I'm an old (56 yrs) black woman who lives in Philadelphia. I will vote for the Bern in the PA primary in late April. I've seen these moderate Democrats give in to so many things that complicate my life. I've been trying to get things right in the Dem electorate way back when the Reps wrecked my life since the early 80s. Reagan affected my life and so many black lives back then. Folks that I went to college with became crack addicts because of him and then ended up in jail or prison than I can recount here. He was one of the worst problems of the Black community EVER. But no one acknowledges that. Repubs that came after him just took up his war against us. I totally don't understand why any Black person would support Joe Biden who was a cog in that war against Black folks. I also don't understand the support from the southern states, but I don't know what those folks down there do anyway.
I support the Bern. I love his enthusiasm, especially for his support for the downtrodden. I support his decision to remain in the fight.
But, if he doesn't win the nomination, I will vote for Biden if he is the choice of the rest of the nation. I hope that Bernie comes back, but if he doesn't win the delegates, I will vote blue no matter who.
3
"Sometimes-fumbling underdog" to always fumbling favorite to lose to Trump. The man is definitely in mental decline, rapidly.
Now is the time (actually, it's been the time for a long while) to borrow a page (just one) from the right wing manual: vote like sheep.
Bernie Sanders should get realistic and drop out right now and enthusiastically (unlike 2016) throw his support to Mr. Biden.
It can be done realistically and honestly: go out and beg your ardent supporters to vote sensibly. Acknowledge that it's not a perfect world -- we have only two choices. The USA cannot progress until we end the control of the good old boys club.
1
After Tuesday's primaries, it seems clear that voters from diverse communities and demographics have coalesced around moderately progressive policy initiatives intended to attract the most support going into November. Sanders' committed supporters may, with some justification, resent the inherent compromises in such moderation. But progressive purity is the gourmet's recipe for winning the battle and losing the war because neither wing of the party's policy menu matters a bit if we don’t defeat DJT. Victory in November is meaningless if we don’t flip the Senate, and win more state legislative majorities (redistricting). And none of these gains are possible if Bernie’s loyalists reject our nominee and fail to show in November. Recently, young Progressives have had an increasingly influence in our party; look at 2018. If you focus now on beating Trump and fumigating the GOP, your prize will be an enduring and fertile field for the most aggressive reform agenda since the New Deal.
And, as the fecklessness and rot of this administration becomes increasingly clear to more people, the GOP's’ vulnerability will continue to grow. But now, the rising threat of a 'national emergency' could give Trump cover for constitutionally dubious measures intended to protect his presidency, so our electoral victory, assuming there will be an election, must be overwhelming and unassailable. A united Democratic commitment is crucial to our success in this existential moment.
Wow, thanks cowards. You couldn't vote for Warren or something if Sanders scared you? We have now been delivered a senile candidate riding Obama's coattails, practically forced on us in the most cynical, disgusting play I can remember. I'll vote for Biden but only because he's a mush-brained serial liar with a somewhat decent heart instead of a mush-brained serial liar with an ugly heart. He'll lose though. I still believe that Sanders' committed base combined with the absolute loathing that literally all decent people have for Trump could do it. Running the candidate that nobody wanted, who was tanking, who I've seen exactly ONE bumper sticker for... yeah, that sounds like a path to victory.
2
Joe Biden. Unsuccessful in two prior attempts as Dem nominee when a young, vibrant man. Now, infirm and un-ruddered, is to be the Democrat nominee.
Good God, what are Dems thinking? The sacrifice on the alter of what? Since the serial rapist/sexual predator Bill Clinton, this party has chased a ghost...but who is it? An identity-group representative, which is why it’s a loser. Hello, second Trump term...
2
Some will never vote for Joseph Biden as he has always stood for Wall Street, war and corporate welfare. Will he get another Opus Dei fascist like Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court? Now Biden’s saying he and Sanders share the same goals. Ridiculous. From the very first primary caucus in Iowa the DNC stacked the deck against Warren and Sanders when they rigged the polling to put Buttigieg and Biden in front. No surprise that the app Shadow/Acronym is owned by Buttigieg's operatives like Ben and Michael Halle and Tara McGowen who ran his campaign in Iowa. Though the head of the Iowa DNC, Troy Price resigned in disgrace over this, it's too late, too little. The only way Sanders or Warren can get elected is by a write-in vote ---an end run around the corrupt DNC whose major strategy is FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Dread) to make people vote for Biden.
2
Regardless of the distorted claims Sanders has attacked Biden with, Biden reached out to him. This is a reflection of Biden's character and one of the reasons people are flocking to him.
His acceptance speech was so calming. This is what we desperately need in the US now, vice a bombastic, lying idiot.
1
No doubt Biden will pick a more progressive, younger person for his running mate (hopefully a woman). These posts for Biden to pick Sanders as his VP would play right into Trump's hands. He'll suggest that the Democratic victory parties and inaugural balls are planning to be held in Cuba or Russia.
Sanders has succeeded in moving the Democratic Party to the left. However, like Moses, he won't be getting to the Promised Land himself. That will left to those who come after him. Let's start the ball rolling!
Biden will sink the democratic chance to take back the presidency. Just like Hillary, people in 2016 were tired of the do nothing for the average citizen when all was done for large corporations and banks.
Young voters will not turn out for Biden. Biden is simply the same old nothing democratic party that thinks this is still the 20th century.
With much sadness, Trump will pounce on Bidens lack vigor, and mental fumbling, the dnc knows this and would love to stop any further debates. They want their status quo from the huge donors ( corporations).
Voters will be scratchi
ng their heads over Trump's victory.
It's time for Sanders to stop being the nice guy with his" good friend Joe" and get all those moderates and older people to realize what is happening now and what the resulting loss will be if there are 4 more years of Trump because of getting back with "good ole Joe"
It's another Hillary loss repeating itself with Biden.
1
It looks like all that remains is President Trump to save us from this demented, corrupt, war mongering, free trading corporate dotard.
As of March 11, the Democratic Party popular Vote is - Biden 7,303,203, Sanders 5,852,147.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/democratic_vote_count.html
In the upcoming Sunday debate, Joe Biden has the opportunity to address the issues important to the millions of Democratic Party voters who support Bernie Sanders.
‘Darling, trust me’
‘Tell me why I should trust you. Where are we going?’
‘Just trust me if you know what’s good for you’
Defeating Trump is necessary but not sufficient.
Wow. Joe Biden vs Donald Trump for president in the 21st century. I had hoped for the best and brightest, not the worst and dumbest.
1
Great documentation. The Establishment is closing in.
3
I'm terribly sad to see that the American people did not see the potential of a Warren presidency. Smart as a whip with a great senator record, came from humble background and well placed to understand ordinary Americans struggles as a result , and a progressive agenda without going too far left (think capitalism plus..or regulated capitalism to ensure some better redistribution of wealth) ...now ther is choice between a too far leftist unelectable grump and a meh more of the same establishment chap who couldn't inspire 1 to get out of bed in the morning. I think history will record this as a missed opportunity when trump trounces biden in November.
4
A former Republican corporate-advocate lawyer who pretended to be Native American for professional gain and then switched sides is hardly a dream candidate for the left. She even went back on her vow not to take money from super PACs.
2
Bernie had a heart attack. It's laughable for him to question Biden's lack of vigor. I'm sick of Bernie's rallies where he screams, shouts, does lots of arm waving. For all we know he's a second heart attack waiting to happen.
2
Biden and his team should cancel the debate immediately!
The public doesn't need to see Biden fail on National television just yet.
We all know if Joe makes it to the Oval office he won't make a single decision. His wife isn't even going to ask him what he wants for breakfast much less dinner.
Biden's "carefully picked handlers" are going to be making all the decisions. It's going to be Obama 2.0 with a geriatric, white man giving the sales pitch.
6
Biden can only win in a ticket with Michelle Obama. Period. Now it's up to her.
@Luca
That would be the Cherry on the Cake.
Obama 2.0
If you liked Barrak, you'll love Michelle.
What are the odds of Joe making it a full term?
We're going to finally have a woman, President.
Biden is now in a position to win over young Progressives from the Sanders and Warren campaigns. He should immediately announce plans to deliver to Congress a plan for taxing millionaires to provide loan-relief benefits to younger Americans purchasing a first home and paying down their student debt. Details can follow, but something like a 5% or 10% millionaire surtax on adjusted gross income >$500K coupled with tax deductions or credits for student loan payments and first-time home mortgage interest, with no requirements to itemize. This is a completely feasible plan, it’s fiscally responsible, and shows good faith to younger voters without penalizing senior citizens or running up a budget deficit.
4
Good idea, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and even Mike Bloomberg want to tax the rich more. It is time. Your numbers sound more drastic than theirs.
1
I have read many comments saying Burnie is acting like Trump. After today I have to agree. He doesn't seem interested in beating Trump but to keep his cause going as he can't face reality. His ongoing comments about the Dems deep state and the media against him sounds just like Trump. His delusional talk about his coming base turnout sound like Trump. No one needs a left leaning Trump.
4
But but there really was a “stop Bernie”move in the Democratic Party and his or Warren’s victory would have taken power and money away from many who run this country.
3
Looks like Joe had really been biden his time, but is now on a roll.
1
This is how Biden can win the debate. To win he must show his coalition that he is tough enough to beat Trump. He will be tested when Sanders says he is in the tank for the billionaire donor class. He will look weak if he can’t answer the bell. But he will anger Sanders’s progressive base if he loses his temper and calls Sanders a Communist ( the way Bloomberg did).
So Biden has to keep saying how he gets things done and how Sanders has only passed six bills in the 30 years he’s been in the Senate. And if Sanders says Biden voted for the Iraq war Biden can say he regrets that decision the same way Sanders regrets his stance on gun control at that time.
They both voted for Biden’s crime bill so they cancel each other out on that front.
Joe Biden just has to hold serve, to use a sports metaphor, and he will win. But he is up against a better candidate and a better debater.
3
Glad to see I am not the only one who suspects what is really going on. Biden's mental weakness is a feature, one which will allow the party to install another candidate at some point. I believe it will be the reverse of Donna Brazile's Plan B, the revenge of someone who is not known to lay grudges aside and is as narcissistic as Trump. I have no prediction on how that will turn out in the actual election, but it won't be pretty.
Miss Rhodam! A new name!
6
Let's not get our knickers in a knot over Joe's competence or lack thereof. Before a nominee is chosen, I believe Joe will be diagnosed with some malady that forces him to withdraw from the proceedings resulting in a wide open, brokered convention. What drama! What excitement! What tv ratings! Democratic leadership will then nominate their candidate of choice and the party will unite behind _________ (fill in your favorite). It won't be Bernie or Liz or any of the other previous candidates who dropped out. It will be a BIG name. It's bound to be entertaining, but then that's all we can hope for from government these days. Enjoy!
5
I voted for Bernie Sanders in the Ca. Primary, but am happy to support Mr. Biden. Let's come together and keep our eyes on the prize, which is defeating Trump. Joe will take the country in a progressive direction, and we all know Trump will not.
If we give Donald and Mitch 4 more years to pack the federal courts with reactionary judges, it could take half a century to undo the damage.
Joe Biden's speech last night was Presidential, and very deferential to Bernie and his supporters. That's exactly what he needs to do to unite the party. The two of them will face off in a debate soon and I hope Joe just keeps his cool. He should compliment Sen. Sanders as a visionary and tell him face-to-face he will have an open door in a Biden Administration.
5
Biden’s top priorities are healthcare, green infra, environment/climate change, and education - based on his spending estimates.
To earn revenue, he’d raise corporate taxes, capital gains taxes and tax on offshore corporate income - among others. He’d sanction countries that facilitate tax avoidance. His problem with young people: he hasn’t communicated clearly and directly on this. He needs to care that it’s really offensive that Amazon pays less tax than you and I.
His revenue and costs tie out much more closely than Sanders (whose plans have a huge $25T gap).
I consider myself as a progressive Democrats who’s worked in business and overcome $200k student debt. By paying off my debt, I learned that overspending is really dangerous. Realists make real changes, and I value Biden’s realism.
5
All the reservations articulated by these very thoughtful people noted. There are many facets to the Biden victory, ups and downs.
But in the main, I keep thinking of Cincinnatus at his plow called back to Rome to save the republic. That's Biden's main task to my mind. Our democracy is in peril.
6
I voted for Bernie because I believe this country needs the big changes he proposes. But I will vote blue no matter who in the general election. I think voters want to get rid of Trump and more voters think Biden can do it. The country is in such bad shape with terrible leadership these past few years, that the most important thing we can do is vote Trump out of office.
6
Regarding ark Brewer’s assessment: 4 years ago, Sanders was running against a candidate with much more political and personal baggage weighing her down. In state after state, Sanders gained support not only for his own ideas, but because voters were tired of any candidate with the Clinton surname. The Democratic Party could have done itself a favor and told Hillary her sell-by date was past, thereby encouraging a wider field of candidates, including Elizabeth Warren. I believe that in that environment, Warren would have done much better. But it was Hillary’s turn.
2
I hope we can go to ranked choice primaries next time. We had a choice early on of three thoughtful moderates in John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and Amy Klobucher; a happy warrior progressive in Elizabeth Warren; and a rational intellectual progressive in Pete Buttigieg.
Yet the choice has come down to two grumpy old men--the one who smiles vs. the one who yells. And primary voters are deciding based, not on the issues, but on who they think their neighbors are most likely to support in the general election.
1
It was said of Yasser Arafat “that he never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Senator Sanders supporters are on that same road. Ideological purity will give republicans an opening to continue with the cosmic disaster that is this administration. Biden wasn’t my first choice but I’m a pragmatist, 60-80% of something I want is way better than nothing. Replacing the orange one and flipping the senate are the primary goals, then and only then can we get the social reforms done that this country so desperately needs.
5
An open letter to my Sanders-supporting friends:
Do not give up on the things that are important to you and do not go home and sit it out. Make sure that the leaders of the Democratic Party continue to hear loudly the aspirations and fears you foster.
Is Biden going to wipe away all of your student debt? No. Is he going to eliminate private insurance and give everyone Medicare? No. Will big-money still have a place in politics? Yes, but you’re naïve if you think the answer is no for any politician. Will there be a revolution? No. But if you thought that was possible with just a presidential candidate then you’re ignoring all of your civics classes.
But will we have a president who protects the Medicaid expansion that has helped so many Michiganders and Americans access the care the need? Yes. Will my daughter and yours grow up in a country where there is at least a chance that she will control her body and reproductive rights? Yes. Will will have a president who protects the rights of our LGBTQ community? Yes. Will we have a president who will work to protect the voting rights the disenfranchised and people of color? Yes. Will there be a progressive woman on the ticket to counter our elder statesmen? God let’s hope so. Will our country be made incrementally better? Undoubtably.
Remain engaged. Fight for the goals of healthcare for all, affordable college and guaranteed family leave. Help make our candidate better. And above all, vote to make our country better.
8
@Andrew Billi Well said!
I really like Sanders but the presidential personality cult has become too much. If the Dems put forward Biden, I hope the party splits and we can form a Social Democratic party. I am sick of having to sit through the wake up call moderates go through in an election year. Politics should be about positive change, not just beating Trump. If the only thing that you can say about a candidate is that not being a crazy person makes Biden more electable, we have different enough priorities that we should be in different parties.
8
The race for the Democratic nomination is over. Period. Trump must be defeated & Bernie can't do it.
7
Yup. The US is not quite ready for socialism.
5
I'm sure, on reflection, on watching re-runs of his speeches, grimacing at the sight of a red-faced angry old man wildly waving arms and jabbing fingers—up and down, left and right—as he bellows out his revolutionary plans, is not surprised voters are turned off by the spectacle. Media entertainment, if not freak show for sure, he will think, but presidential?
Absolutely no way. Folks don't want to replace an angry old white man with an even angrier old white man.
6
Biden voted for the Iraq war that killed and maimed thousands of our soldiers, innocent Iraqi civilians and cost taxpayers trillions and our credibility in the world. Biden and his supporters do not represent this voter.
24
@e.s.
Biden doesn't represent me either. He voted for the awful Iraq War, belittled Anita Hill,and - thanks to his advocacy of a tougher bankruptcy bill - caused my daughter to almost end up in medical bankruptcy.
Now the Democratic Party wants to end everyone's right to cast a ballot so as to shut down any debate or voting.
8
@EB
All true but just about anything wth a functioning digestive system and a head would be better than 4 more years of Trump. Mr 16,0000+
@e.s.
So, Trump does?
Bernie Sanders didn’t carry a single county in Michigan, Missouri or Mississippi last night. You can’t blame that on the Democratic establishment. These are working class voters who don’t think Sanders can win the general election. Older millennials are backing Biden as well. Generation Z are still behind Sanders. But 40 voters are more reliable. This was evident last night.
4
But you can bet an awful lot of them watch TV news. . .
These are still critical times. We still have 30 primaries. Sanders is only behind by less than 150 delegates. I am really outraged that the democratic establishment would call for an end to primaries at this point. That would take away the right to have a say from people in so many states. At least one debate to see the candidates one-on-one is crucial as well. This is the media and the establishment promoting manufactured consent.
10
It seems to me that the American public has been stuck between a rock and a hard place since 401ks became our retirement plans. Go against the Uber wealthy and your life savings will disappear. I think all that Sanders talks about needs to be done but we are hamstrung by the fact that 401ks are not insured in any way.
But I am pessimistic. I don't believe there's any way the wealthy won't end up with everything, in the end.
2
Let's just all take a deep breath and stop calling for Bernie to drop out.
It's too early to suppress the People's voices. Millions still wish to be heard. It does no one harm to let them vote. This is still a democratic process, so let the people hear one more debate between these 2 old men, let the People vote, at least in 2 or 3 more primaries until the outcome is undeniable.
Bernie's campaign is wounded, his supporters are hurting, at least let them vote! It doesn't matter if the outcome has been decided. The optics of shutting the Primary process down at this stage would be devastating for the Democratic party.
Carville and Clyburn need to keep quiet. They don't speak for all Democrats. America wants to be heard, so we must allow that, or we're no better than Trump and Republicans.
11
Biden needs now to distill his message down to a few key points: a restoration of America’s dignity and decency, an assurance that under his administration all Americans will have access to affordable and adequate healthcare, a sensible and humane immigration policy, and a need to retake the Senate by the Democrats in order to enact his program and cleanse America. Sanders needs to continue to push for his agenda of combating economic inequality for two more primary cycles and then gracefully pull out of the race. He then needs to spend the rest of the campaign season fighting hard for Joe Biden and all Democrats around the country.
2
So now that it appears that Bernie will not likely get the nomination, many of his supporters are stomping their feet and threatening to take their toys and stay home in November. If they can't have what they want, then the rest should suffer. Such compassion.
4
Meanwhile, the MSM and DNC protect Biden from his obvious cognitive issues while he goes on another in the long list of unhinged campaign episodes where he tells one of his aides to shut up while cursing out a union automotive worker who was questioning his gun control policy. Now they are calling for no more debates.
Trump's got plenty of fodder to show that despite the rhetoric, Biden has little patience for the REAL working people he meets in town halls or in visits to various working sites. Yep, Joe is real Presidential material, nothing like being totally condescending towards individuals whose votes you are trying to secure and he has done this on a regular basis.
In reality, the democratic party is looking more towards attracting disaffected Trump voters, not real working people whom they really deplore and Biden just continually confirms that attitude.
5
I can’t honestly believe this is happening. About one-third of us Americans’ issues are not addressed by Biden or Trump and their loyalty to the ultra-wealthy. I’m a practical and well educated person in my 50s drowning in debt and medical expenses. I live in the US, one of the most violent and addiction-fueled cultures in the world. I’ve had the privilege of being away the last three months. And I feel profound despair at this ostrich with its head in the sand movement of the Democratic Party. It’s like an illness at this point.
8
As another commented, "Joe Biden may win the primary, but he will lose the general election."
This is a repeat of the 2016 election, where Democratic primary voters from states that will never vote for a Democrat in the general election (e.g. South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Missouri, etc) cast their votes earlier than most swing states. This creates the inevitable cheer 'The other candidate must drop out to support the winning one', and ultimately we have a flawed front runner who can not compete against the GOP opposition.
Frankly, you have to be delusional to believe that Biden can beat Trump who commands a cult-like following, is a master of gas lighting and deflection, and does not deal in rational thought. I like Joe Biden as a person, but as a Presidential candidate he is uninspiring and does not promote the change that Americans are vying for. His embrace of corporations, lack of insight into his policy positions (e.g. he is for marijuana prohibition, really?), and his track record (i.e. voting for the Iraq War) will come to haunt all of us.
The Democratic Party primary voters are making a huge mistake, especially in regards to what we know Trump is capable.
7
Biden wasn't my first choice but I will vote for him in the general. Anything to get Trump out of office.
5
Well done, Senator Sanders -- for nudging the Democratic Party a few inches leftward, and so re-launching the USA back on to a path of actually LEADING the world instead of imitating a Buckingham Palace horse-guard pretending to be THE global policeman by means a gargantuan capitalist and military gun whose barrel can scarcely be in any way relied on to defuse conflicts in unfortunately rancorous parts of the world (such as Yemen, Palestine, southern Russian-speaking cauldrons or vast tracts of non-Confucian western China). Hip, hip ...
1
Whoever the Democrat's nominee is, whether Biden or Bernie, both white males, they would do everyone a huge service if their vice presidential choice is not another white guy. The Democrat party is the most diverse party in history with women, people of color, LGBTQIA people and our ticket and the ensuing Administration needs to reflect that. Representation matters in a diverse society. Trump is toast no matter who the nominee so let's make sure the Democrats truly reflect everyone who is an American.
3
Affluent, and well connected democratic voters choose accumulation of more power, property and privileges over solidarity. Older folks do not want welcome change that they are not accustomed to. What's next - crunch time for revolutionary organisers and workers in the country - Mass Strike!!!! If we don't get it - shut it down.
2
@Nazmus
gee, that's awfully mature and productive.
On MSNBC last evening Chris Williamson asked Michael Moore a simple question – of the two goals of the progressive left – getting rid of Trump and bringing revolutio0nary change- if we could only accomplish the first - would Bernie supporters support Biden. After first acknowledging that getting rid of Trump was Job #1, he launched into a long wandering, aimless, monologue finally implying that minority voters and Hispanic voters won’t show up at the general election. There it is – unless the Bernie supporters get what they want – after running a fair campaign in which their candidate lost - then like whining, sniveling crybabies they are taking their marbles and going home, giving Trump the election. Well then, the adults in the room have to get the job done.
5
Once Democratic party establishment has almost decided in favour of Joe Biden and ensured his primary wins Bernie Sanders be allowed a dignified exit he deserves.
3
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma
The Hawa Mahal in Jaipur (I climbed up in 1986 -amazing) is a good metaphor for American politics at the moment. Just a facade. Aacha?
1
Considering our concerns about the financial crisis perhaps we should look at Biden's knowledge of our financial system.
When he was a senator, he received a sweetheart mortgage from a bank in Delaware that was substantially cheaper than that available to regular customers.
When he was asked about this, he replied that he had no idea what normal mortgage rates were so he didn't know he was receiving unusual terms.
This was a U.S. senator saying he didn't know anything about mortgage rates. I would hope that whomever we elect as president would be a bit more knowledgeable about such things or better still, admit that he received because of the favors he had done for the banking industry..
5
Sanders supporters, young & old, are grieving. They are grieving a lost vision for a more just future.
To Biden supporters, including many in this Comment thread: Is this really the time to roll out the snarky, anti-Bernie memes again?
We need each other.
6
Sanders has helped the whole Democratic Party move to the left. Electing Biden will help the down ticket and if we get the Senate, we can make real change. Biden will have to pick a real progressive for his VP as well as his cabinet positions. If Biden beats Trump, I see the democrats leading as a team. Biden has said as much. He said he’s just a bridge and I believe him.
3
@J Schlosser I desperately wanted Elizabeth Warren to be President, so I felt truly let down after it was evident she had no chance of winning. But I did not sit and wallow in my grief, because we need to rid our country of Trump. I hope Sanders supporters will do all that they can to elect a Democrat President. By the way, I would have voted for either Biden or Sanders. We just need to band together and vote Trump out. That is our end goal.
2
@J Schlosser
The corporate/establishment want everyone to "get in line" which is just the excuse that will be used as in 2016, if Joe loses to Trump then they will blame it on Sanders supporters.
4
I really wanted Bernie to be the nomination.
The pragmatic approach of the electorate toward the democratic nomination is indicative of the fear and what is at stake this November.
I will vote for whoever is at the top of the ticket.
If I could give advice to progressives like me, it’s this. Swallow your pride and vote for Biden. If you don’t like Biden, think of it like this, you’re not voting for Biden you’re voting against Trump. Not voting or voting third party is a vote for Trump. November is not the time to cut off our nose to spite our face. Once Biden is elected then we can hold his feet to the fire.
17
Amen brother! I’ve been saying this since I left the GOP last year.
1
Now imagine Mike Bloomberg as the vice president. What an extraordinary opportunity, if he would accept. He could remold the office and in effect, be co-president. He would double, no quadruple, Biden's power to effect change.
4
Sure Biden has his flaws
BUT
Don't we all?
One thing Biden is
THAT
Trump will never be
IS
A good person
10
What a gracious victory speech by VP Biden. Compare it with Trump's demented rants and tweets. Yeah - no comparison.
11
Let’s see if Bernie is capable of being a Mench and supporting Biden without trashing him. What he did to Hillary was disgraceful.
10
@LAM
Wow, i guess you haven't been watching the constant tirades that Hillary has been regularly throwing at Sanders on national television and that isn't even counting what she said in her book.
it works both ways.
6
@LAM Huh? Are you suggesting Bernie caused caused Hillary to lose? Maybe she had some responsibility? I recall Bernie insisting that the email server issue was a non-starter and would not abuse that. I recall once Hillary became the nominee, Bernie vigorously campaigned for her. Biden is not yet the nominee. Bernie is entitled to question Biden's competency and his proposed agenda.
It appears that the Dem establishment is stacking the deck and changing the rules. So you're suggesting that Bernie owes it the bad faith establishment to rollover and do the "right thing".
3
The young will rise up and vote for Bernie and the DNC knows that. We don't want Biden!!! Let the people vote and you'll see...Stop controlling the American electorate and giving them presidents who are not good leaders!
8
@RCJCHC If that were truly the case, Sanders would have swept the elections last night. With that said, I really admire the enthusiasm and hopefulness of our young people. And I do hope that everyone (young and old) comes out to vote. Every vote matters.
8
Calling for unity after the moderates said that Sanders would lose, that people like me are naive radicals who have no idea how the US government works, and that my views are dangerous and would destroy America. Yeah right.....but we HAVE to defeat Trump so we HAVE to vote for Biden. I will vote for Biden but I am not motivated or inspired to do so at all. It's just an obligation at this point.
Also my fellow youth are so disappointed. We protest and get people canceled but we cant do the one thing that actually might change something, vote. I've voted in every election since I turned 18. Next election I'll be 35 and I wont be in the youth category anymore. Get your act together young people!
