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Gothmog

(155,930 posts)
6. Sanders would have hurt the ticket
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 03:13 PM
Dec 2016

Trump had an oppo book on Sanders that was two feet thick. http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

They ignored the fact that Sanders had not yet faced a real campaign against him. Clinton was in the delicate position of dealing with a large portion of voters who treated Sanders more like the Messiah than just another candidate. She was playing the long game—attacking Sanders strongly enough to win, but gently enough to avoid alienating his supporters. Given her overwhelming support from communities of color—for example, about 70 percent of African-American voters cast their ballot for her—Clinton had a firewall that would be difficult for Sanders to breach....

So what would have happened when Sanders hit a real opponent, someone who did not care about alienating the young college voters in his base? I have seen the opposition book assembled by Republicans for Sanders, and it was brutal. The Republicans would have torn him apart. And while Sanders supporters might delude themselves into believing that they could have defended him against all of this, there is a name for politicians who play defense all the time: losers....

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed), and the opposition research folder was almost 2-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

Trump would have destroyed Sanders in the general election

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Or vice-versa. No salt on mine, please. TheCowsCameHome Dec 2016 #1
I don't think it would have worked with Sanders on the top, unless he won the primary cleanly Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #3
Maybe so, but if Democrats could not unify in a Trump vs. Clinton election, we have problems. Hoyt Dec 2016 #2
well, that was my big frustration of this election! So many liberals holding grudges and Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #4
I think half of the inter party conflict was pushed by GOP operatives.... bettyellen Dec 2016 #5
Sanders would have hurt the ticket Gothmog Dec 2016 #6
...as if it wasn't on election day, anyway. TheCowsCameHome Dec 2016 #7
maybe.... I know that's the argument against Benrie in the GE, and I think it's right Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #8
Trump would have gone after Sanders just as much as VP Gothmog Dec 2016 #17
I suppose... but she was just a nut, and added nothing good to the ticket Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #19
Palin was very popular with the same type of nut cases who voted for Trump Gothmog Dec 2016 #21
Compared to Trump ? woolldog Dec 2016 #9
Stop talking about the supposed oppo on Bernie when the most damning oppo in history... Ace Rothstein Dec 2016 #12
rightwing oppo on the left is always taken more seriously than left wing critiques of RW Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #14
There were tons of tape of Sanders telling everyone that communism was great Gothmog Dec 2016 #16
yes, although I would hope the damage would have been mitigated if he was the VP candidate Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #18
Again, that did not work for Palin Gothmog Dec 2016 #20
In the real world, raising taxes and being a supporter of Fidel Castro is not a good thing Gothmog Dec 2016 #15
Or Perez, or anybody but Kaine. I knew she was in trouble when she picked him. hollowdweller Dec 2016 #10
I was hoping for Warren. Did Kaine help her in any way? nt killbotfactory Dec 2016 #11
he helped her win Virginia... and didn't do much else but didn't damage her either Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #13
It is clear that Kaine helped a great deal in Virginia Gothmog Dec 2016 #22
i think not choosing him was a big mistake. n/t. okieinpain Dec 2016 #23
Kaine was a dud Axolotls Dec 2016 #24
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