CONCESSION SPEECH? Give me a break!
- In the days leading up to the Super Tuesday primary contests, MSNBC, the NYT, the Washington Post and CNN generated a non-stop media blitz of coverage favorable to Biden and unfavorable to Sanders.
- We saw the same in the lead up to yesterday’s primary elections.
- It is a massive unreported campaign contribution to the Biden campaign.
- So much for free and fair elections.
3
Is it possible for the NYT to not so obviously slant everything toward the corporately influenced DNC?
3
I'm looking forward to the next debate. I'm looking forward to seeing Sanders and Biden toe to toe.
Watching Biden's speech this afternoon simply supports my suspicion about his declining faculties. Sanders was and continues to be forceful and coherent.
This country has a long list of challenges ahead, maybe we could come together as a country and support someone that still fires on all cylinders. I know, a girl can dream.
2
No he did not.
Your coverage disgusts me. I feel nausea each time I read anything about Bernie.
5
Three steps to a progressive future. Replace Trump. Take the Senate. Keep the House.
Step 4 is everything we do afterward.
I am not a fan of Joe Biden's politics. I supported Warren. But Trump's disastrous mishandling of COVID19 makes clear that removing him has to take precedence over everything else. He is too dangerous to be in office.
I'm over 70 and my wife soon will be and so I see him as my personal enemy. I guess I'm like Yossarian in Catch 22, who was convinced the Germans were trying to kill *him* when they shot at his plane. The idiot in the White House is going to get *us* killed.
Democrats haven't rejected universal medical care or decided that fracking is a great idea or that the climate crisis is nothing to worry about. And Bernie has a great opportunity to push for a commitment by Biden to work toward universal medical coverage and vigorous action to promote clean energy.
But first, second, and third of all, we need to unite behind a candidate who can win. If that was Elizabeth Warren's golden retriever, I'd be all in for Bailey. Right now, it looks like it's Joe Biden.
12
Why should the Vice President have to change his program to attract the Sanders' supporters whom even the Senator couldn't turn out in sufficient numbers? It's a pointless task to try to burden the Biden campaign with the talking points of Senator Sanders' radical liberal positions when they have been clearly rejected by the Democratic primary voters. That can only hurt Vice President Biden in the general election. Senator Sanders should stop his campaign today, and just get out of the way.
Sanders is still running... And Biden is just one big blunder, 5 seconds of spacing out on tv, from losing the nomination. That can happen this next Sunday.
3
“What the courting looks like, what will actually satisfy large chunks of his movement, is a mystery."
No it's not, it's very simple. Sanders supporters want real change, not marginal progress, and they want someone who genuinely cares for everyday people. But of course this would be a mystery to Clinton's campaign, considering they thought it was a good idea to not campaign in crucial states and they don't see anything wrong with the fact that Clinton called half the country deplorables.
3
The Democratic Party needs to find a tactful way to cancel the coming debate. The 'bros will cry foul, but they're going to do that in any case.
All potential down side for Biden, no potential up side. Time to no-platform Sanders, and that goes for you, too, NYT.
1
I think you are getting ahead of yourselves. I am frequently in WI, and there are Trump voters I know who are switching to Sanders. They will never vote for an "establishment" type like Biden. I spoke with a relative in NY today, that is going to vote for Trump again. My relative thinks that Trump cares about them more than the Democrats! I think trump is horrible. I think it's way past time for the Democratic party to analyze why they have such a poor image. Nobody thinks they represent regular people anymore. I truly believe that if Bernie is not our candidate, Trump will win WI. I will vote blue, but I know of a lot of people, who will just be voting for Trump again. An article, published yesterday, I think explains it well. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/sanders-biden-democrat-establishment/?fbclid=IwAR147nisOTnyABLIg-SIovmpB8XD47nUiwBsYmfzJtaUWbLPpyP26lpLEKo
1
Biden is not going to win with a campaign based on "decency."
But you knew that; he seems rather DNC's sacrificial lamb on the altar of Trump as was Adlai Stevenson to Eisenhower 1952/56.
Pity that the United States of America will be offered only these two aging lumps as their options for President 2020.
Relax, Bernie Haters....Bernie simply wants a collegial debate about the issues....he is not tearing Joe Biden down, but rather giving Biden a public debate opportunity to broaden his voter outreach by acknowledging the progressive wing of the Democratic party.
Stop acting like Bernie's mild-mannered behavior is nuclear war.
Bernie can withdraw when the time is right with a public act of Biden-Bernie reconciliation at the debate and the Democratic unity campaign can begin in earnest.
It's March.
The election is in November.
Calm down.
10
A lot of Sander's supporters will not vote for Biden period. I've seen multiple people say Sander's ideas are good, but it's not the right time. When is the right time then? You'll never see the moderates of the establishment say "okay, now is the right time for big progressive changes".
And you would be a fool to count out Bernie. There's a reason Clyburn was calling for no more debates. Biden has only managed to lose support after every debate. Unless Biden pulls out a stunning debate performance (which has never happened in his entire career), voters are going to have to grapple with the fact that Biden is seriously flawed as a candidate and Trump is already exploiting that weakness.
3
I don't find Biden's policies particularly appealing, but I am gratified that Bernie is finally seeing the the light.
The Trump situation is urgent, and it's essential that he be, as they say, "repealed and replaced" before more damage is done (or before his administration becomes effectively dynastic). Bernie knows that he's not the one to do this.
He's a unique phenomenon, and has a political philosophy that would probably be more in tune with the culture of 1935 (or possibly 2035, although I doubt it). When all is said and done, politics really is the art of the possible.
1
Living in a social democracy gives an American a different perspective and cuts through the exceptionalism. Sanders appears to be winning the expat primary in a landslide.
3
So Sanders (almost) admits he can't win but says he wants the debate to expose differences between himself and Biden. Apparently he is willing to risk undercutting our candidate on his way out the door just to get the last word. Why, Bernie, why? You can still challenge his ideas after the election is over. All the respect I once had for you is out the door forever with this move.
2
Yes, we've way too much Freedom of Speech here in USA; best end right now that threat to the Elite Establishment.
Kudos to Dana Milbank for calling Sanders out on his spoiler campaign.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/11/bernie-sanders-spoiler-campaign-begins/
1
"Though Mr. Sanders officially endorsed Mrs. Clinton in 2016 and rallied for her, her aides generally viewed the endorsement as somewhere between dutiful and inadequate — especially when weighed against the months of negative attacks from Mr. Sanders and his supporters depicting her as a corporate tool-"
1) Re the embittered Clinton clan's view of Sanders' support for her - no good act goes unspurned, as they say: the truth is he worked his tail off for her, w/far more labor and appearances than she ever put in for Obama after she lost the 2008 nomination:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/bernie-sanderss-hard-fight-for-hillary-clinton
Time for that camp to finally face the political and personal weaknesses of its candidate vs blaming others.
2) Re "attacks depicting her as a corporate tool": a major dysfunction of both parties - and reason for voter distrust of establishment politics - is the undeniable influence of big money; and Clinton's banker speaking fees - in a system where Obama was seen as bailing out banks - and super PAC big money donations made her complicit in that system, and her complicity a legitimate target.
2
@Jackson
When Sanders used GOP smears and talking points against a decent public servant, he lost credibility. He revealed the enormous ego of an unproductive Senator from a small State. He still exhibits that ego. Finally, where is his wife who forced a struggling VT university to buy worthless beachfront in which she had a financial interest? Mrs. Bernie sat on the Board and forced the purchase. The university went bankrupt.
What did Bernie do with all the donations sent to him? He directed them to those down ballot who agreed with him. Hillary Clinton directed her donations to all down ballot Democratic candidates.
I agree with much of what he proposes; however he has made few friends in Congress, so his influence is marginal. His legislative record is piggybacking on legislation authored by others; he was known as the 'amendment king'.
The kids he unleashed on the Democratic Party Convention created chaos. They registered as Democrats just before the deadline to register. As a life long Democrat, I was appalled at Sanders' cynical use of that chaos.
Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Schumer will do their best to move good policies forward. Sanders needs to join with Biden. If he is still gathering donations he needs to help all down ballot Democratic candidates.
It's theory versus application.
Biden will require training wheels.
1
Bernie: don’t go away mad - just go away.
You lost.
2
Brilliant.
Once again in this election year, as in nearly every election year that I can recall since I first cast a vote in 1969, with the one exception of 1972 when I proudly voted (with about five other people) for George McGovern and an end to the Vietnam War and the Nixon presidency, I will be forced to vote for a so-called Democrat whose politics of compromise and expediency will do nothing for people who, like myself, belong to the "working class."
