Three key mistakes that Bernie made

[Yavin4]

1. He mis-understood that Democrats hate/fear Trump more than billionaires, Wall Street, and health insurance companies. Yes, the party hates these groups as well, but not on the same scale that they hate Trump.

2. Sanders insulted the Democratic establishment and with that he insulted established African American leaders like Clyburn. Sorry, but a lot of established Democrats happen to be African American. Think Congresswoman Karen Bass head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Think Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. African Americans have put in the work to get into these positions, and attacking them means attacking their supporters and constituents.


3. You cannot build a left of center political movement with young voters as your base. This has been tried again and again, and it has failed again and again. Left of center movements are successful when it comes from older working class adults and seniors not college students. Build the movement with teachers, nurses, union members, farmers, and the like. It's seductive to build off of young people because they will come to your rallies, but they won't vote when you need them.

[AGeddy]

1. Concerning your #3.

Bernie has tried to build the same base that Howard Dean tried to build in 2004.


What is it about Vermont Democrats that they are not politically astute enough to realize that 20-somethings do not vote?

[maxsolomon]

23. Ah, but when they do (2008), we win.

The voting rates in this nation are shameful.

[riverwalker]

52. Ego.

[msongs]

2. he had 4 years to put together a coalition including democrats and chose not to nt

[uponit7771]

7. +1,

[ToxMarz]

17. I think he put together the coalition he wanted, it's just that it's a losing coalition.

My way or the highway just isn't gonna cut it in such a diverse electorate. And I don't think if he had it to do over in hindsight he would do anything differently, it's who he is.

If nothing else he is genuine and transparent.

[Lithos]

19. This is the primary reason I voted Warren

That and he refused to define his socialism to include any non college student. Embrace FDR, not attack him and what he and the Civil Rights movement helped to build.

[Sloumeau]

22. She will always be twice the candiate that he was. :) nt

[Mars and Minerva]

37. That's the truth! nt

[PatSeg]

48. Warren is much smarter than most of the candidates

and she is capable of change. She gives some great stump speeches as well.

[wnylib]

51. Yes. And twice the Senator, too.

[proud patriot]

42. THIS RIGHT HERE

good to see you Lithos .. you could not have said it better

[RestoreAmerica2020]

44. Great point!

[DownriverDem]

46. Yep

Then when the Dems institute an excellent political strategy and a strong coalition, Bernie folks get mad. They should watch and learn how to run campaigns. They have no idea how close they are to taking over the Dem Party. They will need all of us. We aren't their enemy. Time is on their side.

[StClone]

47. If Biden wins and does not adopt some of Bernie's thinking

Bernie supporters DID vote for Hillary in '16 despite rumors. But, I see a separation of Bernie's progressives from the middle of the road Dems in the future.

Progressives of the Bernie ilk are going to see the place for them is not under the so-called "Big Tent." AOC is one of the brilliant young minds having ideas where they want this party to go and that is a more progressive direction.

[wnylib]

53. I agree with many progressive issues

but would prefer Warren as a progressive leader over Sanders. Warren walks the walk. Sanders talks the talk.

FDR made some huge changes successfully, not as an outsider, but as a left of center leader within the party. He knew not only how to inspire people, but how to work with them to get things done.

Warren is much closer to FDR than Ssnders is. So what drives Sanders supporters to him? They can't see that a woman can actually achieve change instead of just talk about it? Or, do they just get attracted to the angry rebel position of Sanders?

[Me.]

3. Plus, Young People Can Be Impressionable

and give a false read on popularity especially as they don't, as a group, tend to vote

[ChiTownDenny]

4. Key mistake #4. He pissed off Hillary's supporters in 2016.

Congratulations to Joe Biden for his Super Tuesday performance.

[IluvPitties]

5. 4) Praising Cuba, USSR, and the Sandinistas.

That does not fly in the US.

[TommyCelt]

35. Repubs...

...will LAMBAST the airwaves with thinly veiled (or blatant) Bernie is a COMMIE . With old pictures and quotes and NOT so old quotes. The ENTIRE south and the rust belt will be blood red.

Biden/Warren 2020

[proud patriot]

43. Biden/Warren

Dream team

[Meadowoak]

50. The Rustbelt is red because they voted for Bernie last time and decided to stay home

Or vote Trump in the GE.

[Happy Hoosier]

6. I'd add....

4. Failed to recognize his early support of Castro and his weird acceptance of the Soviet point of view wouldn't play, like, at ALL, with a big segment of voters.

