Bernie Sanders zeros in on Joe Biden as his favorite foil

[TexasTowelie]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders is quick to slam Joe Biden’s past support of free trade deals and the Iraq War. He is warning him against a “middle ground” approach to addressing climate change. His campaign sends fundraising appeals with a simple, foreboding subject line: “Joe Biden.”

In his nearly three weeks as a presidential candidate, Biden has become Sanders’ favorite foil.

No one seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination has been as aggressive as the Vermont senator in highlighting episodes from the former vice president’s past to sow skepticism in the party’s progressive base.

The strategy is reminiscent of Sanders’ approach to the 2016 Democratic primary, when he relentlessly slammed Hillary Clinton as an establishment pawn. And it’s a reminder that, even when Sanders lags in the polls, he is often most comfortable when he’s taking on top Democrats, hoping that such attacks will energize his most loyal supporters.

Read more: https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/politics/bernie-sanders-zeros-in-on-joe-biden-as-his-favorite/article_d3def22c-b067-57a1-8306-b2be371ba445.html

[Cha]

1. BackFiring!

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Peacetrain]

2. Sometimes people get caught up in their own publicity..

No one is irreplaceable.. Elizabeth Warren has moved into that space occupied by Bernie Sanders in 2016 basically because she explains her stances and backs them up with policy..

[Cha]

8. He

never learns.

[sheshe2]

29. S.

I.
N.
K.
I.
N.
G.

[rgbecker]

3. Wish there were at least one quote from Bernie in the article.

Maybe then we could take it seriously.

This seems to be the entire complaint:

Bernie Sanders is quick to slam Joe Biden’s past support of free trade deals and the Iraq War. He is warning him against a “middle ground” approach to addressing climate change. His campaign sends fundraising appeals with a simple, foreboding subject line: “Joe Biden.”

What did the Foreboding "Joe Biden" fundraising appeal say?

Have you got anything at all?

If telling people about a candidate's voting record is slamming than what exactly is a campaign about?

[George II]

9. That "Joe Biden" email has been posted here before. I'm not going to go look for it but....

....the first paragraph talked about "establishment Democrats", "1%" (of which HE is now a part, and has been longer than he'll admit), and one or two of the other derogatory buzz words he's been using for years.

It used to be a campaign was "about" talking about one's accomplishments and define one's own position on issues and how to work on them, not bashing someone else's record.

When is Sanders going to ever get into HIS accomplishments? In almost five years of running for president I haven't seen him do that once.

[comradebillyboy]

10. He doesn't have any accomplishments does he?

[George II]

15. None that he ever talks about, except that he was at the March on Washington "with" MLK in 1963.

[PDittie]

4. Go get him, Bernie!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. Maybe Bernie should concentrate his efforts against Trump

instead of trying to kneecap an actual Democrat.

[ehrnst]

22. +1000.(nt)

[LibFarmer]

25. Yeah .. go get him and see how it plays out this time

People have seen this movie before.

This time, it is going to backfire badly.

[Nanjeanne]

5. They are one and two. Comparing their policies and votes is what all candidates

should be doing. There have been zero slams by Sanders against Biden. This is a primary and all candidates need to contrast themselves from each other. These kinds of articles are silly and click bait and do nothing to help people make intelligent decisions on who they will vote for. They are simply to create a fake story to get people riled up. It’s the reality tv state of our politics now. Gossip takes the place of actual policy discussion.

[DownriverDem]

7. Good Luck

Folks have moved away from Bernie for a reason. Attacking Biden will not gain him any support.

[Nanjeanne]

12. Thanks for wishing me good luck.

[LibFarmer]

26. He will actually lose some vacillating voters

They won't like this one bit -- not the second time around.

[Blue_true]

30. My guess is Bernie's sensible supporters are moving over to Senator Warren as the best hope for

their cause. The more Bernie attacks, the more he solidifies Senator Warren's support.

[DownriverDem]

6. Won't work

Folks are moving away from Bernie including young folks.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

20. I supported Bernie in 2016 but I'm so over him now.

He isn't helping his campaign by trying to be a spoiler.

[MineralMan]

11. Yes, but How Many Post Office did Joe Biden Ever Name?

See?

[Nanjeanne]

13. How many health clinics did Joe add to the ACA?

[MineralMan]

14. He was Vice President at that time, right?

Not in the Senate.

See, I was making a joke in my post. You weren't. But Joe Biden wasn't in a position to add health clinics to the ACA at that time. Bernie was. Joe was in the House and Senate, though, for many years. I'm guessing he might have named a few post offices during that time, but I don't actually know.

So, I made a joke.

[ehrnst]

23. As VP?

Please. Grasping at straws to make a point?

[Blue_true]

31. Likely thousands. He was part of the Administration that implemented Pelosi and Reed's work. nt

[Fresh_Start]

32. if the Obama administration hadn't forced the issue then there would be no

ACA for Sanders to add his two bits to....

PS: Biden was part of the Obama administration.

[NastyRiffraff]

16. Of course he does

This is entirely predictable. He's running like it's 2016 and it's not working. The more behind he gets, the more shrill his attacks are going to be. Watch as the various candidates rise and fall; he will attack accordingly.

[peggysue2]

17. The Senator from Vermont is pining for . . .

Hillary Clinton to work this strategy on, a 2016 redux. Think he'll find a far less polite foil in Joe Biden.

But please, carry on with the futile digging. Btw check your calendar--we're heading towards 2020 where the landscape is vastly different.

[loyalsister]

18. I wish they would both step aside

We've been tricked into confronting a false choice before.
We currently have candidates who have solutions that are not based on a standard exclusionary model that has been failing so many people for decades and also not pie in the sky.

[Hortensis]

21. Now, I see disinfo-ing our ideology for Republican as the big trick

that's been pulled on us. By false equivocation from both left and right, both lying to confuse and deceive voters by smearing us with conservative sins.

But any this case, both of these men stand on their own. Neither is an "exclusionary" binary model. All of America knows we have 20 other choices, a few genuinely viable at this point with a long race to go. We can expect support for Biden to drop somewhat, and likely into competitive range, as other candidates become better known and draw interest.

[treestar]

38. Warren can't win unless they step aside?

That's what you are telling me. Not very persuasive for Warren, I'd say.

[loyalsister]

40. I'm not advocating for any candidate

And I think arguments between Biden and Sanders are an unnecessary waste of media energy when she has claimed a middle ground between the two of them.

I was hoping to see a productive primary and would also love to see a younger candidate emerge with a strong, well defined platform, but if I were going to vote today. It would be Warren.

[Gothmog]

24. This strategy will not work

Link to tweet

[LibFarmer]

27. Angry man saying get off my lawn nt

[NYMinute]

28. lol

[emmaverybo]

34. Not a good look. Used to like him. But the attacks from him and supporters, on Joe, and Hilary

are a decided turn-off. I feel a desperation coming off him. Some fine ideas. Needs to stay in his own lane and shine there.

[Cha]

36. I stopped respecting him

in 2011 when he said he thought it would be a good idea to primary President Obama.

Actually I never did like him.

[Cha]

35. How's that working out?

[TexasTowelie]

37. It doesn't appear to be working at all.

I've already told my brother that I get the laptop during the debates this week. While I expect that the debate will be interesting among Biden and Bernie, I also expect someone else further down the pack to have a breakthrough moment and start climbing in the polls.

[Cha]

39. Glad you get

the laptop during the debates, TexasT!

Yeah, there will be all kinds of fireworks during debate week.. good luck to most of them.