Over the years I have watched one "pragmatic" liberal (is there any other kind?) after another lead the country deeper into the hands of the corporate elite, watched as my earnings have stagnated, my health care--now costing me nearly 20% of my annual salary--deteriorated, as my Veterans benefits come under attack from both "left" and "right," watched as my daughter has struggled to repay absurd college debts and spent years looking for a job commensurate with her education--watched all of this happen while Carter and Clinton and Obama joined ranks with Reagan and the Bush twins in outsourcing American jobs, cutting social services, filled prisons with African-American men, and monetized every sector of our society.
Now that Senator Sanders if apparently out of the running, the moderates can be gracious in discussing him; when there was a threat that he might be the nominee, the gloves were off in a way that was, frankly, shocking.
So it's Joe Biden--and business as usual.
21
@G. O. It's not over yet. Sanders won California. And Iowa has not re-apportioned its pledged delegates from the dropouts.
He's actually not that far behind. Obama was farther behind at this point.
1
You nailed it
1
@G. O.
Brilliant comment. Thank you.
I don't understand why nobody is talking about the huge discrepancies between exit polls and voter results in several Super Tuesday states. They want it to go away, which is how they feel about Bernie Sanders. There are recounts happening, but not as many as needed and every major network calls each new primary for Biden as soon as 10% of precincts report, which, depending on your psychology, could cause you to decide not to vote or motivate you to go stand in line. Probably the former.
2
@Max
I agree it should be looked at, but none of the networks are allowed to show any % of the vote until after polling has closed.
1
@Max
Please provide some sources for the 'huge discrepancies' you are talking about.
1
Thanks to Bernie if he is deescalating the rhetoric and using his influence to move Biden towards more progressive positions rather than all-out fighting him. The fight at this point doesn't help anyone but Trump. The ultimate goal has to be to defeat Trump.
2
"Mr. Fallon did have a few ideas [about how to build a united front between Sander- and Biden-camps]: namely, some policy drift toward Mr. Sanders’s platform on climate or health care issues from the Biden camp if Mr. Sanders leaves the race."
"Policy drift"? I...don't...think so. Biden wants a "unity" ticket that gets the Sanders camp on board? Try binding compromise by Biden in the form of platform policy planks and pre-agreed-on high level cabinet appointments to implement them.
2
Bernie just gave Biden the questions before the test. He's giving Biden the space to commit to a progressive agenda so he can leave gracefully. I believe Biden will make the commitment, so we can move on to dealing with the existential threat to democracy squatting in the White House.
2
@Carol Young
Is he giving Biden the answers, too?
Senator Sanders suggests a number of important questions for the Democratic nominee, without regard for whom that might be. Deciding not to poison the election should it become clear he won't be that person may be his single most important achievement as a political leader. I would say the same thing to Vice President Biden if the situation changes. The last two weeks should have shown even the most diehard traditional Republican that the trump family and crew of sycophants comprise the greatest danger to the Republic in its history.
1
Bernie should finish the debate and get in his points. We already know what his points are, but Biden needs debate practice. After the debate, Bernie should withdraw and the party needs to work on getting the senate turned over. After this virus, it is going to be clear how ill prepared the American medical system is to handle an emergency and will likely give the American public the stomach to overhaul the private system, with a system more aligned with other first world countries. And if hard core Bernie supporters keep on arguing for Bernie, you will elect Trump. We now have our candidate, let's get behind him. Mayor Pete, Cory Booker, Klobuchar etc. all did the right thing, Bernie needs to do the same. And every Republican congressman has blood on his hands because they didn't vote this buffoon out during impeachment. And by the way, the Republican strategy of destroying Biden and his family during Trump's impeachment, was an utter failure. This administration's utter incompetence is on display every single day.
1
He has Warren to thank.
Had she joined ranks instead of running on Super Tuesday, they would be the winning ticket right now.
But she was selfish and stayed on the race, just to drop out 2 days later.
Bye bye progressive movement.
Next battlefield will be Congress, where centrists Democrats and GOP contenders will run roughshod over the corpses of the AOC people that got voted in on 2018.
The Progressive Movement turned out to be a wall shadow only. The Democrats and the GOP have taken notice. Time to oust the AOC people, just like the Tea Party was shredded by the GOP.
1
Sanders’s campaign is not about himself. It’s about life and death. As we face this pandemic, we see one of the most compelling reasons for universal healthcare. Thirty million people are uninsured and most have no paid sick leave, which sets us up for a real disaster. There is also the fact that thirty thousand die each year. That is the cost of protecting the profits of the insurance companies. This is not acceptable.
Then there is climate change. Sanders has been the most vocal proponent of the Green New Deal, and will fight for our survival on this planet.
As for unity, I don’t understand how the Democrats can expect, and often demand, that we Sanders supporters “vote blue no matter who”, despite the vicious attacks on us by the center-right. We’ve been called “digital brown shirts” and compared to Nazis invading France, and bullied on social media, and now we’re expected to forget all that even as the attacks continue.
I will vote for Biden in order get rid of Trump, so will most of us, but Biden cannot beat Trump. And if he doesn’t, they will certainly blame us, rather than themselves. They have heard the voices of the vulnerable, poor, the workers who labor for starvation wages, and they’ve told us to shut up and vote for them.
3
@Beth Moore
If you work hard for Biden, knock on doors, talk to your family and friends, you can make a difference in the final Electoral College votes needed in key States. Biden certainly can beat the dishonest, preening grifter in the WH.
Surely the lack of testing kits due to not purchasing when available, and the lack of funding for the CDC and the NIHS are responsible for where we are now. That can change; do what you can to work for Biden's election.
Joe Biden has been all but crowned by the Powers That Be, and many Americans perceive him as the man to beat Trump. This is a highly risky assumption.
Nearing eighty, I've been a student of U.S. politics since watching the McCarthy hearings as a young child. I predicted that an "outsider" (Trump or Sanders) would win in 2016 and that Trump would not win this year. The only way I see that happening now is a. Sanders gets the nomination or b. Biden chooses someone like Warren or Stacey Abrams as his v.p. pick.
4
@EB
I am over 80; Sanders cannot win a national election, because Trump is a gutter fighter; he will use a "Socialist" tag to attack Sanders. Warren needs to stay in the Senate. Sally Yates needs to be appointed to Biden's Cabinet. Stacey Abrams might help the ticket.
1
There exists a specific segment of Sanders' supporters that are not persuadable. It is a minority, however a vocal (and often vitriolic) one. Most of these, as brought out in Edsall's excellent op-ed yesterday, actually have conservative leanings, or at least personality traits that identify with conservatives. They are attracted to Bernie's anger, his revolutionary talk, his burn it all down, us against them attitude and little else. Solutions don't really matter to them. Most have personalities similar to Trump voters, and indeed many voted for Trump or at least sat out the general election in 2016. No effort should really be made to persuade this group.
As for the progressives themselves, they ARE persuadable. They are also generally highly intelligent and critical thinkers, and do have the right ideas about what is needed for a successful USA in the 21st century. Yes, they will demand a lot of Biden, but they certainly understand what is stake. Biden should work to embrace this segment.
4
I suppose it's up to Bernie when to bail, maybe after next Tuesday when the delegate math for him is not just unfavorable, but impossible.
The issue is what will HE do to bring his supporters to the polls, not what will Joe Biden do.
Four years ago, his ego was Ralph Nader size and arguably helped cost Clinton the election. It wasn't the major factor-Russia, Comey, and negative likeability all were larger factors.
But his core of college age supporters essentially sat it out with no impetus from him to participate. Yes, the deck was stacked against him with 700 superdelegates in Clinton's pocket and he was bitter about that. So he did virtually nothing to support her candidacy.
Did Bernie go the Big 5 schools in Philly to get out the vote? No.
Did Bernie go to Ann Arbor, East Lansing and Eastern, Central and Western Michigan to get out the vote? No
Did Bernie go to Madison and Milwaukee to get out the vote? No.
Would 75,000-100,000 Bernie supporters in those states have made a difference? Almost certainly.
The deck wasn't stacked against him in 2020. The voters were. If his rhetoric about the exigent need to get rid of Trump is sincere, he should get on board sooner than later and bring his supporters with him.