8
Sanders would rather curse the dark than light a candle. His candidacy has been preposterous from the beginning. There has never been a revolutionary uprising to right the wrongs any time in our political history. And Sanders had no concrete remedies for the multiple ills facing our society-- magically introducing a medicare for all remedy without saying anything sensible about its implementation, let alone how it can be legislated. And to base his electability on young people, those least likely to participate politically and vote--absurd. The fact that a self-proclaimed socialist could not carry the "working class"--risible. But then he had no idea about the history of American socialism, its electoral failures and its successes in introducing previously "radical" ideas into legislation, all within the confines of a capitalist economy. People should worry about a guy who hasn't changed his thinking in 40 years. Reminds one of Michelle Bachmann who hadn't changed her religious thinking in 40 years. Joe Biden is no messiah, but he's got some sense about how our system works and doesn't work.
17
Two weeks ago, the idea of Biden having to cancel a rally would seem like a joke. Thanks to the wonder of the democratic nomination sequence, a little collusion from a handful of candidates and a good dose of propaganda from our own media and suddenly this joke is lost. But cancelling what would have been a noisy, phony bandwagon event could be seen as a consolation gift to humanity.
3
I will vote for Sanders no matter what. If he's not on the ballot, I'll vote for him as a "write-in" candidate.
Don't throw in the towel, Bernie!
6
@fly If Sanders is not on the ballot, then you just voted for Trump. How is that changing the world for the better? Please know that Trump and his Republican friends greatly appreciate your support in 2020.
Please vote for whomever is the Democrat candidate. What matters most, is that Trump is removed from office. I'm sure Bernie Sanders would agree with that statement.
4
@fly: That is what people like you did four years ago. Trump loves yiu because it was those actions that helped him win. You and your fellow young Bernie supporters have only one choice: either vote for whomever the Democratic candidate is or admit that you helped Trump get re-elected. BUt I have little hope for that since most of the Bernie Voters refused to accept their role in getting Trump elected 4 years ago.
3
It’s okay to be upset, to grieve. I wanted Warren to win but come November, I will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is (looks like Biden). I’m not sure our country can handle 4 more years of this Trump nightmare.
3
Full disclosure: Elizabeth Warren is my candidate. We lost. Now I have to pick between two candidates that weren’t my first choice.
Even though I know Sanders can’t get anything done once in the WH I’m still leaning towards him, because even if we lose the House and fail to flip the Senate we still get Trump out of office with a Sanders victory. 
But I’m torn about this debate Sunday. Sanders wants to debate because he knows he will win. Biden doesn’t want to debate because he knows he will lose.
So the debate helps Sanders and hurts the Democratic Party because it will be ugly. Sanders will say Biden is in the tank for the billionaire class and one percent and Biden will come close to calling him a Communist.
If you think Elizabeth Warren kicking Bloomberg in the teeth was ugly this debate will make that look like a fairytale. 
3
Too bad she doesn’t actually care if we live or die. She had a chance to endorse for the policies she pretends to champion twice now. Trust merely broken the first time, but killed for good the second.
6
Your logic is flawed. We need a Democratic House and the Democratic Congress in order to get any bills passed.
6
It looks like the game is over for Sanders. I am not a Biden fan or fan of anybody over 70 who is running for president in these trying times. However, he is the only one left to run against Trump. So, I am obliged to vote for Biden with the hope that four years of trauma, disgrace and disruption caused by Trump will be over in November. Bernie should suspend his campaign and not to cause any more bitterness and division among Democrats.
10
@Dodurgali
I surely hope Sanders does not suspend his campaign. Sanders is the only one with a real agenda to help the American people. Many have yet to vote.
2
@Dodurgali: Bernie needs to not only drop out but he needs to go on a speaking tour to convince his supporters to vote for whoever the Democratic Party candidate is. He should have done that 4 years ago but Bernie is only a Democrat when he has the chance of getting the nomination.
1
@e.s. I fully agree with you when it comes to Sander's agenda. However, right now our priority should be to stop the carnage Trump and his lackeys have brought upon us.
1
The biggest factor for me in deciding against Sanders is his - and his supporters' - sustained tactic of trying to discredit the will of the voters with dubious claims that anything that doesn't go his way is somehow a conspiracy promulgated by the "establishment." This presumes that black voters in South Carolina and Mississippi are in cahoots with Wall Street to deny Bernie his rightful due. How anyone can believe this hogwash is beyond me. I like Bernie's policy positions; I don't like his self-pity, mendacity, and cult of personality. Apparently, I am not alone.
23
How sad it is. A man whose entire political career was devoted to the people succumbs to a routine politician, and all know what they're devoted to.
The majority of the American people will struggle on, having lost their last chance to escape fascism, as Biden is an incompetent, easy prey to the con man in debate.
How sad it is.
4
@JFP So fat, the majority of people don't think that Sanders has the ability to be a good president. I did not vote for him in the CPrin amry, not becase w he is more socialist thatn Dempcrat but because in his long political life he had had few meaningful accomplishments. Bernie is "all hat and no cattle."
1
An elderly establishment “player” with obvious signs of dementia over a communist.
What a choice.
1
@Ken
Another example of the lack of political knowledge that has put so many people in our country in economic difficulty.
1
@Ken: I am not a Sanders supporter but calling him a communist is a lie put out by Republicans.
4
I heard a Biden campaign official this morning say that Sanders supporters should trust Biden to have "the most progressive administration in history."
Although there is the old saying that in stocks that past performance doesn't guarantee future performance, that former is often the best guide we have to the latter.
We have Joe Biden who opposed busing, who opposed making it easier for individuals to declare bankruptcy to please the banks headquartered in Delaware, who cut off testimony that would have supported Anita Hill's accusations against Clarence Thomas, and voted for the Iraq War.
None of this indicates to me that Biden is going to be progressive. Maybe he will surprise me but I wouldn't bet any money on that.
3
@Steve
Biden voted for the Iraq war. That says it all for me.
3
It would be nice if Biden were to reach out to Sanders supporters by adopting some version of Bernie's and Warren's policies.
-Truly affordable health care & Rx? Not just more of the ACA, which is still unaffordable for many.
-No or low-premium, no donut hole, no deductible Medicare that covers everything and includes dental, hearing and eye care?
-Swift, decisive action on Climate change?
-Interest forgiveness on all student debt, at least? Free trade school, (including nursing and education) and free community college.
-Minimum wage laws?
-Higher Social security payments for low-income seniors
-Criminal justice reform?
etc etc
I doubt that Biden will listen, but we must keep demanding it until he does.
9
@Sydney: Has it occurred to you that Biden got the votes because many voters don't like Bernie Sanders proposals? Or that Democrats like me see that Bernie has little to brag about in his long decades as an elected official, so we doubt his ability to get anything done as a President? In other words, that we do not believe he is Presidential material?
2
For all you folks who think Bernie supporter's should just get onboard.
Bernie is not the problem. The problem we all face is greed and avarice and the things people in authority (Biden) are doing to allow greed and avarice more freedom.
Bernie is a centrist politician seeking the best result for the most people. It is the greed and avarice mongers who are selling a different view of that truth.
If you cannot admit to that you will not be able to count on the support of a lot of Bernie supporter's, again.
5
@magicisnotreal And I guess Bernie's supporters deciding to sit it out and have Trump win will get them the policy changes they seek?
2
@magicisnotreal : You are talking in magical thinking patterns. Bernie has little history of getting things done. That is what a President is supposed to do. Nobody bought my vote in the recent California Primary. I voted against Bernie based on my own research of his abilities and accomplishments.
2
And once it is all said and done, Donald J. Trump will be re-elected President of the United States of America. Thank you.
4
PLEASE! Pick a fresh, vibrant, engaging running mate! They will likely be poised to run after one term as VP. Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Harris would all fit the bill!
6
How to make the election of Joe Biden more likely, and his presidency more effective in dealing with the country's problems:
1) Pick a practical, experienced, and hard-nosed woman VP candidate like Amy Klobuchar or Kamala Harris.
2) Inform the American people, in the nomination-acceptance speech, of some of the people that President Biden will nominate for cabinet posts if elected. For example, Bernie Sanders at Labor, Elizabeth Warren at Treasury, Barack Obama at the State Department, Mayor Pete at Health and Human Services, Julian Castro at Homeland Security, Cory Booker at Justice, etc.
3) Put a great deal of effort and money into defeating Mitch McConnell in his Kentucky reelection campaign, and into creating a Democratic majority in the US Senate in November in case McConnell is reelected.
13
@SA, God no to Kamala.
4
@SA Pulling that many senators will guarantee a republican majority, unfortunately.
1
@SA
Dream On.
This may come as a shock to many, but the "progressive wing" of the party does not speak for the party. If money were not the key factor in our elections, Cory Booker or Kamala Harris
would still be in the race. Both articulate, forward thinking and qualified. But living in the present, getting Trump out is more important that any one's agenda or philosophy. So deal with the greatest threat for now, and when we are more safe from
the disappearance of democracy, look to change.
12
Biden´s entire "campaign" consists of one thing and one thing only: avoid public exposure, keep speeches to an absolute minimum, protect Joe from Joe. The DNC´s strategy is the same. Look for the debate this Sunday to be cancelled. Biden didn´t campaign at all in many, if not most, of the states he won. This will be an all TV ads campaign, Bloomberg versus Trump. Anyone who wants to know what Biden stands for could start by reading Robinson´s piece about him in Current Affairs.
Biden has fossil fuel company executives on his campaign team and will do nothing about climate change. He´s been discussing a cabinet made up of the titans of Wall Street. He has never been asked any tough questions about his views on immigration policy during the Obama administration. Or about the Saudi bombing of Yemeni civilians.
And when he called a woman whose views he disagreed with a dog-faced pony? Just yesterday he threatened to slap a man who was challenging him on his gun control positions. Weird. And he came out and said just the other day that he´d veto a single payer, universal health plan if one were sent to him by Congress. Thanks to the coronavirus he just might be able to get away with hiding out for the next 8 months while we sleep through the TV ads.
11
Let's get a new campaign hat for Biden. Blue. MAWA -- Make America Well Again.
7
Make American well? You mean with no access to healthcare? It’s all the more heartbreaking that the purchased politicians and oligarchy keeping us from healthcare use lies, fear and propaganda to herd people into thinking the crumbs they are clinging to is the best they can get. In fact, they don’t care if we die. Clinton, Biden, Warren, who proved she doesn’t care by not endorsing any policies when it would have counted, twice, and any of those who have endorsed the most senile candidate who will continue to allow the American Oligarchs an iron grip on our lives. How many of us will continue to die unnecessarily because we don’t have universal healthcare, as a I’ve received in Japan and France? And let’s face it, if we are beyond the tipping point, we are all dead from climate change, by what? One more generation? They have proved with their actions and words, the do not care if we die. What does it matter if we vote at all? They don’t even care if we die.
4
Trump has MAGA.
Biden has MOPA (make Obama president again).
Both are fantasy.
3
Sanders campaign says basically, 'my way or the highway' This strategy is losing him the nomination, and now it is too late to start over even if he wanted to. Sanders must now show that he means what he says, that he is dedicated to beating Trump and getting some, but not all f his revoltution passed. Biden is not what you wanted, but consider the alternative. The poser of the young who have said they support Sanders is passionate, but erratic and Sanders needs to acknowledge this and back Biden whole heartedly.
7
James Carville (on MSNBNC) and James Clyburn (on NPR) are both calling for the DNC to end the primaries early -- no more debates, no more votes cast. I'd be interested to know how people who consider themselves Democrats feel about having their membership downgraded to a non-voting membership, which, frankly, doesn't seem like much of a *membership* at all....
But hey, with any luck, by 2020, they'll be able to dispense with voting altogether. Of course, by doing it this way, they're just going back to their roots ... smoke-filled back rooms and the rest. Though now instead of cigars and whiskey, it's probably kale chips and kombucha!
52
@Daniel
How can a debate with a friendly opponent hurt Biden if he's the best candidate?
13
@Daniel Surprise, surprise. Wonder if they can persuade Trump to drop debates?
7
@Daniel The republicans did this with trump and now he's not weakened by other republicans. They are smart. The democrats are known to eat their own. "Let's take lots of digs at Biden, so he can lose to trump". It's a very odd thing we do.
9
There is another important take away.
When Obama took office US healthcare was twice as expensive as the average of other OECD counties. When he left office, after the ACA was in effect for 6 years, nothing changed. After Trump has been in office 3 years nothing has changed. And if either Trump or Biden win in 2020 come 2024 the situation will remain the same.
The US healthcare industry is costs Americans 18% of its GDP, wasting $1.5+ trillion per year.
This needs to change.
7
@dave levy: It will come as a shock to you that the US COnstitution set out that the Congress, not the President makes the laws. So blame your local Senators and Congressmen.
Now that Joe has been declared the nominee, the Establishment should declare no more debates. Biden has been sheltered by being one of many in past debates where others have been clamoring for recognition.
What happens when Joe exhibits verbal incontinence or cessation of a thought mid-response?
Sanders will not, nor should he, withdraw given the likelihood of Biden's exposure.
The primary process is not complete.
I wish Elizabeth Warren had not withdrawn.
7
Don’t worry. While Liz is busy not endorsing our last chance at a civil society, she’s most certainly waiting to be asked to be VP, to continue to pretend she’s the bone to throw progressives. I guess Trump wins again.
4
@Lilly
Your more cynical than me. I like Warren. Hopefully she will weigh her options with the best interest of America in mind.
1
Is Biden the perfect candidate to defeat Trump? No, but he may be the only one that can. We Americans want restoration, not revolution. I don’t think Bernie should drop out until after the third round of Super Tuesdays. If and when he does, he needs to tell his supporters to get fully behind Biden unless they want four more years of the nightmare of Trump. Biden will be the president for all the people, not just a few. He may not be outstanding as a POTUS, but he will help return this country to normal. Normal is exactly what we need right now. We can build from there.
8
Joe Biden will lose in November and that will be sad.
What'll be sadder is when, in 2024, we nominate yet another "safe" centrist and lose again.
The definition of insanity.
11
@Jeff D
Or here is another scenario:
We nominate Sanders. He loses the House ( because no red state down ballot candidate can defend his policies), we fail to flip the Senate and we lose the presidential election too( because Trump can’t wait to run against Sanders and he is right).
America isn’t ready for Sanders (if he can’t convince blue state voters to vote for him how in the heck is he going to convince red state voters to vote for him?). He is a great visionary but way ahead of his time.
3
For those who think Bernie should drop out so Joe doesn't have to debate him.
If Joe cannot do well in a debate by a friendly opponent he does not deserve the nomination. If he falters and gaffes as is his wont to do, there will be another proof of why Bernie is the better candidate. If he does well then all us Bernie supporters will be proved wrong I suppose. But I know better.
9
Awesome. We love you Joe. Bring respect back to the presidency.
5
Russia will take notice of Biden's success, no doubt. Watch for the meddling to begin in earnest. They'll work their way back into Biden's childhood and note any time he sassed his teacher until when his son took a job with Ukraine. Russia has become our third political party casting aspersions to raise doubt about our candidates and our government in general. If Moscow is not perceived as the enemy it really is, we're in trouble.
4
@Daphne Democrats are starting the Russian conspiracy theories already!
All of Biden's unsuccessful rivals who sincerely wanted to defeat trump did the honorable thing and dropped out. After realizing that they wouldn't be the nominee, they put party and country before ego. The question is, can Sanders do the right thing?
2
@Ted: Bernie Sanders is always for Bernie Sanders first. Every 4 years he becomes a "Democrat" but the rest of the time he is a "Progressive Socialist" whatever that means.
Or Sanders or Trump. Never Biden. To survive the globalization process the US needs people with the personality of Sanders or Trump, no seniles or conventionals ones who offer more of the same.
5
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
4
Biden is re-making the Hillary mistake. She ran as the only alternative to The Horrifying Anarchist. Biden will be running against Covid-19, now that the horrifying anarchist has become a strong incumbent.
3
Mr. Biden also needs to appeal to the young voters. Their turnout rate is low.
If they don't see any policy proposals
attractive to them, they will likely
sit out. Mr. Sanders's policies are
too radical that don't appeal to older
white suburban voters. The difference
will be large turn out of African-American and union voters for Mr. Biden to win the presidency. He will
be a mediocre president, still improvement over Mr. Trump.
2
@s.khan are you suggesting that the American people should be happy w/a mediocre president? really?
@Cheryl Are you suggesting that we should be happy with a corrupt narcissist determined to undermine all the institutions of democratic governance? In case you haven't noticed, we are in a crisis situation in this country. I'll take mediocre if it means an end to the damage being wrought daily from this administration, and so will many others.
2
Biden just told a union worker "I'm not working for you."
If you want to vote for the corporate establishment, then by all means support Biden.
7
@John,
Was he the same union worker who was worried about his guns being taken away?
1
Illinois and Ohio is next week. They are big population Democratic states aren't they?
2
The worst and most corrupt president in history strategy is very clear.
1) Try to find dirt on Joe Biden.
2) Try to use Sanders to divide the Democratic party.
The only question is, will Sanders collaborate with him?
6
Sunday’s debate will be a disaster for the Democratic Party. It will expose Joe Biden to be an inferior candidate and leave the Democrats with a choice to nominate him or a candidate who will have Fidel Castro as a running mate.
6
Biden? Meh. I'll vote for him of course in the general election, but I just want to call out the media for their unfair coverage of Senator Sanders. I'm looking at you MSNBC. James Carville and Nicole Wallace and Joe Scarborough are the worst. Nicole shouts down anyone who offers a defense of the Senator. James Carville thinks future primaries should be cancelled & the DNC declare Biden the winner. Joe Scarborough can barely use Sanders name in a sentence. Last night Rachel, Sen McGaskill and Chris Hayes tried to give objective observations. But they were slim. I'm beginning to think The Rising on the The Hill website is the new go-to.
5
They don’t care if we die. Clinton, Biden, Warren, who proved she doesn’t care by not endorsing any policies when it would have counted, twice, and any of those who have endorsed the most senile candidate who will continue to allow the American Oligarchs an iron grip on our lives. How many of us will continue to die unnecessarily because we don’t have universal healthcare, as a I’ve received in Japan and France? And let’s face it, if we are beyond the tipping point, we are all dead from climate change, by what? One more generation? They have proved with their actions and words, the do not care if we die. What does it matter if we vote at all? They don’t even care if we die.
5
@Lilly So these are the things you tell yourself so you don't have to vote?
1
So I saw Joe this morning and you know still I have no idea what his platform is other than to mock and disparage Trump. he wants to return decency to the WH.
Well Joe everyone knows what Trump is they do not need you to tell them. They need you to offer a real platform they can vote for otherwise the choice is, the devil you know or the one you don't.
8
Joe is not right in the head. Yesterday he got into an argument with a guy and challenged go to go outside. Is that how he would deal with Putin?
7
Enough already with the "gaffes".Addressing a number of issues..a gaffe is a slip-up.
Addressing the Virus..."I have a hunch"..is ignorance.
5
So, just an average Joe is triumphant. Very average. Remind me again, Why was it Obama picked Biden? What is it he brought to the ticket others didn't? Shutting down Anita Hill?
Voting to invade Iraq? It wasn't his falsehood in getting arrested en route to see Nelson Mandela. He hadn't, uh, misstated that yet.
5
‘You lying dog-faced pony soldier.’
To a young woman. No, really.
Anyway, so nice of Joe Biden to be focusing on decency, honor, and integrity in his pursuit of the presidency.
9
It's Over.
(for Trump, that is)
6
Four more years of Trump. Thank You dixiecrats!
18
Buck Tex Nosferatu -- Why so pessimistic? Kindly expound. Thank you.
3
@Buck Tex Nosferatu
Well yes. It is mind boggling that the Dem power brokers did not have the guts to get behind someone like Harris or Booker.
But here we are.
2
I am a Democratic voter who once again (as in 2016) has been totally abandoned by the part in favor of conservative corporatists and warmongers. Another election cycle where I am forced to vote for a Green straight ticket.
You right-wing Democrats wanted electability...well you get electability. Trump's electability, in 2020 as in 2016.
19
Any Democrat will beat Trump.
1
Yes, we all know the movie cliche where the hero and the villain are fighting to the death and the villain pins the hero to the ground with a knife to his throat, pushing against the hero’s maximal resistance to try and deliver the final blow, and the hero says, “Now... you’re going to give me everything I want.”
You’ve got some strategic political maneuvering to do before you get your Bernie agenda passed in the real world. A vote for anyone but a Democrat is a vote for Donald Trump.
4
@Greg Only if the "progressive" vote for the Democraat instead of refusing like they did 4 years ago.
Democrats, in desperation, just put an elderly man with the onset of age-related cognitive issues in the best position to be at the top of the ticket.
Priceless.
21
@EGD -- There already is an elderly man with the onset of age-related cognitive issues serving as president. And, it doesn't matter if either Biden or Sanders is elected because we'll still have an elderly man with the onset of age-related cognitive issues serving as president. Every single non-elderly candidate was rejected. Maybe we've gotten used to having a senile president since we're so keen to elect another one.
5
Trump will win the general election in November...and believe it or not...in 2024 people will love Trump regardless of all his tweets, and Thank him for a job well done...
14
@ORnative
apparently Blankfein, Goldman Sachs and Wall Street are with you - the alternative for them is Biden - anybody but Sanders or Warren - regrettably for us less than 1%-ters
6
@ORnative, if Covid-19 hasn't killed them first.
1
@ORnative: I'm sure that they teach the US Constitution in Oregon schools. Did you sleep through those classes? The US Constitution limits a President to 2 terms. If Trump wins the upcoming election, he cannot legally run for election for third term.
To be clear I am a Democratic Socialist. This country desperately needs universal health care, as this impending epidemic will prove. We need to make college free, as most of the rest of the world offers. We need to stop climate change. We need to stop the killing and hatred and bigotry.
However, we also need to realize that the next democratic president will spend the first 4 years of their administration putting back and hopefully improving upon the government agencies and programs that have been gutted or destroyed by the current occupant and the republican party. This has to be done before we can move forward. It takes a minute to destroy something and years to build it back up.
I understand that at this point in history, with the damage that has been done to our country, we will have to be patient. That is not to say that progress on climate change, improving health care, education, and gun control can not take place. However, we have to get this country moving in the right direction, before any major progressive changes can be made. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but it is reality.
In my heart I am with Elizabeth Warren. However, Joe Biden, with his years of knowledge on how the government works, his compassionate nature and his decency, is who we need right now. It won't be an exciting presidency, but it will be a healing one.
25
We Bernie supporters will not forget what the DNC establishment once again has done.
18
@CJT
Would you prefer Trump or Biden? Bernie lost Florida and in turn, the election, with the Castro comments.
Progress comes in steps. Think about it.
6
That’s just your problem, Bernie Bros, hate and revenge.
You will never win supporters for your base because of
the continuing nasty rally against others.
Bernie lost against Hillary and will lose to Biden.
The Voters have spoken respectfully.
6
@CJT
What have they done? Be specific.
1
Bernie has been repudiated. Not by the establishment but by African Americans, Senior citizens and in MI blue collar workers. A broad coalition. The kind of coalition that will repudiate Trump, hold on to the House and win the Senate.
The Republicans spent years tearing Mrs. Clinton apart with phony hearings and Russian obstruction. Senator Kerry was "swift boated".
Biden should cancel the debate if Bernie doesn't become a democrat between now and the weekend.
Joe Biden is now the leader of the Democratic Party. He cannot willingly allow another democrat to "Swift Boat" him. It's time to focus on the general election.
At some point we all have to grow up. Elections are a choice between two flawed candidates. The country has changed enormously in 3 years. It hasn't been incremental and it's been a disaster.
28
People are voting for decency and experience over toxic hyperbole and impossible magical thinking. Bernie, please join the rest of the country in uniting the party and save the negative rhetoric for Trump.
28
I have always thought too much weight is given to the race for the WH. DT has certainly changed that opinion, but it still has some merit. I have been seeing comments from conservative leaning Democrats who say they are disheartened by the choices being offered now, and that it could translate into many not voting at all. That would seem to me be a bit of a wrong-headed non-solution to the current situation, as it would likely ensure 4 more years of the GOP running things. As distasteful as many may find Biden or Sanders that does not seem to me to be the right move here. There are plenty of down-ballot conservative leaning Democrats who can help offset any power accruing to the new President, and I still like Pelosi, our third in line, and whoever ascends to the WH will work well with her. The choice for VP will also have a significant impact on things as well.
If nothing else, the campaign this year also offered us a glimpse of some who would be excellent choices for cabinet positions.
And then we must also vote for Senators. I have no problem voting for whoever the Dems select for the WH, but the Senate has equal importance in my view.
6
"by the end of the night that Mr. Sanders had lost his recent status as the progressive front-runner in a race defined for months by feuding and factionalism on the moderate wing of the Democratic Party."
Sanders was the front-runner in his own mind. He is also the reason for such feuding and factionalism. In 2016 he and his rabid base tried to insult moderates into voting for him, and he's doing it again this year.
He lost in 2016 because the voters chose someone else. He's losing in 2020 because the voters are choosing someone else. There is no conspiracy, and moderates do want universal healthcare, universal child care and an increase in minimum wage. We also want tighter corporate regulations and tax increases for the uber-rich.
What we don't want is Sanders. That shouldn't be difficult to understand. My candidate, Warren, didn't make it either. I'm saddened by that, but it wasn't a low-down, dirty DNC conspiracy. Fewer people voted for her than Biden.
14
So Biden's victories in the same states that went for Bernie in 2016, is the greatest evidence of the repudiation of Hillary Clinton that year.
6
I am puzzled by concerns of Biden's "acuity" from some readers. Really? He has skillfully swept in and siezed What about Trump's "acuity?" for example? Biden has morals, deep experience, weathered personal tragedy, has voters of all colors and incomes voting for him. He does not divide. Does he have faults? Sure, who doesn't? For one, whatever gaps exist, he will attract motivated, talented, experienced staffers. He has deep knowledge of legislation. Do not overlook the good in search of the perfect.
16
We are in VERY troubled times. Citizens and markets are in a flight to safety. Biden represents safety for voters. Polarization has limited any option.
6
Biden will definitely lead to defeat again and again and Democrats are used to that.
Bide. is the easiest to beat candidate according to many polls near the beginning of the campaign in which he ended up loosing day after day.
With not a single new plan or addressing any problem, this Obama follower has now been manipulated into the Democratic presidential candidate.
From arrogance in 2016 to fake understanding. The democrats and their fans really know how to pick them.
A bit like their religious leaders.
1
It is really a shame what the Democrat Establishment and the media did to Sanders. They surely did their best to scare voters from voting for their best interests. Biden and the Democrat party do not represent me so do not except I will ever vote for Biden. But I really think the Establishment does not care if Trump is re-elected. They will just spend the next 4 years blaming the Russians for their loss.
6
@e.s. it wasn't the "Democratic Establishment" scaring voters, it was Bernie's surrogates (the squad behaves at Trump level) and Twitter bullies.
3
They don’t care if we die. Clinton, Biden, Warren, who proved she doesn’t care by not endorsing any policies when it would have counted, twice, and any of those who have endorsed the most senile candidate who will continue to allow the American Oligarchs an iron grip on our lives. How many of us will continue to die unnecessarily because we don’t have universal healthcare, as a I’ve received in Japan and France? And let’s face it, if we are beyond the tipping point, we are all dead from climate change, by what? One more generation? They have proved with their actions and words, the do not care if we die. What does it matter if we vote at all? They don’t even care if we die.
@e.s.
Sanders has been in government for almost 40 years. He is establishment.
