 2016, but had early cases of buyer's remorse. This means that Biden will get major support in towns like Grand Rapids, a traditionally Republican place.
This is on top of what is already expected to be 2018 election level turnout among rank and file Democrats and Independents. The voters least likely to vote are students and other young voters, as has been the case in primaries elsewhere thus far and is usually the case most years. In 2016, perhaps more than elsewhere, these young Michigan voters were voting the hatred of Hillary Clinton promoted by Sanders.
The key is that a broad coalition of voters are very engaged and will swamp the Sanders vote. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press polls are more plausible than others. Both have Biden in front by over 25%, which I think is low. The News shows Sanders a bit better off than he has been for a long time -27%-- but Biden skyrocketing to 51%. The Target/Insyte poll looks the most plausible, with Sanders at 24% and Biden at 65% after Harris and Booker endorsed Biden.
MI voters are also mindful of Fl, where Sanders is at 12% and not yet viable.
15
@SineDie
Typical neighborhoods in Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor area) are not 50/50.
Bernie walloped HRC by ten points in the 2016 primaries. Even on the Republican side, which drew only about half of the number of Dem voters, centrist Kasich beat Trump handily by six points.
Ann Arbor is a leftist haven full of academics. In the general election, HRC got 67.59 percent. Trump got 26.64 percent. https://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/electionreporting/nov2016/index.jsp
You are in a bubble, SineDie, along with the big little city of New York. Enjoy your imagination until the bubble pops again in 2020.
@Dave Oedel Dave, what you have in common with other Bernie Sanders people: you think you know everything, but you don't. Ann Arbor had a Republican Mayor for over a decade when the place was the "leftist haven" of your imagination.
Your comment is ill-informed and disingenuous.
“I didn’t vote for Donald Trump,” they explain. “I voted against Hillary Clinton.”
That, of course, is a ridiculous cop-out. We get to choose between two candidates, one of which will become president. A vote for one = a vote against the other, and a vote against one is a vote for the other. If they voted against Clinton, they preferred that -- and helped -- Trump become president. It may make them feel better to say that they didn't vote FOR Trump, but that's what they did. And if they now say they could vote for Biden but not for Sanders, they're saying they'd prefer Trump to Sanders. Given what we know about Trump, that says a lot about these so-called "Never Trumpers" -- and what it says is not flattering.
20
@Mike
It’s a cop out, but it’s reality. People are not always rational.
@Mike In my book, it’s not just a cop-out, it’s a lie. The ballot gives you a choice of names, and you have to pick one. They might tell themselves that they voted “against” someone, but the only question that matters is this: What did it say next to the box you ticked?
The past few weeks have shown that anything can happen and all the pundits and prognostications can't keep up. So, just to spice up the conversation a bit more..
If the coronavirus takes out Trump and Pence, guess who moves into command?
Yep, President Pelosi.
Stay tuned folks.
10
@Jay Don’t get your hopes up. Trump has next to no public engagements and he’s a well-known germophobe, which ironically puts him in a very good position on this front.
@Jay
And she, at her age, is immune to the virus???
@JK
Doesn't matter, he's already been exposed.
Simple thesis: If you polled every down ballot Democrat candidate (from Senate to City Council), who would you want at the top of the ticket- Bernie or Biden?
I'd be surprised if Bernie got 10% of the vote; and those are from places where Dems will win anyway.
16
Trump doesn't need the never trump republicans to win. He proved that in 2016.
8
@Jstring No he didn't. That was before the full horror of his "leadership" was revealed to some.
@Jstring That was before he showed everyone who he really is. 16,000+ lies, corruption, horrible rhetoric day after day, his campaign staff in prison--the list is extremely long.
His lack of leadership on the economy during the Coronavirus & oil plunge also prove he isn't the outstanding leader he claims to be.
It is early, but the "Biden coalition" might be most likely to flip Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina to win more than Wisconsin, Florida and Arizona. The latter three have much more of a self-selecting anti-tax population.
3
@Alan Michigan is solidly Biden at this point and so is NC.
Biden is running to the left of Obama. Calling Biden a "centrist" will only enrage people who consider themselves Progressive.
8
@Far Left Dude They'll get over it. And in many states, like New York and Maryland, it makes no difference whether they do or not.
@Far Left Dude, Biden is not a progressive, for sure! Being a progressive who has never voted for a Republican, I recognize a progressive when I see one! Biden is Republican-like! If you study seriously his life, his speeches on YouTube and Internet, you will notice that
1) He is a pathological liar:he lied about his academic records, he lied about Social Security and Medicare, ..., etc. Recently, he lied that he was attacked in Africa!
2) He plagiarized many speeches from many people, got caught and has to stop his campaign in disgrace in 1988
3) He terribly treated Anita Hill, a distinguished woman who was telling the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth
4) He was a strong opponent of abortions for women
He is dishonest and has no integrity !!!He cannot be trusted! I don't understand that the Democratic Party and Establishment bets the house on him! More than risky! The Trump campaign will destroy him at the first debate or even before! Honestly, the guy cannot be defended!!! He is weak and vulnerable! He has so many "skeletons" in his closet (go to YouTube, Google Internet, check "Current Affairs"excellent in-depth study by Nathan J. Robinson on Internet and also on video on YouTube, check "RealClearPolitics" video on Biden's plagiarizing and academic record lies!
One would think that the Democratic Party would have learned a lesson from 2016's election! No! The Democratic Party does not want to hear anything, does not want to see anything!
There are "never Biden" folks who support Bernie. I'm one. I guess you all, looking for that nonsensical quality, electability, will have to decide whether the "never Trump but Biden ok" is bigger than the "never Biden but Sanders ok" group.
I'll vote for the candidate who best shares my values, Bernie, and has done so all his political life.
I won't vote for a corporate politician, Biden, who has spent his political life promoting unnecessary wars, willing to compromise Social Security and Medicare, favoring credit card companies over debtors, willing to compromise racial integration, willing to send US jobs out of country.
If Biden is the Democratic candidate, it's 3rd party for me.
14
@Steve C Wake up. You do realize that voting third party is voting for Trump. That is what helped to get him elected last time. Is sharing your values more important than accomplishing something? You might want to explain how Sanders will actually accomplish his objectives. Of course if you are in Idaho your vote doesn't matter in a practical sense since Trump already has Idaho locked up even if the virus completely devastates the US. So I suppose you can go off and feel morally superior. But those in swing states cannot do so without having a major effect.