4
@Harold, I think it's about both what Sanders does AND what Biden does. To pretend Biden has no responsibility to sell himself to voters just plays into one of the biggest criticisms Sanders and his supporters have of the Democratic Party and the DNC. If Biden does nothing and gives the impression that he thinks he is automatically entitled to the votes of Sanders' supporters, he will certainly lose.
To be clear, I do not mean that as a threat. I am a staunch Bernie supporter, but I absolutely plan to vote for Biden in the general. But this is reality and no adult, especially no American adult who values their individual freedom and right to vote, likes being told what they have to do. Biden better recognize that for the sake of us all.
1
@Harold
"Four years ago...[Sanders]did virtually nothing to support [Clinton's] candidacy."
Only in the World According to the Terminally Embittered Clinton Acolyte. In reality:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/bernie-sanderss-hard-fight-for-hillary-clinton
4
@Harold
Did Hillary go to any of those places?
Why do we contiually not hold her responsible for the outcome of the election?
Was it not HER responsibility to win over voters that didn't support her in the primary?
5
we have one more chance to have the country run by one of the great political figures of our time... (I think he could put through more than Obama). if Obama can lead to Trump, who will Biden (if he wins) protect us from?
why has Trump so easily dismantled so much, how is it that US democracy is so weak? why is the US so 3rd world in many places?
if Sanders tackled environmental issues we would have less health problems & disabilities (eg Flint, Michigan); if he tackled poverty, we would have less need of the DHHS supporting so many lives. if he tackled criminal justice we would have less horror stories from the prisons...and that is not to mention education which would raise so many lives and restore so many others.
Cornel West is right - all across the country Sanders has been let down by those voting 'safe'.
DNC meddling before Super Tuesday is worse for us than foreign government meddling .
6
@julia
Has Cornell West ignored the African American women who carried Biden to a win? I am am older white voter; I don't need another talking head pundit to direct my vote. I will gladly vote for a decent man, Biden. When Biden lost his wife and child, he continued to work in the Senate, commuting from Delaware to D.C. every day so he would be home to put Beau to bed. When he lost his beloved Beau, he showed dignity in his grief.
Biden is a good man who will have the loved Obama working hard for him, because Biden and Jill opened their home to Obama and Michelle when it mattered.
The Biden nomination seems already to be a done deal. And it seems like Sanders will be proving himself as a true statesman. Though it must be heartbreaking for him to lose the democratic candidacy, he does understand the threat of Trump, and he is making moves to put country before ego.
I'm glad he will have his debate/discussion with Biden to promote his policy positions. I'm glad he let Biden know this ahead of time, so this is not a "gotcha" but questions Biden can prepare ahead of time, put in some deep thinking about how to value and include the progressive left in his own platform. The miracle would be Sanders announcing at the end of the debate that he is suspending his campaign and endorsing Biden.
Biden is a smart, kind, and thoughtful man. People take some of his verbal mistakes and hesitations as a sign of slowness or being befuddled. We should all be aware that Biden has been managing a stutter all his life and appreciate his incredible strength in spite of this handicap.
With so many of the (excellent) former candidates vigorously supporting Biden, and with major democratic pushes in states where we could pick up senate seats, there is a great chance that we will not only stop the madness of our current regime but also give statesmen like Sanders and Warren a chance to further their policies in the senate--finally.
3
@Valerie L.
Warren has not proved she is a statesperson.
This was NOT a consession speech. Sanders is, inspite of libelously bad media, a realist. Unless slippery Joe bails out of a scheduled debate, Sanders intends to clarify what is at stake and what "electable" really means as well as what polls and exit polls consistently show voters care about and support. The fact is that we do not have 4 or 8 more yeats to put vital issues like climate or universal healthcare coverage off. Sanders is quitting and we cannot afford to.
6
As I read Bernie's proposed aggressive questioning of Joe at the forthcoming debate, I was struck that Bernie was displaying one of his weaknesses--an ignorance of procedure. The debate will not be in front of an audience ready to cheer his aggression, and the questions will come from those selected by the moderators from submissions from viewers, not from the candidates on stage. Goals are one thing, but ways to get there are something entirely different. Bernie's weakness is a seeming inability to understand that difference, and it is fatal for somebody who wants to be president. We saw this point last night when Mr. Indecency incoherently and incompetently announced absurd measures to fight a real global problem. We can't afford another four years of either Mr. Indecency's policies or his procedures.
3
This is a message for Bernie Sanders, his campaign, and his supporters.
You lost.
Concede defeat and support the Democratic candidate.
Vote in 2020 so,we don’t have a repeat of 2016.
5
The biggest mistake the Democrats made was doing everything they can to attack Sanders. Bernie was our only hope. The last thing we need right now is to be 'moderate' on climate change and healthcare reform. Biden will lose just like Hillary lost.
6
@Mike
Bernie made no friends in the Senate; he does not have the chops to go against McConnell. If Biden gets a big win, McConnell will have to take notice.
Exit Wounds: Just like 2016, Sanders can’t bear to think of himself as other than the Man of the Hour. And he can’t leave the stage without attacking his more successful competitor. He will take a great deal of personal pleasure in digging and gouging at whatever weaknesses he can find or manufacture in Joe Biden. Is Biden an exciting, “cool” guy who appeals to our youth? Those kids who grew up getting “participation awards” so they wouldn’t ever feel bad up losing or not getting picked until the end in schoolyard games? Shocking to learn the harsh realities of the world they encounter as adults. That cranky Santa Claus figure they’ve been counting on will be sidelined, and they’ll be faced with winning and losing like everyone else, and learning the hard way that there is nothing new under the sun.
4
Within this article a few things presented that disturb me.
Foremost among them is the reality that even though Sen. Sanders is in a fashion acknowledging his eventual departure, that his surrogates such as the former elected official from Ohio was making statements to indicate the opposite and Rep. Tahlib, saying "We're just getting started".
They need to understand their impact on people who don't respond to the nuances of Poli-Speak. As unfair as it is to compare Sanders to a demagogue (he's not), his enormous popularity with his base creates a fantasy like version of a future that will either be a wonderful fulfillment of promised then delivered dreams or one of being robbed of those dreams by evil forces.
Heck, look what a few words or wrong, not well thought out ideas has done to Wall Street or other economic interests due to the Corona Virus.
3
Bernie was right to scorn Hillary in 2016. She had a dishonest advantage and stole the nomination from him. This time, with her mercifully gone, the race has been fair. We are all terrified of a fluke coronation of trump and do not trust that he will leave when he loses.
3
@Caryn
Clinton did not 'steal' the nomination from a declared 'Independent' from VT. Clinton was a First Lady, a NY State Senator and former Secty. of State. She beat Trump by 3M popular votes. She ignored Bill Clinton's advice and did not campaign in PA, MI and WI; that cost her 77,000 EC votes. She had served her Party for 26 yrs.
If Clinton were President, we would not have a de-funded CDC; we would not be lacking testing kits, or the ability to manufacture our own. We would not be fed lies from the President, VP, and a worthless Cabinet. Dr. Fauci would have been in charge from day one. The wonky Clinton would have been working hard, not preening in front of cameras wearing a silly hat.
Bernie supporters have not the common sense to save their own behind.
3
Who and what is an ' institutionalist moderate' ?
Neither Bernie Sanders nor Joe Biden can be confused with the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, John Brown, Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan.
1
@Blackmamba correct, they cannot be compared with the men on your list. All of whom are DEAD.
2
What I would like to see from Joe Biden, now that achieving his his lifelong dream is within reach, is the same openness towards his major Democratic rivals (Warren and Sanders) as he has been expressing towards Republicans, who have given rise to the chaotic and dangerous condition known as the Trump presidency.
Any chance of bipartisanship was effectively killed by those representing the other side long ago. There is nothing I can think of in recent history that has come from Republicans that wasn’t a benefit to the rich business class. If Democrats regain control, they will need to remember who gave it to them.
1
This ain't Bush vs. Dukakis. 2016 proved that voters reject the status quo. Sanders is wise to pull Mr. Biden to the side of change, for the sake of us all.
2
Implicit in Mr. Sanders remarks is the fact that his scorched- earth-bitter-to-the-end campaign against Hillary likely was responsible for giving us Trump which ultimately gave us an extremely conservative Supreme Court; a trillion dollars in debt to give the rich and super-rich a tax cut; and countless policies that have undermined our environment, voting rights, human rights, and basic science.
It is one thing to fight for your ideals but quite another to burn down the house in pursuit of those ideals. Of course I don't hold Sanders responsible for the kind of person Trump is or the Republican Party has become, but I do hold him responsible for not having the good sense to know when he is doing more harm then good and not learning from his mistakes.