3
Democrats are fooling themselves if they think people are excited about Biden. Not only Trump will eat him alive, but his trade, immigration, and war/peace policies are preferred to that of Biden's.
DNC's heavy handed approach to push another neoliberal down voters throat will get them exactly the same result as 2016.
10
@CacaMera: I suppose your belief is that all the primary elections were "Fixed" in support of Biden. I voted for Biden, out of about a half a dozen Democratic candidates which included Bernie, in the California Democratic Primary because Sanders' history of accomplishment could be written on the head of a pin.
Biden voters, here's really what you voted for: austerity programs and cuts to social security,"free" trade deals and related job losses, the gutting of public education through public funding of chartered schools, the expansion of the prison population, limiting women's reproductive choices, students choking under debt, for profit heathcare, and for further deregulating the financial system. That's his record.
Biden may not be as bad as Trump but he's very unlikely to reverse the country's march towards corporate oligarchy and religious fascism.
Well done!
5
@Kidcanuck: OTOH, Bernie Sanders has a long history of getting almost nothing done. At least that was what his Presidential Campaign website for the last election showed.
Unless Trump and his acolytes are defeated, the name of the candidate will be irrelevant. Biden can defeat Trump and that must be the first priority. But Sanders should stay in the race. I will vote for Sanders because America needs universal health care. He doesn't need millions for flyers and TV ads. He needs to appear in every debate from now until the convention and explain why all Democrats should support adequate health care for all Americans, and show us that private health insurance companies, which of course support Mr. Biden, are already unimaginably rich and yet, out of what I can only describe as pure greed, ruthlessly strangle my patients, many of them struggling to just survive, Bernie may not be the winner, but he can still change the game.
3
@Dan Woodard MD: I'm sorry but your comment doesn't make sense. You say the Biden is the only candidate who can win but you are going to vote for Sanders even though you know he cannot win? Why vote at all?
Biden has excellent choices for running mates: Warren, Klobuchar, Harris; even Pelosi, which would leave Schiff for Speaker.
2
As a Canadian, I feel sorry for my American friends. On the one hand, you have Biden, whom I believe is showing signs of decreased mental abilities due to age. On the other hand, you have Trump, also showing signs of decreased mental abilities, although in his case it is probably congenital (ie from birth).
6
Oh so the Times' newsletter this morning has this to quote about Bernie?
"Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a progressive group, argued that Biden now had the responsibility of winning over these voters: “Sanders has built the largest grassroots fundraising engine in American history. He’s had the largest rallies. He has the most enthusiastic supporters. He has a lock on young voters. The question now is whether Biden tries to court this grassroots giant.”"
Only praise I've seen, since even before your informed endorsements.
Only praising him to figure out how to take over what he has accomplished. Even so. Those moderates definitely better "court" his voters, rather than blaming, scolding, deriding, pearl-clutching, and toungue-clicking at them.
Interesting to me which of my comments you do not publish.
5
I've met Bernie. I've voted for him half my life including March 3rd, but now is the time for him to rally his followers to vote for Biden in November (hopefully a ticket with a woman/non-white man, such as Stacy Abrahams.) Sorry, we can't always get all that we want right now/every election. Stein=Trump. Nader=Trump. Staying at home in November=Trump. What damage will one or two more conservatives on the supreme court do?...for a lot longer than you'll have to wait for a truly progressive democratic candidate to vote for. Please Bernie lovers like me...PLEASE have patience for a future candidate...please just for the good of humanity, support Joe! "the definition on insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." Eating a food you dislike is way better than eating poison!
9
@greg
Agreed about Stacey but get the spelling of her name right. After all she may well be president some day. The correct appellation is Stacey Abrams.
1
To put it mildly, we should all be concerned about “Mr. Biden for his halting public manner”
And we should all be concerned about his obvious confusion, disorientation and emotional volatility.
It’s irresponsible for the MSM not to report on what appears to be Biden’s significant cognitive decline.
Trump won’t be so diplomatic.
11
For the last several months The NY Times, MSNBC and some other media have had a non stop campaign vilifying Sanders, yet have barely written anything about Biden's record or his mental health. This long but very well written essay explains that Biden is anything but the "safe" choice to beat Biden.https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/03/democrats-you-really-do-not-want-to-nominate-joe-biden/?fbclid=IwAR36kAVXSCErAESmnroaIZR1Kq3T3E7Nfeu57f_OvFgYXn01cfMbDJy63f8
6
What Biden needs to do is pick Sanders as his running mate. That way during the first term you can have two elderly white octogenarians running the country.
Democrats: Instantaneously capable of finger pointing and screaming racist and misogynist at Republicans; yet the Dems flushed Booker and Harris, the "candidates of color" and the other two qualified women, Warren and Klobuchar.
"The Party of Inclusion". Not in your lifetime.
6
@Supreme Comandante" To change the world, one need to get elected. The Democratic voters here in California voting in the Primary, like I did, picked the candidate that we felt has the best chance of winning the Presidential election. We can't change the world if our candidate doesn't get elected. I will vote for whomever is the Democratic Party candidate, which is more than the Bernie Supporters did.
I have a lot of respect for Sanders supporters.
They are scrappy, tenacious, fierce and loyal to the bone.
But it's time to move on because in the end, there are no second-place winners.
I welcome with open arms (perhaps only figuratively due to today's current situation) and a face mask (if I can find one to purchase) all Bernie backers. We need to come together and unite as a whole.
The goal is to remember in November to vote Blue, no matter who. And in this case, it's Biden for President.
8
@Marge Keller
If you believe you should only vote for those who maintain the integrity of the elected office than both Trump and Biden have disqualified themselves.
@Marge Keller Vote blue no Matter Who is an extremely privileged position. Biden saddled the youth of this country with 1.5 trillion dollars of student debt. Then made sure they couldn't discharge that debt with a bankruptcy bill. Good luck in November.
@dave levy: You can't change the world if you don't get elected. That is something that Bernie supporters refuse to accept.
Like many other young people, I wanted to be excited by a candidate. I wanted to rally behind someone who seemed like the obvious choice to defeat Trump. I’ve supported several candidates through this primary process, but ultimately voted for Joe when I realized that the math in my state gave me the choice between him and Bernie. Joe has not been exciting in the traditional sense through this primary process. He’s a flawed candidate, for sure. But I support him wholeheartedly because I know he’s what we need right now. He’s dignified, he’s decent, and he has a unifying quality that Bernie lacks. These are all things we crave so much in a President after the last few years. Compassion, empathy. Just because he isn’t promising a revolution doesn’t mean he’s not a good candidate with a lot to offer this country in terms of healing.
14
Bernie Sanders enthusiastic supporters should realize that their vision of a fairer, more socialized political landscape will not come from the top down but from the bottom up, starting at the local level. They should begin by running for office themselves if they want real social change.
23
@Rob D
Need to change the DNC. They block it via anointing wealthy people with positions. They are running in districts but the DNC in some cases has supported republicans over progressives. Progressive run grass roots campaigns meeting and talking with people. They come from the communities and aren’t air dropped there by their wealth they bring along.
In America those who have the gold make the rules. It is pay to play. Progressives winning the nomination would have allowed us to make changes so people could actually be represented by members of the community.
The current system is that people in the club choose who runs and is supported or blocked and attacked. We just voted for these people to keep choosing to do so and tell us who will represent us.
Pelosi defends party intervention in Democratic primaries. By David Weigel and Erica Werner
April 26, 2018 at 12:14 PM EDT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/04/26/pelosi-defends-party-intervention-in-democratic-primaries/
Chuck Schumer’s ‘Windowless Basement’ Strategy for Winning Back the Senate
By JACK CROWE
October 4, 2019 3:06 PM
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/10/chuck-schumer-windowless-basement-strategy-for-winning-back-the-senate/
I can't believe this needs to be said, but the reason young people like myself support Sanders is his vision for the country. It doesn't matter if Bernie drops out and endorses Biden because this isn't a personality contest. Maybe we'd get behind the Biden campaign and the Democratic Platform if they at least made a cursory acknowledgment of the hopes and fears of anyone under age 65 and had promises to address them. I'll check the box with the D next to it in November, but I doubt it'll matter. This establishment continues to offer us nothing and we owe them nothing in return.
15
Biden, although certainly more status quo, could be responsive to pressure on Sanders issues, and could act on some of them.
6
You make it sound like the only Biden supporters are whites over 65. That being white and over sixty five makes one oblivious to the trials and tribulations of making your way in this world. In these assumptions you are quite wrong. There are many over 65 who have fallen through the cracks, assuming Social Security would be enough to live off of or that they would have a pension for life, which are going away as well.
We will make change in the UnitedStates but it will not happen with the election of Bernie Sanders. Going from one loud mouth “my way” kind of guy to another will just mean four more years of stagnation and obstruction. The best changes are made slowly in anything, especially the social fabric.
6
@Scott
Vote Republican and see how you like it. They are about taking people's rights away. They are about putting the power into the hands of the wealthy and healthy (I guess). Are you wealthy? Have a huge stock portfolio, speculative real estate holdings? Own a business that uses non union labor? If you answered yes to all of these questions then I partially understand your Republican leanings. How about the rest of the country that doesn't fit into your businessman's world?
Joe Biden is not the establishment. There is an establishment and there aren't too many Democrats inhabiting it. Trump is the problem although he's not the establishment either. It would be better if he were, but he's not and he's worse.
3
Now that Joe Biden has formed this coalition, I hope he runs as the leader of a coalition and not as Joe Biden. Together we are strong and he represents us. If he does that, the gaffes and the problematic votes long ago will not matter. I also hope he does not debate Trump. Why get on the stage with a man who lies and views these debates as a rating game? There is no point to debating the man and no minds to change. We - democrats, independents, non-Trump republicans - need to unite and move on to decisively get Trump out of office.
8
@trudy lou The fact that Democrats are afraid of Biden debating Trump rather than welcoming it like Sanders would shows this will be 2016 all over again.
There is good news and bad news in this outcome. The bad news is that Mr. Biden is probably not the strongest of the moderate candidates. I worry about his frequent gaffes.
The good news is that he is a moderate, and would make a reasonable President; he will likely surround himself with intelligent advisors, and follow their guidance.
Importantly, this may represent the beginning of the end of one of the most pernicious forces in modern American politics: the politics of identity. Even Sen. Klobuchar tried to play this card, asking voters to support her because of her gender, rather than emphasizing her policies, experience, and competence.
The New York Times and its influential editorial board has been one of the strongest driving forces behind identity politics, and one can hope the paper will reconsider its stance.
In the meantime, my complements to the Democrats, who seem to have accomplished what the Republicans should have done 4 years ago. They have stepped back from the brink and moved towards their center, and seem poised to nominate a reasonable, rationale, and likely electable moderate candidate.
12
@Alex
Hope he picks Stacey as VP candidate real fast. She is so impressive and sharp as a scalpel. She should have run for President.
1
@Alex
No Joe Biden is not a moderate. He is a status quo right winger. Bill Clinton took the DEM party to the right of reagan in 1992 and the majority of them have only gone further right since. That is not moderate it is radical. reagan was considered psychopathic by the free press before he won. Once he managed to deregulate in his first year suddenly those voices were silent and the not so free any more press started talking about these radical moves the republicans were making as if they were well known normal common sense moves and no one challenged republicans when they lied in interviews of any kind. .
Sanders is the middle or moderate which is where it has always been.
It only seems radical because the correction necessary is so big. The right wingers like Biden who really should be republicans have held on to control of the party for too long.
2
@Alex
Simply put, & every point a bullseye. Well done! My favorite candidate also didn’t end up on top, but now is the time for every single rational human >18 years of age to make it to the polls in November & literally save our country.
1
Bernie has stated he will attend the debate on Sunday evening. Mr. Biden should declare he won't participate, thereby putting an end to this battle early. It is clear there simply aren't enough of Bernie's supporters who can be relied upon to show up and vote. Just the opposite is true for Biden's followers.
Prolonging this useless battle only shortens the time needed for the Democratic party to address and hopefully heal divisions. More debates aren't needed.
9
I disagree, if anything Biden needs to sharpen his positions and a one on one debate within our party is a first step in clarifying that message. We as voters need this to start to understand what really is the vision Biden has for the future and an honest back and forth is a good start.
6
@Tom Q The real reason many Democrats do not want Biden to show up on Sunday is they fear what they will see in a two hour debate. Biden‘s cognitive decline is there for all to see. On top of that, he is against what most Democrats have stood for for years. His record from a Democrat and progressive standpoint is abysmal. But the hatred of Trump trumps everything. And now many commenters here want Biden once he gets the nomination To avoid a debate with Trump. Same as above, as it will expose a mentally deficient candidate.
1
The end of the "Bernie Era" is fast approaching. The primaries now shift to states that will, if the polls are correct, go to Biden in an even larger margin. What about a running mate?
In times past, the nominee would pick someone who might help turn a state with sizable electoral votes. Gender is a big issue right now, but neither Elizabeth Warrne nor Amy Klobachar will make a big difference as their states should go to Biden.
Texas is a good opporunity to shore up Latino votes with either O'Rourke or Castro as the running mate. Let's see what happens. ;
4
Maybe my math is a little fuzzy, but how is Sanders leading in Washington state when both he and Biden have 33% with 67% reporting. My math says as of right now, Washington is a tie until there is more reporting.
6
The main thing I'm taking from this primary season is just how ludicrous it is to have mail-in "single preference" ballots when the non-Bernie votes are split across many similar-strength candidates, and when many of those have dropped out by the date of the ballot.
Ranked choice voting solves both of these problems, and is long overdue.
e.g. Wouldn't it be nice to know the second preference of all those Warren voters in Washington state?
2
Bernie is "righteous" from the most recommended post here yesterday.
This is the clear arrogance of the Left. And this costs them more than they will believe until Bernie is repudiated at the polls.
We do not need the "righteous" in American politics.
We need views and respect and dialogue and compromise.
9
@RP
The republicans agree with you.
@RP exactly, hear hear.
@Mathias
You think "righteous" is helpful in US politics?
1
Bernie is like Trump - not he knows best. Why not run as the Independent that he is? Never understood why the Dems allowed him in to disrupt the last election and hand it to Trump. No more debates for me - not another 2 hours of railing against the Party that gave him a platform.
7
@Barbara
It’s actually nice of Sanders to run as an independent in the Democratic primary because if he ran as an independent in the general he would take all the votes away from the Democrat.
1
Such a country for old men...
This is really sad that the leadership of this country is embodied by two male septuagenarians. This is quite telling about the lack of ambition and overall belief in the future as a whole this country displays.
"We choose to put a man on the moon not because it's easy, but because it's hard!"
What happened to that? What happened to solving problems, being bold and inspiring people?
Kennedy didn't commissioned another Lewis and Clark to go check whether the Pacific Ocean was still there. Joe Biden sure will and Trump will have an aide research who Lewis and Clark were.
1
@Olivier Bertin: The voters in the Primary Election have chosen candidates that we thought could win the Presidency. I have voted for the last 49 years. I have always voted for the candidate that I believed would make the best elected official based on their record and platform. Sex, sexual preference race, age or nationality never entered into my decisions. But in the current era, people like you demand that we vote for the younger candidates irrespective of whether they have the ability and experience to do the job. We Democrats can't change the world unless we put Democrats in the White House, and Congress. It certainly sounds to me that you believe that "old men" are automatically unfit to be President.
Aw, it was a team victory!: corporations, pharma lobbyists, billionaires and their lawyers all came together in a team-building exercise against working people in this country. Samo samo.
6
@Cest la Blague: It is always illegitimate to disparage and invent a secret cabel when people choose not to vote for your candidate. I'm not a Bernie supporter because I don't believe he can get things done, but if he is the Democratic Party nominee, I will vote for him because even Bernie would be a far better President than any Republican. I hope you understand that.
w
Why is there such an emphasis on winning "states" in the Democratic primary contest where only delegates matter? Many of these states will never vote for a Democrat in the general election, where it does matter until we finally get rid of the electoral college. Maybe winning in a swing state like Florida could be telling, but otherwise it's just illogical hype.
3
rah (small letters, whispered). So it is Biden. With all of the diversity, new ideas, fresh faces, exciting candidates, we wind up with Obama light (literally and figuratively). We wind up with a 77 year old who stumbles on the campaign trail, falters in debates, and still makes up "facts". I suppose it is inevitable that Harris will be the VP; we cannot not choose a woman, and Biden owes it all to the African-American community.
I am depressed. I was so excited at the start and now I am definitely not. And I imagine a lot of folks, and not just Bernie Bros, are let down. Will we bother to even vote in November? Ah, that is the question...
9
@Michael Smith
I will take Obama, light or not, over Trump and his gang every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
5
@Michael Smith...... Harris is not a black women she is multiracial and she has no standing in the African American community especially with African American men. Trump 2020 is inevitable.
1
@Michael Smith that's on you all if you vote or not, it just maybe Trump who will win regardless of any candidate that has come up -- that's what peeps are saying Virginia. Get ready for four more years of what we've had. Can you believe it's been four years already! And more to come.
I’m bummed. During the past three years, Bernie Sanders brought major awakenings and awareness to the American people the likes of which brought hope and renewed belief in equality and justice for everyone. Joe Biden brought nothing. A blank slate actually of silence. Then when he rode into competition late in the day, he did so on the coattails of the Obama Effect. It’s possible he only jumped in to defend his family name in the Burisma scandal, found his outrage, and decided to run. What did he inspire in us? What is his motto for a better future? Follow me and you get Obama back? I will hug everybody? What an insult to Americans who are primed to move our nation forward into a very challenging future for our children and our planet.
7
It was rather sadly uncharacteristic watching the usually strident and defiant Michael Moore on MSNBC last night swallowing hard and having to admit the status quo has won and all he and Bernie can do is go quietly.
4
One has to wonder if a state other than South Carolina had voted prior to Super Tuesday we would be seeing a very different race.
As it stands though Biden is likely to be the nominee. With the rousing election slogan of "Well he's better than Trump, I guess."
7
@Scott McElroy, how about, “Hey, I know Jim Clyburn.”
So, according to last week's NY Times, Sanders was an unstoppable "runaway train".
It seems runaway trains derail.
5
@Mark Shyres
Running too fast into a downhill left curve.
2
But will any of those states, specifically in 'Red America' actually vote for a Democrat in November? If so, when was the last time they did?
5
@ kladinvt Biden doesn't need red states to vote blue. He needs the blue states to remain blue and the purple swing states that Hillary failed to deliver vs Trump to vote blue.
@kladinvt
Biden is pretty red. Is he red enough to win?
I keep hearing pleas for Sanders supporters not to 'burn the house down'. It's cute you think anyone under 45 can afford a house. Which is why none of us are voting for Biden. Boomers gonna Boom though.
14
@Jeffrey K
My daughter is 36 and she and her husband have a house. This boomer was 36 when he could afford to buy a house.
If you are not born to a wealthy family, or have an exceptional career, it takes time.
3
@Jeffrey K Y'all stayed home when it came time to support your man Bernie in all the places it counted. Why would you show up for Joe?
2
@Jeffrey K: So you will do what you boomer did 4 years ago and refuse to vote because your candidate didn't win the nomination. Trump and the Republican Party pray daily that you will do the same stupid thing again.
One thing is patently obvious in reading these comments: Sanders supporters are more concerned about Bernie and themselves than they are about the country. They have more contempt for Biden, a man who agrees with them completely on 70% of the issues, than they do for Trump, who is the political equivalent of Lucifer for everything they believe in. They would rather Trump win and do more existential and irreversible damage to the United States than for them to be wrong, for Biden to win, and to get back to fighting climate change, shoring up health care for millions of Americans, and progressing towards a more fair and just tax system. They would rather Trump win than to see us help students with college debt. They basically hate Democrats more than hey want progress on the issues they profess to care about.
Sanders supporters are not concerned about their country, they're concerned about themselves. That's the truth. They will gladly inflict more damage on this country than accept the will of the American voter and actual progress. They are ideologues, they are anti-Democratic, and Democrats should focus on winning the middle rather than placating these psychopaths.
14
Bernie, be part of the solution. Do the right thing. Concede, endorse Biden. To those supporting Bernie, I say the same thing. Help to remove a blot on our history, a threat to our ideals, an assault on all that is good and hopeful about this nation. We can climb back up to the top of that hill where we belong. And we’ll get there without lying, demagoguery, cruelty, divisiveness, cynicism, or bloviating. And clean house of all the enablers when we get there, and that includes the Senate.
Retired Marine, former Republican
16
@Lightning14
All I can say is "Semper Fi Marine!"
I saw James Carville on TV last night and he wore his "Veteran" baseball cap, but he did sign off as
"Corporal Carville" (Marine Corporal)
Ex Navy Pilot who was guided to officer status by Marine Drill Instructors in Pensacola Florida (Aviation Officer Candidate School), Our class Drill Sergeant bestowed on us
permission to use the Marine motto of Semper Fi.
(Always Faithful) I have faith in our country always and I have faith that Joe Biden will be our next President after the terrible mistake that is Donald Trump.
3
I'm applauding Biden, he took the high road best of them all instead of this "us vs them" attitude from the far left. Ridiculous to play at Trump's level with pettiness, taunts, ridicule etc. that Bernie's supporters showed to other candidates and their supporters.
3
@pvks20016
Like Bidens “Dog Faced Pony Soldier”? There are many more. It’s easy to attack people who are upset and fighting for change. It takes guts as they will be drug through the mud. Same as the civil rights movement. Easy to point fingers.
How many articles on here and other outlets blasting progressives? How many times when I go read AOC I see threats and vile comments towards progressives. Progressives are under constant assault. And you are part of that. You have no idea where they were standing earlier.
But by all means attack them. Good winning strategy. Moderates have all but said they don’t need us by their actions and words.
1
This result and the Alex Jones DWI have made my day.
7
This primary race is over between Sanders and Biden. However, a Biden nomination will most likely mean another four years of Trump. Firstly, it was extremist neoliberal democrats (aka: “moderate democrats”), such as Biden, who created the conditions for a Trump candidacy in the first place by not promoting and passing quality progressive policy that actually helps Americans. Secondly, to say a moderate candidate is a safer option is nonsense considering Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Obama, and Hillary were all “moderate” presidents or presidential candidates who either were followed by a very conservative Republican or lost to a very conservative Republican. Hillary Clinton should be a prime example because she lost to the most unpopular presidential winner in modern history. Thirdly, Biden has dementia and cannot put a coherent sentence together and will get destroyed by Trump during the debates. Sanders still has his mind, knows how to debate, and will stick to the issues that most Americans care about. In conclusion, the Democrat Party may need to learn the hard way again in 2020 that “moderatism” doesn't work. Old habits die hard. And, if by some chance Biden does get elected, brace yourself for Trump 2.0.
4
@Demetrius
" Sanders still has his mind, knows how to debate, and will stick to the issues that most Americans care about. In conclusion, the Democrat Party may need to learn the hard way again in 2020 that “moderatism” doesn't work.
AHA, proof before our very eyes that Bernie Bros are no different than Republicans, who have been conditioned for at least 20 years to refer to the Democratic Party as the "Democrat Party."
Don't see a lot of difference between Bernie Bros and the Repubs and there's the proof.
1
@Demetrius The fact that you said "Democrat Party" removed your mask. I see you.
1
Congrats, Boomers.
Instead of the next 8 or so months being about Medicare For All, free college, and the drastic measures that need to be taken to save the planet, you're giving us arguments about cognitive decline and Hunter Biden.
And then you'll have the utter gall to blame leftists when you faceplant to a game show host. Again.
8
Be proud, Bernie bro, be proud! But continue to be proud as the group that enabled Trump to get elected twice. It’s on you!
1
so absolutely tired of men. deeply deeply tired...
2
50/50 Biden will have a senior moment.
Then everything will be up for grabs.
Sanders need to hang in.
8
@True Observer
More like 99/1 he will have a senior moment. he almost did with the gun guy
1
In 2016 Bernie did well among the white working class in the Midwest. He thought they agreed with him but in reality they voted for him because they detested HRC. When the choice was HRC and Trump, they voted for Trump which enabled Trump to win the 3 "blue wall" states and thus the White House.
Last night these voters voted for Biden. Sanders' "coalition" never consisted of blacks, the elderly, or blue collar workers. This is not because someone is "taking" something from him but because these constituents reject Sanders' platform. People without an education do not want to pay for others' educations; particularly when these people chose to take out loans or get worthless degrees. This is regressive taxation and rewards sloth. People whose unions fought to get private health insurance do not want to give that up for Medicare.
In 2016 they did not know how much admiration Bernie has for Castro. They were not aware that when faced with real evil, i.e. Suleimani or Iran, Bernie would blame Trump. They were not aware he would surround himself with anti-Semites and then call Bibi a racist.
They didn't know he'd call Trump a "pathological liah" and then say there are 87 million uninsured Americans (the number is closer to 20 million) or that Medicare for All will be better than private insurance. If that's so then why isn't he on Medicare?
Bernie lost because America rejects his message. His participation at the convention should be minimal; no more than Klobachar's.
4
Maybe now is the time for Biden to begin talking about Burisma and his son, get it out there before the Republicans start down the rabbit trail of falsehoods and innuendos.
1
@Robert kennedy
Here are some truthhoods:
Joe’s son gets tossed out of the Navy for drug use, is seen scoring crack on Skid Row in LA, and yet somehow lands a fat gig on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. (You know, because he brings soooo much to the table, huh...)
And then there’s Joe bragging about shutting down the Ukrainian investigation into that energy company.
Oh, and Hunter scoring a $1.5 BILLION loan from the Chinese. (Guess creditscore.com doesn’t work in China!)
Yup. Absolutely nothing to see here folks. Beyond influence peddling by Joe, of course...
3
Bernie, whom I’ve backed for years, should drop out today (or ASAP) in order to avoid damage to the progressive movement. He won’t be able to have rallies and Covid-19 will upend downstream primaries anyway. He can’t win and there’s no point.
Damage mitigation; he and us will be blamed to the end of time if he doesn’t. Unfairly, of course. What else is new?
All “other” delegates already won are going to Biden, and so will supers. Doubt we’ll have a convention anyway, because of Covid-19. Florida is out of reach. Etc.
Biden is a very risky choice but way better than Trump, especially with the forces behind each. Easy choice. Vote for the cognitively iffy neoliberal over the cognitively iffy fascist. Takes zero thought.
If progs don’t turn out for Biden, if people wrongly think “there’s little difference,” that will be used, fairly, to vilify (moreso) the movement. If progs do turn out and Biden loses, it ain’t their fault. We’d’ve told you so. I of course hope he wins and will vote for him in RI.
We need to look ahead to how to overcome all the institutional resistance to all things progressive. No one said this would be easy. Or fair. Ginormous amounts of money and power are on the line, so the hysteria showcased in MSM (whose chokehold must be broken) is to be expected, and when 13% of the youth vote shows up on Super Tuesday, well...
Mainly we need to push for decent policies or we’ll get worse than Trump soon enough. And pass carbon failsafe, etc.
4
@Doug Tarnopol
Progressives will be blamed either way.
The question is with progressives losing their voice they will be attacked by moderates, the media, republicans, Russians and other vile actors.
With no voice and the constant vile attacks it will be difficult for them to vote for Biden.
With a second presidential election falling short for Bernie Sanders, I do have empathy for him and his supports. I don't agree with his politics, but I can imagine the frustration and disappointment.
Perhaps Bernie continues to be ahead of his time.
