On the afternoon before an Iowa Democratic Party dinner in July 2015, Bernie Sanders firmly gripped the podium at a press conference, and referred to himself as an “underdog.” He was closing the gap with Clinton in the polls — he had gone from being 40 points behind to almost 20 points behind. Sanders stood in front of a stained glass window, and the sunlight streaming in was so intense that the different colors in the glass blurred together.
“We are going to be outspent in this campaign, but I think people all over this country are responding to a very simple message and that is that it is not acceptable that the middle class is continuing to disappear,” he said to a room of mostly veterans in Cedar Rapids. One of the folks who stood behind Sanders in solidarity was the young veteran who had created “Veterans for Bernie.” He described the senator as “a candidate of a lifetime.”
Seventy-four-year-old Socialist Sanders was written off early by most pundits, yet grassroots groups like Vets for Bernie started popping up all over the country. He was suddenly gaining a large and passionate following. In the months that followed the Sanders campaign recognized that its biggest supporters were younger voters.
From: What went wrong (and right) for Bernie Sanders – CBS News
Sanders gave the Russians enough ammo to get Clinton out of the race (via the DNC hack, not directly).
Win, Lose, or change the fucking rules of the game.Report
So much for that theory. Bernie’s endorsed Hillary. It’s over.Report
What went right:
Sanders was the only other actual candidate in the primary. (O’Malley was a non-starter). As such, everyone who didn’t like Clinton AND everyone looking for a “upset to the status quo” (a big enough group, every primary. Dean, Edwards, etc) coalesced around him as the other choice.
What went wrong:
He’s a 70 year old socialist independent who registered Democratic just to run and whose staff and campaign never actually expected him to get further than “qualifying for the debate”.
He certainly made no provisions for outreach, his campaign seemed tailored more towards the people who elect him to Congress than the national Democratic base (his minority outreach was pitiful, for instance, for the longest time). Surprised by his own success, it appears.Report
I don’t think there was any doubt about that. He seemed totally uncommitted to campaigning until he tied in Ohio. Then he all of the sudden woke up.Report
What went wrong for Sanders was that the DNC was in the bag for Clinton from the start.Report
The fix was in, but it did not likely affect the outcome. In conjunction with other factors, it may have actually hurt HRC more than it helped.Report
I’m still pretty firmly of the opinion that in making HRC work for the nod Sanders helped both the party and HRC out enormously. His endorsement today closes the circuit, Bernie has done pretty well for himself, his ideals and the Dems (And HRC) would be right to be grateful to him by and large.Report
I like your world. It’s a great one. Pity it only exists in theory.
If only she would be grateful, we could all break out the champagne.
As it is… well, there are people you don’t vote for because they’re stupid.
There are people you don’t vote for because of character.
Occasionally, there are people you don’t vote for because they’re ill.Report
Did your cats tell you that?Report
I’ve mentioned that I do know someone who works for Hillary.Report
You know someone who does something for everyone my dear lady; a singularly vast, unprecedented and pervasive social network. I’ve pondered the meaning of this and I believe I have concluded that you talk to cats. Everyone has a cat, so I presume you are getting your inside info from those perfidious felines. Also, and I hate to say this, but judging by the info and insights you’re sharing I have a sneaking suspicion that everyone’s cats are collectively trolling you.Report
Mr Cups is going to spit out a wad of coversheets at you.
(No, I don’t expect you to get the joke. But I do expect half a dozen other people round here to.)
I post enough stuff around here that a good deal of people could verify that I do know some of the crap that I claim to.Report
Or your cat friends do…Report
Why is anyone surprised Bernie drank the kool aid? Warren already drank it.Report
Kool aid drinking is generally pitched as an irrational act. Bernie’s capitulation to reality is pretty much the opposite of that.Report
It was good fun though.Report