3
@zb
I can't think of a single losing candidate in history that blamed a primary opponent for their eventual loss, other than Hilary Clinton.
1
The Sanders campaign has never been about him. It has always been about vital issues and addressing them in ways the vast majority support. Bringing them to the fore, rather than the self-defeating "horse race" primaries is what he hopes to do. Unless we seriously address theses issues --
We are the walking dead
tomorrow's forgotten
Fossils not yet calcified
the earth warming
beneath our feet
as we hunt for bargains
and argue partisan politics
Denial and recalcitrance purchased
at the ultimate price
extinction nearing daily
incessant as the rise
of dying acidic seas
of virulent disease
our legacy written
in refuse --
Arrogance Avarice Myopia
4
@Al M beautifully and poetically said- “We, not Me.”
2
Fighting to the bitter end is no longer an option.
"Pressing" Biden for answers? The horse has left the barn.
Bernie is to be thanked for pushing the necessity of healthcare for everyone to the forefront of national consciousness. His relentless focus on the topic may ultimately be the thing that gets Biden elected, especially after Trump's ideological death march to overturn the ACA and strip tens of millions of their insurance.
We owe Bernie a huge debt for focusing us on this most important of all the failings of our government. The Clinton administration tried to solve this and failed back in 1993. Lives were lost and people ruined as a result. Thanks to Bernie for adamantly hectoring us about this failure of our government.
We owe you, Bernie. No question.
Please drop out of the race now and focus on healthcare policy for the coming election. There's a world of good you can do between now and November trying to get Joe Biden elected.
We thank you now.
We'll thank you again in November for your help in removing Trump from office.
8
If history is any guide its unlikely that Sen. Sander’s candidacy will have a near term impact on promoting major policy changes. Our system gives the reform power to elected Presidents and Congressmen. And even if Sen. Sanders were elected President its highly unlikely our Congress would follow his lead and implement his major proposals. Taken together they would constitute a “FDR like revolution” that was implemented during the Great Depression.
The Sanders candidacy has focused attention on the growing divide between the needs of Americans living much longer lives in reasonably good health/prosperity and the demands of much younger Americans seeking a broad based social “safety net” affording similar protections to those granted older Americans. Best we can judge the transfer of resources from the older generations of Americans to the younger generations will remain a continuing challenge. And with the “aging of America” the younger generation demands are unlikely to be met anytime soon. So Sanders quest may go down as a “man ahead of his time”.
2
The phrase that I keep hearing, that the Democratic Party needs to be unified, is one that I hope is reflected upon and refurbished. We do need to organize ourselves and together, vote for the Democratic nominee. But the language of unity would likely be hollow and demoralizing. Better that Biden and the party recognize the strong contribution of Sanders supporters and creatively talk about how Democrats and the rest of the country will be sorting out a path for the future grounded in care human life, robust economy and les# economic disparity and the contributions of science as we face climate change. Finding language that asserts the importance of continued conversation among all who support basic Democratic ideals is essential...and there are models of group conversation that can be used, likely after the election.
3
Biden MUST publicly extend a series of olive branches to progressive voters if he expects to be elected in November.
There are only a handful of people excited to vote for Joe Biden's, although obviously any real Democrat will vote Biden in November.
The way for Biden to expand his voter base and appeal is to embrace some of the ideas that Sanders and Warren have proposed.
There's absolutely no need for Bernie to 'drop out' in March when serious public policy debates are exactly what America needs to discuss how far America has fallen under radical, right wing Randian Republican policy the last few decades.
Another Democratic debate or two between Sanders doesn't have to be acrimonious or negative; it can be constructive and enlightening and help raise the nation's IQ about America's sorry state of affairs.
Bernie knows the race is over, but he still thinks that America deserves some honest debates; that's a public service.
It's March; there will be ample time for Democratic reconciliation and unification.
There's nothing wrong with having Biden Feel The Bern.
It will only make the Biden candidacy and platform stronger.
69
@Socrates
"Biden MUST publicly extend a series of olive branches to progressive voters if he expects to be elected in November."
Olive branches won't cut it, Soc - binding negotiation supported by advance-agreed high level cabinet appointments.
7
@Socrates I'm excited, but not in a good way. The situation has become critical. I'm more than ready to take Sleepy Joe over Stable Genius at this point. We've had all the Genius we can take.
This time the VP selection process will be uniquely important, for reasons that are self-evident. Anything even remotely Palinesque could be catastrophic. Instead of the usual figurehead, what is really needed is a two-for-one package. Hopefully the democratic machine will appreciate that.
2
@Lupito
Yes, there are many more Biden criticisms from me going back in time, but he's still 1000 times more acceptable than the man in the Oval Office high chair, as you'll realize on November 3 2020.
Bye-bye, Daycare Donnie.
2
Policy, smolishy. In 1968 I argued that there was no difference between Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey. A friend said "How about the Supreme Court?". And that 52 year old conversation ends any hesitation about Joe Biden for me.
15
The longer Sanders stays in the headlines the more money he brings in. Just like Trump.
4
There is no mystery how to get Bernie and his supporters on board: Biden needs to make a serious policy concession to his movement. Perhaps a commitment away from fracking and towards investments in renewables, or steps to increase the minimum wage as a first priority. The political left is based on ideas, and if the moderate wing of the party wants its support, it needs to embrace some of them.
It's called coalition politics.
9
When Sanders debated Clinton, he didn't expect to win; he just wanted to harass the Democratic nominee. That's what he's planning to do again, on Sunday.
We're back in Bernie's sweet spot - no need to compromise, because there's no risk of him being in charge.
I had hoped for something better from Bernie, but I realize now that he's given me no reason for that hope. He's not a leader, and not a unifier. All he wants to do is throw stones at the people who actually have to make the tough decisions
16
@Patrick
The only person he's throwing stones at is Trump....
1
The stock market is collapsing again. The Corvid-19 disease is upon us and for some insane reason we think going back to the same old same old is the proper thing to do. After this crash and we re inflate the balloon back up under the Neo Liberals the Republicans will come in and give the rich a huge gift before it all comes crashing down once again.
If Bernie was president we would rebuild this time by rebuilding the grid. Massive solar projects. We will endure another depression and come out of it with the rich even richer and the middle class totally broke.
This just maybe the end of this country.
6
Our country needs BERNIE. Biden has promised the corporations and billionaires that NOTHING WILL CHANGE. The mistake people make is viewing Trump as the problem. He is just a symptom of overweening corporate power and Biden is happy with that. He pretends this “little guy” personal but it’s a pose. Nothing will change for corporations or billionaires, if Biden is elected. We need change in this country. People can’t afford to stay home during a health crisis or even get tested. That is what corporatism has given us...profit focused health “care” where profits come first and the care is purely coincidental. Go BERNIE!
5
Sanders saying that he won the ideological debate sounds suspiciously similar to what Jeremy Corbyn said in the aftermath of Labour's thumping at the hands of Boris Johnson last year...
5
See, republicans? It's not necessary, nor dignified, for trump to respond to challenges the way he does. It's not necessary to vow revenge, hastily organize rallies to vent his spleen, nor make up petty, childish nicknames and insults in front of all America.
THIS is why I'm voting blue down the line. No matter the faults of every single presidential nominee in history, most have had a basic concept of public service. Basic sense of the 'ship of state'. trump does not do anything but profit trump. Big big difference.
If trump ever admitted an error, or even contemplated that he had a weakness, it would be that he's too great; too humble and too smart. A man incapable of thinking outside himself is not qualified to be president.
3
It is vital that Sanders did not concede at this point for the debate, provided it isn't sabotaged by the DNC, will show him, Democrats and the nation whether Biden is actually mentally capable of standing his ground in a debate with an honorable opponent. Obviously once he's nominated Trump will tear into him with every piece of smut he can muster and policy platforms aside I see Sanders as far more resilient to Trump's anti-political badmouthing and lying than "Ukraine Joe." If Biden falls apart in the coming debate or doesn't perform beyond mentally reading off notes, it will be political suicide for Democrats to nominate him.
4
Let's explore what a vote for Biden really means. For anyone who cares about working families, it does NOT mean a recognition of past accomplishments. Given his stance on healthcare and anything else, it does NOT mean an endorsement of policy proposals. What it means is that you are ready to support the desires of the DNC who hand-picked him for you and you are supposed to do that because the other guy is worse. Trump is horrible but I've been here before. Every single election.
