Is there a Sanders supporter who can offer some reasonable justification for Bernie remaining in

[Atticus]

the race if, as now looks all but certain, he loses by a landslide in all 3 of today's primary elections?

Please no Sirota-style BS avalanches. Just make some sense of prolonging this if you can.

[George II]

1. Good luck getting an answer. I've been asking that since Saturday...crickets.

[Demsrule86]

3. I have heard from some of them...let everyone vote...same old same old.

Total BS.

[Legends303]

2. I think Biden should make start making concessions to Sanders

Bernie has the energy of the young people on his side and we will not win without them in the general.

[frazzled]

4. He's not winning with them in the primaries

So I think we need to move onto the next explanation.

[wyldwolf]

6. "Bernie has the energy of the young people on his side"

[Demsrule86]

7. All the more reason for Sanders to get out...and he needs to concede to Biden. And as for enthusiasm

they don't turn out for Sanders...we have to hope some will vote against Trump and we can make the voter base larger as Biden has been doing.

[Docreed2003]

8. Concessions were made right and left in 2016, and how'd that turn out

Cornell West, who represented sanders and helped form the platform, turned around and supported Stein!!

[dalton99a]

37. +1.

[NCProgressive]

9. We proved that they don't show up to vote

If they wouldn't show up for Bernie, they won't show up for Biden either.

[Sunlei]

72. I think we can expect about 18% of the youngest to actually vote D in general election.

This primary it's been about 12 percent, those new voters just don't turn out in huge numbers in America.

[NCProgressive]

75. Then they shouldn't demand drastic policy changes from the majority

[Sunlei]

77. I think some "old people" want faster progressive change too.

Wouldn't it be a better America with age 50 and above on medicare insurance? This can be very possible in two years even with a President Biden.

[NCProgressive]

79. Medicare for all is dead

Move on

[Sunlei]

85. no its not dead, it may be M4 over age 50 within two years but that dogs not gonna ever die.

ACA will at the minimum RE-ADD the provision for medicare for over age 50 at the minimum with a D president.

[NCProgressive]

89. Public option added to ACA will accomplish that

which is Biden's plan. It is called "Medicare who want it"

Like I said, move on.

[questionseverything]

109. is part of party platform

https://www.stabenow.senate.gov/news/senator-stabenow-announces-medicare-at-55-act

She reintroduced it as Medicare at 50:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s470

[Doodley]

88. Sanders tearing down the man who will be facing Trump in November is not going to accomplish that.

[Sunlei]

94. He's not tearing him down, Bidens a strong man and is willing to debate.

[sheshe2]

107. Two years?

Those 65 plus years of age will be dead from the Coronavirus. How about we address that right now! He failed to address that the other night and went into his stump speech of Medicare for all.

He was asked a simple question and failed.

[sheshe2]

11. Actually we will.

We have the black vote and the elder vote. Stats tonight show Sanders can't even rally the youth vote.

[BlueIdaho]

12. That's just not true.

[NCProgressive]

82. What is not true?

[IluvPitties]

14. Biden won. Bernie is getting brutalized out there!

What concessions are you talking about?

[Thekaspervote]

15. That youth vote energy of which you speak..6% on ST, 7% on ST2. So no, no concessions to

sanders. The Dems did that in ‘16 and they still didn’t vote.

Biden has already said he would be adopting some of Warren’s ideas on bankruptcy and sanders ideas on student loan debt

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

45. Exactly. Clear policy concessions to progressives from Biden...

and no policy concessions I can see from Sanders. Just more of the same. Still running negative ads.

[stonecutter357]

17. lol fail !

[itsrobert]

20. Young people at the polls

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. What young people? The ones who aren't voting, as usual?

[Aquaria]

32. I think not.

Losers don’t dictate terms to winners. Especially not losers who couldn’t win even a single county in multiple states.

You want people to listen to you?

Show that you have voter support for what you’re selling.

At least Hillary had big wins under her belt in 2008.

[Walleye]

33. An energetic vote doesn't count any more than than an indifferent one

[TwilightZone]

35. If we had some indication that those young people would show up, it would help.

Unfortunately, we don't. We've been hearing the same thing for five years, and it has yet to materialize.

[FM123]

49. Maybe yes maybe no

Here in my state of FL - there was no school this entire week during early voting and for Tuesday - high school kids that are 18+ and college age kids could have cast ballots for Bernie if they wanted. They didn't.

[Vogon_Glory]

50. Youthful, energetic campaign staffers aside

If Bernie’s campaign has as much of the youthful energy that you imply it does, his young voter totals would not only have matched Bernie’s youthful turnout of 2016, it should have SURPASSED it by at least 200 percent.