10
@Steve C
A vote for a third party, in those states where the margin is razor thin, is a vote for Trump
@Steve C Which is exactly why Bernie does not deserve the nomination. He and you are not Democrats and cannot be trusted. Sanders is gone. He's already toast. But unlike in 2016, we don't need you and as a group you are much smaller than you were four years ago. You have been replaced and then some by moderates who for whatever reason, found Clinton unacceptable. Young people aren't turning out in droves for Bernie. They had the sense to move on. Biden can beat Trump and Sanders never had a prayer. He's not a politician. He's a human vacuum cleaner. Just noise.
1
Never Sanders. He won’t win and won’t get anything done.
24
If Biden 'can do', why he had had it done when he was VP?
the hope that any republican 'never trumper' or otherwise will support a democrat in november is a false hope. that hope was proven false in 2016. many republicans are voting for sanders because they believe he is the weaker candidate against trump in november with his 'socialist' agenda.
7
@observer This piece was written by a never trumper. Tune into The Bulwark podcast. There are never trumpers out there, but more importantly there are lots of independents who would perhaps vote for Trump vs. Sanders, but Biden vs. Trump. For most Americans, it's a long walk to socialism.
2
I’m a ‘never trump’ voter. I had zero problem voting for Clinton in 2016 and went straight ticket blue in 2018 as a rebuke to the GOP for becoming a Trump worshipping cult. I’ll happily vote for Biden but if Sanders wins the nomination, I’ll hold my nose and vote for him. Is this true of other NTs? I don’t know but I hope so.
5
No, it was not “proven false in 2016.” A lot of people believed that Trump would become presidential once elected, and they have now seen that was wrong. There is no past voting data to refute the fact that so many Americans are disgusted by what this man has done in office.
A rupture in the Democratic party has been caused by Sanders. But he's not the only politician to have discovered this country's great disparity in wealth and how it's been eating away at the fabric of our ever-poorer middle class. It's been an open issue for at least two decades. Warren Buffett has often said that his federal taxes should not be levied at a lower rate than the payroll taxes paid by his secretary. He's right about that and many other billionaires agree with him.
Achieving economic justice in this country doesn't require a revolution led by Sanders or any other self-styled democratic socialist such as Ocasio-Cortez. But it does require cooperation from both sides of the aisle and a commitment by those in power to finally address the problem head on.
Now Sanders and many of his supporters are once again threatening to blow up the Democratic party (and with it the country) if they don't get to shove their radical agenda down our throats. At this point I suspect the majority of Democrats are likely to be so fed up with their extortive tactics that seeing the backs of them would actually be a relief.
Perhaps there's finally a chance for voters who lay between Trumps' and Sanders' extremes to join together not only in this election, but in others as well. Sanders' and his most belligerent supporters will hopefully pick up their marbles and go home to the Socialist party they really belong in and the rest of us in the center will be able to got on with it.
15
Politicians of both parties had years of chances to work cooperatively to improve lives of millions. They decided not to do so. Suddenly, they are all about people. I guess Sanders scared them well.
12
@yulia That is an exaggeration bordering on a lie. One word: Obamacare. You might have heard of it. It’s the last sane President’s signature project to expand healthcare to tens of millions of previously uninsured Americans and it got so much opposition across the country that it passed by one vote and the nation flipped the House to Republican at the first opportunity afterwards. But despite nearly a decade of first the Republican dominated Congress and now the Trump administration routinely and repeatedly attempting to undermine it, it stands. For the moment.
There is *one* party, that tries to improve the lives of millions and one party that uses all its inflated power to either stop the others outright or at least make them fight for every inch.
Anyone who claims sweeping changes are even in contention clearly ignores the lawmaking realities (and the inevitable mid-term backlash); voting for someone who is prepared to fight for the next few inches - and will actually gain them in the process - is not as futile as the “all or nothing” supporters claim.
1
@Cordelia
This is fascinating. Sanders isn't even a member of the Democratic party. Why let him disrupt it at all.
There are many voters who would vote for Biden and not Sanders in the general. There are also clearly many voters who would vote for Sanders and not Biden. The author's chosen focus on relatively affluent center-right suburban voters can only ever account for one side of the equation.
We know that Biden inspires almost no one under 40. We know that he is the latest in a long line of centrist insiders with decades of baggage. We know that there have been plenty of previous nominees who fit that description. We know that all of them have lost.
We already know Trump's campaign against Biden. Trump will not hesitate to outflank Biden to the populist left and right. He will call Biden a globalist, an elite, a swamp creature. He will successfully turn the campaign into a referendum on Biden's obviously declining mental capacity. Biden will talk about character and honesty. It won't matter.
We can imagine a very different campaign with Sanders, one that animates the youth, that speaks directly to the needs of poor and working people and arrests their drift away from the Democratic Party and into the arms of Trump.
In fact, this primary is about more than which of the two remaining candidates is better equipped to take on Trump - although (as polls suggest) the answer is Bernie Sanders. It's also about whether the Democratic Party will remain the party of the poor and the working class, or whether it will become the party of professional educated Republicans in suburban Virginia.
14
@Bluelotus Perhaps, but there should be no-one that will vote for Sanders but not Biden. That is a completely self-defeating approach that can only help Trump and reduce the likelihood that policies they support will be passed, and judges that they prefer will be appointed.
Are those that would have voted for Sanders in 2016, but instead voted for Trump and won him the election, now happy with the result???
16
@Steve Nelson I can see hundreds of thousands of voters promised tens of thousands of dollars in debt relief not showing up. Same with people who thought they would get free healthcare and prescriptions. For the young and poor, they will see no reason to stand in line or mail in a ballot that will do nothing to improve their life, in their opinion. A lot of voters will flip the bird to Democrats who chose Biden as their only option for change.
7
They may not happy with the results now, but would they be happier with Clinton in the WH? They believe not. So why should they vote for the candidate that will not make them happy? To please Dems? If for them there is no difference between Trump and Biden, they may as well vote for Trump to punish Dems for treating their candidate so badly.
5
No offense, but Sanders says he will be the last man standing after the next debate.
4
@Jay
The irony in your statement is that the DNC, doing Biden's bidding, is seeking to have the candidates seated, while the Sanders campaign wants them standing as in the past. I guess Biden looks less worn out when he's sitting.