5
It is indeed true that Sanders displayed "much more visceral disdain" for Clinton than he ever has for Biden. He also showed more disdain for Warren than for Biden. I have no doubt that sexism explains a great deal of that difference. And I believe that he did tell Warren that a woman couldn't win the election.
4
We have to come together now! There is no sense fighting over the arrangement of the chairs on the Titanic.
3
People keep calling Biden’s South Carolina win a miracle. I think we need to acknowledge that our polls, the ones where people are called, are inaccurate in these times. The only accurate polls are those that take place at the ballot box.
2
@Mary
I think the miracle was what came after. I think virtually all polls had him winning big in SC from the start.
@Mary in Seattle.....He’s. And calling it a “miracle” is incredibly dismissive (racist?) of South Carolinians, especially the large African American voters for Biden.
1
If Sanders loses the next round of primaries, and there is no chance of a delegate majority, staying in is downright selfish and egotistical.
Face facts Mr. Sanders, you aren't popular with a majority of Democrats, and that is why Biden is surging ahead. The other candidates are endorsing him because they want the party to coalesce around one person to beat Trump. Frankly, both of you are long past your sell-by date age-wise, but compared to Trump, a head of cabbage would make a better president.
2
Sanders, once again, clearly shows how incredibly egocentric he is. Last time he had to bow out of the race he sat in the audience with a pout on his face.
5
@Hortencia
and again with personal attacks at Sanders, as if there's a single person on the planet that would look at a Sanders vs. Trump ticket and think "Gee, that Sanders is just too egotistical for me".
1
people should look at Biden's proposals. They're not bad and probably have evolve because of Bernie. They are light years better than Trump.
https://joebiden.com/joes-vision/
2
Always a gentleman
1
Sanders needs to stay in the race, nicely, so Biden continues to get media attention. Take Sanders away, and Biden loses his foil and media attention. Democrats need to learn -- a big part of winning is managing the media. Trump learned that a long time ago -- the Times repeats every moronic thing he says.
DNC wrestlemania live!! After being pummeled and on the ropes early in the match, Biden has channeled his inner hulkster and is now tossing bernie around the ring like the local competitor that he is. All the other candidates cheap pops against Biden have the crowd roused. This is setting up an epic match, a real grand finale... the two leagues DNC and GOP have really outdone themselves this time!
Let Bernie have a discussion with Joe: civil, moderated and friendly. Then, Bernie should bow out and swing his supporters to Joe. Trump will be removed.
2
I've heard plenty, but can't see how Bernie expects to get his proposals enacted, especially without a significant change in the House and Senate. Since Bernie's supporters claim he's so "inspiring," I'd like to see him do more to get progressive House members elected and flip the Senate. Until then, arguing about policy proposals that stand no chance of success is a waste.
15
@No Thanks
It's called debate. The problem is starting with the mindset of "it can't be done" instead of "how do we do it".
When you have the majority, which really won't come down to the Presidential ticket nearly as much as the individual races (and they may indeed not be progressive at all) then you get to control what legislation is debated.
In reality, having "enough" support ahead of time just ensures partisan bills. You have to get support in real time.
And none of that is to suggest that Sanders would veto legislation that fell short of his goals. Certainly Obama ended up compromising on his platform to sign a bill that wasn't perfect.
1
@No Thanks
The office of president isn't the only one with access to the Bully Pulpit.
1
@No Thanks
That is precisely what his PAC OurRevolution does.
"Of the 106 candidates and 34 ballot initiatives Our Revolution supported, 58 candidates and 23 ballot initiatives won in 2016."
1
Personal integrity displayed by Sanders by openly discussing why his candidacy is done may encourage his supporters to vote for the Democratic candidate. If so, his authority going forward as a spokesperson for that constituency will gain him a permanent say in the party and the greater political discussion.
4
The Democrats' situation is both simple and difficult. The simple, obvious route for unity and the presumed excellent turnout unity will mean for the general election is for presumptive nominee Biden to reach agreements with Sanders, Warren, and other candidates about having them serve as cabinet members should he win the election: say Sanders in Treasury where he'll oversee tax reform proposals and Warren in HHS where she'll oversee health care proposals. The difficulties are the egos involved and the need for all to reach an understanding on where the cabinet members' autonomy ends and where the president's discretionary authority begins.
3
Maybe the Biden wing will add some substantial concessions to their platform, Sanders will urge his supporters to support Biden, and we can run the Trumpster out of town on a rail.
It sounds like that might be in the works. Of course Sanders will stick with it for awhile, just to make sure he gets enough real concessions.
This sounds like good news.
5
@mlbex
"Maybe the Biden wing will add some substantial concessions to their platform-"
Platforms are non-binding; only high level appointments to implement otherwise empty "concessions" could do.
1
@Jackson : You mean like Warren for Secretary of the Treasury, so she can round up financial miscreants? I'm all for it.
1
"Reaching for a kind of moral victory, Mr. Sanders insisted that his campaign had 'won the ideological debate,' but allowed that he had not persuaded most voters that he was the likeliest candidate to defeat President Trump."
To the extent that the Sanders movement shifted Democratic politics left, it has won "the ideological debate," and, thus, a kind of victory.
Healthcare is the most obvious example of this: the 2015-16 campaign put medicare for all squarely on the map; and 2020 primary exit polls revealed majorities supporting medicare for all over private insurance - meaning even among many voters who saw Biden as more electable.
As a practical political matter, this ideological victory means that the anti-M4A DNC must now compromise on what citizens rank their most important issue; alternatively, if the dominant right liberal bloc of the DNC remains inflexible, and refuses to democratically represent the will of its electorate better, they risk losing.
6
The pivot is the most delicate dance move in politics and persuasion. For Biden and Sanders - and Warren - to be credible to their own followers, and to one another's followers, will require authenticity to their perceived personnas and artful articulation of the issues on which each is pivoting. Biden can't embrace Medicare for all. Warren can't say, sure, political corruption is ok so long as Trump is defeated. Sanders can't say, well, a little economic inequality ain't so bad. Sanders and Warren must each honestly persuade their constituents of what is strategically necessary to win in a somewhat loger run. Biden must persuade everyone that he sincerely loves their principles as much as he loves everybody other than Trump.
10
@Reader J
"Biden must persuade everyone that he sincerely loves their principles as much as he loves everybody other than Trump."
That he "loves their principles"? That kind of patronizing nonsense is simply not gonna cut it.
Too large a faction of the electorate wants M4A and anti-corruption measures with teeth, not empty right liberal nods an 'we agree to disagree' baloney.
As in a parliamentary coalition government, serious concessions to the large progressive blocs - high cabinet appointments to support binding platform planks - alone can consolidate the electoral support needed for Biden to win.
2
Senator Sanders asks very pointed questions of VP Biden. Unfortunately, the senator has been unable to address those questions himself with any solid plans, other than vague "tax the billionaires" appeals.
Senator Sanders didn't convince me that he was best qualified to transform the energy system, make better health care and better education available to all, or alleviate massive student debt. And I don't know if VP Biden will be able, either, but I do believe he is better qualified.
27
@Know/Comment
Once upon a time, America chose to do things that were difficult, and to lead the world. Now we allow ourselves to be paralyze by the fear of failure. Why? Was the American Dream exactly that--a dream, and nothing more--all along?
The job of a politician is not to provide the American people with powerpoint presentations and elaborate plans. It is to set the narrative, and then to put the right people in the right positions to accomplish their goals.
@BB
Was a time when a politician could inspire us to reach for higher goals, and have plans in place to help us get there.
This is exactly how democracy should work. I applaud Bernie for what he has done to bring the vast inequities in our society to the fore.
Whether he was the one to lead from that was up to the voters, and it appears they decided he was not.
Frankly, I'm not sure Biden is either, but that's who we got. I hope with support from all of the outstanding candidates we had this cycle, we will win big in November, up and down the ballot, and get our country back. Although not the country it was or even is, but better. A more perfect union.
25
@Myasara I guess the question is what are you looking to be accomplished policy wise by a President?
If you want to change from a capitalist to socialist society, I suggest you apply for asylum to Venezuela or Cuba. I'm sure they'd be happy to have you/
If you're looking to disrupt the Estasblishment and the corrupt relationship between Washington and Wall Street, you're going to have to accept the fact that this can't happen overnight like Cuba or event through elections like Caracas.
You have a guy in the WH now who shares your passion to disrupt the Establishment and make government more accountable to the people instead of forcing the people to be slaves to the State.