5. You can make promises and not provide a reasonable pathway to implementation for a while, but at some point, people start to do math.... at least a lot of people do.

[NurseJackie]

8. 4. Making irresponsible and unfunded promises of FREE [THIS OR THAT]

4. Making irresponsible and unfunded promises of FREE [THIS OR THAT] while simultaneously pledging to never compromise thereby guaranteeing that NO progress will be made, thus preserving the status quo.

5. Embracing an irrational contempt of incremental progress based on a willingness to compromise and finding mutually beneficial common ground with the opposition party. After all progress is progress no matter how small. Aren't "progressives" supposed to be in favor of "progress"?

Anyway.

[TheFarseer]

10. Devil's advocate

Michael Bennett, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, Steve Bullock, Pete Buttigieg, Kirsten Gillibrand, John Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke Tim Ryan, Tom Steyer and probably a couple others followed your rule 4 & 5 and it didn’t do jack for them.

[NurseJackie]

13. Those are not "rules" ... I was pointing out serious mistakes/missteps.

... couple others followed your rule 4 & 5 and it didn’t do jack for them.

Those are not "rules" ... I was pointing out serious mistakes/missteps. Simply because certain candidates didn't make THOSE particular missteps/mistakes... that is no guarantee of their success.

Devil's advocate

Also consider that they made other mistakes that are not listed here. Also consider their personality, demeanor, experience, attitude and temperament, gender, sexual orientation, age ... whether fairly or unfairly, many many things influenced voters perceptions and acceptance (or rejection) of those candidates you named.

Did you have a point?

[TheFarseer]

15. My only point was

Making no big campaign promises should not be looked at as a sure path to victory.

[NurseJackie]

24. But making honest and realistic promises is certainly a better path to take.

Making no big campaign promises should not be looked at as a sure path to victory.

Who said that it was? I didn't say that. Maybe you meant to reply to someone else, or maybe you totally misunderstood what I was saying.

What I can tell you is this: making honest and realistic promises is certainly a better path to take. Why would anyone think it's a good idea to lure people in with pie-in-the-sky promises... rainbows and unicorns... when it's known from the VERY BEGINNING that the promises can never be fulfilled. What good purpose does that serve in the long term? If enough voters fall for the unrealistic promises, it may get that candidate into office... but when he (or she, whatever) fails to deliver... then all those new voters become disillusioned with the party and never vote again.

[padah513]

9. Number 2 big time.

The guy didn't think enough of African Americans to even go to Selma.

[MFGsunny]

12. + 1000 n/t

[Dem forever]

11. Same old story

It’s the same old story and it’s not appropriate this time around. Revolution is not going to resonate with people anymore. Biden brings positive vibes and a future. Sanders brings too much baggage from his past. He can’t bring together a large group of diverse groups under the democratic banner. Last night should be a wake up call for Sanders . But more important for the Orange clown

[marble falls]

57. Well put.

[oasis]

14. Bernie needs to make a statement urging unity and not drag this out. We

need to beat Trump by a ton.

[Texin]

25. That's simply not in Bernie's wheelhouse. It's not in his genetic makeup.

This is a 78 year old man. He's been espousing this "revolution" his entire adult life. Yet, he's been perfectly content to use the aegis of the "establishment" Democratic Party for last four plus years to run for POTUS. He's berated the Democratic Party and they accommodated him in his grievances by changing the DNC's rules for him They changed the way delegates are allocated and changed the parameters of the super delegates to appease him. He then ungratefully rails at the "establishment" within the Democratic Party when the results don't go to suit him.

[oasis]

58. E. Warren "implied" that Bernie attempted to discourage her from running.

It adds up to what you wrote here. It's clear that Bernie believes he, and no one else, needs to be the "straw that stirs the drink" in his vision of transformation/revolution.

[Blue_Tires]

16. more:

4. Instead of scooping up people who actually knew how to *WIN* shit, He once again staffed his campaign with sycophants and nutbars whose only qualification was they hated Hillary, Obama and the rest of the "establishment" Dems as much as he did...