Never trump supporters will support trump. Let’s just be clear about that.
8
@BBB
I agree, although the 5 or so who need jobs as pundits on "liberal" national media might be very convincing as "Never Trumpers."
2
@BBB They certainly will if Sanders is the nominee.
This is not a time to attempt to break the "cycle of social disenfranchisement", whatever that really means; don't you get it?
We are, instead, engaged in an attempt to head off the worst crises that has existed in our government in several generations, i.e., what will happen to our country--for real--if Trump is reelected-which is a distinct possibility. Even if Biden is the candidate, it will be a rough go to prevent the disaster-with-unimaginable-ramifications that would result from a Democratic loss, again. Trump his strong, virus or not.
Sanders is a disaster waiting to happen; he cannot win the majority. He has already lost the support of the majority of bona fide Democrats. Meanwhile, the Republican knives are sharpened, the mines are laid, and the dismembering of Bernie is a given. A fact. None of us has ever seen what is waiting to be deployed. The public is divided along tribal lines, and ignorant about how things actually come to pass. And angry about why their lot has not improved. Someone--a leader--has to assert calm and rational reassurance.
It has to be Biden, with as close to a landslide as possible to cancel the all-but-sure attempt by Trump, et al, to challenge the validity of the election if it fails to reelect him. Biden is the closest thing to a unifying entity as there is likely to be at this time.
Bringing on board dissenting (or just bailing) Republicans is not caving on Democratic principles--it is what successful campaigning used to be about.
15
So the headline says “never trumpers” then the article says these suburban women wouldn’t identify as never trumpers.
Anything for free press for Biden?
It’s not that there aren’t people—republican or Democrat— who would vote for Biden but not Bernie, it’s just that the opposite is also true.
I really wish people would stop trying to persuade us with these hypotheticals, on one side or the other, and encourage people to vote for who they believe in rather than who is most electable, since it’s clear—has always been clear—that no one knows.
9
The Sanders campaign would have no legs at all but for pandering to young people on their very real problems with the high costs of education and student loan debt. If Biden gets the nod and gets elected, the Democrats need to address those problems.
4
@Carl - - - How about billing the colleges where these debts were accumulated for their percentage of covering the debts?
2
@L osservatore Fine with me. I'd also go for changing the law so student debt could be discharged in bankruptcy.
3
Take the headline, replace "Biden" with "Clinton" and we essentially have what constituted the 2016 democratic primaries. That didn't stop Trump from winning and it won't stop. The time of moderates is over. The time of populism is upon us. Pick the one you like - Trump's version or Bernie's version.
18
@Jagdeer Haleed The large increase in primary turnout compared to 2016 says otherwise. The upcoming primary state to watch is Michigan which Sanders won in 2016 only due to low voter turnout. If he wins again we should be very afraid regardless of eventual nominee but if the trend continues in the pattern of 2018 and the Super Tuesday primaries there can be no comparison as you described.
12
@Jordon Not to mention, Hillary did not lose because she was a moderate. She lost because she was Hillary Clinton and rightly or wrongly because of the baggage that comes with being Hillary Clinton and 30 years of the public being told what she was. Everybody likes Joe. There is no comparison with 2016. Sexism also turned out to be a much bigger problem than racism ever was. Bernie's share of the electorate is tiny (really loud but tiny), way smaller than 2016. Add to that Warren will not endorse him (she cannot stand him) and he's toast already. For every reaction . . . The pendulum is about to swing back.
@Jagdeer Haleed "The time of moderates is over."m
That's funny; I must have missed something on Super Tuesday? Did Bernie win???
I read a poll some days ago that said that Trump enjoys the support of 94% of Republicans. I suppose that may change, but for now that's the situation. So if you're going to base your choice of Democratic nominee on who can steal more Republican votes, you're starting from a limited pool. The situation is made more complex by the fact that neither Biden nor Sanders looks likely to get 100% of the Democratic vote. To vote strategically for the Democratic nominee you have to know which of Biden or Sanders is guaranteed not to lose a lot more votes from his own party and from independents than he gains from Republicans. If you are sure about this, go ahead and vote strategically. Otherwise, vote for the person you prefer. I'm guessing that either route will result in Biden being the nominee.
3
@William Benjamin It is not primarily those that identify as Republicans that will be stolen, but those that identify as independents.
8
@Steve Nelson It goes without saying that Democrats can hope for many independent votes. I was responding to the article, and I don't see how one can steal independent votes. They're up for grabs.
1
@William Benjamin
The number of those who identify as republican is shrinking.
even the never trumpers voted for him when the time came. how else did he make it to office? not so sure I want their support. it's exactly as AOC spelled out a few months back; in Europe joe biden and bernie wouldn't even be in the same party. dems have been pulled to the right repeatedly by the GOP and still dont get it. we have to stand up for what we believe in, not negotiate our morals and ideals down to nothing...I think this waters getting a little bit warmer...
5
"Never Trump Republicans" support Biden because he more like an old-school Republican than an old-school Democrat. Democrats used to stand up for social and economic programs, and worry later about paying for them. However, if Biden is elected, when his moderate-Democratic programs founder on the shoals of the McConnell Senate, it will disillusion another generation of young people from ever participating in government, or even voting. It might be as great a threat to our democracy as Trump. Nothing would make me happier than to be wrong about this.
Sanders might at least inspire a new generation of young people to be active politically. That generation might not win this year (like Goldwater in 1964), but they could be the basis for a new generation of liberal Democrats who eventually dominate politics for decades (like Reagan did for conservatives in 1980, and FDR in the 1940's).
15
@NeilG
We keep hearing that Sanders might inspire, or will inspire a new generation of young voters.
Well, surely they understand that he CANNOT be President if he does not win the nomination?
And they did not turn out last Tuesday, and in fact he is receiving less of the vote this election than in 2015-16.
The time is here and now. We are in a fight for the survival of our country.
I think I will stick with the voters who believe in the importance of voting and can be counted on to do so.
Decisions are made by those who show up.
18
@NeilG
I doubt that the US will remain a republic if Mr. Trump has a second term. We may not have the luxury of waiting four years in the hopes that a fair election would be held. Goldwater conservatives had an advantage over today's Democrats of having an opposition that respects the rule of law. We Democrats don't. Thus, Democrats should plan the actions they will take if Trump loses the popular vote by 9 or more million, but manages to eke out an Electoral College win under suspicious circumstances. In particular, Democrats should be ready to fight with every means available if there is any hint of Republican voter suppression, collusion with Russia or another foreign nation, or other cheating.