You might not like him personally (I deplore him) , but he's getting results and the same Establishment that is hating on Trump the last 4 years is the same Establishment that just took your guy out...again.
If you're truly a Populist and not a Marxist..then it's pretty clear what you need to do if you truly want to change the system that delivers the change you're looking for.
And trust me on this..it ain't Biden.
The debate winner doesn't always win the election. We saw this in Kerry vs. GWB, Clinton vs. Trump, etc. If you think that Sanders is conceding, you'd be wrong. He will go against Biden with all he has got during the next debate. He knows that this is his last chance and essentially last run for the presidency.
I think Sanders has gotten too consumed by his own brand of ideology and the so-called "movement." If he really put country first, he would have actually conceded. A clear message was sent to him by the voters, but he is refusing to listen. He just can't help himself - he is a fighter and he will go all the way to the bitter end. Even if it means weakening the eventual Democratic candidate - just like he did in '16.
44
@jt Your first paragraph was great. Your second one not at all. Keep your criticism of an honest, energetic and passionate leader off the internet. It is mean spirited and just plain wrong.
4
@jt He's essentially an autocrat, just like Trump, except at the other end of the political spectrum. A populist with no record of actual achievement, except the renaming of two post offices in Vermont. We can reform, but essentially, it's the establishment that is in charge of getting things done.
We need corruption reform, much better healthcare without profits to the billionaires, many of the things he espouses. But these need to be made into laws, and he is incapable of leading that.
3
@jt
The message is far from clear, he's still winning contests and Biden hasn't secured enough votes to win yet.
I'm not being overly skeptical, and I assume Biden will eventually get over 50%, but there's little reason to call the game before halftime.
3
Oh dear. I just feel kind of sorry for Bernie now. He seems to be borderning on delusion. He has not "won the ideological debate." The last couple of weeks have shown quite clearly that his ideas have been roundly rejected as being completely inappropriate for the times we have found ourselves in.
In Joe Biden, we have a compassionate, conciliatory candidate who projects exactly what this nation now needs most. That Bernie would continue to stand in his way now, would refuse to cede the stage at the very moment when his concession would do the most good and help to unite the party as early as possible, is simply more proof of why we can't afford for Bernie Sanders to be President right now.
57
@Kristin Not so. Exit polls show most voters (including so-called moderates) support Medicare-for-all, Green New Deal, etc.
34
@Kristin He's right, Kristin. Exit polls in twenty states in a row show that a majority of voters prefer Medicare for All over private insurance. The numbers are well documented in a variety of sources.
Here's some more numbers for you: After the 2016 election an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 82% of Sanders supporters went on to vote for Clinton, which means that 10.6 million Clinton votes came from Sanders supporters. Without the votes of the Sanders supporters Trump would have been 7.6 million votes to the better. Clinton would not have won the popular vote. She would have lost--badly.
The Democrats enforced party unity in 2016 and they still lost. Seems to me you need to rethink your strategy.
16
Of course we do. We want a clear and practical idea of the costs and a workable, realistic timeline. It’s a huge economic ship to turn.
5
Sanders, as always, is doing exactly what I would want him to do. For America to lose the chance for him to be president is a great loss for the country and the world. But life must go on and thanks to the current occupant of the White House that is no longer a forgone conclusion. The highest priority is removing the current occupant and wiping out the trumpublican majority in the Senate. If next Tuesday doesn't turn things around for Sanders, then the only path forward is to coax Biden and company to commit to real decisive environmental action and to real health care reform, and work together to send all the current rascals in Washington packing.
8
Sanders supporters should throw their energies into electing Democratic Senators (especially) and Representatives. If Congress can pass progressive legislation, Biden would sign it. Without both branches, the agenda goes nowhere.
80
@Robert Bott
Given the way that the Democratic party has treated Sanders and his supporters, my belief is that Sanders supporters need to put their (limited) resources into forming a party that is willing to actually represent them.
11
@Robert Bott This is the most central, glaring, obvious, and ignored political fact this primary season.
Nobody's "plan" gets anywhere without congress. How so many people can just ignore that blows my mind.
4
@Robert Bott
This comment is spot-on, and no conversation, rally, stump speech or interview should be without a push for a democratic senate!
It should have been part-and-parcel of every former candidate's platform, and was not.
3
Bernie's supporters likely feel awful, and are going to feel even worse after the significant losses to come, especially after Florida.
Why would Sanders want to put them through that?
And it seems to me that staying in, and losing badly, will reduce his leverage with the Biden administration. Odd choice IMO.
27
@Cousy
"staying in, and losing badly, will reduce his leverage with the Biden administration."
1) Biden will have to debate Sanders - supporters want this.
2) Debate will force Biden to clarify his positions in advance of negotiations of a "unity" ticket.
3) Large minorities of supporters want Sanders in regardless of losing races. He represents a large faction and a large pov: even among Biden voters driven by electability, majorities support Sanders M4A. The more exit polls demo' this, the more authority Sanders has to demand binding policy compromise.
1
This is Sander’s point of peak leverage. After he gets trounced next week in the upcoming primaries his ability to claim that Americans support his policies over Biden’s will be all but laughable. No more huge rallies thanks to social distancing means Sanders main means of stoking enthusiasm has been extinguished.
Trump is looking more vulnerable every day because of the virus and an economy about to drop into recession. Soon Biden won’t need Sander’s support to win. He should come to the debate on Sunday with a realistic expectation of what he might get Biden to agree to, and for once in his political life be prepared to compromise. Biden wants to start the general election campaign as soon as possible. He is never more likely to seriously consider Sanders’ policies than he is right now.
13
The Democratic voters have been had. They have been fed the line "only Biden can win against Trump" and they seems to have swallowed it hook line and sinker. The well-organized well-connected and well-funded promoters of the Biden bandwagon are poised for a double victory; prevent a Sanders presidency and put forward the candidate least likely to beat Trump.
To make matters even worse, this organization has its roots in at least one foreign country.
15
@Greg Maybe you've been out of the country too long. The voters who resurrected Biden were African-Americans, suburbanites of all classes, and even some disaffected Republicans. Not Wall St. or an "establishment". And to peddle a conspiracy theory without naming the "foreign country" is too cute by half. The only campaigns being pushed by Russia and China are Trump, of course, and Sanders.
3
Bernie has a bigger war chest than anyone, and I voted for him, but not nearly enough others did. That had nothing to do with Biden.
2
@VaNhBlue
Biden was resurrected by Bloomberg, period.
Let's look at what countries and leaders would not want a Sanders presidency and/or would want to keep Trump in the White House:
Russia because they have Trump as a puppet to create havoc in the US anytime they want.
Israel because Sanders would radically change US foreign policy to align with international laws and human rights conventions, plus Trump has given the Israeli extremists everything they want.
Saudi Arabia because MBS is sheltered by the Trump Administration and because Sanders would block their access to US nuclear technology.
6
Whether or not Bernie gives robust support to a Joe Biden candidacy, he and his supporters on the Left will be blamed for Biden’s loss. Nothing is more clear than the usual toxic comments about Bernie from Clinton and her supporters. Along with Russia, Comey, and misogyny, they always are sure to mention Sanders when making excuses for her failure to beat Trump.
Th hatred and contempt that the Democratic establishment and their MSM allies have for Sanders and the Left has not been lost on Sanders’ supporters. They will feel far less need to vote for the establishment candidate this time around than they did in 2016.
The Democratic Party united to drive Sanders out. Much of the Left now realizes the party is not capable of reform. Biden and the Dem establishment have signed onto a suicide pact. The fallout and upheaval in American politics is just beginning
22
@Chris G Agreed. Refusing to listen to the next generation of Americans will only destroy your party.
6
@Chris G
I keep wondering why I describe myself as an Independent instead of a Democrat, when I generally support liberal positions 90% of the time.
Then I remember how they treated Sanders in 2016.
And how they still treat him now. How they seem to think he shouldn't even be allowed to run as a Democrat, but then expect independent voters to support them.
I'm not leaving any time soon, and we all know that the long game favors the young. Sanders may not be around to see it but we'll keep pushing the party and the country left. Maybe I'll eventually join the party when the finally come around.
5
There are very good reasons people under 50 have so heavily favored Sanders. We are the generations most damaged by the years of acceding to Republicans’ demands to rig the economy in favor of richest few. If Biden expects people to turn out anywhere near how they did for Obama, he needs to recognize that and make some efforts to act. “Return to normalcy” may end the worst moral outrages of the Trump years, but it doesn’t do anything at all for the fact that Gen Z, Millenials, and Gen X (in that order) are the poorest generations since WWII—a problem he helped set up for us.
