Bernie Sanders returns home to reset 2020 presidential bid

[lapucelle]

Last edited Sun May 26, 2019, 01:38 PM - Edit history (1)

Three months after formally announcing a 2020 presidential bid in his birthplace of Brooklyn, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders returned to his home state of Vermont on Saturday for a capital city rally planned as a morale-refueling pit stop as he aims to regain the lead in his Democratic primary race.

“In this pivotal and unprecedented moment in American history, I am here today to ask for your support,” he told a surprisingly underwhelming crowd of a few thousand supporters at a Statehouse event that campaign and city officials had anticipated would draw a larger audience of 3,000 to 5,000 people.

snip====================================

Many Montpelier residents weren’t sure what Saturday’s program would serve up, what with a forecast for rain, flashing signs along Interstate 89 warning “Event at Statehouse/Expect Delays” and talk that locals were grocery shopping early as if the capital city was about to be hit by a storm.

Although several city officials and the press estimated the crowd at more than 1,000 supporters rather than the 3,000 to 5,000 anticipated, the Sanders campaign reported “our crowd count today was closer to 3,000.”

Whatever the number, attendees had enough room to unfold picnic blankets on the sun-splashed lawn as Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile performed as the opening act.

https://vtdigger.org/2019/05/25/bernie-sanders-returns-home-reset-2020-presidential-bid/

[nolabear]

1. I watched the speech. It was astonishingly limp.

I don’t say that to bash, I was curious since there was such a fan fest last time. This was just uninspired. Bernie was just Bernie but the crowd, the intros (Shaun King tried) was just wooden. And white and fairly but not astoundingly young. Maybe just Vermont.

The whole thing seems gassed out.

[Docreed2003]

3. That's been my take this entire campaign

Bernie seems to be trying to recapture "the magic", of you will, of 2016 by...well, going about his campaign like it's 2016. Most of us have heard the stump speech or some variation of it previously and it's the same thing, every event.

[George II]

6. Yogi Berra said it best:

[Me.]

7. ...

[Docreed2003]

8. Lol...+1

[Cha]

25. I've read it wasn't much better in

Birmingham, Alabama.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287126535

[MineralMan]

38. That was very interesting. Birmingham, AL is about 64.5% black.

You'd think some of its black population would show up for a Bernie Sanders rally there. I think I saw one or two PoC in the photos at that link, but that was it.

Clearly, the black community is not generally in support of Bernie Sanders, or more would have been there. I suppose if he became the Democratic nominee, PoC voters would vote for him, but many might not bother to turn out at all.

I think the Bernie Sanders campaign is running out of steam. Perhaps it ran out of steam after the 2016 convention, but didn't realize it.

Politics is fickle. What was interesting four years ago might not be very interesting now, especially with 24 candidates vying for people's votes.

[FreeBe]

41. I read 73.4% in wikipedia.

According to the 2010 census:[15]

73.4% Black/African American
22.3% White
0.2% Native American
1.0% Asian
0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
1.0% Two or more races
2.0% Other races
3.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham,_Alabama

[MineralMan]

43. I might have looked at the 2000 data.

In any case, you'd expect to see some African-American attendees if there was any interest in Bernie Sanders. Apparently, there is not.

[FreeBe]

45. Right.

[Blue_true]

61. Bernie got to meet Dr. King's statue. nt

[we can do it]

2. Not going to happen BS

[George II]

4. Only a thousand people showed up in his home state?

[customerserviceguy]

18. I think he started tanking

when he called for voting rights for the Boston Marathon bomber. Most all of New England was sympathetic to "Boston Strong" in the days after the bombing, and to give that little puke anything other than three meals a day and a cold slab to sleep on is way too generous for him.

[Kahuna7]

21. Hmmm. I remember so many thought it was a fine idea.

[peggysue2]

27. A number on DU thought it was a fine idea

Out in the Hinterlands where the electorate actually lives? Not so much.

Said from the start it was a losing position. But oh no, we had to read umpteen justifications and freedom of speech rants and . . . whatever.

Stupid position, start to finish.

[Kahuna7]

33. ....

[comradebillyboy]

37. Only his fans thought it was a good idea.

[Celerity]

58. I think the same thing, what a cock-up

[bahrbearian]

23. Small crowd in Vermont

he is tanking , all white people.

[susanr516]

57. The population of Vermont is almost 93% White, non-Hispanic

So, it doesn't surprise me that the crowd is all white. However, those Birmingham pictures certainly don't bode well for Bernie's future. If he can't get the votes of POC, Bernie has no chance in the D primaries here in the South. (I'm in TX.) I would assume he would face a similar predicament in the more heavily Hispanic states, like TX and CA.

I don't know, maybe it's my own bias, but I think presidential candidates over 70 are too old. I am a sr. citizen, btw.

[Agschmid]

5. Link?

Never mind I found it myself: https://vtdigger.org/2019/05/25/bernie-sanders-returns-home-reset-2020-presidential-bid/

[riverine]

9. Not much of a "revolution" if

you ask me.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. Regain the lead?