5. I've said on many occasions that Sanders would need to cage up his online "zoo" of fanatics, trolls, ratfuckers and agitprop merchants because they cost him more than anything in 2016 and they were going to lose him 2020 as well... Not only did he do nothing to reel them in again, in 2020 his zoo was ten times worse. "Kamala is a Cop!" might have originated in Russia but Bernie's zoo couldn't spread it fast enough and it took months to finally debunk. Same thing with "Hillary is solely responsible for the 1994 crime bill!" which still hasn't ever fully died... And today this very hour on twitter they're spreading talking points about Biden being senile and not of sound mind... Did they really think there wouldn't be some kind of backlash?

6. He was never going to win people over to his side with mafia goon tactics, trolling or doxxing...

7. For all his pie-in-the-sky proposals, Sanders never could properly explain just how he was going to make it all happen or even get it through congress, and his grand idea of going to all the districts of pivotal congressmen to "convince" them to change their votes seemed spurious at best

8. He had FOUR goddamned years to prove he was a full-time member of the party and on board with what we stood for, but he enjoyed the convenience of flipping his "Dem/Indy" switch whenever it suited him. He was also noticeably absent from some critical midterm and state races.

9. In the absolute dumbest of moves, he had every chance to bring Kamala and her people into the fold after she dropped out but his fanatics napalmed the bridge. He's had multiple opportunities to form a lowkey alliance with Warren but his people have poisoned the well to the point where it likely won't happen...

[LisaM]

26. No, he cost himself, because he surrounded himself with those people.

When he allowed Dolores Huerta to be chased down by a lightweight like Susan Sarandon in the Nevada Caucuses, it became clear that he wasn't seeing the larger picture. It wasn't just the optics (which were bad), it was a serious WTF moment? (As I recall, she'd made a good faith offer to translate speeches into Spanish and they jumped all over her and said she could not be trusted).

[Hekate]

56. #8a: he not only flipped the switch...

...he flipped us the bird. He despises the Dem Party and its core Dems more than he does the GOP, or so his behavior says.

[LisaM]

18. Concerning #2

One thing Bernie does not seem to get is that choosing a candidate in the red state primaries is sometimes the only way Democrats in those states know that they have a voice in choosing the nominee. It's their chance to be heard. I live in a heavily blue West Coast state, and I don't think it's right that huge, blue urban areas get to steamroll the process.

I don't think Bernie fully grasps that, because he keeps going back to his comfort zones of college towns and blue urban enclaves. I've been in or near college towns and blue cities most of my life - I like them - but I also grew up in a small town that had a mix of blue collar, white collar, and farmers, and I don't think their concerns should be edged out of the process.

[grantcart]

20. Actually his number 1 mistake was promising to raise people's taxes

This has never worked

[patphil]

21. The Democrats are most successful when they build broad-based coalitions of voters.

Bernie's mistake is in thinking he can pit one group of Democrats against another.
We need the far-left, the near-left, and the moderates to work together if we are to rescue our country from the far-right minority that Trump has assembled and is using to seize control of the government.
Right now, defeating Trump and his minions is the most important thing we can do as Democrats.
I believe that lining up behind Biden has a far greater chance of success than lining up behind Sanders.
My hope is that at some point Bernie will see this and rally his people to defeat Trump and also take back the Senate as a combined force behind Biden, rather than just seeking the nomination on his terms.

As it is right now, my heart says Elizabeth Warren, but my head says Joe Biden.
I hope that Bernie's people can come to the same conclusion with their guy.

Patrick Phillips

[geardaddy]

27. #3 is particularly true.

True revolution has to come from a much more diverse set of people.

[dem4decades]

28. Personally i thought his my way or the highway approach to those in the party was insulting.

People don't like being yelled at either.

[iluvtennis]

31. Always yelling, my brother calls Bernie, "the angry old man". nt

[iluvtennis]

29. Regarding #2. I'm very disgusted at Sanders classifying folks as "established". His 30 year

career in politics make him more "establishment" than anyone.

A second comment on this was a comment made by Bakari Sellers (CNN political analyst) who said, the little old black ladies in his church have been life long democrats. Why are they being classified as "establishment" when every month they have to determine, do I pay the utility bill or get some needed medication.

There is nothing "establishment" about working class or poor people. Bernie really needs to ceast and desist on this.

[NCProgressive]

30. He should have become a Democrat instead of going back to being an independent

He should have campaigned to get Democrats elected in 2018 instead of trying to primary established leaders.

He should have built bridges with the black community and championed their causes as well. Real leaders listen to constituents and modify their priorities and message instead of keeping on one's own priorities and hoping those will turn on the voters.

Another mistake - not opening his donor list to other Democrats and hogging that treasure for himself.