7
I'm skeptical of these Republicans who would supposedly vote for Biden. What does Biden have that Hillary Clinton didn't have, except that he's a man? Lots of Republicans who had harsh words for Trump voted for him anyway because in the end they coalesced around their party. And even if there are some Republicans who would vote for Biden - George Conway? - how many are there? I want the number. Has George Conway pledged that he would vote for Biden? I assume Mitt Romney would vote for Biden, but has he said so publicly and for sure? Or would he just stay home? And where do those supposed Biden-voting Republicans live? Do they live in states where they would make a difference? Or do they live in New York or California or Illinois which could be expected to go Democrat with or without Republican help? In other words, as far as Republicans voting for Biden, seeing is believing.
11
@Ellen Freilich , Sadly, I think your answer is contained in your second sentence. The fact of Biden's gender MIGHT well be the difference, especially in those Midwest states that gave Trump his victory in 2016.
13
@Ellen Freilich "What does Biden have that Hillary Clinton didn't have, except that he's a man?" Unfortunately, in the world we live in, that may be just enough.
13
The difference between Clinton and Biden is 4 years of Trump. It could be enough to make a difference this time around
118
Bernie must know that Medicare for all will not happen. Millions of people would lose their jobs. Bernie's answer is to tell insurance employees to retrain to be healthcare providers.
On top of it Medicare for all is not cheap. Most people have to pay for Medicare part B, a prescription drug plan and a supplemental plan unless the have a Medicare Advantage plan which is run by private insurance companies.
Bernie is not practical or pragmatic. His plan can't work because no senator will vote to eliminate jobs for thousands of constituents, whether they are Democrats or Republicans. Also think of the chaos when pediatrians are forced to enroll as Medicare providers. I can't think of any pediatrician or pediatric specialist who accepts Medicare.
Bernie could polarize the country even further.
14
@Alison : Millions of people would lose their jobs? More like a few hundred thousand.
Nobody except friends and families worried when hundreds of thousands of American industrial workers lost their jobs and middle class status from their jobs being sent to the Third World.
Now all of a sudden people are concerned?
5
@Alison
It's sad that Democrats have gone from the party of "Yes, we can!" to the party of "Yes, we can't!
1
I’m one of those never-Trump Republicans who strongly supports Joe Biden in every way, including financially.
My only dilemma is whether to switch parties to vote for Joe in the Democratic primary or stay a Republican so I can write in Joe’s name against Trump.
I think I’ll opt for the latter as voting against Trump twice in one year is irresistible.
18
@Shanin Specter You live in PA. Don't waste your vote...it's so much more valuable than most people's votes.
Defeating Trump is my top concern. If Sanders was demonstrating that he can indeed reshape the electorate by bringing out young and new voters, I would think of him as a more viable option. But for the most part, he hasn't done so, and he remains a factional candidate. His support is deep, but it's not broad. If he loses the Michigan primary, he should suspend his campaign (although I doubt he will).
32
To all the Sanders supporters: this is realism, and if we want to restore our democracy and work for the broad shared goals of universal healthcare, environmental protection, economic and social justice then the most obvious candidate who will appeal the diverse electorate that turns out in November is Biden.
Bernie's "revolution" and socialist leanings will not "sell" in the general election. I think some of his supporters naively believe he will actually be able to implement his policies. It won't happen, especially if the Senate remains in Republican control. Biden is a better bet for building coalitions and making progress overcoming the extremist divisions that impede progress.
Democrats need to keep the eye on the ball. Going too far left will only help Trump. The number one priority is to remove Trump. Biden is our best bet.
28
@Steven Dunn
Biden is a terrible candidate. What is he even running on? That he's not Trump?
And listen, this isn't easy for people to hear, but the man is quite obviously in cognitive decline. It's the elephant in the room. Any who doesn't see it doesn't want to see it. The emperor has no clothes.
In addition, he won't serve two terms, so in four years we're right back to where we are today, with the real possibility of 8 more years of Republican rule.
You can try to spin it with unearned optimism and wishful thinking,but this is the blunt reality.
If Biden is a best case, the Dems are lost. We know Biden quite a lot. He will do nothing for us, as he did for all these years in the Senate and in the Government.
They may not want Trump because he is the most unstable “stable genius” ever.
Biden has a pretty conservative record.
I’m not sure that the fact that Republicans support a Democrat is necessarily a ringing endorsement.
15
@Grove Using "conservative" to describe Jue Biden only shows how debased such labels have become.
Biden came out for gay marriage before Obama did. Biden is calling for trillions to shore up tre ACA. Biden would nominate judges who respect women's reproductive rights.
Just because he's not a fire-breathing absolutist doesn't mean he wouldn't be a force for a progressive agenda. And I'd argue that his positions would be a realistic stepping stone that might actually have a chance in Congress that - at best- would have a paper-thin Democratic majority.
I agree with several recent columnists. Calling Biden "conservative" shows that Sanders and his ilk have successfully brought even moderate Democrats to the left of Obama circa 2008.
If you're saying that Sanders and only Sanders could advance a progressive agenda, you're setting up a cult of personality, not a realistic political platform. And we don't need another cult of personality, even if he's on the correct side.
For all his flaws (and part of me will never forgive him for his caving during the Anita Hill- Clarence Thomas hearings), Biden will probably be the more effective President for progressives.
18
Biden had the opportunity to 'shore up' the ACA with the public option in 2010. He didn't, why should we believe he will do it this time? He sided with the credit card companies, he voted for the Iraq war, he treated badly Anita Hill. No, I don't believe he will be a good President.
2
Dem is the new republican ... america on it's way to being properly sold out. I made a deal that i would vote for the Democrats nominee no matter what so I'll do it, but those dems promising a return to normalcy with a vote for Biden have been sitting in the pot a little too long, it's near boiling now
This editorial is part of a wide-ranging campaign to get people to ignore what Sanders is really saying and instead label him as an unelectable radical. It’s been very effective.
In 2015, my body was a profit center for predatory insurance companies and the medical industry, our environment was heading toward catastrophe with only cursory measures being taken to save it, and half the country couldn’t come up with $400 in an emergency. Criminal bankers had complete impunity and unlimited amounts of campaign cash insured that I would pretty much keep losing again and again. Do I really want nothing more than to go back there? Do most Americans?