But what the focus must be on now is to put those Sanders signs back in the garage and change gears by backing Biden.
If that action sounds so simple it's because it is - that's the direction the Democratic Party continues to point to after every primary.
I was and will always be a Pete Buttigieg supporter. My heart broken when he bowed out. But life moves on.
Instead of spinning one's wheels and getting stuck in the muck, it's time to stop, change gears and just go forward.
11
@Marge Keller Sanders won every age group and demographic under 45. Biden saddled those same people with 1.5 trillion in student load debt. He then helped pass a bankruptcy bill to keep those people in debt.
4
@Marge
I’m still hoping to see Buttigieg as VP, even though I’m guessing Biden will bow to identity politics for that selection.
2
To use a basketball metaphor, Joe Biden needs to take the air out of the ball by skipping Sunday’s debate and riding out the primary to victory. But he has to debate Sanders and he can’t possibly beat Bernie in a debate.
This can change the trajectory of the primary and maybe give Sanders another life. Biden thanked the Sanders campaign and supporters last night as if he has already won the nomination. Hold on Mr. VP. It ain’t over til it’s over.
5
Biden does not have a 'multiracial coalition'....he has old people. That's it. Bernie wins 80% of youth votes, Biden wins 60-70% of old people votes. Old people vote in greater numbers, so Biden wins.
Old people have Medicare already (they are the ultimate 'I got mine' generation). They won't be alive to tackle the worst effects of climate change. They crashed the economy in 2008, voted overwhelmingly for Trump (and will again!), and in the UK voted for Brexit.
If there is any future for the species Boomers will be remembered as some of the worst that have ever lived.
33
@KW
Apparently you haven't been paying attention to the recent primary voters. Biden has a vast majority of the black voters that are absolutely needed for a Democrat to win the White House. As for the senior vote, if you took a survey many more voted for Trump than for a Democrat. This may change in the November election, but predominantly they were for Trump. Trump will lose this November to Joe Biden by an overwhelming majority of voters in all age groups.
18
@KW So the 45+ "coalition" is "old people"? try again. Voters 18-44 are people in a 26-year age range. People 45 and up are more like a 40-45-year age range. To just call it "old" people is really minimizing the number of people in that group. Also, you forget - as those 18-44 voters get older, they will become Biden-type voters. Sorry, but it's true. If it weren't true, by 2020 we'd already have had a super progressive president.
13
I suppose what ‘old’ is important here. If you mean over 30, people who actually vote, have some life experience and the glow of idealism having been washed over by reality and the understanding of compromise? Then yeah, old people.
15
Biden's supporters, on this page and in the Democratic establishment and on the pages of this paper and elsewhere in MSM, are all ready to call this race. Drop out, Bernie, they say.
But they say this before Biden has again debated. To date, his debate performances have revealed concerns about his acuity. It's why he didn't do well in the early states. In the big debate before Super Tuesday, he was left alone, as Bloomberg (then the darling of the establishment) was the target.
So, what of this rush to judgment? Noticed that Biden is now regularly using teleprompters, and even when on them has gaffes that suggest issues. If he's ready for this job, he shouldn't need them so much. So, what's the rush? If Biden's ready to serve, why not have a couple good, one-on-one debates? Let's see if those earlier problems are of the past.
83
Because it is now impossible for Bernie to win, essentially. Debates would just weaken him for November. I’m a Bernie supporter(well, Warren then Bernie) and I can see it’s over. Now all I want is to get Trump out.
36
@Chris
Exactly.
8
@Chris
1. Joe Biden has a stutter. Google "Joe Biden the Stuttering Foundation.
2. Biden is a good honorable man who surrounds himself with smart, honest, competent people. He will have an executive staff that can get work done, not tell him what he wants to hear.
39
There is a debate on Sunday.
4
@Joseph
And the only people permitted to attend will be EMTs just in case...
I am torn.
On the one hand, Biden has done exactly what should put us at ease: he has commanded victories in every “purple” state thus far. Four years ago, Bernie trounced Hillary in the midwest, spelling trouble ahead for her candidacy there, yet the DNC machine ignored the writing on the wall. This year, we can’t say we aren’t listening to voters in swing states.
And yet…is that enough? Biden’s entire candidacy has been a meek, unenthusiastic promise to return America to the golden days of…drumroll...the Obama administration. You know, that era in which Trump got elected due in large part to angst among the millions of Americans left behind by Washington and Wall Street?
To this day, I haven’t the slightest clue what Biden’s candidacy is based on, other than a loose argument of he’s a nice guy / it’s his turn / we won’t be embarrassed by our President anymore. All nice sentiments, but if we think that will be enough to win against Trumpism, we are all in for a terrible awakening.
As Biden appears poised to win the nomination, he had better work fast, to distill his message to something that convinces voters a better tomorrow than yesterday. He had better wake up and recognize the tremendous obstruction of the GOP rather than his naive belief in old-school bipartisanship. He better learn how to fire up the electorate, including himself, fast.
Right now, even as someone who will pull the blue level across the board in November, I have no idea what he is running for.
294
@Solaris
Exactly my thoughts! You said it better than I ever could have.
What is Biden prepared to do to deliver the changes needed that have been discussed by Bernie, Warren and others.???
I hope Biden doesn’t bring a knife to gun fight come November.
32
@Solaris
You guys not only lost but massively.
Either get on board with the moderates, with getting rid of Trump and with a total rejection of a Socialist agenda or not.
There is no place in our American coalition for those who want to destroy our party and nation.
27
@Solaris With all due respect, I am going to cite few things Mr. Biden is running on and for:
1- He helped President Obama pass the ACA. Not perfect but it has been Godsend for millions.
2- He helped pass Dodd/Frank Wall Street reform that included Elizabeth Warren consumer financial protection bureau
3- The Obama/Biden administration had the best EPA policies of the last 20 years and implemented substantial environmental policies.
4- Biden and the administration negotiated the Iran deal and the Paris climate accord; two major policies that would have made very positive changes in the world had it not been for the pettiness and ignorance of Trump
5- Biden’s personal history and compassion is paramount to help reunite the country. Am American President persona is critical to the psyche of the country
6- The US economy was rescued from the abyss in 2008 and turned around to the better. Trump came in and started to weaken it by the tax cut and lack of long term investments
Biden would restore all of this and move the ball forward to the better as the Obama/Biden administration expected to happen with the Clinton administration that never came to be.
Do you want perfection? Not going to happen even with sanders. What you can do is vote at every election and don’t sit out the midterms like most liberals and younger voters do to the detriment of the country.
Regards,
Hisham
99
While I agree that Mr. Biden is at a big disadvantage debate wise with Mr. Sanders, I do believe that he is going to or will lead from the center as president.
That will allow him room to offer a balance in either direction should the need arises.
Mr. Sanders has attacked him on some policies going back years.
While it is true that some of these policies have bought great controversy and hurt to some, one could also argue that if the purpose of progressiveness is toward change or improvement, and Mr. Biden has changed his stance on past ideologies because he has come to realize how wrong they were, is not that a sign of being progressive?
If the entire purpose in life is to grow beyond 'what one is' toward something else and expand our horizons for the benefit of not only oneself but for others, I'd like to think that is what Mr. Biden brings to the table in real-time.
1
@marriea
that seems unlikely since Bernie's position is the center.
Biden certainly has the momentum right now. He isn't my first choice, but he is infinitely better than the current occupant of the Oval Office, and I'll vote for him if he is nominated.
Sanders supporters must be discouraged, but I would like to offer this piece of (unsolicited) advice: change, real change, comes in increments, not storms.
508
@abj slant unfortunately Joe won’t be able to keep up with Trump.Sad how scared the wealthy democrats are of sanders.This paper wouldn’t even give Bernie the satisfaction of winning California until the next morning even though he had an 18 point lead most of the night.Truly says it all right there about bias.
63
@eug Not keeping up with Trump? The man who mangles words on a daily basis, needs more and more tanner to appear healthy and doesn't have press conferences?
Biden may be elderly, but Trump is not the strong man some people think he is.
113
@abj slant Biden has openly stated that he does not care about the concerns of millennials. He has also stated that he would not vote for medicare for all even if it were to get passed by the house and senate. I am going to vote third party in this election and encourage other youth to do so. It's clear that the Democratic party is not a vessel for change, but an institution that exists to preserve the status quo at any cost.
37
This election is over.
Joe Biden is the nominee.
Bernie Sanders needs to do the right thing for his party, his country and his reputation and drop out of the race.
516
@John: Sanders hould not only drop out of the race, but endorse Biden and urge his supporters to start the "March through the Institutions". That requires long-term planning and effort, something that only the Republicans seem to be good at. Maybe Sanders supporters could learn something from them.
61
@John
But then what is his party again?
9
@John
Yep, definitely over. Biden beats Sanders, Trump buries Biden.
30
I had nothing but doubts when it come to Joe Biden ever being the Democratic nominee. I had more reasons why I assumed he would never get there than where he is today.
That being said, he continues to surprise and really impress me. Good ole "sleepy time " Joe continues to emerge stronger and more able with each victorious primary.
While I think he will definitely have his work cut out for him should there be a presidential debate between him and Trump, his choice for a running mate will be the most important decision of his campaign. Hopefully he will not choose a "campaign dud" but rather someone who could garner the votes in areas in which he is weaker and more vulnerable. At this point in the race, I am most concerned and hopeful that he will he pick someone who will help him and the Party - PERIOD.
I don't know what happened to Joe Biden in the past few months, but I sure like it.
Thank you Mr. Biden for not giving up and calling it quits when at times your polling numbers and debate results were poor and failing.
6
Bernie and his followers need to stop blaming everyone else for his loss. It isn't the media, the DNC, or big business. It is the candidate and his overstretched promises.
Vice President Biden is winning because he is a nice guy with ample experience and expertise. It will be a real change from Mr. Trump.
33
The problem is all these voters in the South and Midwest who are choosing Biden to be our candidate live in red states and their votes aren't going to count in the general election anyway. The states that are going for Bernie are the states that are toss ups or are states that actually are going to vote Democrat on election day. I hate to say it, but deep red Southern and Midwestern states almost should be given less weight during the primary process. I live in a deep red Midwest state and I know my vote is wasted every 4 years.
7
@Gunnar
A vote cast is NEVER wasted!
We need to stop this idea cold in its tracks because it eventually leads to "why bother?" and voters who stay home.
4
@Gunnar Michigan?
I have to wonder, was Sanders doing well because of the lack of options? There was no Democratic candidate that had broad appeal to everyone. I should say there was no candidate that conservative leaning Democrats could get behind. Say someone with a young traditional family like Obama. Someone that reflected their family and values. Had the Democrats had someone like that, maybe there could have been a chance for them to take the white house. Trump vs Biden. 2 elderly men so out of touch with America. This is why people don't vote. I don't want to feel responsible for any of these people being president.
3
@Mark
I'm white, 68 yo and have VA and Medicare. I want better healthcare for all Americans. With Biden, the Senate may go Blue.
Do you want to be partially responsible for 4 more years of the Stable Genius? Please don't stay home in November.
7
@Mark, sewing seeds? Apparently the majority of Democrats so far do not agree with your assessment of Biden. Thank, god.
1
@Mark Absolutely - Buttigeig, Klobuchar, and Biden were all splitting the "moderate" vote. Bernie was only getting about a third of the vote. Once the lane cleared for Biden, Bernie was always going to be toast. And I'm not sure how Biden is "so out of touch with America." Sure, he's been a politician his whole adult life, basically, but everyone who speaks about Biden -- whether far-left liberals like Bernie or right-wingers like Lindsay Graham (before he turned into a Trump acolyte) -- always says he is a man with great empathy and compassion for people. There is something to that when everyone speaks of you like that; that means it's true.
3
Democrats disagree about many things but apparently a big chunk of us share this: come November the three most beautiful words in the English language will be: Former President Trump.
18
It's beginning to look like this next election is more a personality contest than anything else. Which makes sense, given the overwhelming toxicity of Trump's personality. Joe Biden's most significant advantage appears to be that he is calm, dignified, and very presidential in his demeanor. In contrast to Trump this is more than refreshing, it reminds us of what a president can be.
I love Bernie's fire and personality, and would vote for him without reservation. But, in a season when political and personal vile continues to pour forth from the White House, it appears Democratic voters are lining up not behind the man who will wave his arms and shout (albeit in a good way), but behind the man who will embrace decorum and decency in how he treats people.
8
If Biden gets the nomination, a lot of Bernie backers will probably not vote which will give Trump the win. Bernie backers should realize that if they don't like Trump not voting for Biden will help Trump get re-elected. Question to Bernie backers - Is that what you really want????
8
@susan No, Bernie backers will largely vote for Biden. That said, Biden should take at least 1 of Bernie’s signature policies that specifically appeal to the youth as a way to motivate the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Perhaps student loan forgiveness?
4
It does appear that Biden will be the nominee. Biden's main campaign theme is his claim to "decency," in contrast to Trump. Yet, more than once, he has lashed out at voters, calling them disparaging names and sometimes using foul language. That behavior does not fit my concept of decency.
7
As I read this, I’m shocked (okay, maybe not shocked) at the anger from what seems to be Sen Sanders supporters.
I understand frustration, sadness, and disappointment—but if you say you support Sen Sanders as the Democratic candidate, you have to accept the Democratic results. (They were not rigged- people voted fair and square)
I also understand that young people prefer Sen Sanders (who has amazing ideas and is an amazing man) but honestly, they just didn’t come out and vote in the numbers that he needed. It’s time to accept that and do better next time.
Look, VP Biden was not my first choice, but he’s the likely choice and I’m fine with that. He is a good man that has had an extraordinary life that we all can learn from. I believe he is truly trying to be a peacemaker and has a dearth of experience in government and humanity.
In contrast, Mr Trump is a mean-spirited ignoramus that will promote discord and only look out for himself (and his creepy family).
We’re going to get a lot closer to progressive ideals with Biden than Trump.
Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face this time
It’s time to back the Democratic candidate, regardless of who they are.
18
I’m very disappointed that my voting age group had such poor turnout, especially with all the energy online. It was all just fluff. Bernie’s bet on the young vote was a mistake.
5
@John That was all he had, for reasons obvious for us "seasoned" voters.
1
@John
I am disappointed also. I'm a baby boomer senior who enthusiastically voted for Sanders in 2016. I knew my cohort was not enough to win a national election for Sanders, so I depended on your contemporaries to take on the responsibility of moving this country away from the billionaires and serfs nation we're rapidly becoming.
My hope now is that Bernie convinces his supporters to vote for Biden. Me? I know what's top priority--Trump must go. If that's not the tone the 'online energy' takes now, then you will end up with the nation you deserve, and it will be a lot worse than having Joe Biden be the president.
4
I like the line this article quotes from his remarks last night in Philadelphia. It could be a great slogan for the general election: “It’s time for decency, dignity, and honor in America!”
7
What really struck me this morning was listening to Joe Biden's speech from last night, as he first commended the Sanders supporters for what they brought, and continue to bring, to the race; and then as he called for unity.
My gosh, what a difference between how Biden handled this moment and how that imposter in the Oval Office would have handled a similar situation. Can you imagine Trump conducting himself with similar grace at the moment of victory? Trump would have belittled his defeated opponent, made sneering comments about him, and - if his opponent had been a women - would have made some pointed comment about her anatomy, her physical attractiveness (by his prepubescent standards), or her bodily functions. And then he would have led a chant about his opponent that would have only been missing the lockers behind him, in its similarity to high-school athlete vulgarity.
Maybe the people who voted for Trump with their hand over their eyes and their fingers pinching their nose are just finally tired of the stupidity, the vulgarity, the wildly careening instability and the ignorance. By comparison, Joe Biden sounds a note of hope and stability.
8
@DLM
For that matter, can you image Sanders saying those gracious things about Biden's campaign? He'd just bluster about how great his ideas are and that all the corporations, DNC, etc. can't stop him because he's got the people's revolution behind him.
3
@B Dawson Thank you for reading and responding. I understand the point you are making, for sure, and would only note that while Sanders might well have done everything you say, he would, at least, have done it without the crassness, the vulgarity and the authoritarian tones adopted in Trump's encouragement of mob violence and imprisonment without the rule of law.
That this country has had to listen to that for so long from Trump stuns me. I was a newsroom reporter for many years, and Margaret Sullivan, the former NYT reader rep, and now the media columnist for the Washington Post, has said the rules have to change - that Trump needs to be directly challenged when he blathers nonsense and lies. He needs to have reporters consistently, directly ask him, "What are you actually saying?" "How can you prove that?" "Where are you getting your information?"
Reporters are often hesitant to appear anything but completely neutral, but every once in a while, the jarring question has to be asked - the one that puts a halt to the hum and flow of the news conference.
I once asked a hospital administrator at a news conference that displayed a brain-injured patient how the hospital could justify putting that patient through such an ordeal simply to tout its traumatic brain injury unit. The patient and his family were expected to nod and smile as hospital administrators extolled his care. As you can imagine, the hospital did not call on me for any other questions.
2
Looks like Biden will be the nominee. Here's the plan. All who voted Dem or who are independents or mod Reps should vote for him. Once he's elected, start working hard to estab another party that you like lefty, centrist, whatever. If trump is reelected, you could be looking at a one party state.
5
Ironic that the panic over coronavirus and Sanders coincided. The comments I read, many simply anti-Sanders period. He's not a Democrat! Socialist! People have been throughly drained by Trump and want comfort and normalcy. hey don't want to be alarmed everyday. Thus we have the resurrection of smiley Biden.
The media only shows a Bernie who is scowling and finger pointing.
Biden success ( so far) was engineered by the Democratic "powers that be" (Kerry so disappointed me the other day with his red-baiting of Sanders) the MSM punditry, hot shameful red-baiting.
But "moderates" could not deal with solutions we need to our urgent problems. No one can be upset.
What with all the fear mongering the votes swung to Biden like a virus spreading.
Democrats owe a debt of gratitude to Sanders. He is being swept aside like unwanted trash by tired fearful voters who just want Obama normalcy, when they didn't have to pay attention.
3
I didn't even realize how much stress I'd been holding onto over the idea of Bernie Sanders being the Democratic nominee until I literally found myself crying tears of relief watching Joe Biden's speech last night. It struck exactly the right tone for the moment - mature, calm, conciliatory.
It was the voice of sane leadership in a time where so many people seem to have simply lost their minds. I couldn't stomach the idea of Bernie winning not because I disagreed with his policy positions so much as I know we cannot afford four more years of bombastic, divisive leadership from ANYONE, and that was in the end all Bernie was offering - a continuation of the type of destructive "steamroll over anyone that disagrees with you" politics that is destroying this country.
I'd also like to give a shout out to the many Democratic candidates that were brave enough and unselfish enough to drop out of the race at the appropriate time, putting the country before their personal interests.
183
@Kristin
I don’t believe it was completely selfless.
9
@Kristin That's a reach.
6
@Kristin
"Seem to have simply lost their minds".......
Boy you must be referring to Biden, have you seen the videos of him speaking??????
11
I am 78 and voted yesterday for Biden in Michigan, after voting in the 2016 primary for Sanders, and favoring Warren until last week. I want a ticket pairing Biden with a more progressive partner. But should it not be someone younger than Warren or Sanders?
4
Not a bad 'going'...but perseverance in recruiting voters is a must if we are to oust Trump, a most vulgar bully totally lost in a White House far too big for his little hands...and constant lies.
8
Bernie had the nomination within his grasp ... then he praised Fidel Castro and his polls began to crater the very next day.
9
@Robert James
Not quite, but a fair point.
@Robert James : I'm really grateful he praised Fidel Castro now instead of winning the nomination and then saying it! I totally get what he meant but millions upon millions of Americans would have voted for Trump again if Bernie was the candidate.
We are longing for 'normalcy' as we build toward a more progressive America.
I pray Bernie doesn't allow his Big Ego to take the lead and say he's staying in the race. He can't win. It's over. Time for Joe to pivot to a general election stance. Now.
2
@sophia
The full weight of the media, Republicans, wealthy, powerful, Russians, etc will do everything they can to destroy progressives now. The likelihood seems extremely low for progressive policy for a myriad of reasons.
If you assist in detailing change don’t expect any.
1
Biden is Biden's worst enemy by the example of his explanation of how AR-14s (sic) will be forcibly taken from law abiding citizens. There are 10 million or so of these guns and AKs out there.
7
@Ryan Bingham
Along with 10 million or so micrometers.*
*An instrument used to measure very tiny things.
Message to intransigent Bernie supporters who'll not vote for Biden:
You want the whole loaf, but if you can only get half, you'd rather starve.
Really smart decision! Really smart!
13
@Lloyd
Might want to convince them they are actually getting half a loaf. They don’t see it that way. It’s pretty much nothing but a smile on a corrupt system that attacks them.
1
@Lloyd Biden's not offering a half-loaf, he's just offering to let corporations steal slightly less from us than Trump. Look at his voting record if you don't believe me.
It's time for Bernie Sanders to exit the race and graciously endorse Joe Biden for the sake of party unity and to achieve the goal of defeating Trump in November. And, it's time for Biden to recognize that the party needs a progressive voice to achieve the unity to win. Biden-Warren 2020 "The Perfect Vision for America"
13
@Paul Wortman
Yes, we need a woman on the ticket, but we already know that the Trump team is poised to cheat.
That means that we must think from the dynamics of demographics.
We need the south to defeat Trump and hopefully allow for challengers against incumbents in that area to compete with some breathing room.
Doug Jones is needed.
We would hope to oust Lindsey Graham and especially Mitch McConnell.
I still say Stacey Abrams will bring out more of the needed black voters.
Who knows, at 44, she might appeal to more of the needed younger voters that are going to play a pivotal role in this election.
Demographics !!
2
@Paul Wortman
Why, joe is not Bernie by Any lenght
Trump wins 48 states in November. no cap
5
@Pilot sarcasm I assume? As the math simply does not add up for such a landslide for either side.
3
@Pilot : No. Trump will be gone. The American People want him gone. The virus has clarified people's minds.
2
@Pilot , dream on.
Naw Joe Biden doesn’t care about me are any other poor person. I’m not about to wait hours to vote for that Old Man.
11
@Jean-Paul Marat
And Trump does?? Biden has done more for the poor and working class than Trump even thinks about doing...
At least Biden can lead and legislate; Trump watches TV and golfs.
5
@Jean-Paul Marat And here's part of the problem. WHY DOES ANYBODY HAVE TO WAIT TO VOTE? This is why retirees are making our choices for us- because they can afford to spend hours in line to vote! I can't understand why every state isn't voting by mail like mine. Oh wait, because Republicans will do anything they can to depress turnout by non-whites and non-olds.
2
@Jean-Paul Marat
Remember that if Trump wins, women will likely be deprived of their right to a safe abortion as Trump replaces RBG and Breyer. Please talk to the women in your life before you dismiss voting for Biden. He is pro-choice, as is Sanders. For this reason I will vote for Sanders if he gets the nomination even though neither he or Biden was my first choice.
2
Yesterday
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it seems as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
And, the next Democratic debate could be interesting, but it appears that a large majority of those voting in the Democratic primary are first and only interested in beating Trump---fear doth block the ear in place of the address of what needs doing. And, to get me to vote blue all they need to do is put Bernie Sanders as number two on the Biden ticket---since I will be voting Sanders one way or the other. Let the write-in begin or we can together have true-blue unity. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
14
@Sam Osborne while I’d love to see this happen, Mr. Sanders is too old to be next in line for Biden who quite frankly is too old too.
1
@Sam Osborne , at this point, you're either helping Biden beat Trump, or you are putting a mentally deranged tyrant back on the throne. Please. Learn the lesson of 2016. We have one way to restore our democracy, and grousing about Bernie Sanders is not it.
4
@Sam Osborne While Alexander Harrison appreciates your support for Bernie and lost causes,Biden,who received 5 deferments in the VN era when we needed all the troops available to defend south Vietnamese sovereignty,will opt for a racially balanced, gender balanced ticket and choose no doubt an African American such as Stacy Abrams, who still refuses to admit defeat even though she lost the race in Georgia to Kemp by over 50,000 votes, or Kamala Harris, who I always considered to be an "empty vessel,"devoid of ideas or creativity.Times newspaper revels in comments accusing Trump of cowardice because his deferments were based on an alleged bone spur,but Biden did almost the same thing, A star receiver in high school who then went on to continue playing in college, he was diagnosed by a doctor as being "asthmatic,"and thus ineligible for military service.I don't know of too many NFL players who are asthmatic, do you?Disappointing to so many of us who want to believe in a politician's integrity and the party of Jefferson to see someone so unprincipled and corrupt as Biden get the nomination, but that is what seems inevitable.
1
If Mr. Biden is serious about beating Trump "together" he needs to put Bernie on the ticket and come up with a platform that will satisfy both "moderates" and progressives.
11
@Elizabeth Pike Alternately, Biden can hope to beat Trump with Republican votes, which will pull the Democratic Party even farther to the right than Clinton's DLC pulled it, and risk a third party split.
1
@Elizabeth Pike Nope. The primaries are showing that people don't want Bernie. The states he beat Clinton in last time, many by less than a percentage point, he is losing to Biden by 10-20 percentage points. Last time Clinton lost the voters in the middle as well as many progressives, and it is the middle that Biden is bringing back to the Dems; and the middle vastly out numbers the progressives.
@Doug R Not sure I follow. Back from where? Are you comparing the current primary with the last general election?
The split seems to be old vs young. I wish the old people would take a second to listen to what the policies the young are advocating for. Please. Just listen.
17
@Corbin I'm old and I do not support Biden. I wish the young would come out in droves to vote.
7
@Corbin Really, take a look at history and you will see many are those policies started with the "old" in the 60's and 70's.
1
@Corbin
I agree we need to do just that. Please consider the right of young women to have a safe abortion if Trump is reelected and appoints 2 more Catholic men to the Supreme Court.
The first candidate to embrace Warren as VP will win the hearts and minds. And please...no matter where the chips fall, resolve to get behind whatever candidate reflects the democratic will. Divided we fall, and that includes AFTER the election. No nasty recriminations no matter what happens. The world does not end in 2020, though it might, with a Trump victory be terribly wounded.
5
Michigan is an open primary, so do we know how many Republicans may have voted to sway the vote towards Biden, since he might be more palatable than Sanders should a Democrat beat Trump? Or Republicans who just want to cause mayhem? Are there any stats on that?
9
@Ilona , we know it would have had to have been tens of thousands. Please set aside conspiracy theories. Biden won because Sanders isn't particularly skilled at winning elections.
2
@Ilona No, because there is no proof that has ever happened, but it does seem to be a common point among Sander's supporters when the voters reject him at the polls.
2
@Mark I support Biden, but I was curious if there are actual stats as it would put to rest conspiracy theories. It would also put aside fears that come the election Biden won't get as much support because many of the voters were actually Republicans. It's a legitimate question -- maybe it's not possible to answer, but one can ask.
A vast majority of young voters back Sanders because they bear a disproportionate burden for status quo policies on climate change, medical debt, unfair taxation and unaffordable housing. Hopefully the DNC will avoid its hubris of 2016, and conspicuously court Sanders’ (and Warren's) input for charting the direction of the presidential campaign. The young deserve a say in the future.
17
@Roger Your vote is your voice. Did you go to the polls? Or are the young too busy on social media to get pity of the house?