[Dawson Leery]

32. Young people are not voting.

This alone makes Bernie a losing candidate. The partisan base (college educated/ minorities/women) are the the ones voting.
Just look at Virginia.

[redstatebluegirl]

33. Then there are those of us who saw his antics up close and personal at the convention in 2016.

His people were HORRIBLE! They were degrading to any of us who did not agree with them. I was called "old lady" by a couple of them during a discussion about how the party really works. Of course in their minds this "old lady" was in their way. In the way of "progress" well damn, I guess marching for women's rights, against the war in Vietnam, the civil rights movement makes me in the way of progress.

He let his followers shoot him in the head, not the foot. I am so turned off by him that while I would have done what I always do and voted for the Democratic nominee, I would literally have to hold my nose to do it.

[cstanleytech]

34. I am not going to say nay nor yah to that list but in my personal opinion his mistake

was in his decision to leave the party after the 2016 election.
Had he remained a party member he probably could have built a good foundation upon which to win the nomination for the party so that is what turned out to be his achilles heel imo.

[lillypaddle]

36. Most of all

I resent the arrogance of BS in implying that anyone not voting for him is part of some establishment democratic conspiracy. And this is why I despise this man. The fact that he is being so shitty is another main reason. Hope he falls HARD.

[wyldwolf]

38. He isn't a Democrat and everyone knows it.

never underestimate party loyalty. Never.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

45. That has alot to do with it..that and bashing dems at every turn.

[Magoo48]

39. I'd think you'd rather be discussing the great things your guy is proposing.

Surly you must be excited about what he is proposing to help the disappearing middle class, the working poor, the poor and homeless, to reign in Wall Street corruption and 1% tax dodging.

[MissKat]

40. If only...

After Bernie had the heart attack, just imagine if he'd said, "I'm stepping out of the race, but I'm not worried, Elizabeth is capable."

That could've been the start...

Sadly, I believe Bernie's ego is too big.

[AdamGG]

41. 4. He never acknowledges that he would COMPROMISE with Congress to get parts of his agenda passed

Things may be better in Denmark, but Bernie is either delusional or not being honest if he thinks he could get his agenda through the Senate without major compromises. If he became President, he wouldn't have massive FDR/LBJ majorities to pass his programs. Obamacare (the Mitt Romney/Jack Kemp) health care plan barely squeaked through with some procedural wrangling when the Democrats had 59 Senate votes.

[bluedye33139]

49. The youth movement thing reminds me of the early '70s

Don't trust anyone over 30.

[Raggaemon]

54. Bernie's mistakes

Sadly it went over the heads of most of my white brothers & sisters in 2016 when a story on The Root explained, "Bernie has Cornell West problem", no one seemed to notice or care that West, who served with the Sanders team focused on black outreach, said on TV that president Obama is like "Rockefeller in black face" and even more hideous West went on CNN and called president Obama, "the first Niggerized president".

There was no push-back coming from the Sanders campaign, no one disavowed West's ugly remarks, there was never any distancing from West by Sanders, his silence was alarming, and it created the impression of compliance.

Bernie backers would ask " maybe Bernie didn't know about it?", OK ... then that would mean nobody was coordinating with surrogates when they gave interviews, and.... the buck stops with Bernie, this was a signal to me that his campaign was tin eared.

Bernie has the reputation among his colleagues as the guy " who doesn't play well with others", when he was seriously considering running against president Obama after democrats lost the House, at a low point for president Obama who was/is deeply beloved and revered, particularly with black voters, it rubbed lots of dems the wrong way, Bernie had to be talked down from following through, president Obama needed to feel that his party was with him, not Bernie, and Obama never forgot !

Bernie is telling his base that he's fighting on two fronts, against "the democratic party establishment" and against trump, does he understand that this isn't a way to build unity?, ... essentially he's prepping his base to revolt if he's not the nominee, to do like Nina Turner did in 2016 when she voted for Jill Stein.

[radius777]

59. Most Dem voters are center-left safety-net capitalists,

not socialists - that is what the progressive left doesn't get.

Voters do want reform and Bernie (and Warren) taps into this. But most voters want reform within the capitalist structure - not socialism or the abolishment of private healthcare etc.

Voters fear high taxes and don't believe it will just be 'on the rich'; Reagan killed us on this one issue.

[GulfCoast66]

60. Best answer here.

Democrats are not socialist.