What the authors of this article and the Republicans alluded to want is a consolidation of Republican gains with the facade of democracy. Same Supreme court, same corporate power, same ripoff insurance scams, same voter suppression.
I will support Biden if nominated, because the alternative will be repression and violence. However, I fear that he will sweep all of the last 4 years events under the rug in some sort of fake “Let’s not divide the country, let’s just move forward,” excuse and the people behind Trump will be even more emboldened, while those who were struggling in 2015 will be even more disillusioned.
24
@Stuart people are NOT ignoring what Sanders is saying. He has helped changed the dialogue. But even if the stars align and the Senate turns blue (and the House stays that way), the chance of President Sanders getting even part of agenda passed is slim.
But just because his message is sound doesn't make him the right messenger. And, unfortunately (or not) the messenger matters in politics.
I'd rather see an amiable and dogged moderate who knows how to build coalitions (especially if he has the support of an appropriate Vice President) than a firebrand who isn't as effective as getting out voters as he or his supporters thinks he is. The remaining primaries might prove me wrong, but I don't think Sanders has the breadth of a base to defeat Trump.
10
@Stuart
The health care industry is a nightmare as you well know.
But Bernie has shown zero capacity to compromise or recognize the need to compromise.
I don't think Biden will sweep things under the rug. I don't believe that is his nature, nor will the tens of millions of voters watching, along with the Dems in Congress and the Senate tolerate it.
I want sanity, then planning and implementing strategies to make things work better for all of us.
I just don't believe Bernie can get us there, and I made up my own mind by listening to him and reading up on his positions.
He has very little, if any record of leading in congress and getting things done.
7
In order to have the Congress that actually work for people, we should start to reward the politicians that show inclination to work for good of people, not the people who solid well for corporation. Electing Sanders will be a good start.
1
It's SURELY true that more "Never Trump" Republicans will support Biden over Bernie. BUT, Trump has become very popular among Republicans and this is a small group. FAR more important than this, Bernie will likely get more support from Trump supporters, many of whom are NOT traditional Republicans - and getting these votes is at Trump's expense and is like getting 2-for-1!
11
Pundits like to say that the voters decided that Joe was likely to beat Trump and Sanders was not. I believe on that count, Sanders is a stronger candidate. I support the direction that Sanders wants to take the country. I am deeply suspicious of Biden as I don't think he is willing to share his policy goals. He may have secret political baggage. He was on the wrong side of some important issues. He campaigns on being nice and sympathetic. That is a ploy that in general the voters should avoid.
However, I voted for Biden in the end. I did so because I believe that in this time of so much chaos, the country needs a president who can lead the country on a steady course. I believe that Biden could immediately form a very competent government that would restore order. If Sanders won, I believe that he would have a great deal of trouble finding as qualified a staff as Biden and he would be a devisive figure to those on the Right. Biden stands a better change of bringing the country back together. That is not much of an endorsement but things could get worse.
Sanders has led a noble effort to truly bring Democracy back to this country and to make it work for all people. I will always believe in and support Sanders for that.
11
@Common cause
Your intentions seem great. Biden's "steady course" is contingent on him getting elected though (and not losing it, cognitively). And the working class where I live, (including me) wouldn't want any Clinton, Bush or (unfortunately) Obama steady course - and Biden's course would likely to be worse than Obama's. Real change or bust is how the "have nots" look at it.
4
Eh, I disagree that these people will vote for Biden. Most will either not vote or vote for Trump no matter what they say now. No point in pandering to them.
22
Why not primary Trump instead of turning the Democratic Party into the Republican-lite party?
19
@Bubba Hotep
William Weld, totally sane and reasonable former GOP Governor getting zero traction.
Maybe they will put him in with a brokered convention...
1
Because they live in the real world.
They are reaching out to Democrats in hopes of avoiding another four years of Trump. You have to decide if they’re trustworthy and if you’ll meet them halfway.
I don't have any confidence that Biden will be able to remember what policies he ran on, much less take steps to implement them. It's a good thing the Democrats have, as the primary process showed us, a lot of top talent. Mr. Biden is going to need a lot of help.
11
@Patrick R
One of the most valuable purchases in human history has been Trump's golf simulator. The more distractions he has, the better.
A new president who literally did or said nothing at all would be a clear improvement.
5
Patrick,
Biden is winning because he’s not proposing to burn it all down or try unproven methods.
The country is burning down in the face of fascism and ignorance. We need to start healing. We are not even healthy enough to endure major substantive change. We have to rediscover the basics of the constitution and democracy.
The democratic party represents what the people in it want by a demonstrable majority. Can that change? Sure, but that means young voters, who now can actually control the outcome need to come out and vote. They do have the greatest interest in the future. Once again however, voting among the young was very low. The party will respond those who know they can count on their votes. There was no Sanders surge so the hope is simply that enough moderate democrats and independents come out and vote in a handful of states.
9
My god, how sad can the two political parties become? Trump versus Biden! Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that we maintain a healthy, vibrant democracy.
16
@smalldive
Democracy isn’t necessarily pretty ... but the Democratic voters have spoken after a year of hand-to-hand verbal combat ... and the candidate with the most money didn’t win - so just because your candidate didn’t prevail, it’s not a “healthy” legit democracy anymore?
If numerous Independents and Republicans voted in the Democratic primaries on Super-Tuesday, then Biden’s victories in many of those primaries may well provide, as this article suggests, a positive sign for Biden in terms of his ability to attract such voters. But many of those primary voters were presumably not, as this article suggests, never-Trumpers or similar types who would prefer Biden (but perhaps not Sanders) over Trump. Some of them may have may have been avid Trump supporters voting strategically for the candidate who they perceived as presenting the weakest possible challenge to Trump in his bid for re-election. Following Super-Tuesday, many avowed Trump supporters said that they had voted in precisely this manner. The ones that I’ve heard make public statements to that effect claimed that they had voted for Senator Sanders, which if true would be another positive sign for Biden in terms of the significance of his victories over Sanders on Super-Tuesday, but one that this article completely overlooks.
3
So Democrats are supposed to nominate someone that Republicans want to vote for...? So when do we get democratic policies?