1
@Roger Actully not true. Climate change effects all ages. Most medical debt starts with families, not your average young voter. Taxation and housing issues effect every age group and have been around for a long time, so it is not a young voters issue more than anyone else. All these issues you claim are a burden to young voters are actually a burden to all adults, welcome to the grown up world
2
@Roger I believe the older people bare the biggest burden from "unfair taxation" as they are the ones paying the taxes. The younger you are the less stake you have in this country. There is a reason young people don't vote; they have no skin in the game.
Is it possible that Biden benefits a bit from the outbreak? I mean, when facing an imminent danger, people may tend to turn to a more stable figure. Like, the party is over, let's turn to the serious guy. In more or less the same way that the outbreak shows to everyone how Trump is unfit for command. Even though Sanders promises free healthcare, which should sound great these days, he may perceived as too much a change. Just wondering.
2
@Jean-Claude Arbaut, No, older voters will fear going to the polls. There is no advantage unless it is to Bernie.
1
I am really happy to see the tone of this primary, with Sanders saying he won't attack Biden personally, and Biden reaching out to Sanders supporters and trying to unite the party. It is wonderful to see decency and fair play, and hopefully bodes well for the general election.
14
If people can keep their emotions in check long enough to vote this election could go a long way toward undoing the harms trump did to our country. Bernie firmly believes what he believes but it’s clear that the majority of the voters don’t want him to be the nominee. He show bow out with the grace and respect that warren showed. Prolonging this might help his ego but it doesn’t help his cause or the nation. He should take his sizable funds and use that money to help elect people who will make his dream a reality. Or he could waste his money on an ego trip to nowhere.
13
If Biden is indeed the nominee, our planet weeps. Some estimates for the end of the century are that, without an Aggressive response (e.g., a Green New Deal), sea levels will rise 7-9 feet. I would guess also that in the U.S. places like TN, AL, MS are going to have tornado destruction at least triple the current rate, as the Gulf's temps continue to rise. The drop in living conditions for humanity in the coming decades will not be "incremental."
13
@Dana
What you are saying is correct...but it is already set no matter who is the next president or what is done to try to prevent it...
My suggestion to the Democrats. Sanders should not quit for another two weeks. Let him the trounced in Florida, Illinois and Ohio next week, the only way that sliver of voters - <25pct of primary voters that voted for Bernie will get in their heads that their candidate in not viable. Or maybe not as they are like MAGA ppl reality is optional.
5
Elizabeth Warren and AOC alone have the capacity, patience and empathy to articulate the progressive message and programs that Bernie lacks.
Sorry, Bernie supporters, he failed his own movement, choosing to cling to his mummified ideology: Rather than easily dismissing criticism for having praised Fidel Castro , he reflexively doubled down, as if this is 1975 and his critics were Cold War red-baiters.
The reflex the Progressive movement needs is to educate. That's why Elizabeth Warren has a future and Bernie has only a past. The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has a future in Katie Porter and AOC, both of whom are calm, unwaveringly respectful but firm--not easily provoked thin-skinned screamers.
Neither will cling to resentment-fueled conspiracies directed at the Democratic Establishment, but will advocate legislatively for the Progressive agenda, and like-minded candidates in the House & Senate.
A Biden Presidency needs the Progressive Wing of the Party to give it shape and form, to flip the Senate , and give it a spine --like FDR needed Eleanor.
17
"... four years ago helped power his insurgent challenge to Hillary Clinton"
Like Trump, Sanders' viability was largely a concoction of media coverage grasping for a narrative. The guy was never going to beat Hilary.
We've had four years of Trump and Bernie because, well, gotta sell those ads. To whomever is buying. Russian or otherwise. Thanks. Thanks a lot.
6
Biden's wins over Sanders demonstrate that most Americans are not buying Sanders' promise of something for nothing; Biden's supporters do not want to see American capitalism and free enterprise scrapped and replaced by a Marxist-Socialist-Leninist utopia promised by Sanders and his inexperienced political surrogates like AOC. Furthermore, Biden's victories yesterday and last week demonstrate that Americans prefer to maintain and reform Obamacare and in ways that will deliver insured healthcare to more Americans. Americans prefer free-market solutions to state-directed solutions. Sanders supporters represent a swath of Americans for whom, for reasons of their own design, the American economic platform has not delivered. Indeed, capitalism is not fair, but its fairness depends on the choices individuals make to seize opportunity. And besides, in the end, we're all just passing through. Cheers!
7
50% of Bernie supporters in many polls have said that they will not vote or vote for some non-Dem if he loses.
Well, he lost.
People need to understand that we can win without the Socialists.
Independents, Republicans, moderates of all stripes will help us defeat Trump.
Do not pander to the Socialists. They lost. They never supported the Dems and now they want us to support them?
We do not need them to win.
9
@Simon Sez
Such threats are neither credible nor binding. Giving in to them gives the issuer disproportionate power, which is why they make such threats.
If people want to sit out and punish the world with more Trump, they can go for it.
@Simon Sez
Looks like not too many supported Bernie either.
Ok folks, it's looking like Biden is taking the lead in the primaries. He certainly wasn't my number one (or second, third or fourth) choice (Klobuchar was) but I'm willing to stand behind him in order to join forces to beat Trump. Can we all agree to stand behind the front-runner?
18
Bernie, please, it's time for a third party. You've got fired up progressives and disaffected Trump voters who would rush to a party that believes in more equitably distributing the wealth of this nation, in forcing the grotesquely wealthy to share their success with the people who made it happen. Everything is there and ready to go. Please, please start a third party.
5
@Just my opinion , if there were enough Sanders voters to form a third party, why didn't they just show up and vote for him in the primaries? Sanders lost because Biden got more votes. Period. A third party will do what third parties always have done -- spoil the chances of a legitimate candidate. We can't afford that this time.
1
@Mark
Because they were convinced Sanders wan't electable. Look, I will vote for Joe Biden this time because we must get rid of Trump. But, do you read polls? For years, polls have shown Bernie Sanders beats Trump nationally. Go to RealClearPolitics and read them. Biden "got more votes" than Sanders because the Democrat Party and the MSM stole this election from Bernie Sanders by convincing older voters Bernie wasn't electable. What do you think would have happened if Iowa hadn't been tampered with. A win in Iowa would have signaled the label "socialist" wasn't going keep Sanders from being elected just as it did when it signaled that a black man could win white communities? What would have happened if the MSM had lauded Sanders for his ability to win in Iowa and New Hampshire? What happened to the "Sanders wipes out Biden" headlines when he won huge in Nevada? If there is no Trump to defeat, if there is a third party that is truly for the people, democrats and republicans will come.
As a Boomer who identifies as a "Fervent Independent with a Social Concience." I support:
-Universal heath care
-More protection for the planet
-The opporunity for higher education at an affordable rate.
-The restructuring of student loans in order to reduce their crushing burden, most certainly. Outright forgiveness, no.
-A 10% flat tax across the board, at all personal/corporate income levels.
Will Biden and the Democratic party address the above issues? I will push hard for then to do so and as quickly and fiscally responsible as possible.
So now I wait. Should Sanders continue to struggle and wane, I simply don't see he or his followers withdrawing. They'll remain in the race, whining, sowing division and discontent; all the while demanding Biden and the Democratic party swing to the extreme left. Unfortunately, they want it all and they want it now. They refuse to accept the reality that it doesn't work that way. Thus, if the party doesn't immediately kowtow to their platform, they'll stay home, petulant once again, possibly dealing the death knell to this 244 year experiment in Democracy and Freedom w/4 more years of Trump and the traitors of the Repbulican party.
5
They probably weren’t going to vote anyway
Medicare for all, student loan debt forgiveness, the Green New Deal; all noble ideas that merit close inspection and refinement. All are ideas that would pass muster in a center-left country. But this is a country where vast swathes of the electorate have been indoctrinated by the right wing media *over decades* to gleefully vote against their own best interests. When I read comments from Bernie Sanders supporters it’s as if moderate Democrats are the big enemy and that the vast ocean of Republican nihilism doesn’t even exist.
12
So glad to see one candidate, the one Trump feared so much because he is not a "socialist" and is also very inclusive, charging ahead. Biden is not perfect, but Trump is so far less perfect this is a winning move. Let's stay together now to defeat the Trump juggernaut.
5
With the stroke of his pen, Lyndon Johnson signed Civil Rights into law... then remarked, "I've just given the South to the GOP." For over 3 years, Donald Trump has been giving it (and more) back.
The difference is:
Pres. Johnson seems to have understood what he was doing and why. Whereas...
2
Biden is proof that we as Democrats are very oblivious to recent history. We went safe in 2016, it did not work. The Right has a charismatic and dogmatic leader and only someone similar will stop Trump. It is a joke too see so many short-sighted Democrats cheering, they might as well be wearing MAGA hats. The status quo old politics stereotype will never beat Trump and that is exactly what we have chosen as our weak and ultimately useless weapon. 2016 all over again. Thank you, Biden fans. You just cost us four more years.
4
Sanders must keep his campaign going. He should make the process truly democratic even if he loses to Biden.
Nothing should be taken for granted that even Biden would beat Trump.
5
At Sunday's debate candidates need to spell out their programs and positions, not create attack ads to be used by Trump.
3
I got nothing against Joe Biden (any living thing, and a good percentage of the dead ones, would be better that what we've got); but why are we letting Republicans in Michigan decide who the Democratic candidate for president will be.
This country, especially the Democratic party primaries, NEEDS ranked choice voting.
7
By refusing to go down the personal level animosity Bernie Sanders has revealed the excellent gentleman side of his personality. The spectacle of being a gentleman and politician combined in the Trump’s American political theatre is hopelessly rare. Bernie Sanders is a rare exception.
We, far away from the American politics, do understand that it would well neigh impossible for an average American voter’s trusting the unknowable left leaning political experimentation of Sanders.
My personal opinion is, given the chance, Sanders indeed would have done wonders to veer away America from the doom of crony capitalism, but an average American is surely not yet ready for the leap of faith in to Bernie's left political philosophy..
6
That even one person would vote for Sanders suggests a grievous failing of our educational system. Have all these young people voting for this avowed communist not heard of Lenin, of Stalin, of the gulags, of the Cold War, of the 20 million dead political opponents, of the daily misery of life, of the alcoholism, of the vast disparity of wealth between rulers and ruled, of almost a century of murder and repression by a nation favored by Sanders? Can all these young people really have skipped history classes?
3
@Thomas Have you heard of Western Europe, where people have paid sick leave and don't go bankrupt from healthcare?
Regarding scrutiny of Hunter Biden, it should be investigated in a transparent way, as well as for Trump's children or others who may have benefited unfairly from Biden's role as V/P and Trump's as President.
4
The resurrected Joe Biden is right on: 2020 is the most important election in modern times, truly a choice over what is the soul and direction of this country. Is it Trump's hate, division, ignorance, hostility, or is it democracy, justice, knowledge, cooperation? All good Americans know the right answer.
5
I don't understand the wounded comments from Bernie supporters that their candidate is being sidelined by other Dem's. This is just politics. What are they supposed to do? Not criticize Sanders? Bernie's perfectly happy to hand it out when he wants. And why doesn't Sanders just join the Democratic Party? What arrogance to run to lead a party that you won't even join.
10
For all the Sanders supporters who are feeling angry and betrayed, and threatening to stay home in November it is time to start thinking about the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary more broadly, the Dreamers, the environment, our relations with our foreign allies, climate change —— this is what is at stake. A Biden administration won’t get you everything you want but a Trump re-election will leave you (and the rest of us) with nothing that you want. Maybe less than nothing.
7
Sanders should consider dropping out now or after the next tranche of primaries unless he is so stubborn that he shrugs if Trump wins again to make his point.
3
The diverse multi-racial, multi-gender coalition finally came to the polls. And it was to support Joe Biden.
2
“Addressing supporters Tuesday night in Philadelphia, in a tone that was more sober than celebratory, Mr. Biden moved to unify the party with an appeal to supporters of Mr. Sanders.”
Biden must appeal for support from Sanders, without his help Biden won’t win just like Hilary. Biden & the Democratic party have to recognize the demands by Sanders’ followers: Medicare for all & the rich must be taxed.
3
Pyrrhic
If I'm working two gig jobs with no healthcare and 80k in student debt and you offer up Joe Biden, I might vote Trump out of spite.
You want Sander's supporters to fall in line, but you offer them nothing (in Joe). It's offensive.
6
@Wayne but people left their homes and voted, in greater numbers, for Joe Biden. The people offered up Joe Biden. Whether that was wise remains to be seen. Obviously you are free to vote for whomever you wish but if Trump wins again, four years from now there will be no Bernie AND the world will be in a far worse state.
Just remember that if Nader hadn’t siphoned off Dem votes in Florida in 2000, Gore would have been president and there would have been no Iraq War.
1
@Dudesworth If Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton hadn't voted for the Iraq War there wouldn't have been an Iraq War. Sorry, you can't use the Iraq War when your nominee enthusiastically voted for it.
2
What is wrong with people? They say they want Trump out and then they stand on line to vote for the lamest candidates to stand against him. First Hillary now Biden. These are two war hawks who will "reform" Social Security and work across the aisle to please McConnell and his ilk.
5
With these results we will see into Bernie Sanders soul---is he a statesman or an ideologue---A statesman would now drop out of the race and endorse Vice President Biden. An ideologue will stay in the race and attempt to disrupt the Democratic convention.
2
A majority of Black Americans voted for the guy who passed the most racist drug laws in the 80’s responsible for disproportionately incarcerating more black, red and brown skinned Americans than after the Civil War...
A majority of Young people saddled with low wages and student loan debt that Sanders’ policies directly would have helped didn’t even bother to vote...
The DNC manipulated the rules to keep the moderate establishment yes-men and yes-women that threw their delegates to Biden in the race ...and Tulsi out of the debates and Bloomberg in... no matter how obvious it was the establishment controlled the rules...
If the race had been only the two from the start, polls show Sanders beating Biden in a direct race. How many people who voted for Buttigieg or actually thought Warren was as progressive as Bernie would have picked Sanders and not Biden as their second choice?
Biden won’t reform our sick care system. Biden won’t legalize marijuana and stop the unjust incarceration.
How are we ever going to address the virus and diseases like coronavirus from animals being locked in cages and our predatory sick care system if media propaganda is so pervasive and infectious that Americans would vote to lock themselves up and take away our right to affordable health care during a pandemic?
And no, I’m not talking about the Covid-19 pandemic... at least after 6-9 months that starts to go away... I’m talking about the pandemic Biden will make worse; money in politics.
5
I see from comments in NYT that some Bernie supporters want to see Bernie or Trump in the White House. They think if not Bernie then let Trump be our president for another 4 years. That is dangerous and scary. Bernie is like a cult figure to them like Trump is a cult to the Trump supporters.
3
As the NYT pointed out, this was a victory for “boring” rather than excitement. Please note, the NYT and other media make their money from excitement. Trump won because the media needed excitement to keep readers. He received millions in free publicity. I would hope the media learned it’s lesson.
3
It ain't over till it's over.
I think folks and many below are imagining this to be almost the Wednesday in coming November.
Biden may be a presumptive nominee - but his number 2 is going to tear the party apart before it is over.
For a 78 year old man - his number 2 is basically annointing the next Democrat POTUS.
And if he plays the race card and selects a black nominee based on primary voters - his work is cut out. Both Harris and Booker showed nothing but contempt of Joe for ingratiating himself by references to Obama.
They see nothing virtuous in a white old man tugging at the long coattails of a popular black ex POTUS. It's hard to believe how either if them can share Joe's vision.
I say his number 2 will dominate the conversation because unlike Sanders view, opinions and agenda - when it comes to Joe - there is nothing there there.
He talks about a continuity of the past. Most Americans have forgotten what Obama had planned to finish - other than Obamacare which this primary has shown even Democrats don't care much.
So, when it comes to a focus on his number 2 rather than his plans or agenda - I dare say - Joe will have lost it.
And not just among Republicans but even among Democrats.
2
"Together we will defeat Donald Trump".
Is that a running mate offer to Bernie?
1
In 2016, Bernie got to run against one of the most disliked politicians in America. Not so this year. The early polls showing Joe as the massive leader were correct; odd, though, that this fact did not appear the case in the first cycle of primary votes.
As a Bernie Bro, I see the writing on the wall. Really, though, I just wanted Bernie to push for more humanistic policies, which he did in spades. Thanks a billion, Bernie!
And congratulations, Joe Biden. All eyes are on you.
(Yes, I'm worried about Joe's mental faculties, but I'm confident that he will have a great team supporting him, almost forcing him to do the right thing. But overall he seems a very weak and vulnerable opponent to the meanest, dirtiest fighter in American politics for a long time, a man with a well-oiled Hate Machine behind him. An effective, vicious machine. This is going to get ugly, no? Which is exactly where Bernie could have borne the load.)
If ever we needed proof that Iowa and New Hampshire get too much focus as national bellwethers, Biden’s success is it!
3
I say that Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren should be Joe Bidens running mate so that we can have the best of both worlds.
40
@Jason Sheets Why not Hillary? Then the Establishment ticket to nowhere will be complete.
10
@Jason Sheets it's going to be Buttigieg. He all but said it in his last legacy media interview.
@Jason Sheets Why in the world would Joe Biden choose a 78 year old man to be his running mate?!
21
Biden needs to stop talking about how he was dead a week ago and has miraculously come back to life. It just goes to show that he's more focused on the rear view mirror than what's ahead.
1
Time to go back to Vermont, Bernie. You had a good run in 2016, but nobody is interested in a Castro supporter right now. You’ve lost every swing state and you’re behind Joe by 50 points in Florida. Just go home. Don’t do any more damage to the party than you’ve already done. We literally can’t afford a repeat of 2016 and you “taking it to the convention” even though you had already lost.
Here’s your prize, now go home. Good bye. Don’t write. We’ll call you.
8
Numbers calling for numbers. Gross imitation.
Biden offers nothing to black people and neither does Bernie. Trump is a disaster but he is an equal opportunity disaster. Putting a Democrat in office takes the heat off whites while keeping it on blacks and black people are supporting this? Why should we vote to make others comfortable while maintaining ourselves at the bottom? Unless the Democratic nominee offers specific tangibles to black people (and I don't mean putting a black person at the bottom of the ticket), I see no reason to vote for him.
3
As a fellow African-American, your opinion is just that - one opinion out of millions of other African-American views. So, if not Biden or Bernie, whom should we vote for?
4
@Julia
If my opinion means nothing to you, why are you asking me who you should vote for?
Biden is comfort food to African-Americans
Things seem to be coming together: GREAT for America and GREAT for Democrats. Now, if only the younger generation will put their votes where their mouths are. It is pathetic that they show such minimal participation in their own futures!
If they do not stop Trump right now, they will likely have no future. National debt will cripple them and the "American Dream" will cease to exist. They should be smarter than to fall for Trump's lies and Republican obstruction. WE know better because we have seen this before, but Trump is the worst destroyer in our history.
Hey kids - get out there and VOTE Democratic. Your lives depend upon it!
7
Forget all the chatter about policies and probabilities, Biden is a decent human being whose reflex is to compliment and hug people, not denigrate and criticize. He is the best candidate to reach across the aisle and try to unite this country rather than split and divide. For those reasons alone I can put aside my very progressive leanings and support his candidacy.
20
@Cliff You should try looking at some other media than the NY Times, Biden has spent half the campaign denigrating any voter who dare question him. And, true, he did reach across the isle on confirming Clarence Thomas and voting for the Iraq War, but that's not something to be proud of exactly.
1
I saw a comment somewhere here that the person couldn’t vote for someone who, among other things, didn’t support a complete ban on fracking. So I have a question for progressives:
I own a townhouse that has natural gas for heat and separate electricity. I’ve recently replaced my furnace with a new energy efficient model at a cost of a little under $10,000. I looked around a little before doing this to see if I had cleaner alternatives, but there didn’t seem to be any. And the heating infrastructure of my home is built around natural gas, so I have no idea what the cost would be to change to a different system. I’m imagining a lot more than $10,000. I’m part of condo association, so I can’t go ripping off the roof or anything. I’ve recently replaced the leaky windows at about $6,000. I have programmable thermostats and have weatherproofed anything that makes sense. I’ve also switched my electricity provider to a 100% clean energy company.
So my question is, what is Bernie’s plan for dealing with existing homes using natural gas, if there was a ban on fracking?
12
@Chris
There would be natural gas without fracking. The better question is what is fracking doing to the groundwater?
4
Time for Sanders to step down , for the Obama’s to step in , for Bloomberg to step up and collectively support Biden and our candidates in key Senate and House races. We must win these.
The choice of a woman as VP is a must, a competent Administration is a must, an agenda which provides affordable health care for all including drastic reduction of prescription drug prices, intensification of renewable energy, free community college, immigration reform, tax reform which eliminates inequality, minimum wage of $15 and so on.
Biden has said he will be a one term president , let him start the process towards a United and a Fairer USA.
8
@Carsafrica Just out of curiosity, why is a woman VP a must? If she were the most qualified candidate (she won't be- Hillary was and was a non-starter for many) I would have no problem. But just arbitrarily saying a woman is a must is going to bother a lot of people.
3
I would've liked a nominee who was younger and/or female and/or of color with a more progressive agenda, but I don't think we're ready yet for a big swing of the pendulum in the opposite direction. I will be happy with Biden and what I hope will be a period of relative calm where the country can work to right itself after these last few years. We need to regroup, work on the issues that gave us this current president, rebuild global relationships and get the economy back on track. I think people will be willing to consider things like medicare for all, wage increases and free college if they have time to sit back and take a few deep breaths. I hope the country gets a 4-year long deep breath to get its head on straight and figure out where it wants to go from here.
28
Age as a factor is delighting voters with the prospect that one or the other superannuated male might drop dead and let a woman become president. The Schadenfreude ticket, one might call it.
10
The right-wing Democrats made their bed when they flushed progressive values down the toilet in the name of "moderation". Well, now they can enjoy another four years of Trump. This progressive is voting all Green in November, just like in 2016.
10
@Observer - You say that as if you don't understand that if we have four more years of Trump, it will be because of people like you, not the Democratic party.
Using what will almost certainly go down in history as the most critical election of our lifetimes as an opportunity to showboat and preen about what you see as your superior values rather than accepting that this simply is not the time for a radically progressive agenda, that we have more pressing business at the moment, is remarkably immature.
5
@Observer. A vote for Green is a vote for Trump. If Trump were to win because of votes like yours, you will have aided tRump and the Republicans in rolling back even more environmental laws, installing one or even two right wing justices, the further erosion of civil rights and the rule of law, empowering white nationalists and a host of other evils. Biden will do none of those things, and may even surprise you by adopting some progressive policies as part of his agenda.
5
Biden is not a good candidate. He is certainly not a better candidate than he was a week ago before the party's elites (this season's superdelegates) weighed in and tipped the scales as they did in 2016. Biden is not as capable or smart as Hillary and he is a worse campaigner, frequently misspeaks, lies, threatens. Who knows what his policies are? His past is littered with bad decisions. Picture him on debate stage with Trump.
18
I think you mean the voters. Are voters "elites"?
2
@Charles pack the people who tipped the scales for Biden were not the "elite", but the African American voters. Are you really going to belittle the voting choice of a group of people that has historically been unable to vote at all?
2
@Charles pack Trump is a terrible debater. Hillary owned him. For the last 3.5 years he has never had to answer a question without being able to pivot quickly to another reporter in the press pool. A debate stage is Trump’s nightmare.
Let's pause for a second and reflect. The efforts by Trump and the Russians to destroy Joe Biden have backfired spectacularly. For those who claim that the impeachment was a waste of time and money, I give you the resurgence of Joe Biden. Villains around the world must be twisting their respective metaphorical mustaches and muttering curses. :-D
20
Jesse Jackson and Cornel West endorsed Bernie Sanders, which would have actually meant something 30 years ago.
4
I know I'm not the only one feeling queasy about the Biden rolling derby of delegate to 1991. For him to win all Americans will need to be united, which means that all those white anti Hillary women voters deserted the party in 2016 will make a difference this year. Hispanics voters should be able to take their revenge on 45 for demonizing their communities. Asian Americans need to wake up. On CNN, I'm yet to see any indication that there's any politically active cohorts in the 2020 mix. African Americans have done their part, so in order to cohere and fulfill the aspirations of a 'Macarena' convention in Milwaukee, hearts and elbows need to come together to recapture the soul and spirit of American democracy.
1
@CHARLES How queasy do you feel about Trump being elected again? Or even once, now that we know what he is like?
3
Good morning. It has become increasingly clear that the majority of the Dems have shown that the country is rejecting a socialist democrat who proposed medicare for all ages, at an additional tax burden to the tax payers of trillions of $s as our next president. This is great news for the stock market which does not like uncertainties. Another good news is the Corona virus (CoV) cases although spreading across our land, are mainly concentrated in the CoV epicenter of the US, WA state in nursing homes where seniors in their final days were being housed. There are also cases in CA, FL and NY and governors all over the country have set aside politics and blame games and are working closely with the federal government and collaboratively to fight the common enemy, the CoV.
I am an optimist but also a realist and I think the united response of the US will defeat the virus in just a few weeks and things will be normal primarily due to our own immune system of most is our natural ally that will enable us to survive this panic pandemic. With our preparedness, awareness and our vigilance we have an even playing field not only to take on the CoV, one to one but billion to one as long as we have an average immunocompetent immune system and a convenient access to medical care close by to isolation or quarantine units, should we become infected. Anxiety free days are back again and once again words of FDR have come true. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself"
Have a nice day.
4
@Girish Kotwal
WAKE UP! Your assessment does not reflect reality, nor does your prognosis show promise. Stick to what is FACT and not what you wish would happen. Wishful thinking is good but extremely dangerous when it is this far off-track.
3
@Girish Kotwal When you wish upon a Star.....I live in Northern Italy where 9000 new cases sprung up in two weeks and our death toll increased 25% to 463. I know that does not seem like a great number but if 40% of the world population become infected out of 7 billion people with a death rate of 2% that comes to 66.4 million deaths worldwide.It will take time to reach those numbers but so will an available vaccine which could take 18 months to become deployable if it works at all.
3
The word multiracial is music to my ears. We can never be a great country when we are divided by race, religion, and party. The Republican Party is no longer a participant in what is best for the country, rather stuck in their race and religion based hate.
16
I like Bernie and I worked for him in the previous campaign. His ideas are sound and one day will be implemented, there is no doubt about it.
But now Bernie must bow out! The greatest threat to the nations is wallowing and muddied the Oval Office.
Let's get rid of Trump and cure the virus that infected America, trumpism!
20
Traditionally Americans do not have the tools to make an educated decision when it is needed.
14
@NewsReaper
...and we have Betsy DeVos to thank for that happening to future generations. "Uneducated" people are Trump's best hope for Autocracy.
1
Please don’t start with rainbow coalition identity politics again - we need all Americans to vote for their economic and moral interests to get rid of the Trump and his mal-administration.
14
However much it hurts, Biden has taken this race. My only hope is that this bumblin' and dull president-candidate will have the foresight to nominate Andrew Yang as vice-president. Then, and only then would I be be able to have some faith in the possible outcome. (So sad Sanders...)
6
@Ibero70 I think you need an African American woman like Sen.Harris.Why? A) African Americans are Biden’s most important voting block.B) Women need to have a chance to lead the country.Yang will have a cabinet post as will Mayor Joe and other presidential candidates like Amy K and Warren.We have a talented bench of people to chose from and I can see Bernie as HUD Secretary or HHS Secretary.