When did he have the lead?

[thesquanderer]

13. Before Biden was in the race (n/t)

[DavidDvorkin]

19. According to what poll?

[thesquanderer]

32. Any poll of declared candidates. ;-) (n/t)

[Kahuna7]

22. He didn't have it then either...

The Emerson poll showed him with a slight lead just before Biden announced, but that was a very rare occurrence.

[FreeBe]

42. I think since Biden hadn't entered yet, they are not counting Biden.

Sanders never had a lead with Biden that I ever saw.

[Kahuna7]

49. One time. Like I said....

[FreeBe]

50. O.k.

[NurseJackie]

11. I see he's changed his campaign color scheme to GREEN. I wonder what that means.

Look at those signs in the crowd. Handed out by the rally organizers, obviously.

So... I see he's changed his campaign color scheme to GREEN. I wonder what that means. Is that part of the "reboot" and the change in messaging?

[George II]

12. Maybe he's planning a future run for Governor of the Green Mountain State?

[lapucelle]

14. What else could green mean? Maybe Briebrie should clarify.

[George II]

15. Perhaps Jill Stein will tap him as her running mate this time around?

[NurseJackie]

17. An excellent idea. I'm always in favor of setting challenging, yet REALISTIC realistic goals.

An excellent idea. I'm always in favor of setting challenging, yet REALISTIC realistic goals. That's something that I hope he considers.

[ehrnst]

35. Perhaps this time around it will be better for him.

Hopefully, a woman won't run against him. That seems to get him into situtations where he makes gaffes.

There will likely be no person of color who would run against him, so there's that.

[Politicub]

20. Green new deal?

[Cha]

24. Separate himself from

the BlueWave?

[NurseJackie]

26. He's separate all right. Not even a member of the party. Only votes with Dems 80% of the time...

He's separate all right. Not even a member of the party. Only votes with Dems 80% of the time.

Is he trying to (not so) subtly let us know that he's "green" instead of "blue"... if so that's fine. And, if that's what he's doing, it confirms what many have long suspected anyway. Truth-in-advertising as they say.

Personally, I'm not "green"... I'm not "red". I'm a true BLUE and honest-to-goodness DEMOCRAT! I'm not a pretend Democrat. I'm not in disguise. I'm not pretending to be something that I'm not.

I don't need to send "signals" or clues, or subtle messages, or secret signs. I'm a PROUD DEMOCRAT... TRUE BLUE ALL THE WAY!!

[FreeBe]

44. I am even an establishment Democrat. Having established myself voting Democratic a lifetime.

[calguy]

53. If I had replied to this post NJ,

I would have said exactly what you just said. Except .... You said it much better than I ever could.

[betsuni]

30. Blue is establishment.

[NurseJackie]

31. Ha! Love it!

[FreeBe]

34. Between the green and the I, I think he has made it pretty clear to us Democrats.

That was bold.

[NurseJackie]

36. Has the party been taken? Has the party been betrayed? Is he sending a message?

Between the green and the I, I think he has made it pretty clear to us Democrats.

Has the party been taken? Has the party been betrayed? Is he sending a message? Or is it just a meaningless "coincidence" that has absolutely nothing at all to do with the Green party?

I think voters can figure it out on their own, but and honest answer from the campaign is in order.

[FreeBe]

46. Regardless of if trying to get the Stein votes, pisses me off once again setting himself separate

From Democrats while running in our Democratic primary asking for the Democratic base vote.

[MrsCoffee]

39. That's intriguing.

[NurseJackie]

40. Good to know that I'm not the ONLY one who feels this way.

Good to know that I'm not the ONLY one who feels this way. It's not just some "random" color choice because someone was bored with the previous color scheme.

The fact that he's changed his color scheme to GREEN(!!!) at a "reboot" event (well uh, a do-over) tells me that the BS campaign is keenly aware that it's lost its footing... that's it's faltering and floundering.

All I'm saying here (and I'm not the only one) is that if this was his big "reboot/do-over" event to energize and kick-start his failing campaign, then the GREEN(!!) color was intentional. It was BY DESIGN. It's yet another not-so-subtle slap in the face and insult to the Democratic party and to loyal Democrats.

[FreeBe]

47. The color was intentional.

[Kahuna7]

52. My guess is to associate subliminally with AOC and the GND. nt

[yaesu]

16. Sounds like a fun event, much better than the chit show my weekend turned out to be. nt

[Gothmog]

28. It sounds like the turnout was disappointing

[lapucelle]

29. Apparently people heard it might rain, and there was a run on the supermarkets.

Also many farmers couldn't take the day off because...farming.

[Honeycombe8]

48. A reset is often the beginning of the end. nt

[brooklynite]

59. Usually the sign of that is when campaign staff leave...

Oh, right.....

[comradebillyboy]

60. What sane candidate would touch anyone on Bernie's campaign staff?

[BannonsLiver]

51. The thrill is gone

[lapucelle]

56. ...

[tishaLA]

54. .....

[lapucelle]

55. ....