23
@SK Not "supposed to" ... but I think the article is saying that disaffected Republicans will cross the line and vote for a Democrat if they are not too far left. Biden is fully a Democrat. Can you name one or two Trump policies that Biden would not reverse?
8
@Joe Ack
The tax cuts for the wealthy and the corporations.
Obama made Bush's permanent. Biden won't touch Trump's.
And he won't cut Trump's bloated military budget.
And then he'll use those things as excuses that "we just can't afford to do the things we want to do."
9
@Joe Ack
I can name plenty:
1. Abortion issues. Biden is on record saying that Roe v. Wade "went too far". He championed the Hatch Amendment.
2. Judges. He thought Clarence Thomas was a good candidate for the Supreme Court. Even if Anita Hill never existed, I don't see how you can argue that Thomas's record makes him worthy of the Supreme Court.
3. ACA measures to get premiums back under control and deductibles down. Biden doesn't support M4A and was against a public option when the ACA was brought up.
4. Family leave. He supports unpaid family leave, which is pretty much Ivanka's program.
5. Immigration and the handling of the undocumented. There were record numbers of deportations by ICE under the Obama administration.
6. Worker rights and minimum wage. I don't see Biden advocating for a living wage or shoring up worker rights with their employers. The Trump administration appointed two supreme court judges that supported forced arbitration in the cases of workplace lawsuits for wage theft, for example.
7. Tax cuts for the rich. I don't see Biden reversing that.
9
I'm a Republican and will vote for Biden(or even Sanders if he would have won Super Tuesday). But Sanders has not demonstrated his base is big enough to beat Trump. I'm with Biden but if he picks Kamala Harris as running mate I'm 100% behind him, then hopefully a true conservative Republican is nominated in 2024.
14
@Carmelo Junior I salute you. Trump has soured me on the Republican Party... maybe someday I'll be able to vote for a Republican again, but not anytime soon. Harris would seem to make sense to balance the ticket for Biden.
7
I am sure everyone has been waiting for this hand full Republicans to make up for the millions of Sanders supporters who will feel so special and valued to know that the Dem Establishment is working with Republicans but not them. What could go wrong?
24
@Please Vote They aren't "working with Republicans" ... but Biden has a message of unifying the country that might appeal to moderate Republicans. I would hope that Democrats will unify around the candidate that is nominated.
10
People say that Sanders voters are deluded to think that he could get anything into office. They also say that the more moderate Democrats will propose reasonable measures that might have a chance at passing. But if you look at the last 40 years of political history, I'd say it's the moderates who are being naive--naive to imagine that once they've compromised their principles to gain Republican support in the general election, the Republicans in office will somehow return the favor when it comes to writing and implementing policy. This county will lurch ever-rightward until we push it to the left. That's the only way it's going to go in the people's direction.
30
@Jeremiah Crotser Medicare came about thanks to President Johnson. ACA came about thanks to Obama who fought a Republican Congress to get it passed. Actually Bernie didn't support President Clinton's attempt at univeral healthcare in 1997 and has never supported gun control which Biden does. Just vote for the Democratic candidate no matter who. Trump must go. The justice system is grave danger and so if clean water and safe food.
3
@Jeremiah Crotser
What “people” exactly? I believe the “people” have spoken - and there is a collective wisdom in that, like it or not.
@Chuck Look, it's my opinion that people did not vote for Joe Biden because they liked him. I think they voted for him because as a country, we've been abused into thinking we'll never get what we really want. Biden totally controlled that message. He basically told us that we'll never get what we want, but that he wouldn't be Trump. That's why people voted for him. But a lot of people voted for Bernie, too. He was the second most popular candidate, first among liberals and young people of all genders/races. Look back to the sixties. Do we now talk about how the country voted for Nixon? No, we talk about those boldest and most willing to fight for change--change that did arrive via hard, hard fights. In 50 years from now, the Biden vote will be far less substantial historically than those like Sanders who are fighting to push the overton window, and to make this a more just place.
I’m an anti-Trump Republican who wrote in back in ‘16. I could support Biden as long as he first, puts out a list of centrist Justices that he will stick to and second, doesn’t nominate someone awful and divisive like Stacy Abrams as a running mate. Klobuchar would be palatable.
4
@DRS I know many anti-Trump Republicans. Trump and his cronies have destroyed the Republican party. It used to be a voice of conservatism but not cruelty. Now Republicans appear to be "people without a party", until their rational, conservatives are able to run the Republican party. If you listen to past recordings of Reagan, who I disagree with policy wise, he had very kind words for people who had less or were immigrants. Republicans are rightfully wanting to vote for someone who has some ethics, and wants to preserve our democracy. Only then can they take the reins of the Republican party and move it in more rational directions.
7
@DRS This is why we have to go with a Democrat who supports Democratic policies. I'm not interested in voting for someone Republicans approve of. I'm not interested in who Republicans think is a palatable running mate. I'm interested in having a ticket that represents the values I support and is reflective of the larger democratic base of this country. I guess that leaves you voting for Trump.
12
@DRS How about Warren? She is the most competent and dedicated politician in either party.
8
I don't believe there are 'Never-Trump Republicans'; only reactionaries who offer hollow talk about how they wish a Democrat would 'meet them halfway' to give themselves a moral fig leaf for their inevitable Republican vote.
22
@ROC You don't think it is possible for a Republican to believe that Trump is morally/ethically repugnant? Why is that so hard to believe? Don't you have right-leaning friends?
There’s are two lessons here:
1) By having open primaries, you are forced to build coalitions and appeal to the middle. You can’t just appeal to the base. Open primaries should be the rule in all the states.
2) Nancy Pelosi’s democratic takeover in 2018 showed the roadmap for the Dwms to become a majority party. It seemed that the primary contest was going to tear the roadmap up. Thankfully, when it mattered, at least for now, Nancy's Coalition has been preserved.
7
Biden isn’t some coalition forming, consensus-minded moderate- he’s the last-standing of a group of un-liked moderates who among them couldn’t broaden their appeal beyond small core bases. His running platform is antiquated- “vote for me, ‘cause I was your VP for 8 years! And I’m not Trump!”. This isn’t going to cut it in the new political reality that Trump has created. Appealing to moderates lost four years ago, and it will lose again. Trump demonstrates the power of having 51% of the votes. The age of consensus politics is dead, and the sooner folks realize that the better. A vote for Biden is a vote for trump, if not now then for whatever next trumpian autocrat the (now dead-) Republican Party puts forth 4 years from now.