So why did Bernie have FEWER youthful voters this primary season? Where did they go? Where they even there?

I hate sounding like a cranky old grandpa, butI’m still an old fart who can operate a calculator and crunch numbers.

[TexasTowelie]

53. If the young people did not show up to vote for Bernie in the primary,

then why would we believe they would show up for the general election?

[BuddhaGirl]

58. The young people love to go to his rallies

Last edited Tue Mar 17, 2020, 10:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Kind of like they love to to go to concerts and music festivals.

They're on board with his ideas. But then they don't show up to vote for him. So how committed are they?

[Maru Kitteh]

70. You mean the ones he can't even turn out right now?

[ecstatic]

87. I don't think it's about that for Sanders

He will concede when his donors/handlers give him the OK to concede and not a moment sooner.

[Tweedy]

90. Senator Sanders has some of our youth

But not nearly enough obviously.

We still need to work harder to attract our young folks if their vote share is going to be remotely close to 2012, much less 2008.

Joe Biden has already adopted Senator Sanders free college notion. Senator Sanders barely acknowledged this.

[emmaverybo]

102. The young people did not come out for him. They didn't vote. If Biden makes concessions to

Bernie’s unrealistic plans, he will lose votes. The majority of Dems don’t want his agenda. They voted for Joe as will independents and disenchanted Republicans. Bernie lost all counties in SIX
states.

The revolution has been rejected.

[DURHAM D]

5. He has to stay in so his family members can keep

getting a pay check.

[Aquaria]

36. And his nutbag "advisers" too.

[Sunlei]

61. I wish you'd listen to Joe Biden more often.

"Winning means uniting America. Not sowing more division and anger."

Biden 3/3030

[Sunlei]

54. so you're not really undecided because you only have one choice left?

you are going to vote D aren't you?

[Doodley]

92. Is Sanders a Democrat right now or not? I can never remember if he is in the party now or not.

[Sunlei]

96. oh that's an old line. You do understand what a spoiler is?

*The spoiler effect is the effect of vote splitting between candidates or ballot questions who often have similar ideologies. One spoiler candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate with similar politics, thereby causing a strong opponent of both or several to win*

[Doodley]

99. Does this sound like a spoiler? One who spends more time attacking an ally during battle

than he spends attacking the enemy.

[Sunlei]

103. no it doesn't, it sounds like a circular firing squad attacking a part of the D party.

night night, I have a 7am client to meet and need my sleep!

[Doodley]

104. Sleep tight.

[Shermann]

10. Blanket press coverage for the Democratic message?

[NCProgressive]

13. No concessions to Bernie and no deal at all

We need all the centrist independent and republican votes - they vote more reliably than the unicorn hunters.

Biden will lose them all if he moved left and may get the socialist label.

[Skya Rhen]

29. +1000

[Sunlei]

63. I call that Biden or bust, we need to love them both-they are both on our team

Thank the Gods Biden has always been a good listener.

[NCProgressive]

76. They lost the election and got 2 things

the bankruptcy bill and free college in public institutions in their state.

They are a small minority and should go along with Biden because trump is certainly not going to give them ANYTHING.

Extortion is not usually rewarded.

[Sunlei]

83. what makes you think any real D will vote for republicans, much less for the conman president.

[NCProgressive]

84. Because it happened before when they were conned

by the likes of Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore, David Sirota, Nina Turner and others

[Sunlei]

91. now you're after Michael Moore too! The Clintons have him over for dinners.

If the Clintons can support the big tent for all democratic voters we can too!

[NCProgressive]

95. yawn

[Sunlei]

98. good night and sleep well & please vote for the D party!

[SBoy]

16. He should stay in just to piss off all you Biden supporters (just kidding)

I think he should stay in to accumulate as many delegates as possible to maximise the ability to influence the Party Platform. It also will require VP Biden to stay alert and on message to sharpen his abilities to take on Trump.

[stonecutter357]

18. cool story bro !

[SBoy]

22. Do you really have to stomp on me and gloat in Victory?

[Atticus]

25. Would it have helped if he'd have added a parenthetical "just kidding"? nt

[stonecutter357]

26. Yes !

[femmedem]

74. Sorry you got stomped on. The OP asked for a reason and you politely supplied one.

I do hope Sanders will drop out now. My state's primary hasn't happened yet and those of us who don't get absentee ballots will be facing a choice about whether or not to literally risk death to vote.

