Revolution stalled? Bernie Sanders struggles against a double bind.

[ehrnst]

Sanders consistently polls second to former vice president Joe Biden, but often in the teens, a precarious spot for someone who is known by virtually all Democratic voters. One of his trademark proposals — Medicare-for-all — has attracted fewer co-sponsors in Congress than two years ago. And although Sanders continues to draw larger crowds than most candidates, they are generally less diverse than the Democratic Party, highlighting one of his key weaknesses.

Although Sanders has intensified his efforts to appeal to nonwhite voters, he continues to draw mostly white crowds. That prompted concerns during a recent southern swing from some black voters, who question whether he’s doing enough to court their community.

Democrats also grumble that Sanders does little to reach out to local elected leaders, whose cellphones are lighting up with texts, calls and emails from other candidates. “He’s never called me,” said Columbia, S.C., Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who has fielded calls from many of the other candidates. Sanders recently made a brief campaign stop in Columbia.
........................................................................

Sanders has begun adding more personal touches to his campaign. The normally brusque Vermont senator posed for photos with a line of his supporters in New Hampshire on Monday. And he has scheduled his first in-person fundraiser of the 2020 race, with more possible, according to his campaign manager.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/revolution-stalled-bernie-sanders-struggles-against-a-double-bind/2019/05/29/e6d5acce-8179-11e9-95a9-e2c830afe24f_story.html

[Cha]

1. Thank you, ehrnst.

[lapucelle]

2. It feels at this point that he may have been a flash in the pan last time around.

The senior staff he hired might also be part of the problem.

But she said Sanders’s mostly white crowds suggest that while his campaign may be hiring local African American staffers, there “appears to be a lot of micromanaging from the national campaign. And you aren’t going to be able to hire black staffers and then not allow them to do their job.”

Sanders’s campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said that there is “certainly no micromanaging” and that Sanders is empowering state staffers to make key decisions. As for persuading black voters to come out, Shakir said, “I think we’re making progress on that front. Can we continue to do better? Sure.”

[Cosmocat]

5. I have felt he missed his window

For his limitations, the last Presidential was his best shot, a lot smaller D field, he pretty much was the only option for the more progressive voters, and he was a foil to the front runner who was a brittle candidate (NOT SAYING SHE WAS BRITTLE PERSONALLY) from decades of slander from the right that was so pervasive it poisoned a lot of democrats.

The Rs gave him a near complete pass because their focus was Hillary, so the enemy of their enemy thing AND they make no secrete that they relish running against him because SOCIALISM.

That was his best shot, possibly. Meanwhile he continued to do this thing of only joining the D party when running for POTUS, which is a pretty big turnoff to people when it keeps getting repeated, and folks are more attuned to the low grade maliciousness of his campaigns for POTUS (by D standards).

Now, with some many other candidates, and a lot of them with solid progressive appeal, and who don't come off as murky as he and his campaign does ...

[BannonsLiver]

13. It was entirely the product of a small field

O'Malley wasn’t viewed as viable by those who didn’t want Clinton so they drifted to Bernie, inevitably. Put 2-3 more top tier candidates in that race and he’s an also ran.

[betsuni]

4. He said, "This campaign was never just about electing a president of the United States,

as enormously important as that was, this campaign was about transforming America."

Wut.

[yardwork]

8. It worked. Trump got elected and he's transformed America.

[LibFarmer]

6. Surprising.. I could have sworn

the "Thurgood Marshall Education Plan" would have made African Americans forget John Lewis.

[yardwork]

7. Allowed his delegates to boo John Lewis.

Allowed his surrogates to attack Dolores Huerta.

Gee, I can't imagine why he's having trouble connecting with people of color.

[ehrnst]

10. Didn't come to the defense of John Lewis or Dolores Huerta afterwards.

That silence is something I will never forget.

He will need to win over Hillary supporters to get the nomination, and he burned way, way too many bridges.

Tad Devine wouldn't even work with him on the campaign.

[yardwork]

11. I'll never forget his petulant behavior at the DNC.

The primaries were over. It was time to come together behind the Democratic nominee. But no.

Bernie has now hired people who were urging votes for Jill Stein the day before the election! Inexcusable.

[oasis]

9. I guess Bernie's revolution will not be televised. Darn it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. K&R

[Hortensis]

14. Polls also put support among our most reliable voter bloc at 4 & 6%.

People talking about Sanders always want to talk about his appeal to young people new to politics, but their far more experienced grandparents always outvote them in large numbers and in Sanders' case reject him in huge numbers. Maybe they don't like him deceiving their grandchildren into believing they and their party are corrupt any more than I do.

Plus, those grandchildren who say they like Sanders best -- when asked -- are also less involved politically than any other group polled, even their own age cohort. I.e., they may like him best when asked but are less likely to bother to vote. Maybe a side effect of his and Russia's demoralizing messages that neither party can be believed in. In any case, this weakness should cause an asterisk to be put by his supposed percentage on every poll.

Only the vote counts.