19
@Ryan All the young people have to do is actually show up and vote, and the party will respond to them. After all, they are a very large demographic. If they continue voting in low numbers, however, they are not going to have leverage. Attending rallies and posting online are great things to do, but without also showing up to cast a ballot it won't translate into political muscle.
Then go out and vote. And get your friends to vote. Tell them to get their friends to vote. For Biden or Sanders, but vote.
Joe Biden will choose an ethical, moral experienced cabinet. Joe Biden will review the 300 plus bills passed by the house and sitting in the graveyard of McConnell’s office and build his policy around them and lobby and negotiate to pass them. The house has already done a lot of the hard work. Now we need a president and senate ready to take up the task. Republicans refuse to govern. If you want change you must vote them out.
42
@Deirdre Uh no. Have you seen the proposed cabinet as revealed by Axios? The opposite of ethical and moral. The same group of revolving corporatist that serve both Democratic and Republican administrations. "Nothing will fundamentally change."
1
@Deirdre
"Biden will choose an ethical, moral experienced cabinet."
Mm-hm - like Obama bank bailout "JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon," or Bank of America Vice Chairman Anne Finucane" for the Treasure Department, e.g.?
[https://www.businessinsider.com/who-joe-biden-will-appoint-to-top-cabinet-positions-axios-2020-3]
Is the DNC's establishment candidate TRYING to lose?
2
I listened to his speech. He sounded very presidential if I may say so.
20
This is now the political world we live in. When you lose you do not concede graciously and leave the scene. Instead you make out a list of demands you want your victorious opponent to concede to.
12
Excuse me? Bernie Sanders did not concede to Biden. He did not suspend his campaign. So your claim that he made a "concession speech" is patently false.
You should pull this article and start again. Bernie Sanders remains a candidate for president of the United States and he continues to fight for his policies and his values.
He did not concede anything!
21
We have made it through a disappointing primary campaign with somewhat disappointing debates, that appear to have had no substantive effect on voters. We have been told to settle for the lesser of two evils (a red scare if there ever was one). To which I say, McGovern, Humphrey, Carter, Kerry, Dukakis,...,
Eugene McCarthy, Frank Church, Jesse Jackson, Bobby Kennedy, ...
5
People will probably hate me for saying this, but if neither Sanders nor Biden had entered this race, we could be looking at Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris as the nominee, or Corey Booker or Mayor Pete.
Both men have serious flaws, but Bernie’s problem is that he thinks he alone has all the answers. Both Biden and Sanders are the last two standing because of name recognition. Neither man will save us from Trumpism. It’s going to take all of us.
Bernie, please put your ego aside. Biden, you, too.
4
The last time Bernie Sanders fought to the bitter end, he was part of the reason that Trump got elected. He'd better concede and start working on unifying the Democratic Party a lot sooner than he did for Hillary Clinton.
If Trump is re-elected, no Democratic idea - progressive or moderate - can become reality.
12
@Oriole No he was not part of the reason Trump won. That is all on Clinton. Sorry but her snide attitude and dismissal of a good portion of the country turned voters off. At least when Sanders lost he did not take his ball and bat and go home whining and crying. He supported her and stumped for her, he encouraged his supporters to vote for her time and time again. He didn't go on tour promoting a book on why he lost and refused to do anything to help guide the country in a better direction. He went back to work to try and make things good for us.
3
@Oriole
Try asking a Trump supporter if they think he won because of Sanders. I mean they are half the electorate, and are the ones who actually voted for them.
See how many of them support socialism.
It's like you guys add by subtraction. There were 50 million eligible voters that didn't vote at all, try blaming them.
1
We need a meaningul debate between Sanders and Biden so that people can see the reall differences between them. We don't need predigested questions from the powers that be that tend to skew the direction of the debate away from the important topics in dire need of attention, that the powers that be would rather ignore. And we need to see if Biden is alert and able to think on his feet. I already know Sanders is.
19
@Carolyn Egeli
The problem is that we no longer let the League of Women Voters conduct the debates.
2
@jerry mickle True. I read the book No Debate. Everyone should read it.
1
Sanders and his supporters must not be looking at the same numbers as the rest of us. There is simply no logic in trying to force Biden towards more Sanders-like positions, positions that can’t even win over a majority of Democrats, let alone a majority of independents that the Democrats need to win in 2020.
10
@LTJ
Oh? How does Biden win without the support of Bernie supporters?
1
@LTJ
You guys need to realize they are "independents" and not "moderate democrats," meaning you absolutely cannot count on their votes.
The logic is securing all of the people who currently want to vote for a Democrat, regardless of who that ends up being.
Trying to secure the vote of someone who ideologically refuses to be secured to a party just seems like a waste of time in comparison.
Bernie should have his last hurrah and his progressives should get behind Biden to remove Trump and organize themselves better to gain more seats in Congress, persuade moderates rather than sout at them, and have another go in 2024.
6
Sanders is right in forcing a discussion on real issues hurting the American people. Mr. Biden can’t assume that he’ll coast to the nomination with a “business as usual” attitude or platform. He needs to bring young people and independents who’re begging for capitalism with rules. A coalition of all groups will defeat Trump. Everyone wants a piece of the success pie, which right now WallStreet and Michael Bloomberg have hijacked.
Let’s hope Biden’s Coronavirus speech later today is substantial and meaningful and puts the Trump Administration where it should be - on the curb
57
@Ted Sanders' sppech was much more comprehensive and detailed. Biden's was mostly criticism of Trump, some good suggestions and filler words.
2
Here's a question I'd like answered:
How are you going to unify the Democratic Party to create an inclusive environment for progressives and moderates? How are you going to draw traditional republican voters and independents in future elections? What steps are you going to take to form a long lasting, positive, political movement to marginalize the increasingly theocratic and authoritarian right wing?
Policy is secondary at this point. Democrats need to unify the country with an inclusive platform (a la FDR) to ensure liberalism will survive the century.
17
@Aaron L. We could start by avoiding childishly "calling each other names".
Progressives are not "communists". And main stream liberal Democrats are not "conservatives".
I thought Sanders' speech was amazing.
What he did was challenge Joe Biden -- the "electable one" -- to rise to the occasion, and work for the future of America, not just those in the conservative South and those at the top who support his campaign. As Sanders said, you cannot maintain a party by drawing on those over 65 (and I say that as someone who is over 65). You need to also care about the future of those under 50. And, to show he was serious, he gave Biden the test questions in advance.
I'm still not convinced Biden is the right candidate, and fear that he is not up to this or any other challenge. Jim Clyburn apparently tried to cancel the debate because those around him feel the same way. He is an image of a candidate, not a leader.
But Biden, in spite of being the worst candidate of the bunch, is the one the American voters seem to want, so they will prop him up one more time. Hopefully with the test questions in advance he can pass the test. Failure is not an option.
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@avrds
I usually agree with you, but I'm going to part ways with your commentary this time.
In my view, Sanders let down his supporters by continuing in the race. And he certainly didn't reach out to any potential supporters by doubling down on every policy argument.
By staying in he decreased his leverage over Joe Biden. I agree with many of Bernie's policy positions, but the campaign has moved on.
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@Cousy
As a Bernie supporter, I can say that he is not letting me down in the least. Contrary to your assessment, it provides him with significantly more leverage to do so than it would to drop out.
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@Cousy
Unconditional surrender generates leverage?
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Bernie supporters come out in force whenever he is attacked or losing ground. That's admirable. But Bernie was one of the reasons Hillary lost (let's be honest). Now Bernie has an opportunity to rise above his own passions and help Biden win. He needs to work to bring his followers along and to come out to vote Democratic for the defeat of Trump and to get any part of the progressive agenda fulfilled. And the sooner the better.
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@cjginct
"Bernie was one of the reasons Hillary lost (let's be honest)."
That's a partisan, unsupported claim (let's be honest).
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I would like Warren and Sanders to jointly endorse Biden after Tuesday’s primary (assuming Biden continues his winning streak). Biden needs to make some concessions to the progressive agenda, especially on climate change and health care.
Then Sanders needs to campaign his heart out to get his supporters - especially Latinos and younger voters - to support Biden. The possibility of uniting behind a single candidate, however imperfect, should be enough to excite everyone who’s had enough of Trump.
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@Eric
"Biden needs to make some concessions to the progressive agenda, especially on climate change and health care....Sanders needs to campaign his heart out to get his supporters"
Let's have a look at those binding concessions first; then we can talk about endorsement.