1
Wait...why did Bernie’s win in North Dakota with 100% reporting and a double-digit lead just become a “lead” instead of a “win?” Im not saying it would make a big difference but I do find that odd...
5
@Aaron What in a state with only a million occupants. Big deal.
That’s trump re-elected for another 4 years then.
9
Goodbye Bernie it wasn't all that
1
With the corporate establishment behind him, Biden takes command!
7
@Cest la Blague Nobody, including the mythical corporate establishment ,prevented anyone from voting for Sanders.
3
After the Pres. and the VP, the next in line to the throne so to speak is the Speaker. Pelosi is in her '80s if I'm not mistaken, or at least close to, so that would not be a feasible alternative to the 2 septuagenarians.
How about an extraordinary step taken by both the Senate and Congress granting a 3rd term for a President who already served 2 and bring Obama back?
It happened to FDR during war time, which the current situation most certainly is akin to.
2
@waldo
The 22nd Amendment cannot be overruled by Congress.
1
@waldo Stop the ageism bigotry.
No one, most especially Sanders -- who accomplished nothing substantial in all his years in the Senate because he is unalterably doctrinaire and could never figure out how to work with other people -- can wave a magic wand and make student debt go away, make billionaires go away, give everyone universal health care, etc. Believe me, I wish that were possible. Incremental change, for better or worse, has been at the core of our country's history, and it will always be thus. This isn't a defeatist attitude. It is reality, and the reality has a good deal to be said for it when we look around at countries where convulsive change has taken place over a short period of time: Russia -- the Russian Revolution to Stalin to Putin; China -- Mao to an authoritarian state that persists today under Xi; Venezuela -- on the verge of complete collapse; Germany in the 1930s that went from a republic to Hitler, and thence to destruction.
Let's get Biden elected to the WH and retake Congress. Then we can, first and foremost, start undoing the damage the Republicans have done to our courts, take meaningful steps to address climate change, expand ObamaCare and create a strong "public option," reinvigorate all sectors of our federal government, and of course re-start substantial regulation of businesses, most especially banks and Wall Street.
10
Fascinating how nearly every time Bernie wins a State the results are delayed past the headline cycle. Apparently true again today.
Gotta protect the coop on Park Avenue and the house in the Hamptons and the fat 401(k), while virtue-signaling with the wokeness, I suppose.
16
It is official ... same as it ever was .. same as it will always be ...
8
NYT: Call ND for Bernie. 100% in and he is clearly ahead.
I am not a Bernie supporter, but I can see how feathers are ruffled and many believe that NYT and others in MSM are biased against him. Some states called for Biden with 0% or a small proportion of precincts in. Conspiracy theorists are likely having a field day.
15
@Jeremy These early calls did become what they called them victory for Biden.
1
@Jeremy I'd say it's less like a theory and more like scientific law at this point.
1
Now comes the moment of truth for Sanders. Does he admit defeat, concede to Biden, and implore his supporters to fully support Biden? If Sanders is true to his word, that's what he will do. Bernie was successful in moving the Democratic needle a bit more to the left and he would make an ideal Secretary of Labor.
16
I heard speculation last night that Biden is considering Beto as a running mate. Please, please, please, let there be advisers in his camp who prevail with a resounding "No!" Biden already had Obama as a running mate. He does not need the 99-cent store version.
And please, please, please, start listening to advisers who recommend assembling a team before elections. A team that will make clear the gravity of addressing climate change, debt reform, tax reform, education, employment and the future of our judicial system. Voters need the choice to be made obvious against a raging, monosyllabic "populist" wrapped in a flag that represents only his supporters and a Bible perverted beyond recognition.
32
@Gustav Aschenbach if that’s what your after we are trending toward the wrong candidate.
2
@Gustav Aschenbach curious who you would want his running mate to be? I personally think Klobuchar would be great for him as she covers another geographic area, is a women, has a great track record in MN and just built a good name for herself nationally, but I like to hear others opinions.
@L
Stacey Abrams or Kamala Harris. Either would be very good and could tackle healthcare.
I think what plays in the cards of Biden is that people are craving for safety and „at least no risk in politics“ when health and everything else seams to be at risk.
12
I think the virus changes the calculations here. Everyone viable running for president is smack dab in the cross hairs of this virus. Weeks of being sick, ICU stays, even death.
Because of this Bernie should concede and both of them can increase social distancing. More rallies from any of the three (including trump) puts them and their audience and the press and the workers at risk. It isn't worth it.
Also we may enter new constitutional ground- what happens if someone is elected to the presidency (after all conventions are held in summer and getting on the ballots happens shortly after that) but is dead from the virus when elected? I don't wish this on anyone but it's a mental exercise we need to think about. The Constitution provides no clear guidance as to succession. Does it go to the VP running late? To the person coming in 2nd place?
2
@D It would go to the Supreme Court since it is a Constitutional question.That is why we need and independent judiciary.
Well, if Joe Biden gets the nomination, y'all best hope for economic devastation to bring down Trump because otherwise Trump will win just as he won against Clinton.
When Sanders was shafted by the DNC and the bought 'media', watching from Ireland I said that Trump is going to win – friends thought I was crazy, but I was right.
No economy can keep enriching the very few while economically devastating the very many without some comeback – history, and commonsense, tell us that.
To watch and read the so-called 'liberal' media ignore and then slander Sanders, misrepresent his politics, minimise his lifelong fight for human dignity and rights is to be appalled at the failure of journalism. If there was dirt on Sanders, you may be sure that the DNC would have found it by now, they didn't because it's not there.
Joe Biden, however, is a different matter – I have no doubt, and I have no doubt that Trump's team will find and use it because they already are.
If there was ever a case for the provision of free medical care and social welfare as social goods than any decent functioning democracy should have – the corona virus is about to demonstrate it. Best of luck.
21
I hope Bernie Sanders quits and turn the focus on unifying the Democratic Party.
12
The problem with Bernie is that he is not a politician.
Sadly everybody must be a politician if you want to win from the worst Trump to the best Lincoln.
Lincoln was a master pol. who united people, slave owning unionists, conservative republicans like himself and radical republicans like T. Stevens.
He needed this to save the union first and then end slavery because he saw without the former he could not get the latter.
Bernie with his take it or leave it ideological purity and comments like Castro improved schools and medicine and not mentioning he was also a butcher and dictator is doing him in.
10
@Paul He mentioned it. You just choose to ignore it.
5
@Ross thank you for your reply. He only responded to it when prompted and said something that was watered down.
Bottom line if you are a pol. and want to win a key state like Fla. you have to do what Obama do, call out the regime as repressive but slowly let people visit there by travel etc. etc.
1
@Paul He said it at the time in the part of the video that was left out. Again you just don’t want to see it.
2
Many BIden voters support Bernie’s policies but are so afraid Bernie labeled as a Socialist can’t possibly beat Trump. They are wrong. Americans want what Bernie is calling for. Now we’ll never have it because Biden and Trump both do the bidding of big Pharma and oil and gas, billionaires, etc. I wish those voters last night voted for what they wanted and not been so afraid of big media's focus on Bernie as a Socialist. NYT could have done pieces on how much of American life - our public libraries, roads, parks, etc- are here because of Democratic Socialism. They could have pointed out the most popular modern US President, FDR, was a Democratic Socialist. MLK jr was one, too. This is the best of America. But NYT
and other corporate media didn’t wanna.
20
@Ana Caru you’re seeing very clearly here in this excellent comment- a) the media was bought by corporate interests, b) Biden is bought by big Pharma, oil, billionaires, the 0.01%, and c) Bernie is in the camp of Justice as Fairness, sitting around the fire with FDR,MLK,LBJ wondering what will happen to America.
1
@Ana Caru
If Bernie were president and the Senate remained red how much do you think he could accomplish? My hope is that with Biden the Senate may go blue and progress will be made.
@Ana Caru Bernie’s support for Daniel Ortega which was captured on film at a Sandinista Republican Guard rally can no longer be used by Trump.Bernie gives Trump all the fear mongering fodder he would need to be re-elected.
I've been here 58 years and seen only bad decisions.
7
I'm an Independent but this year, I am voting a straight Blue ticket. I'm not voting for anyone; I'm voting against someone and his party that has gone nuts.
32
It seems that papers like the Times have managed, through relentless bad-mouthing of Sanders both as a person and from a policy perspective, to succeed in pushing the Biden narrative after all. Someday, it might occur to some of those people who votes for Biden that the DLC and DNC don’t really care whether it is Biden or Trump who wins in November. A Biden victory actually would mean a shallow hit to their pocket books as he gestures at raising taxes very modestly - but not to pre-Reagan levels, where they need to go. But he won’t hurt the health insurance cartels, nor the college administration cartels, nor the corporate cartels that are funding his campaign (do these malicious entities not deserve the “bro” moniker?). And if Trump is re-elected? Well, we’ve all seen images of Obama beaming on Richard Branson’s yacht right after he left office and left us with the orange cheeto in chief - a republican president enriches the DNC/DLC people because they’re all part of the same class. They went to the same schools. Et cetera.
Of course, more likely is that these Biden voters will lazily blame those of us who need healthcare that works for our families as if voting for a change that has broad polling support among the American public is some sort of party treason. We call this “wishful thinking.”
14
@Philippe Egalité great and insightful comment, bravo to you!
@Philippe Egalité Maybe we should give this guy a chance instead of writing him off before he gets started.Biden at least deserves the opportunity to fix this country.
1
Can the media finally figure out that twitter is not America, and that America is not extreme left? Americans like center and flexibility. Stop trying extreme left happen. The massive turn outs of centrist voters should tell you something.
12
Biden is inadequate on the climate crisis and I consider this a tragic result.
6
@Mark Battey He helped Obama in participating in the Paris Climate Accords that Trump rejected.He helped Obama with the Iranian Nuclear Agreement, that Trump rejected. The reason Obama picked Biden as his running mate was his character and his competence the two major traits you need for being a great leader.Bernie has those traits as well but clearly voters prefer Biden to lead their party.
1
Now the blue wave is depending upon Democratic unity for a victory in November. Democrats coming together? I would put more money on the Baltimore Orioles winning the 2020 World Series.
5
OK Bernie. Time to hang it up and throw your support, hear and soul, behind Joe Biden. And do it for real, this time, not sulking like last time. Get your supporters to vote for Joe and remove this abomination from office.
We need a Democratic House, Senate, and President, and everyone needs to pull in that direction.
14
Bernie Sanders helped elect Trump in 2016 and he’s going to help him again in 2020. Sanders has syphoned off a chunk of Democrat voters. In 2016, he provided little support for Hilary Clinton and certainly no enthusiasm. It was this lack of support that made the difference in several states that Clinton should have won. This year will be even more telling. Trump has expanded and solidified his base. Sanders has increased his appeal among Democrats, but not nearly enough to win the nomination. Without Sanders’ enthusiastic support Biden will not be elected. Sanders has created a de facto third party to help Trump win.
12
@george W You are spot on sir. Bernie Sanders never changed parties and registered to a Democrat. He has been running in 2016 and 2020 on the Independent party but taking too much energy and space from the democratic nominees. It is not fair and should never have been allowed even though he votes with democrats in the senate.
3
@Hisham Oumlil Climate change doesn't care whether you're a democrat or republican.
5
@George W If Biden is such a strong candidate then we should have nothing to worry about ... are you worried? Does his "nothing will fundamentally change" platform sound like a winner? Will anti-establishment independents vote for Biden? How will these Republican swing voters feel about him after he's hammered by (bad faith but effective) GOP arguments his nepotistic ties in Ukraine? Or what about the legitimate criticisms from his own party members — his votes for the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, the repeal of Glass Steagall Act, etc.? What about his mental health?
If none of these things worry you immensely ... then I wish I had your confidence.
2
Now that Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee the question remains: How will Bernie Sanders pivot to support Biden and bring his followers along?
Sure, Biden can do his part by reaching out to Sanders and his supporters. But it’s ultimately up to Sanders to lead his coalition to unite with the Biden coalition. This will be a major leadership test for Bernie that he failed in 2016. Let’s hope he gets it right this time for the sake of unifying the Democratic Party to beat Trump.
10
@RJ Shearer Bernie did a ton for Hillary in 2016, including campaigning for her in the rust belt states she ignored, and yet people like you still blame him for her arrogance and incompetence. Turns out people aren't robots, Sanders supporters least of all, since they haven't swallowed the corporate sellouts' lies. If Biden wants those voters, he'll have to earn them by reaching out to them and demonstrating that he will improve their lives.
The amount of sore winners and scathing opinions I'm seeing across comments and online generally this morning is astonishing. You might not like progressive ideas or Bernie Sanders, but there are millions of us who do, and we'll be needed in November. At least Biden was magnanimous and outreaching in his speech last night, which was very heartening. His supporters should take the example.
38
@Dominic they’re just afraid. we are going to have to get behind a deeply flawed candidate now who has a good chance of losing. easier to punch back than look forward with clear eyes.
2
@Dominic Fair enough point. But people tend to respond in kind. Bernie voters have been unbearable for years.
2
@Dominic Fair point but I think that Sanders and his team need to look in the mirror about this. Their tendency to brand anyone even slightly to the moderate side as "the same old", the denigrating comments, the implication that people who disagree with them are in the pockets of "billionaires" has a corrosive effect - and yes, that can turn nasty when the revolution turns out to have no clothes on, at least in terms of voter turnout.
4
It’s Biden’s race now. The question is how will he pull in the left wing, lower income and younger members of the party?
Since the delegate count is still fairly close it makes sense for Sanders to stay in the race a bit longer— not to try to make Biden lose, which would be a disaster— but to influence policy.
By alienating either wing of the party, Democrats risked fracture. Polls seem to show Sanders wins on ideas but not electability and understandably, more voters are now leaning into perceived electability. It’s going to be crucial for party leadership and Biden to now pull in and care for the whole flock.
I’d still like to see Sanders and Biden debate. With just two of them on stage and no live audience it will be a more sober environment in which to argue ideas.
16
Interesting outcome in Michigan. Really shows how weak a nominee Hillary Clinton was in 2016, losing there to Sanders. No matter how things turn out in 2020, I'm guessing Biden will always regret not running in 2016. It's understandable that he didn't run, given his son's death in May 2015 (just when the way too long campaigns of presidential nominees would have begun).
11
@AR I have a number of family members who were Obama-Trump voters in Wisconsin. I can't really explain it, but can say this: they really, really, really despise Hillary Clinton.
1
Every person that was on the stage was a winner as far as I was concerned. All were talented and have a lot to offer, just because you aren't president doesn't mean you can't be part of the team. If I were Sanders, I would have a long meeting with Biden, today. and spell out your terms for endorsing Biden and dropping out. I want Biden to know that we are backing him to be inclusive, he needs that team to be successful. Klobuchar VP, Harris AG, Mayor Pete Chief of Staff, Warren any job she chooses, and so forth. Once that is done, Biden needs to go into presidential mode, do not curse at anyone, and wear a suit. Next, delegate the debates to the VP candidates, do not debate Trump, do not answer Trump's tweets. Have news conferences to answer questions, be presidential and discuss presidential things. Do not , I repeat, do not get in the mud with Trump, you will have "people" to deal with that.
28
@Missy
"If I were Sanders, I would have a long meeting with Biden, today. and spell out your terms for endorsing Biden and dropping out."
Yup. Just what we need, another quid pro quo suggestion.
1
@Missy You're dreamin' to think all those Dem senators you just reassigned, whether qualified or not for those jobs, (esp Mayor Pete?) won't get replaced by Republicans in the Senate. No Dem Senate majority, no progress. Not very far thinking. Pie in the sky politics. I can't imagine Sanders meeting with Biden and endorsing him wholeheartedly. They stand for entirely different value systems. He'll most likely politely concede, but as someone else said above, I'd also like to see one more debate, just for the sake of history's record.
6
Dear Dems-we’ve been together since 1988, but it’s over. I looked the other way through ‘welfare reform,’ NAFTA, when you tossed aside Glass-Steagal, when you kept talking about ‘reaching across the aisle,’ making googly eyes at the hostile neighbours. Now you want your insurance industry pals to keep vacuuming money out of my wallet. I can’t afford you you anymore. We have different values and goals. We are just going in different directions. So long.
31
@Eugene Debs You know, reading your succinct comment only reinforces my suspicion that there are many Democrats out there, not only freshly minted young ones, who are with you on this. The DNC best watch its hubris and take heed. This thing could go south pretty quickly. If I were Senator Warren I'd hold my delegates til the last minute of the convention. You never know...
3
@Eugene Debs
Please think about the women in your life. They will very likely lose the right to a safe abortion if Trump is reelected and Trump replaces RGB and Breyer with two 2 Catholic men to the Supreme Court. They may also lose the right to have coverage of birth control pills. Please talk with them
2
@Iris Flag Biden doesn't care about abortion rights, he's voted against them before.
Prepare for Hunter This and Hunter That for the next 8 months 24/7.
31
@William
Have no fear. The media will never cooperate fully with an investigation into the Biden family because anything that might advantage Trump is verboten.
If anything, the media will declare charges "debunked" or "unsubstantiated", despite their not having even been fully investigated, and report on each charge through a political he said/she said lens.
The media despises Trump so Biden's family's questionable dealings will never be fully reported on. Good for FoxNews though.
4
@William I'm suggesting Biden doesn't debate Trump at all, let the VP candidates do it. Biden should have one news conference, say he loves his son, but he's not responsible for anything his son does, that Biden held the VP office in the highest honor. Then Biden should move on. Every time Trump throws mud, the VP candidate should counter with all the illegal things Trump did. Biden should never get in the pit, let others do this for him, Biden's job is to be presidential.
1
@William Hunter is not running.Go at it.
A big chunk of Sanders’ 2016 support was just an anti-Hillary/woman thing... He was never that popular by himself.
The fact that inferior candidate like Biden is winning in areas where she struggled against Sanders is pretty telling.
Sanders’ “revolution” was just a myth all along.
10
Dear Mr. Sanders
You profess that you love America, if this is true I beseech you to show it. Joe Biden is going to win the democratic nomination, the people have spoken. They spoke quite loudly in the south on Super Tuesday and yesterday they spoke in the heartland, the Midwest. This is not going to change because what they are saying is that Biden can beat Trump.
Biden can beat Trump because:
He gives voters nothing to vote against. Many people voted against Hillary and not so much for Trump in the last election. A liberal, revolutionary candidate like yourself would give them something to vote against.
He can beat Trump because there is an implied, wink,wink nod, nod that a vote for Biden is a vote for Obama 2.0
He can beat Trump because he is a moderate , a centrist , which is rare in a politician running for President these days.Which makes him almost the perfect candidate , and someone who can bring the whole country together , as it should be.
I implore you to drop out so Joe can run unopposed, so there is no need to campaign anymore, the Corona virus is spreading and large crowds are dangerous. This is no ordinary time and everyone must do what’s right for the country in this moment of peril. For some it is staying home if you don’t feel good, for others it’s staying off cruises, in your particular case it’s doing something heroic , it’s doing what’s right , believe me it will be the thing the American people will always remember and always respect you for.
18
@Lonnie The corporate establishment has spoken.
4
@Cest la Blague
No, the majority of good people have spoken. Bernie Bros are the Trumpkins/ deplorables of the left.
1
It has been apparent to me for quite some time, that the DNC and many moderate Democrats fear Bernie Sanders far more than they do, Donald Trump. I will be surprised if Joe Biden can pull it off in November. If Hillary Clinton couldn’t beat Trump in 2016, do we really think Joe can in 2020? I am looking forward to the debates, that is, if either dares to pit their “old white male nominee” against the other. SNL will have a hay day!
9
@Antonia They fear losing to Trump every exit poll says that .
1
Looking in from outside, this reads like 2016 redux and I don’t mean “a predictable state container for Java script”. I mean the same movie, script four years later, but this time it is the centrist coalition ganging up behind a different “safe” candidate, this time its Joe Biden, to ensure that at all cost, Bernie Sanders does not get the Democratic nomination for President.
Which is so predictable and so disappointing. Biden will be the same old rehash of centrist doctrine, centrist policy and centrist thinking which for the DNC is actually Republican lite. It is the one percent winning again with the camouflage of the same tired, stale solutions that haven’t worked before and won’t work now or in the future. it’s the old “definition of insanity” joke - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
This, folks, is the point where people 50 or 100 years from now will look back and say, “That marked the end of the American dream”. From now on it will be blatantly obvious that Dems don’t want bold change. They want to go back to sweet familiarity, to Father Knows Best, to small town America with an American flag blowing in a gentle, warm breeze attached to every front porch behind every white picket fence. The America that never was and now, never will be.
8
@MJM That is your opinion but it apparently is not the opinion of voters that gave Biden so many victories.Now all we need is that small percentage of Bernie supporters to stop voting for Trump like the last election cycle which gave Trump the states of Michigan. Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
1
Counting only the delegates for Biden or Sanders, Biden has 55% and Sanders has 45%. This is definitely a lead, but it is premature for taking a victory lap. I'll support whoever wins the Democratic primary, even though we don't yet know who that will be.
14
There is the Democratic Establishment and the Republican Establishment. On the main issues of economics and health, there is an insignificant difference--It's either Adelson or Bezos and some tinkering. In the end, party does not matter, both will get their "tax credits." And as usual, nothing for the masses but continued economic disparities.
14
With 20/20 hindsight, given the state of American politics at this time, the current situation could perhaps have been predicted earlier... a well-known, imperfect but credible centrist candidate becomes the focal point of the Democratic Party, in a clear vision of the stakes involved this time; while the voice of the Left eventually fades, but not without having made a powerful statement on the real causes of our problems, and their eventual solutions.
But what is now clear in hindsight was hardly clear 3 weeks ago. Instead, and especially after the Iowa debacle, it was apparent that the Democrats were going to go up in flames, and Trump was going to be re-elected. Now, there is hope again for decency, normalcy, and slow but steady march out of the deep moral crater we have collectively entered as a nation.
12
@PT It's up in smoke, down in flames
The young progressives talk a lot but when it comes down to it they are just too lazy to vote. So either Trump or Biden, two terrible choices, a do nothing and a fascist. Corporations and the wealthy win again, they always win.
6
joe biden will sink the democrats same way hilary clinton did.
13
Not really. Hillary had 20 years of gripes with Republicans - 20 years in which people were primed against her. She was vastly more divisive than Biden, who stands a very good chance of beating Trump.
3
@DM Biden has been on wrong on practically every Democratic issue for decades. This paper won't cover any of it until the primary is over, but look around and see what Biden was saying about cutting social security, The Iraq War, Anita Hill, segregation... you name it, he was on the wrong side of it.
4
@james Hillary got more votes than any other candidate for any office in American history. I get that in America the winner doesn’t mean the person w the most votes but this is statement is counter factual. Further if democrats vote in 2020 like they did in 2018, Biden is poised to get even more votes than Hillary. The question is will those votes come from the giant paths of empty land that count more than human beings for some reason.
2
I'm much encouraged by Mr. Biden's definitive response to his success. He immediately reached out to Sen. Sanders to pull their supporters together in common focus on the critical, unifying issue:
“We share a common goal,” Mr. Biden said, “and together we’ll defeat Donald Trump.”
Perhaps, together, they can expand the focus of this campaign season to lead voters to flush the dirty plumbing in Congress even as they disinfect the White House.
17
As much as I want blue to win, I do not want any current senators (blue) to leave the senate.
Not unless they can be replaced by another dem who can win reelection.
Winning the senate is OK, however.
After all that I want to tell Bernie and co. to focus on getting rid of don the con.
Vote blue no matter who.
14
@Joe Brown Don't worry my friend- no matter what happens Vermont will not replace Bernie in the Senate with a Republican!
4
It concerns me that the Biden campaign is surging so much at what appears, from the outside, as the democratic establishment pushing an agenda against Bernie Sanders. Coincidence that the major challengers to Biden dropped out immediately before and after Super Tuesday, the last having a campaign coffer and stated will to stay in the race for as long as it took? Trump will rip Biden apart. Sanders is a better speaker, has more ideas for the times, and simply put a better candidate to go up against Trump in the general election.
17
Balderdash. This is the narrative “Bernie or Bust” people seem to be pushing. It’s the establishment! This is rigged! Biden is the preferred candidate! Conspiracies! No. Biden is winning and will earn the nomination simply because more voters turned out for him than Bernie. Period.
2
@Wendy Bossons
You are falling for rightwing and Russian-influenced hype. Biden had a smaller organization than Bernie, so who, exactly, are these ‘establishment’ people?
Solid Democratic voters, prominent among them African Americans, see Biden as the best choice.
There is no conspiracy here, just a competition.
3
@Wendy Bossons
What if the winner of the delegates get to be the presidential candidate and the runner up, the VP?
American get both and donnie has to fight both.
It's a shame that Sanders demonstrates his angry and vengeful nature at having his ambition thwarted by insisting on debating Biden, knowing this is Biden's Achilles heel. This will not turn the tide in Sanders's favor, but may show the RNC all the better how to defeat Biden. Of course, Sanders is only using the Democratic party for his own purposes and would not appear to have either the party or the country as his primary concern if he does not concede at this stage of the campaign, unlike the other candidates, except for Gabbard.
8
@jazzlady People deserve the chance to hear Sanders and Biden debate directly. It will be telling for anyone paying attention ... but, frankly, it's no secret that Biden — the inexplicably dubbed "safe candidate" — can barely string a few sentences together. If you're worried about how the Republicans are going to smear Biden — and they have a lot to work with — then why the heck are we putting him in the arena as our champion?!
1
Sanders needs to stand down. Biden is a flawed candidate and was not my preferred choice, but Democrats need to unite around his candidacy now so that they can start turning all their fire on the person who deserves it most: Donald Trump
22
Watching and listening to the the media commentators go on and on about VP Biden's excellent campaign to win last night confirmed to me that, again, they just don't get it--Biden didn't make his win happen-no cash, no structure, no feet on the ground. This is a grass roots swelling of Americans who want to beat Trump and Biden is our best chance. Period. Now, I wish Biden would surround himself with the savvy, smart team that President Obama created, specifically David Plouffle, whose name I just can't seem to spell correctly.
37
@Traci
Don’t be so sure that is the reason.
They have a plan.
They can’t be trusted.
We learned that.
Biden is the one the republicans want to defeat.
2
Record primary turnouts and Republican mayors in rural Michigan voting for Biden? If I were Trump and the GOP I would be very, very worried come Nov 2020
12
@SomewhereOutWest
Wait a minute. Republicans mayors can vote in a democrat primary in Michigan????
Since when?
And if so, this could mean that they want the weaker candidate to run up against their boy king wanna be dictator donnie.
I don’t understand.
I just looked it up...
I have to be a registered Republican or Democrat to participate in Michigan’s Presidential Primary?
No. Michigan’s Presidential Primary has been designated a closed primary. There is no political party registration requirement in Michigan Election Law. Any Michigan registered voter can participate in the primary. By law, you must make your ballot selection in writing by completing the Application to Vote/Ballot Selection Form on Election Day; or on the Absent Voter Ballot Application form if voting absentee.
Why do I have to select a party ballot?
Michigan Election Law (MCL 168.615c) guides the conduct of the Presidential Primary. The law requires that voters indicate in writing which political party ballot he or she wishes to vote. This requirement only applies to Presidential Primary elections.