31
The only issue with the “I didn’t vote for Trump, I voted against Clinton” crowd is that they are likely to fall for the same kind of propaganda that made them hate Clinton in 2016.
25
Am I missing something? Democrats must win back the Trump voters who before supported Obama in Wis, NH, Penn, North Carolina, and Mich.
Biden is no Conservative Republican; he is a left of center democrat.
Remember, if the sentiments and elections in Great Britain are a predictor in 2020 as they were in 2016 of the populist right winning and maintaining power, then it is a mistake to shift to the far left in response to Trump. No revolution is needed to win back Biden’s home state of Pennsylvania.
The enabling Republican Senate is to blame for America’s challenges, not Democrats like Biden.
Biden/Harris, Biden/Abrams, Biden/Klobuchar.
Let’s go!
16
@PSH : The U.S. is not Britain. Corbyn's mistake was bringing his fantasy wish list into an election that was supposed to be about Brexit and only Brexit while still not articulating a clear position about Brexit.
He's like the guy who ran for the Democratic nomination in 11932 (I forget his name) who mostly talked about joining the League of Nations when most Americans wanted to know where their next dollar was coming from.
Even so, the Tories won their "majority" with only 43% of the vote, thanks to Britain's own problems with proper representation of different parts of the country.
And this: some states, like Colorado, have early mail-in voting. I voted a couple of weeks before Super Tuesday for one of the moderate Dems--but not Biden. So my vote went in the trash. Had I voted after the winnowing of the field, I'd have voted for Uncle Joe--maybe not my favorite of the bunch, but, of the two, the one who I think can win this thing. So as pundits are looking at Tuesday's outcomes. consider those of us who certainly would have voted for Biden, thus making his final tally even a bit larger.
Bottom line is sheer pragmatism. We can't afford another trump-appointed Supreme Court justice. Or another couple hundred right-wing judges. Or....
Please folks, let's disengage the circular firing squad, at least long enough to send Agent Orange packing.
18
Bernie stands for progressive principles, all for working families and the middle class. Those who are “afraid” of him represent corporations and the wealthy - and are fighting to keep things as they are. “Getting rid of Trump” is just an excuse to keep power in the hands of corporations, oil companies, drug companies and insurance companies.
If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem. What does Joe Biden stand for? Not much.
17
I have resigned myself to the idea that Biden the Iraq War booster who wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare will likely be the nominee.
So yes, he is less evil than Trump. It is a low bar.
But after Trump is removed, and if the Democrats shift to the right to accommodate people like this writer, it is time for a new party. We don’t need two Republican Parties, IMO, but that is what we will have.
25
@Donald Whatever Biden may have been in the past, he's running on a set of policies somewhat to the left of Obama and Bill Clinton. Not as far left as Bernie, but very much recognizing the problems that have arisen in the last 20 years.
I think we have to ignore any positions held more than 20 years ago, because the underlying circumstances were so different then.
19
@Maria well said! I think it's time to throw out such arguments as "He voted for the Iraq War" (So did a lot of well-meaning people, because they wanted to give Bush the benefit of a doubt) and "He was willing to look at modifying Social Security".
In 2020 - when it count - Biden is more progressive in some areas than his former boss.
Purity tests are a surefire way to lose.
8
@Bill Nutt : "Purity tests" or minimum ethical principles? Does being a Democrat mean nothing except "not being Trump"?
This is true but where does it leave the Democratic Party? We’ll have become more conservative AND we’ll have alienated some of the most most important constituents in the party. We will go this route, but believe me, Trump wins even if he loses. He’ll have fundamentally shifted the national electorate rightward, and he’ll have successfully alienated the youth voters from the process. Think those youth vote numbers look bad now? They will only get worse with Biden at the helm. If you're a Democrat, a vote for Biden is an admission that incrementalism is a one step up, two steps back affair.
20
@Jeremiah Crotser
And what of the incrementalism of Sanders' Conressional record, where he was the "king of amendments" because of the 422 bills he sponsored, only three of them passed, and two of those were bills to name post offices.
Nothing says incrementalism better than Sanders' record. So much for his revolution!
4
I keep hearing that Bernie is a moderate in most of Europe, but we are not in Europe and we have a long way to go before we can even consider all of Bernie's proposals. But with the help of those ex candidates who are now supporting Biden and voters who want something not in their minds not so revolutionary we just might bring sanity to the White house and Senate, rejoin the fight against climate change and create a Medicare by choice option. And perhaps a soon to be Madame President as Biden bows out after four years.
11
@just Robert writing from Europe right now, I can assure you that Bernie is not a moderate by any stretch of the imagination. He is the American Jeremy Corbyn of Labour who lost the British election by the highest margin since 1935. No matter what lies Bernie bros spread, nobody in Europe wants socialism. Biden was not my first choice but I hope he can fix the American healthcare system along the lines of the German or Swiss system both of which depend on the regulated private insurance and/or partnership between public and private options. Ask any European whether they are on board with outlawing supplementary health insurance as Bernie wants to do and get an earful.
7
The problem with Biden and his wing of Democrats is that they claim to be socially liberal but are also fiscally conservative, and what this really adds up to is social conservatism. The cycle of social disenfranchisement can never be broken without a substantial, longterm increase in entitlements for the poor and middle class.
And when you go far enough down the fiscally conservative road, the poor and middle class can't afford to purchase enough goods to support the corporate executives. It's just not sustainable. Sanders' popularity shows how close we are getting to this point.
Perhaps Biden, if he goes to the White House will have seen enough of the public's economic realities that he will see the longterm picture and take action to nudge us gently in the other direction. Let's hope it is enough.
16
Progressives need to show up in the mid-term elections. Obama’s agenda was stonewalled by Republican recalcitrance. The President is not a King. Republican House and Senate because idealistic Dems are politically ignorant as to how the system works. That’s why they’ve lost the courts and have been in the wildernesses. Obama sacrifices a lot to get ACA passed and fickle minded democrats couldn’t bother to vote on the mid terms leading to that insipid Tea Party / “Freedom” Caucus movement
You can’t blame politicians for not being willing to just burn it all down. Good ones are going to work with what they have. The populist Republican and Progressive left may be cool to let it all burn, but the responsible ones recognize the importance of living in the real world, things still have to get done.