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I've got an idea...
Since the NYT had written off and refused to cover Elizabeth Warren as she didn't have "a clear path to the nomination" can you please do the same thing about Bernie Sanders?
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@MomT I think you missed where they endorsed her and Amy. Also, Bernie excites millions upon millions of people and is a formidable leader and campaigner. He has proven 1000 times over his belief in a better America and done what few politicians can do which is wake up the younger generation. He deserves his place at the table just like Hillary, Biden, Warren and even Bloomberg. Let's take solace in the fact that we have a clear front runner finally and band together!
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@MomT
I have been a devoted EW supporter for years, and I think the NYT gave her a fair shake. In the fall, when she was on top of the polls, I even thought her coverage was overly generous.
I am still in mourning for the Warren presidency. I think Warren was targeted by sexism and by the Sanders campaign. I won't forget that anytime soon, and I am not mourning the loss of Sanders in this race.
But the press has largely been reasonable IMO.
@Cousy
Jesus do we have to blame Sanders any time anyone loses these days?
I like Warren, but I liked Sanders better. It has nothing to do with her being a woman, and nobody within Sanders' campaign ever told me to dislike her. She was naturally the next best candidate on the stage.
I agree that the press around her was by and large fair and adequate, given the giant news vacuum that is Trump.
I don't know about "conspiracy" so much as cooperation, but I think Warren was equally thrown off by the coalescing of Buttigeig and Klobatcher to Biden's camp. It took the momentum right away from her.
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I know what Bernie Sanders would do as President and I would vote for him.
I have no idea what Joe Biden would do as President, so I would not be able to vote for him.
Why would Americans vote for someone likely to just re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, when they know a major change of course is needed?
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If Biden is the nominee, and you don’t vote, then please be prepared to take ownership of Trump’s second term. I am likely even more progressive than you are and would love to see Bernie’s policies enacted. However, at this moment, rearranging the deck chairs would be a vast improvement over the chaotic sinking ship that America has become under Trump. Joe Biden with a strong VP, can turn this ship around, and I’m sure that if he beats Trump, Bernie will have an important role in his administration. Please don’t be part of a repeat of 2016; vote for the Democratic candidate, and keep fighting for the ideals you believe in.
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@Greg I would think one should have a much better idea of what a Biden presidency would be like, given his lengthy resume in the Senate and eight years as vice-president to Barack Obama.
For all his positive qualities, Bernie Sanders has executive experience limited to his years as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont. By all accounts he was an excellent mayor of Vermont's largest city--population 39,000 at that time.
In any case Greg, I wouldn't say President Macron--a centrist who ran as a revolutionary--hasn't had all that easy of a time in office. Still, I'd take Macron any day over our current president.
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@Greg I will vote blue because the most important thing is to defeat Trump. Voting is a civic duty. Not voting is a temper tantrum. Believe me, I am an idealist who wants big change, bigger than Sanders. I want to see women and people of color in charge. But for now the most important thing is to vote out the fascist autocrats before they achieve a theocracy.
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It wasn't so much a "miracle" that Joe Biden suddenly became the frontrunner, as a well-orchestrated political maneuver by the DNC. It's difficult to get candidates to announce their departure from the race and endorse a candidate who actually had less delegates than some of them, and just before they were set to test their viability on Super Tuesday.
Nonetheless, Klobuchar and Buttegeig surprised their supporters and, doubtless, the Sanders campaign by doing just that. It was a coordinated blocking effort that could save the DNC and its entrenched system of corporate donations, patronage and back room deals.
We may see another one ahead of the scheduled debate between Biden and Sanders, pitting the candidate who is barely able to fill seven minutes in stump speeches consisting of tired metaphors about fighting, winning and getting back up against the other, who regularly speaks about policy issues for an hour.
I'm heartened that Sanders is staying in the race and continuing to fight for America's working class. Unlike Biden, he owes his funding to millions of hopeful citizens who donated small amounts often, not billionaires. He understands what they need, and put Joe on notice with an actual list.
If Biden is to be a candidate that wants and needs their support, he's going to have to earn it. That won't be nearly as easy as hurling an epithet, clenching a fist, or muttering "vote blue, no matter who."
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Biden and Sanders agree on more policy than they disagree. It sounds like what you're saying is you won't vote for Biden unless he adopts ALL of Sanders' policies.
Progressive voters seem so hung up on litmus tests that they abandon rational thought. Do you prefer that Trump appoints Ginsberg's replacement?
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So disheartening to see this kind of conspiratorial thinking and bitterness from Sanders supporters.
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@Brian not everything is a DNC conspiracy. Sometimes a loss is just a loss. Masses of people voted for Joe Biden because he is a decent human being and the candidate they feel would be best for the country at this moment. Other candidates dropped out because they pragmatically could not see a clear path to the nomination. They were not interested in quixotic battles. Each individual has made his/her own decision.
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I honestly don't understand how people could have watched Biden's performances in the past debates and on the campaign trail and thought he was a strong candidate. Most people can't even name two of his policy proposals.
I get people are scared and want to defeat Trump more than anything, but older voters should acknowledge there's a lot of risk in having Biden as the nominee.
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@Keith Older voters do recognize the risk of a Biden candidacy. In fact, every single candidate who stepped forward presented some level of risk. The issue is not what Biden's or Sanders' policies are, it's which of them presents the least amount of risk in terms of getting out the vote. Another way of saying it is, which candidate is most likely to generate the highest voter turnout in the presidential election, because turnout is what's going to make the difference, not policy.
You cannot argue that the Sanders campaign fits the bill on this; not only did he fail to get his supporters to the polls, the number of young voters --- supposedly the strongest component of his base --- actually declined significantly. In the states where he lost to Biden he either lost by larger numbers than he did to Clinton or, in some cases, lost where he had defeated Clinton.
People are more frightened of a 2nd Trump term than they are of some weakness in policy proposals. If this were a normal election against a normal opponent, the policy argument might hold. But this is as close to an existential election as we are likely to ever see. The risk of nominating Bernie Sanders and then having his core supporters turn out in small numbers, while moderate and centrist voters run away from his policies as too extreme far exceeds the risk of a calm moderate whose policies aren't flashy enough.
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@Keith
Keith -
There was no candidate who was without risk.
It seems to me that the voters are acknowledging that at this point the perfect candidate is the enemy of the good.
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Bravo! And thank you
“ The great question of the Democratic race may now be whether there is anything Mr. Biden can do to assuage those concerns ...”
Well, it seems to me that the inadequacies of our healthcare system - ACA and all - have never been laid more bare than at the current moment. And poll after poll shows that Medicare for All is very popular, even accounting for the fact that private insurance would no longer be able to compete with public coverage.
It’s a no-brainer that Biden should embrace Medicare for All, and that he should make Sanders either his VP or Secretary of Health and Human Services so that he can shepard it through congress and oversee its implementation. That would do the trick for this Sanders supporter.
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@Benjamin Hinkley
"That would do the trick for this Sanders supporter."
As the article started, even Warren - with her support for M4A - is not sufficient to avoid the scorn and dismissal of many Sanders supporters. Yet it would put at risk the moderate and ex-GOP votes that Biden brings to the general (which seem to exist, based upon primary numbers, unlike the expanded youth vote Sanders couldn't materialize).
Democratic eyes must stay firmly on the prize: defeating Trump and taking the Senate.
...Andrew
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How could the abrasive Sanders, who has never been know as the Great Compromiser, shepherd anything through a Congress that actually exists? This is a no-brainer in a different sense than you imagined.
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@Larry D
And people say Sanders supporters are toxic ...
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This is a powerful moment for Bernie, and the debate will reveal what track he wants to pursue. If he wants to guide the party left, he should push Biden at the debate without isolating him from progressives. If he pushes to hard, he is will drive progressives away and make it all the more likely that his potential endorsement of Biden is nothing but a formality.
If his ultimate goal is to beat Trump, I hope he opts for the former.
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I'm very glad there will be a debate. I see it as a way for a representative of the progressive wing of the Democratic party to challenge the likely nominee, Biden, about whether he will be a candidate for the entire Democratic party, not just the progressives, and not just the moderates. I have great hopes that Biden will rise to the occasion, and will begin to unify the Democratic party once more.
This will be a prelude to the far greater challenge Biden will face in the general election. He will then need to establish himself not just as a Democratic President, but as the President of the United States. Republican, Democrat and otherwise. All of us.
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