2
The republican lite nominee wins again because we vote out of fear. Democrats get to hold their noses and vote again. Corporations win again. And depending on who Joe chooses as a VP, Trump will win again too.
12
Oh, please. Stop discounting the votes of millions of suburbanites, women, and African Americans who turned out in droves for Biden. He won these states fair and square. The notion that this is all the media’s doing and that of the “corporate democrats” is as much a paranoid schizophrenic view as any conspiracy-theory minded Trump tweet.
3
America has rejected Bernie and his gospel of Socialist Revolution.
My husband and I watched all night. We saw Biden give what may be his calmest speech yet. He spoke as our nominee and extended an olive branch to Bernie and his group.
The response from Bernie, who was offered a national audience for maybe 20-30 minutes, who had the opportunity to help his people deal with the new reality, who could have provided all of us an example of how he would act as president and unify the nation was silence.
Sanders refused to address the nation.
The jig is up.
Time to call it a day and move on.
You were not defeated by the media, the Establishment the long lines, the weather, the corona virus, the 1%, and all the other myriad demons you blame for your losing.
You were defeated by a broad coalition of moderates. Blacks, whites, suburban moms, Hispanics, working people, and basically everyone else.
Your large crowds of kids who came to hear the rock concerts you offered stayed home. They always do.
If you are in this for anything but your ego it is time to leave. Now.
49
@Simon Sez Do you think maybe Sanders did not speak last night because he wanted time to consider whether he should drop out of the race?
Biden did very well last night winning 4 out of 6 states outright and virtually tied with Sanders in Washington State. It’s very hard to imagine how Sanders could catch up in the delegate count especially since Biden leads in Florida and Illinois as well, delegate rich states up next week.
Much of the media both left and right have certainly been opposed to Sanders. This plus the perception that Biden can beat Trump in the general election has propelled him forward. But can he? I admire Biden and I actually wrote him a letter (rare for me) in 2015 urging him to run because I thought Clinton would not reach the voters she needed to win.
But as we move forward with three candidates in their 70s (Trump, Biden and Sanders), it is concerning that none of them has released their medical reports. Sanders had a heart attack and is at increased risk of another one over the first 12 months. Both Biden and Trump have exhibited problems with recall and a lack of mental acuity at times. Sanders, the oldest among the three, is actually the most mentally sharp.
14% of people over 70 have some type of dementia. 30% of 70 year olds will develop dementia in their lifetime. Reagan showed clear signs of mental decline in his second term and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Aging results in physical and mental decline followed by death. Ave life expectancy in the US is 79. Are we mature enough to discuss this topic as we elect a president?
8
@Michael
Biden's cognitive decline, on full display during the campaign, will now disappear as an issue. Bloomberg's money will be used to craft a bright new shiny image, and democrats desperate for anyone-but-Trump will pretend there's nothing to see there.
Anything that helps Trump will be avoided by the media. Count on it.
3
Okay, everyone who is upset about the Biden win and will sit at home in Nov, if I may put this in terms of popular culture:
We have millions of night walkers who’ve breached the wall and are reigning terror upon us and their leader, the night king needs to be destroyed.
We can all go back to our regularly scheduled wars after that. My god, focus!
16
I never believed a socialist could win the nomination.
4
How much of Bernie's 2016 victories were due to sexism?
14
@Letitia Jeavons
I’m coming to realize that it is probably more than I thought. I was for Hillary and started off being for Warren, and the sex of the candidate never mattered to me. I did not appreciate how the sex of a candidate might matter to people, but it apparently did. More than I had thought.
1
@Letitia Jeavons
Or, incomprehensibly, many voters at the time preferred a candidate who voted against the Iraq War, bad trade deals, and supported universal health care and higher minimum wages. And who may have insulted the establishment, but not the working classes.
1
@Letitia Jeavons I am not sure it was sexism but Hillary was a highly polarizing figure even without taking her gender into account. Her air of entitlement, her shifting positions, her exaggerations -- all made her a troubled candidate.
1
This guarantees a Trump victory. Biden is a really bad candidate. Too status quo. He is attempting to out Trump Trump but that will only reveal Biden has nothing to offer. I can't see African Americans coming out in large numbers for him. I guess this is why he has selected some African American surrogates but it won't work.
Bernie lost Michigan because he kept lumping African Americans in with other non whites by calling them people of color, that really annoys African Americans, where very few support the NACCP. Bernie also turned people off by suggesting to African Americans that his coalition included homosexuals.
7
You are totally correct, Jonathan. Nominating the person with the most support is the surest way for the Democrats to lose. The path to victory is almost certainly with the person who garnered far fewer votes. I’m sure you know best.
5
@Martin Blank .... Logically only Democrats are allowed to vote in Democratic primaries. Independents and registered Republicans don't. I am willing to bet those who elected Trump in 2016, a black man like myself, will do so again in 2020. Biden will depress the black vote, especially black males. Biden offers black people in general nothing. Mark my words. Trump will have larger victories in Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin.
1
I will say it over and over again, when we look to other countries enjoying universal healthcare, higher life expectancies, free education — well, we will know who to blame. Thanks, Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobachar, Elizabeth Warren, Paul Krugman, and who can forget David Brooks.
9
Political drama. We have a long way to go before the Democrat race is decided.
1
I feel like a Yellow Dog Democrat, as Biden was not my first or second choice. But, better to vote for some of my values than for the destruction of them.
28
There’s something familiar about Bernie Sanders supporters. They’re the flip side of the MAGA crowd. Same zeal, same intractability, same unwillingness to compromise for the greater good. It is great to see the party coalesce around Biden. It gives me hope for November. But Sanders isn’t really a Democrat, is he, despite his attempt to commandeer the Democrats’ nomination.
43
If you can’t discern the difference between Biden and Trump after a clear Bernie Sanders loss, you aren’t paying attention. Get a grip, and do the right thing for our country folks.
60
This outcome was never in doubt. The early Primaries did not reflect the voter mix in the country. They created a narrative based on a very small sample size.
15
IMO: What Democrats do by putting all their eggs in the Biden basket is tragic. "Mr. Biden said voters had put him “a step closer to restoring decency, dignity and honor to the White House” and moved to unify the party with an appeal to supporters of Mr. Sanders. “We share a common goal,” Mr. Biden said, “and together we’ll defeat Donald Trump.”
Our problems are not moderate. They will not be solved by electing the moderate, Joe. Deposing Trump is only one touchdown in the game we are losing in a shut out.
13
@John Dwyer Better to have that one touchdown than 4 more years of destroying the Constitution of the United States.
2
@John Dwyer
First, I just disagree. Trump is an existential threat in a world of growing authoritarianism. His voters would be perfectly happy to have him stay in office permanently, and many see any democrat as an enemy of the state. Nothing less. Removing him sooner rather than later is vital.
In any event, its never bad to score a touchdown.
1
Sanders is not a person to be trusted. Even after competing and losing as a Democrat, the last time, selfish Bernie, showed his true colors; and ran as an Independent for Senate.
He will do his best to thwart the Biden and female VP ticket. His base and the 'squad' will stay away and in most cases, vote for the incumbent.
The tough task of making a case for unity will rest with Obama, and by the time that happens at the convention, it may be late.
With Pence stuttering as the Virus Czar, the right will ease him out, like they have done with many, in this administration. That opens the door for Nikki, and the GOP ticket with a new improved energy.
5
@Gyns D Interesting speculation about Nikki Haley as VP. But your appraisal of Sanders is absolutely wrong. He campaigned vigorously for Clinton after she received the nomination; even enduring some boos from his staunch supporters.
3
Biden or Sanders. We will have to look past a seriously flawed nominee and fight to win the executive branch, the judiciary, and our agenda for change. This worked for the GOP in 2016. We should try it.
This election is about voter determination to take control. We don't want to beat Republicans at their own cheating game. We want to outsmart, outstrive, outshine, and outvote them in our righteous fight for economic, racial, and environmental justice. Let's do it.
9
Joe Biden is giving us another edition of “Audacity of Hope” and boy, does this country need it.
We’re feeling the camaraderie of mankind, respect, and truth. But most of all we are for the first time since Inauguration Day January, 2017 - we are feeling hope. Here we are, a country being invaded by a very serious healthcare crisis, in the midst of a dangerous journey, but - we STILL are feeling hope, true hope for our country and fellow men and women, once again. Now, that is powerful stuff.
And does it feel good! Go Joe Go!
22
@MIMA A quick look at Joe Biden's voting record will squash that hope right quick. He'll "reach across the aisle" and give the Republicans everything they ask for. Assuming he wins. Or doesn't drop dead of old age.
@KM Hilariously ageist comment given that your man Bernie is older than Biden.
Now is the time for one good man to come to the aid of his party - and step aside. Sen. Sanders, that's you.
21
@Snip The problem is that it's not his party and it never has been. Sanders doesn't give a hoot about the Democratic Party and he ran as a Democrat only as a matter of convenience. By his own admission, his goal was to attack the Democratic Party and anyone in the party not supporting his "revolution." Just look at how he continued to attack Clinton in 2016 after he had no chance of winning the nomination. He is a dangerous, self-centered fool.
1
For me, although I like some of Sanders platform and the fact that Sanders has moved a social agenda forward, I can't vote another angry old white man. Sanders always seems angry, wants to create a revolution. We have seen what an angry old white man can accomplish.
Joe Biden at least shows empathy, plays nice with others and is not exhausting . I think right now the country needs "play nice with others". Those others include Rep. and our allies.
The other thing about Biden is that he doesn't claim to be an expert on everything. Biden knows he will need experts around him and he will actually work with the best. Just my opinion.
31
"Bernie still has a sizable number of supporters who believe in him AND his proposals. Biden, absent of any real vision, has successfully played the bogus "decency" card but that alone will not be enough to gain the backing of many Sanders voters. That's just a fact. Biden can't just assume that with Trump as their common enemy they will all throng to the polls in unity, regardless of Bernie's exhortations to do so. Sanders' young supporters have many legitimate concerns, and unless Biden addresses them, their support is not a given, no matter how loathsome Trump is. Thus far, he hasn't done so, probably because it will cost his plutocrat backers a dime or two."
Biden needs to actually get to work & adopt some version of Bernies proposals. Enough to get his party excited about his candidacy!
9
@Larry Paden
Politically I am very close to Bernie.
But in the end its a numbers game and whoever wins is the winner. Mr Sanders has to his credit, forged the way for the acceptance of things like universal health coverage.
I like him more than Biden but if the latter wins its because more people wanted him.
6
No breaks for the working class in the near future.
As i did with Hillary, I'll hold my nose and vote.
Uninspiring - Corporate Joe - Republican lite.
11
The Democratic party is now starting to come together not just because they like Biden, but they are starting to feel secure that he can deliver a campaign to beat Trump and start this country back on a path to where this country should be for all it's citizens. Sanders and his followers have to start realizing that Sanders can be as divisive as Trump. I'm not saying all his ideas are wrong, but this country doesn't need another social revolution. We need to rid this government of corruption first, start decreasing the deficit and national debt and make the ACA better for all citizens before taking on massive changes.
I don't believe we have the capacity to wipe out all student debt or make colleges free, but the government can provide for low interest loans for new students and much lower rates to refinance current loans. If the government can give relief to industries it surely can give relief to student debt holders.
We need to elect a Democrat and right now the best bet is Joe Biden.
254
@VMG
Party solidarity is not voter support.
We can't make Clinton's 2016 unforced error of building bridges to nowhere in red enclaves and disdaining to mend bridges with disgruntled blue and swing state voters.
No voter left behind.
11
@VMG I read it quite differently. Backing Biden is not driven by belief that he can beat Trump Rather, it is driven by fear that Sanders cannot win. That anxiety is being fanned by MSM such as the Times and WaPo. Biden's inability to raise money reflected his unattractiveness. He lacks of vision and passion. There is substantial evidence of mental decline. He often fails to complete a delivery of a response.
I believe Biden is much more vulnerable than Sanders. He has been dishonest in the past (plagiarism); he sold out on Anita Hill; he sold an endorsement to a Republican congressman for $200,000 (including $50,000 in travel expenses); his judgment on Iraq and NAFTA are suspect; and the optics of Hunter's plum assignment is awful.
Yes, Sanders' proposals are costly and will increase deficits if enacted. But the likelihood of enactment are nil. Bernie has a conscience and no nonsense approach. He would push the country toward decency and responsibility. Toward comprehensive healthcare; toward redistribution of wealth that favors workers and middle class. What are Biden's policies?
Biden is a good old boy, supported by Wall Street, who has been repeatedly bamboozled by his Republican friends. If he becomes president, of which I am pessimistic, McConnell has promised to torpedo his effectiveness through investigations. (GOP payback!)
Any debate Biden participates where he cannot hide through the quantity of debaters will expose him.
Biden will not defeat Trump.
20
@VMG Medicare for all is supported by overwhelming majorities of voters. It's unimaginable to think the deficit is of concern to anyone. We have the capacity to fulfill needs but greed is holding us back.
16
Biden is an out-of-touch career politician with corruption swirling around some of his closest family members. Trump is a wacky, divisive reality TV show host. Is this the best America can do?
18
This idea that “the establishment” has taken something away from the Bernie is very frustrating to hear. I challenged a friend and Bernie supporter on that, and he basically said, ‘well democrats are too stupid to know who is best and the establishment is making them like Biden.’ It’s offensive of course, but it’s a dangerous scapegoat to continue to embrace because it will give the Bernie bros, yet another, common enemy to blame. Is Biden my first or second choice - no. But he can win, and this is about the survival of our planet and democracy.
41
@Dan
I don't know Dan, the rest of the world is not expecting the US to save it anymore. In fact I think the US is now desperately trying to figure out if it's as crazy as the president it elected.
1
So it looks like we will see a Presidential race between a narcissistic sociopath who was been sabotaging functional governance for your years and a burnt-out neoliberal with obvious symptoms of early-stage dementia. And the sheep look on, the elites line their pockets while the country slowly but inevitably sinks into chaos. Clearly, American democracy, at least on the national scale, is finished.
13
@T. Clark
The Russian disinformation campaign is already out in force.
2
For the 2020 election, Bernie had:
1. Extraordinary financial support - the most of any candidate;
2. High name recognition;
3. The stature of being a longtime Senator;
4. Campaign infrastructure from 2016;
5. The endorsement of AOC, the best known rising star of the party;
6. Let's face it, he's a man.
And yet he lost big. His supporters will blame the "establishment". The "MSM". Warren (for sharing the lane).
When will Sanders look in the mirror and see that he refused to build a coalition? That he promised and failed to bring in new voters? That he performed worse in almost every state compared to 2016? That there was a huge gap between the popularity of Bernie's policies and the popularity of his candidacy?
The Sanders campaign decided that it was more important to be right than to win. So they lost everything.
65
@Cousy
"More important to be right than to win." Correct.
I like Bernie. I voted for him in 2016. But, he has not made a necessary political course correction this time around. He needed to keep people like me--older, wiser, remembering a better time when I got my MS in Engineering at a public university for free. He needed to keep people like me with him.
This time around, people like me have one priority: Trump must go. Concerning policy, Bernie is right, in my opinion, on every count. But, more importantly, Trump must go.
I don't think he understands that. It seems he thinks he's begun a revolution among the young, but, in my opinion, not enough of them understand what's at stake here, mostly because our public education has failed to teach them civics. Further, they're working two jobs and driving Ubers. Revolution? After a day like that, they're watching Netflix in their parents' basement.
Two things must happen now: Bernie must wholeheartedly support Biden, and Biden must admit to forty years of failed Reaganomics and vow to move us in a more Bernie-esque or Warren-esque direction.
I'm already making arrangements to move to Canada.
4
"...and moved to unify the party with an appeal to supporters of Mr. Sanders...." The best way to do that would be to pick Elizabeth Warren as the VP choice, and to do that right now. I think Bernie would drop out in exchange for that, and Liz would make an outstanding choice. She is a woman who is ready to be president.
When the nominee is in his upper 70's that is the prime consideration: the voters must see a VP choice who is ready to be president.
21
@Paolo
We need Liz in the Senate. If VP, her seat will be replaced by a Republican appointed by the GOP governor of MA. Not good.
Now is the time for Senator Sanders to exit the race gracefully and rally his supporters in a call for unity to defeat Trump.
Then he can return to the Senate where he is an important vote.
38
@Hamilton Lagrange to be fair to him I think he tried to do that the last time, but quite a few refused to listen and either stayed at home or voted for trump. Let’s hope they know better this time.
1
@Hamilton Lagrange
10/4 Ham, now could you please solve the corona crisis?
1
I never expected it before Super Tuesday but Joe Biden has really been able to unite the base and turn out the vote across a bunch of demographics. I was skeptical that he could beat Trump but now I am optimistic about his ability to do so and to bolster down ticket democrats as well.
21
Biden's victory in November may hinge on whether Bernie's supporters are actually progressives. I understand being disappointed in how this primary is wrapping up, but threatening to stay home? That just says communicates that you don't actually care about what Bernie stands for.
Most are good people who will stand up for their values and cast a vote for Biden, but I've been a Democrat long enough to know that it's futile to care about the votes of the true fringe. They care much more about style than substance; let's hope they're few in number.
17
I'm very discouraged reading these comments from the Sanders supporters who say they'll never vote for Biden. I'm a Biden guy, but I'd vote for Sanders in a heartbeat if that's the way it works out. Here's the thing: defeat Trump.
If you really can't vote for Biden, then join the effort to keep the House blue, and to turn the Senate.
72
@JohnnyCee You should only be discouraged if they live in the 4-6 swing states. American Democracy!
1
Although behind in delegates and polls, Bernie expects Biden to stipulate to Sanders' platform, or he will not support the Democratic nominee. Sanders' supporters not only spurn the half-loaf in favor of none; they seem to prefer Trump to Biden. They actually like things as they are. Thankfully, most Americans don't.
10
What did he say? The only concern was restoring dignity to the White House? We need more than a caretaker president. It is a disappointment that Bernie Sanders lost Michigan, but is shows once again a willingness of people to vote against their own bests interests. And for all the talk about the minority vote not being a monolith, they proved it was this race. I have a hard time with the idea that Joe Biden, the worst candidate to throw a hat into this ring, is ahead so much in delegates, getting votes from groups he wronged. In the end, Trump will be re-elected.
13
@GMT
I was going to agree with you, except for the part about telling voters what their best interests are. I won't tell Biden voters what's in their best interests, if they'll agree not to tell me (as an Independent and Bernie/Liz supporter) what's in mine. And as their interests and mine apparently differ mightily, I guess we'll just to have to agree to disagree.
3
@GMT Couple of things to point out: 1. In a number of the key states voter turnout was up and it broke for Biden. 2. To advance a more progressive agenda you need a D majority in the Senate and Biden at the head of a ticket is viewed more favorably in the states the Ds could flip Senate seats. 3. Do not mistake what African-Americans and college educated women are saying in their vote for Biden. We don’t want a President who thinks “they alone can fix it.” We want a President who assembles a quality team and who can work with Congress. 4. If Sanders were to win the nomination, I’d not be threatening to stay home. I’d still vote blue and would work to unseat Trump, who I believe has done harm to our country. 5. If Sanders’s supporters stay home in the fall than losing opportunities to address climate change, social justice, and income inequities is on them, not the rest of us who are fighting to unseat the current occupant of the White House. Vote. Blue. Every. Race.
6
It’s astounding to me that the Dems are basically looking to re-run the 2008 election with Biden as an older, less inspiring candidate than Obama. What they are not recognizing is that Trump is no McCain. He will bring this election even lower than 2016 - and probably pull off another squeaker of a win.
The Dems could pull this off if they choose Amy Klobuchar as VP. If they go with Stacey Abrams or Pete Buttigieg, this will become about how ‘woke’ the electorate is and many, many middle of the road voters will turn on the Dems with a vengeance.
The electorate care about bread and butter issues, not PC check boxes. Biden and the Dems better wake up to that or their going down to defeat - and in the House as well as the presidency.
6
Bernie and his bros have to accept that the majority of Democratic voters don't think he can deliver either a victory against Trump or getting his proposals through congress.
Joe's not my first choice nor my second but he's got my vote.
9
Biden is the nominee because most Democrats believed early that he was the only one who could defeat Trump, not because he is the best candidate. But if he is sincere in his desire for unity, he will offer more ambitious policies to address income inequality, climate change, and now public health than he has done to date.
10
A lot of Bernie Bros posting here.
Nothing good happens if Trump wins. NOTHING. Sanders will not only lose the electoral vote, he'll lose the popular vote.
This is not a progressive country. Deal with it.
15
It is disappointing to see so many bitter comments from some of the Sanders supporters. Certainly it is unpleasant when your candidate loses but for many there seems to be an all or nothing attitude.
Even if Bernie had won it is doubtful that he would have been able to enact many of the programs he espoused. And while it is admirable to dream of Many of these goals in the end the need to restore the dignity of the presidency must be a major aim of the next president.
Senator Sanders and his supporters have achieved much with their campaign. The party has moved towards many of the goals they have pushed for; though perhaps not as far as they might wished for. I hope they realize that if they turn their disappointment into complacency they will help insure four more years of the disgrace which we now have in the White House.
9
Bernie has moved the Democratic Party well to the left. His passion, integrity, and ideals will not be ignored in a future Democratic administration, nor will those of my preferred candidate, Elizabeth Warren. The very small faction of Sanders supporters who refuse to vote for anyone other than Bernie in the general election (and it is very small) are on the whole those who have little to lose with another four years of Trump. Women, people of color, LGBTQ, mentally ill, people with intellectual or physical disabilities, all could possibly lose their rights with another Trump term. You may think this is just “identity politics,” but for a lot of us, it’s not just politics, it’s personal. It’s about our children, our families, our loved ones. Yes, any candidate is a risk, but we’ve weighed the odds and put our lot in with Biden. Now, we’re asking, begging, all the Bernie supporters, to support us in November.
17
@Longfellow Lives If Biden picks Elizabeth Warren as VP right now Bernie will drop out and the progressive and moderate wings of the party will unite to defeat Trump.
4
I think that most people including many Republicans want a safe placeholder against Trump to vote for. So what Joe Biden says or does matters less at this point than the fact that he is the vote against Trump. So even if he badly loses the debates to Trump it doesn't matter as their character and temperament are already obvious to everyone.
4
The party is still deeply divided, so characterizing Biden's delegate count as a crushing lead is not only wrong, it reduces the chances for the only type of unity that will defeat Trump -- unity based on policy compromise that reflects the actual division among voters. Neither Biden nor Bernie may be willing or capable of doing that.
15
@Sequel: First of all Trump needs to be defeated, otherwise there will be no policy at all, except tax cuts for the rich and slashing of everything else. Biden's platform is to the left of Hillary Clinton's in 2016 and he will appoint capable people to make it work, supported (hopefully) by a Democratic majority in House and Senate, and an overall moderate instead of reactionary Supreme Court and judiciary.
5
@Sequel yeah but the voters can. A voter who voted for either sanders or biden, but dosen't think either is better than trump, is unreachable.
@Sequel
I don't see Bernie reaching out, just saying.
As a supporter of Sen. Sanders, I am still waiting to hear from VP Biden what he is going to do to earn my vote. VP Biden's platitudes are deepening the intra-party division. Uniting against Trump is not enough and suggsting that it is, is to dismiss all of Sen. Sanders supporters. Perhaps that is his plan and maybe there are enough Never Trump Republicans to drag VP Biden to victory in November. I still need to see his proposed legislation on achieving universal health care, student loan forgiveness, and on the immediate reduction of US fossil fuel extraction. These 3 are deal breakers. If VP Biden does not come to the left on these issues, I wish him well, but he will not get my vote in November.
60
@Midwesterner And that attitude will get us four more years of Trump. We can't have that.
19
@Midwesterner: Maybe you should compare Biden's platform to Trump's. For now, uniting against Trump is exactly what needs to be done, otherwise you stand to lose what you have now (and which Trump has been attacking since day one), such as freedom of speech and the new deal, public education, the ACA and consumer and environmental protection regulations implemented or strengthened under Obama. Rejecting half a loaf because you cannot get the whole thing is self-defeating.
20
@Midwesterner
Rather disingenuous don't you think?
Your declaration clearly states your position on your outlook for America: Biden either does what I want or I really don't care if Trump wins again.
Seems that Sanders himself stated that he would support the delegate count winner. Not good enough?
Universal health care would never make it - so-called Obamacare is hanging on by a thread.
Do you really believe that all student debt would be erased? Not sure what your background in economics is, but but believing that the entire debt would be deleted from existence is merely a dream. Other ways to lighten that legal burden.
See where Medicare for All got Sanders and Warren. Not far removed from universal health care.
The first order of business is to return sanity to the Executive branch.
Unless, of course, you still hold out hope for Ralph Nader. Trump looks forward to your vote.
24
Refreshing to see the rank and file, bringing the self-interested, self-serving DNC to heel.
Hopefully, yesterday's emphatic statement to the effect that defeating Trump should be the sole objective will define the party's policy from here on out.
21
@Sam For some beating Trump is enough, but it doesn’t speak to the direction of the party. Comes November at best Trump has three years, what’s the principles of the party? Joe is your standard life long politician, he’ll go whichever way the political wind blows. At least Bernie has a vision, which brings a youth passion, Joe brings no passion at all. Watch how he grabs Bloomberg’s Wall Street money, not exactly progressive thinking.
3
@Joen I understand your point of view, but in view of the stakes, particularly the fact that the next administration will control one or more Supreme Court Appointments which could leave Trump's imprint for at least one if not two generations, at this juncture defeating Trump transcends philosophical interests.
1
The Michigan outcome was a crossover vote. Half of all usual Republicans voted on the Democratic ballot.
They'll mostly go home to Trump in the general election, even though Republicans preferred Biden to Bernie.
Meanwhile, many of us Bernie voters will see no point to voting for the hyper-capitalism of huge reward for "risk takers" who "create jobs," to use Friedman's words from today's column. The Biden of the bankruptcy bill, crime bill, Iraq War, and more simply offers nothing for us to like.
I expect Biden will lose Michigan in the general, for exactly the reasons he just won it.
Meanwhile, the comparison to Hillary is incorrect, because there was no cross over voting to distort that. Trump was in his own hard fought primary that time. This time, he got over 98% of those who voted the Republican ballot.
40
@Mark Thomason As a Sanders supporter I'm curious. What makes you believe such a large number of republicans turned out to vote for Biden? Everything I've read and heard about crossover votes points to those votes being of little influence. Sure, it happens, but it's tough enough to get people to go out and vote as it is, let alone sabotage voting.
6
@Mark Thomason: If Republicans wanted Trump to win, they'd have voted for Bernie in Michigan.
17
@Mark Thomason As a Bernie voter myself, I would be very happy if Biden picks Elizabeth Warren as VP. We can wait a little for the dust to settle, and wind up OK with Liz as VP. She has a good chance of becoming President in the future if she takes the VP slot. She would be the favorite in 2024.... and with Biden in his upper 70's she might even become President before that. She would be the President you want.
5
Before we go any further, can we get Biden to reveal everything about Burisma, and everything about his son, before we're stuck with him, and the Republicans bring it all out in detail, and we can't do a thing about it --
73
@NotKidding: Republicans may try, but Bloomberg and Steyer will come with huge ads detailing Trump's and his kids' corruption and plaster the country with them. Let's first see Trump's tax returns, his health records and the full unredacted Mueller report. Waiting for the Bolton revelations too! There is nothing to reveal about Burisma than has already been "revealed", because it was never covered up in the first place, unlike Trump's phone calls to Zelensky and what went on in his and his staff's backroom meetings with Putin and his associates.