71
@Practical Thoughts "idealistic Dems are politically ignorant as to how the system works". I am not sure if you are saying all Democrats are idealistic, or just some. It does seem to be true that the Democratic party is not very effective. For example, nominating Merrick Garland as a gesture to the Republicans and then letting the Republicans stonewall the nomination. Or passing the conservative-inspired ACA in an attempt to get the Republicans on board, rather than passing a better health care law.
It's no wonder that progressives might avoid voting for the Democratic party until they show some signs of organization and success.
@Practical Thoughts I am not ignorant as to how the system works, I just believe we need to change how the system works because it does not work well for most of us...
1
It's not a surprise that Never Trump Republicans would support Joe Biden - because in truth he is one.
His record shows his desire to cut Social Security over the years, his support for the Iraq War, and his zeal in passing a tough bankruptcy bill in 2005.
In contrast, what is exciting is how many Latinx people are wild for Senator Sanders. Not all, but many out here and across the country. Combined with the young, and with people who want to see some form of universal healthcare (and a reduced military industrial complex) plus a serious plank on our heating planet, Sanders will take it. He is also an excellent debater, which Biden is not.
24
@EB Where were the Latinx voters in Texas to hand Sanders a vi?
And I have to disagree with one other point you make. Sanders is NOT an excellent debater.
He's a yeller.
I grant you that Biden fumbles on the debate stage. But he projects more gravitas and sanity than Sanders. And after Trump, I'll take a little sanity.
6
@Bill Nutt
So which one do you think will have a solid posture debating Trump - Sanders or Biden?
@EB
See the following fact check piece from the Washington Post calling out Sanders for his misrepresentations of Bidens' record on Social Security.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/08/sanders-versus-biden-social-security-guide-claims/
We needed to view the climate crisis as an emergency. With republicans there's denial. With democrats there's only changes that are made comfortably. With Bernie we would have had an outside chance of diverting catastrophe. We don't have four more years of (me and Barak) Biden normalcy as our best hope.
6
@Mike Before we can go “full Bernie” we have to get back to “full moderate” whether you like it or not. This country is hardly ready for full-on socialism. We’re just ready for a dose of mid-level liberalism. Bernie and Company have as much credibility with me as a trip through Fantasyland in Disney; it’s a short, fun ride but you have to leave it all behind after three or four days and get back to reality.
Frankly, for me it's not who I'm going to vote for as President but rather who I will be voting for for as Vice President.
9
The problem is that we are only having two parties. Nominating Sanders would finally (also) create more diversity besides that I think he is the better candidate. A little more courage my fellow Americans!
23
LBJ didn't have the charisma that JFK had, but he was experienced, and he knew how to get things done, like Civil Rights and Medicare.
When the birthers wanted Obama to resign, sometimes I wished he would, because Biden was to the left of him. Biden supported gay marriage before Obama.
The reality is that progressives speak loudly and say great things, but in the final analysis are a long way from a majority of the voting public, and are a plurality only on a great day.
America is left of center when everybody votes, otherwise, it is further right of center when people decide the Democrat isn't perfect. I used to be tired of losing. Now I am downright scared. At least I'm old.
16
Donald Trump has earned the disdain of the 'never' folks.
Might very well be a correlation -- the election of 1964 --between Republicans who found Barry Goldwater implausible.
I think that college-educated Republicans -- women more than men -- cannot abide by Trump. A variety of factors -- which I will not enumerate -- enter into this for valid reasons.
Trump's operational performance has proved him as an incapable president. Think of Warren G. Harding's short-lived presidency (he died in office, giving way to the presidency of Calvin Coolidge).
ALSO: Trump is a very different president than Ronald Reagan. He listened , for the most part, to the 'institutionalist' wing of the Republican party. Trump doesn't even know what I am talking about. He governs by instinct but his instincts are off the spectrum nine-tenths of the time. Reagan had some substantial achievements.
Alas our current crisis -- viz. Covid -- is the operational disaster that many anticipated. And #45 will long be remembered for his inability to govern, as this issue has revealed.
Room is being made on the shelf of failed American presidents. (It is the alternative to Mount Rushmore).
Trump's consolation is that he doesn't know, or care about, American history. He doesn't know that he will be judged at the ballot box in November and in history books dealing with his failed presidency.
God help our nation from Donald J. Trump.
12
And this is the reason Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States! Republicans and Independents and Democrats will vote for Joe the best person. Bernie could never capture people center to right because he is too extreme...The country always does better in the middle. Time for trump to GO! Let's get Joe!
13
@Rich
well I doubt to see how the country has always done better in the middle. Do you mean the last 40 years?
Why do you not understand how on gods earth we ended up where we are? Exactly in the middle. No way out left, no way out right. Why? Because we never tried.
Stairway to heaven. Right up from the middle. But unfortunately not for us regulars but for the ones in charge.
What makes us in human terms so different that Europeans? Why do we in dire emergency not go with a form that is proven already. Just across the Atlantic?
Why try again and again the same old? That if we are once really honest has not served us very well.
We need help. We have carved out the hole too deep. Let’s go with something millions of people around the globe have tried, lived and proofed that it works!
Shouldn’t we not in this disaster right now try to unify? Worldwide? We are in big trouble and need each other’s help.
5
@Edna You seem rather confused. What exactly have "millions of people around the world tired"? that we in the US haven't? You can wring your hands and whine about the middle but it works. NO ONE GETs POWER VERY LONG. Things go right then things go left. People like you on either side will always complain about the latest swing but change comes slowly...That is the way life is and you won't change it by voting for a fanatic!
"On Super Tuesday, I heard many of the same refrains that I’ve become accustomed to hearing in focus groups. “I’m very worried some candidates are going to be extreme and change our democracy"
Where has this person been living the last three years? we have the fiercest assault on our Democracy from Trump and they are looking at Democrats?
In my opinion this country is primed for a third or more political parties like much of the western advanced world.
We cannot all fit into the same "political tent." its causing too much friction. The people complaining about Bernie are correct, he should have built a third Progressive party. Its past coalition Government time if one political party is not dominant. It would make for a better democracy.
Right now in an age of massive inequality the moderate Democrats are yearning for a center right status quo we had under Carter, Clinton and Obama, never mind the forgotten working and "lower" middle classes.
The former GOP has gone all in on autocracy and like Cortez have burned their boats. They are ready to crown Trump in January 2021.
20
Sadly the only way into American politics is through serious money and media ownership.