But I've been passionate about candidates who didn't win. I've knocked doors for them. Heck, I've run for office and lost by less than two dozen votes. Anyone who doesn't understand your disappointment and respect your engagement is ... well, the politest thing I can say is don't let them get you down because their snarky anonymous comments aren't worth it.

[DURHAM D]

19. Just like he did in 2016? nt

[SBoy]

21. He made 39 campaign appearances for HRC

He will be a team player when it’s needed.

[Aquaria]

44. And how many days were there between the convention

And the election?

And he only managed 39 appearances?

While doing zilch for down-ticket races.

Color me unimpressed.

[Atticus]

24. So, you agree Biden will be the nominee? nt

[SBoy]

28. Yes he will

[Atticus]

51. I understand the purpose of having a primary to be the selection of our

party's presidential nominee---period. Accumulating delegates for the sole purpose of forcing his views into the party platform smells like blackmail: "Do it my way or I'll 'support' you with the same "enthusiasm" I showed for Hillary."

[sop]

105. As soon as Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, Harris, et al realized it was over for each of them,

they ended their candidacies and endorsed the most likely winner. That's what Democrats do in primaries. Still, against all odds, Sanders doggedly hangs in there, going on and on about thirty-year-old senate votes, Joe's billionaire donors and M4A, his supporters constantly attacking Biden all over the internet.

Everyone else, including the most moderate centrists, promised to support Bernie, no questions asked, if he won, because that's the only way Sanders could beat Trump in the general. But, too may Bernie supporters can't see their way clear to return the favor. Hell, they didn't even want to vote for their own guy when they had the chance.

Now Biden is supposed to bend over backwards to placate the Bernie left, folks who might not even turn out in November, no matter what concessions are made. In the process, Joe risks losing moderate Republican voters who might vote for a Democrat simply because they're finally sick and tired of Trump's divisive BS.

[Gothmog]

31. What happened to sanders' magical voter revolution?

Link to tweet

[treestar]

62. Wow

more voters now with the virus than in 2016!

[Maru Kitteh]

73. Holy eff. I never would have guessed that. nt

[SiliconValley_Dem]

34. Nope.

[TwilightZone]

39. The number of delegates Sanders has at the end will be irrelevant.

They don't translate into bargaining power when one candidate out-delegates the other by 1,000 delegates.

[Aquaria]

40. That dog won't hunt this time.

The party platform has always been plenty liberal enough. For those who bothered to read the damned thing.

The voters have spoken, and they don’t want what he’s selling.

No concessions to sore losers.

[betsuni]

81. The number of Sanders supporters who have no idea that a $15 minimum wage and

a public option and Medicare at 55 ACA and the words "health care is a right, not a privilege," along with campaign finance reform, making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, etc., is in the platform is very high. Sometimes if you tell them, they still don't believe it, and it seems like some sort of rule that it is forbidden to look upon the platform with their own eyes. I guess if you get it in your head that both parties are the same except for a few "identity politics" things, you CAN'T accept reality, you'd have to change all your opinions.

[Walleye]

41. His message is sharp enough to beat Sanders

[sheshe2]

47. Bwahahahaha.

Influence the party platform, like West....his surrogate Corny West went off to vote for Jill Stein. The great guy that called Obama a house N*gger. Bernie himself wanted to primary Obama. Lol~

SBoy
16. He should stay in just to piss off all you Biden supporters (just kidding)

I think he should stay in to accumulate as many delegates as possible to maximise the ability to influence the Party Platform. It also will require VP Biden to stay alert and on message to sharpen his abilities to take on Trump.

Nah. We don't really need Stein voters at all, nor those that sat it out. They made their decision last go around and now we have tRump.

I vote blue, always.

PS...I don't think you are kidding at all.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

57. The man has been in Congress for THIRTY YEARS.

If he hasn't yet been able to "influence the Party Platform" by now, I seriously doubt his staying in the race can accomplish that.

And don't expect trumpie to tolerate ANY debates.

[treestar]

60. It might keep his voters

More attached to him for longer, and make it more and more likely, with time, to write him in, vote third party, vote for Dotard, or not vote.

[Happy Hoosier]

67. Do you think he should continue attacking? NT

[brush]

108. "...to sharpen his abilities to take on Trump"?

Are you kidding? Guess you haven't listened to that fat, lying, hardly-on-top-of-anything, dotard lately?

I doubt that blowhard will agree to a debate after he saw what Biden did to Sanders in their debate.

[ehrnst]

114. So Biden can't "stay alert and on message" without Sanders getting more delegates?

[polichick]

115. ++

[dsc]

23. Buttigieg gave up a very real chance to finish third in the primaries

with only one gay mecca having voted in order to help the party. Seeing Sanders utter, complete, and total selfishness is nothing short of infuriating to me.