18
@NotKidding
Sure!!!
And EVERY SINGLE TIME Trump brings up Bidens son, lets be reminded of just how many of Trump's family are in un-elected positions of power, with little to no security clearance, or worse, qualifications.
Let's ask how Trump personal attorney Giuliani was charged with performing government duties in Ukraine.
How much as the Trump family benefitted from policies enacted since Trump go into office? How much have the taxpayers paid to Maralago for golf outings and security?
Sheeeesh. Why even bother asking about Biden getting a job for his son, if he even did.
And Trump talking about corruption? Give,Me,A.Break.
G7 at Maralago??Remember that idea? Not the suggestion Trump made but the idea that it would be in some way ethical.
16
@NotKidding he has, you’re not paying attention. Here’s the short strokes. Hunter traded on his name for a lucrative board gig. VP Biden enacting both US and NATO allies policy forced a corrupt Ukraine prosecutor out of office, for among other things, failing to investigate that very same company, Burisma. So, Joe’s actions were antithetical to Burisma’s and Hunters interests. Got it? Now let’s talk about rump’s tax returns please.
11
If Pete were married to a woman, he probably would have been on path to the nomination.
35
@dba So if he were a completely different person? Ok. If that's allowed, I'm also going to say that if Warren were a man, she'd be the candidate.
8
@dba
He had no qualifications besides being a mayor of a medium sized town and being good at talking and he got more attention than a number of other significantly more qualified candidates, such as Klobuchar and Warren.
If anything this election has demonstrated that there aren’t significant barriers against a gay candidate in the Democratic primary, given that being gay didn’t stop a completely unqualified man from performing so well.
7
@dba
True , and if the US was Denmark there would be nothing to complain about except the weather.
1
Those of us in New York knew it was all over when Bill DeBlasio endorsed Bernie. DeBlasio is the Trump of the left; everything he touches dies.
65
@Glen Thank you for making me laugh at 6:33 in the morning during these dire times!!!
7
At least, some clarity. Joe Biden is clearly not the ideal candidate to beat Trump. He merely is the better of two choices. I hope that he will remain mentally fit to successfully make it through what will be a brutal campaign aginst Trump.
Key will be to unite the Democrats and to appeal to the majority of independants. That will require to have a balanced program that combines reasonable positions of the liberal/left wing concerning affordable health care and wealth inequality and expectations of the moderate centrists concerning sustainable economic growth, affordable education, etc. And, of course, he must choose a VP candidate that maximizes his chances of winning the critical swing states whilst not alienating the young urbanites. The only goal is to replace Trump, not to win an ideological beauth contest.
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@W
"And, of course, he must choose a VP candidate..."
Do you for a moment believe that Biden will have any say whatsoever in who his VP will be?
1
There were reports of a meeting Trump had with fundraisers where he said he was glad Hillary did NOT pick Sanders.
It seems like Trump WANTS Biden.
There's still the 'creepy uncle' aspects of Biden's behavior around women - less than Trump's but still questionable.
Biden's voting history in favor of Iraq, civil forfeiture and other issues is NOT great.
Like it or not Biden's family has seemed to profit from his connections.
Biden is more of the same old policies. We need real change.
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@cynicalskeptic The change we need right now is to get Trump out of office. Talk to me in four years after that has been accomplished. Wake up.
240
@GB
Why do you think Trump is in office in the first place? Hint--it ain't the Russians! The idea that "we just need to beat Trump" is actually defeatist talk, and people who think that way are the ones who need to wake up to the reality of the serious problems in our country that actually need fixed. Without addressing those problems, you will only plant the seeds for the next "Trump".
7
@GB "Trump is scary" is not a winning election strategy. Like Sec. Clinton, VP Biden will lose because Trump will succesfully portray him as a corrupt D.C. politician. Trump will be able to do this because there is no substance to VP Biden's campaign. 2016 all over again. Moderate Democratic voters have once again given us 4 years of Trump. Hopefully, we hold the House and take the Senate. It will be tough. I predict low Democratic turnout.
3
And Mr. Sanders goes on the blame game immediately. His much-vaunted base didn't come out to vote - a base he can't seem to expand. He doesn't explain any of his 'solutions' just vague "If we have the courage we can make changes" all without telling anyone 1) what it would cost, 2) never admitting that it's about numbers that affect political change, not courage. Yet, all his troubles are the result of the media, the 'establishment', his own voters, etc. Anyone but him. He sounds more and more like Trump every day.
How like Donald Trump he's increasingly sounding.
168
@JustJeff Bernie has core beliefs and I agree with Bernie on issues such as money in the media, the defacto role of the media, and a wariness of the establishment Dems on MSNBC, for instance, in which Scarborough fits in very well. I also agree that substantive changes may be needed for the persons who do the work in our country, although I disagree with Bernie's evolution on immigration and gun rights. I'm sick of politicians, and Biden is winning the nomination by embracing bring the Politician.
9
@JustJeff
Stop it. Biden will go to the blame game too when he loses to Trump, just as Clinton did.
And both 1 and 2 of your premises are actually headlines of the corporate media constantly, ignoring the fact that medicare for all would be cheaper and better--as it is in other countries--than what we currently have. For Pete's sake, it is our current system (even Obamacare) that is unaffordable, and yet you are concerned about costs of medicare for all. Simply astonishing.
10
@David H. How is Scarborough an establishment Dem? He’s been a Republican for years. How is Bernie anti establishment he’s been in office for decades.
5
When Joe Biden gets elected in November, The United States of America instantly regains it's integrity, credibility, respect and status on the national and world stage as the great leader of the free world.
Our allies can breath a sigh of relief. Good, honest and hard working Americans will not have to worry about their country being hijacked by a band of miscreants.
340
@Howard Levine -- I do not want the US to return to the foreign policy it had. Those wars, those trade deals, they were disasters.
I do not want the US to return to the rescue of banks and capitalist "risk takers" at the expense of consumers and employees.
I do not want what Biden offers. None of it. Not one thing.
Trump's "ideas" don't even deserve the word. But he did not go all in on wars, bank rescues, and trade deals.
55
@Mark Thomason You are correct that Trump 'did not go all in on wars,' etc. However, he pushed a huge tax cut to corporations and the wealthy hoping benefits would trickle down. He nearly got us into a war with Iran. He removed us from the Paris Agreement on climate change and questioned our commitment to NATO and our European allies. Even now as COVID 19 spreads across the U.S., he asserts that people will go to work ill and anyone can get tested at any time.
I believe many of Sen. Sanders ideas will influence our direction. Your choice may well be between Biden and Trump.
40
@Mark Thomason
Trump didn't need to go all in on bank rescues. Obama took care of that 8 years before Trump was elected. Obama gets nothing but blame for bank rescues but the recession was the fault of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Obama saved the jobs of many workers in the auto industry. Trump received the gift of a rising economy from Obama. Obama did not go all in on wars. He withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011 in accordance with the Status of Forces agreement signed by President George W. Bush in 2008. After that the Republicans disavowed the agreement and blamed ISIS on Obama. Trade deals were the work of Bill Clinton and I agree that they were ill-conceived. Perhaps last night's Michigan primary results were an acknowledgement of Obama's actions to save the auto industry.
22
If, as it appears to be the case, Joe Biden is on a clear path to win the nomination, one sincerely hopes that Bernie will unite behind Joe and campaign vigorously to support his candidacy. The threat of four more years of Donald Trump’s march towards Fascism and tyranny is indeed existential and must be defeated.
221
@JEV -- Nope. Biden offers us nothing. We are not uniting behind him. He is the enemy, as much as Trump ever has been, and really more so. Trump at least is ineffectual.
30
@Mark Thomason
Calm down. Swallow your pride, Your hysterics remind me of Trump supporters.
Democracy requires boring middle-of-the-road policies and hard work, not wild swings between poles.
16
Get a grip. If you can’t see the difference between Trump and Biden you aren’t paying attention.
12
It was somewhat surprising that none of the younger moderates in the race was able to catch the imagination of voters and prevail over Joe Biden, who has often seemed as if he has passed his “best if used by date.” To some degree Biden may have benefitted from a “paralysis of choice”: so many persons were running against him for the nomination that the electorate could not settle on the best moderate alternative.
It is, however, not so surprising that Sanders is running less well than four years ago now that the field has been reduced essentially to a two-person race.
Much of Sanders’ strength four years ago came from persons who were more voting against Hillary Clinton rather than for Bernie Sanders. Four years later, much of Biden’s strength comes from persons who are more voting against Donald Trump than they are voting for Joe Biden.
What is helping Biden is that most people consider him a fundamentally decent person, while Hillary Clinton rubbed many people the wrong way. Whether Clinton was a victim of misogyny or her own foibles, Obama was wrong: she did to prove to be “likable” enough to defeat Donald Trump.
More and more, it seems that Biden may be the right candidate for this particular time: an experienced, establishment public servant to restore normalcy to the White House and set the stage for the next generation of Democratic leadership to push forward a more progressive agenda.
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@IMS And he has a decent, intelligent, hard working and gracious wife who will continue to make significant and energizing contributions to our country.
72
@IMS exactly. Joe has said the same thing. He ran only because he loves America and wants to save it from the ravages if rumpism. He will serve one term focused on rebuilding our international reputation, while his young VP (Harris or Abrams) will work with a new Democratic Congress to pass immigration reform, a public health option, higher minimum wages, and many of the progressive causes even Bernie will support.
4
@nell ryan
Especially in the education field! I look forward to her inspiration as we reverse DeVos's cynical and destructive measures.
5
Do the right thing this time Bernie. Step aside immediately for the good of the country.
There is one goal, defeat dt. And to bring back integrity, character and ethics to the WH. Competence too.
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@SN I can't understand the logic that produces this sentiment. It makes no sense. Bernie should stick it out. I am hoping for at least 2 more debates, where Bernie brings as much heat as he can against Biden. This isn't because I won't vote for Biden, and this isn't to spite him. In times such as these, it is even more critical.
The eventual nominee should emerge from the primaries with scars and bruises, dragging more and more voters to their side with each debate. As those debates evolve to have fewer candidates, the front-runner should be switching their strategy to unite those remaining candidates by compromising (to a degree that respects the # of voters supporting those candidates).
This sentiment is another mistake made in 2016, skipping straight to garnering republicans and defeating their candidate before you even shored up your own party. If there is the belief that Bernie sticking around will hurt Biden, then we as democrats have a greater issue. Each debate should only serve to increase confidence in the nominee.
If Biden wins the presidency (which I hope he does), it will not be because of the current strategy. "Incremental changes" is throwing crumbs at a voting block that nearly nominated Bernie over both Clinton and Biden (to a much lesser degree)
7
@SN
And this time entreat his followers to vote for the Dem party candidate, unlike last time.
3
@Chris V
The worst part of this idea that Bernie should step aside is the tacit admission that Biden can only win if the competition bows out. If there is competition, Biden can't keep up. Just remember, the DNC can get rid of democratic competition but that cannot dismiss republican competition. Biden has to beat Trump on Trump's terms because Trump is the incumbent however sorry and corrupt Trump may be.
6
Trump is hoping that Sanders stays in the race and continues to express his grievance against the DNC. That is exactly what cannot happen. Sanders should concede immediately and rally his supporters behind Biden. There can be no repeat of the Al Gore and Hillary Clinton defeats in which they won the popular vote but lost the election. In order to get Trump out of office there has to be a resounding electoral victory, and given the undoing of the Trump presidency, largely of his own making by failing to get his arms around Convid-19, Sanders could help make that happen by stepping down and giving full backing to Biden.
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Joe Biden is not better than the current occupant of the White House. He is made of the same cloth: everything for the rich, nothing for the rest of us. If our elections are about ideas, working for what is best for our country, state and communities, Bernie should continue to speak out and gather as many delegates he can to pressure the DNC to move towards justice and fairness. Quitting now betrays all Bernie has worked for his entire career.
57
@KD Yes -- no caving in or falling in-line as some say. That is the wrong thing to do. Bernie Sanders owes it to his supporters to press for the good ideas he brought, or else leave it all to an anti-consumer, pro-corporate caretaker president.
9
A shiver goes down my spine when I see liberals making a false equivalency between Trump and Biden.
Biden believes in women’s rights, climate change, a public option for healthcare, and immigration reform. Trump is a misogynist, science denier, destructor of Obamacare, and pioneer of the child separation policy.
I, too, want the drastic change Sanders promises. But let’s not pretend there is an comparison between the damage Trump is doing / will continue to do and Biden’s potential presidency.
23
@KD Maybe it's time to grow up and think about the Supreme Court before you declare that "Biden is not better than Trump."
21
Gotta hand it to Trump - he set the bar so low that we're willing to view someone as bland and uninspiring as Joe Biden to be a superior alternative.
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@Jim This says it true. We have no expectations now other than the candidate smile and look like a nice guy/gal. Bernie Sanders, a personable affable guy got grief because on the stump he didn't smile enough. Please. The weakest candidate, the one who helped create this mess over the past 30 years, is the one the DNC hacks propped up to great success.
15
@Jim Biden is not bland. Matter of fact, he is very warm and has had a full life of tragedy and major success. He is funny and folksy. And the most successful organizations and countries in the world are usually run by somewhat bland people. Very inspiring and cool people are in arts.
11
Bernie no longer has a viable path to the nomination. I now fear a repeat of 2016, when Bernie put ego before country and waited until June to concede, severely weakening Hillary Clinton‘s candidacy. Bernie was an absolute boon to Donald Trump.
I sincerely hope Bernie learns from past mistakes, drops out early and unifies his supporters behind Biden.
However, something tells me he will prefer to divide the county for the coming months in an impossible ego-trip bid for the nomination, all the while shouting Trumpian slogans about a “rigged” process. God help us.
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@Rar
Clinton's campaign was weakened by her many faults including her arrogance. I live in Michigan and she did not hold any events in my state. Clinton's incompetence as a candidate is the reason we have Trump as president.
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@Rar
If Bernie is not the candidate then he will campaign vigorously for Biden as he did for Hillary in 2016. That is no guarantee that his supporters will take heed, because Biden hasn't offered them, particularly the young ones, anything. Biden is Bernie minus ideas and conviction -- not very compelling to someone under 30.
30
@Rar Part 2 to my original comment.
I want Sanders to remain as long as necessary. I want him to grill Biden in the debate(s). This is not out of spite, but out of hope. The primaries should be a battleground, where the eventual winner emerges, bruised and scarred, but better for it. Biden needs to gain the respect of those who currently won't vote for him. To shield those eventual nominees is is a disservice. Every debate offers more opportunities for voter outreach, more chances to solidify the respect of those voters who already support them, and more chances to convince those they have yet to convince.
29
Hopefully Bernie has the good sense to drop out and endorse Biden.
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@Sue
Doesn't anybody realize that what they are really saying is that Biden's only path to victory is to remove the competition since he can't actually beat the competition on the issues, on his raw ability or on his creepy personality. How do you think this strategy will play out with Trump? I don't want to see Trump win and I will take no pleasure in saying I told you so. Okay, maybe a little. But that's not the point. The point is republicans will not step aside for Biden like the other democratic candidates were forced to do.
3
Bernie's been crying that everyone's against him. I guess the voters have listened.
Biden's message is essentially positive whereas Bernie's message is essentially negative. We need positivity to defeat Trump and return Our Country to Greatness once again.
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@alan ok Bernie might be loosing but his messages of healthcare as a right or tackling climate change or tuition free public college are not negative!!! In fact the concerted efforts of superpacs( of biden and others) or corporate media and pundits to portray that these are pipe dreams is indeed negative!!
9
@alan I don't even think Biden can remember his own message...
@alan
the US never lost its greatness despite what Trump says. We were never perfect and are less so now due to Trump, but there is no other country in the world where people would emigrate to if they could. This is an acid test for greatness. Unfortunately we can’t take everyone in but fortunately we still need legal new immigrants and the energy they bring with them.
Let’s send Trump home to wherever he can be prosecuted for his civilian misdeeds. If this takes Joe Biden, then let’s do it. We’ll all be better off for it.
So Bernie is sulking and cannot address his supports in defeat? Just what I’m looking for in a DJT replacement race.
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@MB
As a Bernie supporter, i'm afraid that I have to agree with you. Makes him look nearly as bad as Clinton when she lost to Trump in '16.
4
Biden will struggle as the Democrat's candidate. There's little passion around his candidacy and it will show in many ways. He's a step back to a past era. Obama and his people will appear and make us feel like the clock has turned back to his administration. I'm sure the media and the Democrat establishment will run cover for Joe as he competes with Trump. It will be interesting!
15
What about huge turnouts? in almost every state? all in favor of Joe. Sanders voters ignore truths they don't like.
4
@Broadkill The thing is, why would anyone want to "go back" -- the whole idea is to move forward, make things better and learn from the past. Yet, old Joe Biden talks about restoring this and that. It wasn't that great under Obama. Gridlock, things got done, if at all, through fiat -- executive order -- he was more Wall Street and most of the GOP. It wasn't so great.
1
@Broadkill
What they are ignoring is the fact that far too many were actually deeply unhappy with the Obama recovery. The biggest problem with the Biden candidacy is the assumption that the "New Democrat" (embodied by people like Bill Clinton) is what will win the election. Sorry to say, but the New Democrat has been rejected, and will be again when Trump is re-elected. I will not vote for Trump, he is a disaster. But one thing the Progressives see that the "moderates" do not, is that Trump at least appears anti-establishment (even though he is anything but). The "moderates" are actually calling for a return to the establishment. That is basically Biden's whole premise: "I'll bring us back! We'll return to the Obama era politics" aka, establishment politics. It is a disheartening and defeatist message, and will not win the election.
6
Powerful people will never let Sanders become President, or get even close to it. Biden could just as well be a wooden scarecrow--there still would have been a "rally" behind him before naming a Democratic candidate. Sanders is simply too "different" (read that as you like). Biden will play by the rules, just like Obama (who didn't change much in the big picture). Clinton would also have made enormous changes to healthcare, and you see what the oligarchic-media did to her. And now, you can see what you get when a real health crisis hits and there is no free national healthcare.
"Uniting the party" will become the new (empty) buzzword to quash any remaining Sanders supporters, to stifle any real change, as the Democrats log another fabulously inexplicable loss to Trump and the broken, billionaire- and millionaire-serving system steamrolls over the other 99.9 percent.
67
The voters have spoken, there is no grand conspiracy. Bernie did not convince enough Democrats to vote for him - period. Politics is hard and passion at rallies and online doesn’t always translate directly into votes.
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@Mark "no free national health care".. this distills some of the biggest concerns of all responsible citizens. Health care, college, will never be free. Someone or something must pay, this seems to be one of the biggest rubs.
Free, Free.... does not exist... unless it is air and breathable are is not free.
8
@Mark
And the reality will finally dawn on everybody that "uniting the party" is not enough to defeat Trump when Trump is re-elected in 2020. The DNC rushed to back Biden after SC, and the voters followed suit. They have done so to their own folly, and will reap what they have sowed come November.
4
Nothing succeeds like success. In an election year in which our nation faces an existential threat as a functioning democracy governed by the rule of law, Americans have one job and one job only: defeating Trump and Trumpism. As much as I love Sanders and as little as I love Biden, everything seems to be pointing to Biden's being the candidate who can muster broad enough appeal, including to Republicans of integrity, to accomplish that one, crucial objective in November. I'm not enthusiastic about Biden but, unfortunately, enthusiasm about the Democratic candidate is luxury we cannot afford this year. This is the hand we have been dealt, and we have to strategize accordingly. In a perfect world, Sanders would be president. In the real world, we need a candidate who can actually win in November.
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I’m not sure how Biden will be able to unify the party. I doubt he’ll pick a true progressive as a running mate as he’s shown he prefers tokenism to drive certain demographics and the center’s hate towards a movement that truly addresses the inequality in this country is alarming. Return to normalcy isn’t enough for struggling folks because normal only causes pain in this country. If he fails to measurably help folks crushed by medical and student loan debt, astronomical childcare costs and no guaranteed leave for parents, overpriced housing, terrible paying jobs with no benefits, climate change and devastation to our public lands, and the now crippled departments of our government... I worry about Trump part 2 in 2024. And we all know sequels are usually way worse.
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@Michael Biden is an actual democrat. If they would stop allowing fake Dems to run we wouldn’t have to worry about uniting the party all the time. We never had to deal with it prior to Bernie.
5
@Michael The news media doesn't help -- they proclaim him the winner but in Washington state it was Bernie Sanders who won, but a fraction but still, and it other states the vote was close also. Making Biden seem like a king isn't going to inspire him to embrace the need for change -- it will reinforce the idea all he has to do is come out of the White House and smile once in a while. That is IF he is elected, which I don't think will be the case.
1
@Michael please read your own comment. Ok, you realize that every problem you list will only get worse with rump. FDR said make me do the progressive things you want out of government. Lincoln waited to emancipate only after he saw the people support it. It’s our job to get Joe elected, then hold his feet (and Pelosi’s too) to the fire. I believe he will win and will turn out to be a great one term president, but only if we stay engaged.
5
I’ve only once had my primary candidate win the party nomination. It has never once occurred to me to stay home and pout. I’m a one issue voter no matter why - abortion rights because I’ve got a lot to lose. For anyone threatening to stay home you obviously don’t perceive that you personally have something to lose with four more years of trump. So think of someone you love who will suffer real loss and go vote the party ticket.
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@Dana The best thing Biden can do to unify the party: pick Elizabeth Warren as VP.
16
@Paolo You're right. It will inject some enthusiasm into Biden's campaign and will be a good indicator of whether the establishment is sincere about unifying the party or only wants to borrow the progressive vote for November.
10
@Dana A perfect comment. Think of someone you love who will suffer real loss.
An empathy lesson for the president now in office.
Paolo in reply writes what I have been writing for weeks - Elizabeth Warren for Vice President. But many sound replies elsewhere, we need her in the Senate.
Time for Biden to state what he wants in a Vice President to run with him.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
1
Bernie still has a sizable number of supporters who believe in him AND his proposals. Biden, absent of any real vision, has successfully played the bogus "decency" card but that alone will not be enough to gain the backing of many Sanders voters. That's just a fact. Biden can't just assume that with Trump as their common enemy they will all throng to the polls in unity, regardless of Bernie's exhortations to do so. Sanders' young supporters have many legitimate concerns, and unless Biden addresses them, their support is not a given, no matter how loathsome Trump is. Thus far, he hasn't done so, probably because it will cost his plutocrat backers a dime or two.
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@stan continople
Simply stated after having Trump in the White House I find nothing less bogus than the "decency" card. It's the point where change can happen. Don't underestimate the need for civil discourse.
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@FerCry'nTears
My point was that Biden has seized the "decency" mantle when any other of the Democratic candidates would have been as or more "decent". To think that only he could restore normalcy requires quite a bit of hubris.
5
@stan continople Well stated. The best thing Joe Biden can do for the people of this country is to be an agent for real change -- to atone for the mistakes in his past and do what he can for middle and lower class workers by pressing for economic justice, not just restoring the tax cuts Trump got done but making the code more fair in that corporations pay. For starters. He can re-visit that horrible bankruptcy reform, he can be pro-public school, un-privatize student loan program, and press to let anyone get Medicare if they choose. For starters. He also needs to apologize for letting his family benefit from their ties to him. But all we hear is vague ramblings about decency. Yea, Joe Biden is a real decent guy.
5
Though Sanders always touted the new wave of voters that had joined him, the math of the Democratic primary was clear early on. It was simple arithmetic. Add up the votes for the moderate candidates and it greatly exceeded Sanders, even adding in Warren. When the other moderates did the right thing and dropped out, Biden got the additions, and the apparent dominance of Sanders evaporated. Why is anyone surprised? Sanders should drop out ASAP, and work with both Biden, to move him a tad more progressively, and with Sanders’s own supporters, to make them do the right thing and defeat Trump. They helped give us Trump once. Hopefully they learned their lesson.
104
Young people don’t vote in primaries. I am an educated 39-year-old male living in New York City. I have no idea how I would vote in a primary. You better believe that I would come out and vote for Bernie in the general election though. Will I come out and vote for Biden? Not a chance. 
@Truth If you don't know how to vote in a primary, you might not be as educated as you think. I'm 40 and I've been voting in primaries since I was 24. All it takes is desire and a Google search.
1
Once Biden wins the nomination, he should win Sen. Warren as vice president nominee, thus uniting the party.
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@Jorg Schumacher Theoretically a great idea. Reality says he should go with Buttigieg or Klobuchar. A completely East Coast ticket with the Vice President from a State that will never vote for Trump does not add up on the Electoral College.
19
@alan In the past picking the VP on the basis of their hoke state was a good idea, but nowadays the VP choice seems to make very little difference in their home states (per. Nate Silver). There's too much partisanship.
The Dems would be better picking someone who would excite the base and, in this year, a female VP appears a must.
Kamala Harris is the safe play. Stacy Abrams a bit edgier but would be a good candidate. Klobuchar is too far right - that part of the Dem coalition is covered by Biden already. Warren, unfortunately cannot be spared from the Senate. The Senate, if the Dems can flip it, will still be on a knife-edge and if Biden wins, Warren's replacement would be named by the GOP Governor of Massachusetts.
22
Now is a defining moment for Sanders. Will he be remembered for selfishly continuing a futile campaign, thereby dividing the base, harming Biden and helping Trump or will he step aside, fully and graciously embrace Biden and implore his supporters to join the fight to defeat trump?
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@BMD you know two weeks ago Joe was dead in the water.Why should Sanders get out now when he still has a shot? I think he stays in at least one more week.
5
@BMD There are many states left to vote. I want to have a say, so no way should Sanders quite. Why disenfranchise so many voters at this point. We haven't even seen the two debate.
4
@eug it’s called arithmetic! Right now, I have the same chance of being the nominee as Bernie.
5
I looks like the fix is in, again. I voted twice for President Obama (the second time holding my nose, after the hope and change talk and action seemed to vanish).
In 2016, when the fix was in against non-profit universal healthcare, I voted a straight Green ticket. It seems in 2020, I am forced to do so again.
No arguments will prevail against this decision. Wall Street/Warmonger Democrats wanted "electability" - it's just that the "electability" they are getting is Trump's "electability". Great going again, greedy Boomers. Now we will end up with a 7-person majority conservative Supreme Court. Happy? Probably so.
9
@Observer For someone voting for health care, letting Trump win means he'll take it away from more people. Ditto for "caring" about a conservative court. But I'm sure you will deny any responsibility for helping to re-elect Trump.
As a progressive, am I thrilled about Biden? No, but the people have spoken and I'd vote for my neighbors dog to get Trump out.
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@Observer
So you will be voting green, that is to say, for trump. I hope you are happy making your own small contribution to the march towards demagoguery.
10
@Observer I'm a boomer but Sanders is my choice, in 2016 and now. I feel your frustration with this back dealing to prop up a bad candidate -- in the name of beating Trump, so they say. But your anger is misplaced. It is the African American vote that got Biden his big win in South Carolina -- and it blew my mind because Biden has hardly been a big friend to minorities. Look at his record. It is hard to understand why any group would vote against its own best interests.
1