[Frances]

64. Agree

Sanders is too much like Trump IMO
They are both all about themselves

[Aquaria]

30. This should be entertaining.

[Sunlei]

38. because everyone(every state) should have their chance to vote in the primary

I voted super Tuesday.

[Walleye]

42. Why?

[Sunlei]

52. Because there are votes to count and delegates to assign based on votes.

Why not? why would you want to dismiss about 30 percent of the D voters before they even had a chance to cast their votes?


This is why great people like Obama are totally silent because they also know "why"

[Walleye]

56. We are voting as a party to pick a nominee to beat trump

Not to express our feelings

[Sunlei]

69. I vote in primary with my heart/feelings. If Biden wins he will have my vote in GE

I'm a progressive, I want faster progressive change. I love Biden and Sanders

[Walleye]

80. I love all the folks on DU. Just don't get their reasoning sometimes.

[treestar]

65. There are downballot races

Some may have a primary.

Everyone in later states is in the same boat. Even Biden voters are not needed after a certain point.

[Atticus]

59. Please reread the OP. I said "reasonsble". nt

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

43. "reasonable justification" ?

There is no "reasonable justification" for Sanders to stay in the race.

[zackymilly]

46. House #4. n/t

[Frasier Balzov]

48. Beating Trump has been assured by the pandemic and the crash.

Bernie should stay in to advocate for his vision of a post-Trumpian world.

There is no risk or downside to it.

[Atticus]

68. I honestly just have no idea how to respond to this. nt

[brush]

106. No, we need to win down-ticket, too. He needs to suspend...

and use his considerable war chest and mailing list to help unify the party and win the Senate.

Enough of the selfish egotism.

[TheFarseer]

55. No idea what he is doing

He’s just going to look foolish if this goes on much longer.

[zz-la]

66. Yes!

Sanders represents the last remnants of the true progressive wing of the Democratic party, and as such he speaks for a large continent of Democrats who otherwise have no voice and have seen their issues and concerns largely ignored and only used as a prgamatic bargaining tool to further a corporatist Democratic agenda run by large wealthy PAC's and Corporations. If Biden is truly worthy of the nomination then let him prove it. The longer Sanders remains in the race, the more concessions he can draw from Biden, and while it may be insignificant to some of you: a higher minimum wage and COL adjustment as well as expanding Medicare are issues worth fighting for.

[Atticus]

71. I am tempted to ask what "large continent" these Democrats are on, but will pass on that

and simply remind you that I did specifically request "no Sirota-style BS avalanches".

Is that all you've got?

[SunsetDreams2]

93. Who knew

Vermont was a continent

[Walleye]

86. Bernie doesn't represent any wing of the Democracy Party, he's an Independent

[OrlandoDem2]

101. Biden should start focusing on the general election. No more debates.

He can balance uniting the party, attracting all Democrats, and focusing on Trump. He can ignore Bernie and so all of the above simultaneously.

[ehrnst]

110. What "wealthy PACs and corporations?"

Can you name them?

[Hoyt]

78. Ask the last WWII Japanese soldier to surrender on Guam in 1972.

[Doodley]

97. I feel sorry for Sanders. As a socialist I agree on most of what he says policy-wise.

But all that he is going to do by staying in, is to lose more and more respect. He will be seen as a bad loser, a spoiler and a divider by continually attacking Biden. His poll numbers will continue to go down as Biden's goes up. And when Sanders eventually drops out, I think his reputation will be in tatters.

[betsuni]

100. I am very disappointed in all the establishments, billionaires, 1%, oligarchs, corporatists,

the donor class, coastal elites, wealthy lobbyists, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Wall Street, the corporate media conglomeration, the DNC, Third Way ... did I leave anyone out? ... that Bernie says have stopped at nothing to defeat him. Stopped at nothing, eh? I don't think so. He's still in the race. Come on, all these supernaturally powerful organizations and people out to get him and it ends up being the voters (the people, as in power to; speaking truth to power) who do the most to stop him? Embarrassing, like when the Wicked Witch of the West melts when accidentally splashed with water. What a world.

[2golddogs]

111. Remaining in...

I’ve been wondering, at what point is it a mathematical impossibly? I assume it isn’t now, but would one more Super Tuesday-type Election Day do it?

[USALiberal]

112. Why would they even respond based on the hatred here?

[Gothmog]

113. Candidates who has dropped out (others) are leading Bernie Sanders in Florida.

Link to tweet