# Bernie Withdraws **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 8, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349 "2020-04-08T15:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/221 "2020-04-09T21:28:32Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > So Biden will talk and talk and TALK about how supposedly wonderful his public option healthcare plan is, but because he will never lift a finger to pass it it will never come to pass and Democratic voters will be understandably demoralized and the party will be annihilated in 2022. With a likely Republican Senate, I’m still trying to figure out how either Biden or Sanders would get ANY major legislation passed or why he would be expected to in the face of total, uncompromising Republican resistance. To the extent it is possible, I think a Biden White House has a better shot at it than Sanders, who might be a better ally to have within the Senate itself than outside it trying to browbeat his former Republican Senate colleagues and/or have his planned fiat executive orders overridden by the federal courts. ETA: Liz Warren seems to have had realistic plans on how to deal with unyielding, uncompromising opposition, so I would hope Biden (or in an alternate reality Sanders) would take on those ideas, but I’m not really hopeful on that score, either. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/222 "2020-04-09T21:47:08Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > Count me as one of the Sanders supporters who will now reluctantly go to Biden. I do so with the full knowledge that he will not accomplish a single part of his agenda, because doing so would require a ruthlessly efficient steamroll-the-opposition mentality that Biden is incapable of possessing. Because Sanders’ own “ruthlessly efficient steamroll-the-opposition mentality” has been so effective in advancing his goals over his decades-long Senate career. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/223 "2020-04-09T21:48:19Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > It is believable, BTW, that Amy was promised a VP shot if she dropped out when she did - coming into the Minnesota primaries. Its also believable that Warren was told that she’d get all the backing possible for Senate Majority leader if she stepped down and Dems took the Senate. Just because you say it doesn’t make it credible (and doesn’t even rise close to “believable”). Quite the opposite in fact. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/224 "2020-04-09T22:03:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > They have feelings? Feelings, sure. To the point of weeping, though? That hasn’t been my experience. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/225 "2020-04-09T22:15:30Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > Talking about tax credits for health care is bad strategy. Well you got me, looks like I’m gonna vote for Trump or stay home, then eh? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/226 "2020-04-09T22:19:41Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Feelings, sure. To the point of weeping, though? That hasn’t been my experience. You can’t imagine that other people have different experiences? People cry over books and movies. People cry because they’re angry. Some people cry just because they’re tired. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/227 "2020-04-09T22:51:25Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Because Sanders’ own “ruthlessly efficient steamroll-the-opposition mentality” has been so effective in advancing his goals over his decades-long Senate career. A week ago the GOP wanted to pass a stimulus. Democrats blocked them until democratic agenda items were added. Extra oversight was added (which Trump is already trying to get around, but it was added) UI was expanded beyond the GOP senate bill Extra funding was added for minority groups Extra funding for health care frontliners etc Yes, that is ruthlessly efficient. Did the democrats get everything they wanted? No, but they stood up for themselves and fought for what they believe in. Biden won’t do that. Biden will let the republicans write the terms of the debate, and he will submissively give into those terms in the name of bipartisanship. Thats not bipartisanship. Ideally bipartisanship is the GOP fights like hell for what they believe in, then the democrats fight like hell, and hopefully something gets hammered out that both sides can agree on. But yes, sometimes groups need to be steamrolled. When LBJ passed the civil rights act, virtually no southern white politicians voted for it. And thats ok. The Obama/Biden definition of bipartisanship is the GOP fights like hell, so the democrats give up ground until the GOP stops fighting. Instead of meeting on the battlefield and fighting it out, Biden will retreat and retreat until the GOP realize they’ve won and don’t fight as much, then Biden will say how bipartisan he was. We’ve got 4-8 years of that to look forward to. Biden encouraging the democrats to abandon their voters and abandon their principles until the GOP realize they’ve won and don’t put up as much of a fight. This isn’t because Biden is a centrist either. Harris and Buttigieg are centrists too, and I don’t think they would do that as president. Its more of a Biden thing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/228 "2020-04-09T23:13:01Z")
> [@Monocracy](#): > > This is incorrect. Bernie says he is still seeking delegates and he wants people to vote for him in the upcoming primaries. He hasn’t really dropped out, he’s still up to the same old shenanigans so he can make another run in 2024. I’ll be surprised if he’s still alive in 2024, and if he is, that he’s even healthy enough to be in the Senate. Every time I saw him interviewed, etc. he was more and more bent over, which is never a good sign. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/229 "2020-04-09T23:28:03Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Yes but how many of those principles will Biden happily abandon because he values ‘bipartisanship’ more than getting things done? Realistically bipartisanship is Biden’s best chance to get things that require legislative action done. If Democrats do manage to eke out a slight Senate majority they probably do not have the votes to nuke the legislative filibuster. The odds of a supermajority are slim. A majority, even if it is just based on the VP tiebreaker vote, does open up budget reconciliation once a year.\* The likeliest possibility still seems to be a small Senate GOP majority. In that case, only things that are at least mildly bipartisan will get passed. Then there is the House. There are a lot of freshmen Reps that won slightly red leaning districts in 2018 while not arguing for impeachment. Some even argued against impeachment. That changed. In a presidential cycle, Biden needs to work to make sure normal coattails keeps them from losing in order to keep the House majority. He probably keeps it for at least that first 2 years but is not a given. The margin may still be reduced enough where he has issues with internal party conflict limiting what he can get through. Biden also has to know that the sitting president normally sees the House swing the opposite direction. The “Blue Wave” that brought in the current Democratic majority was a pretty normal sized swing for a midterm election. It was not particularly special. Biden has enough experience to know that there is a real chance he will see a wave against him and face a GOP majority in the House to finish his term. Biden having the freedom to legislate without some form of bipartisanship is IMO not very realistic. - Technically twice a fiscal year for budget reconciliation. There can be on appropriations and one revenue/taxation bill per year. Frequently that is one bill that does both. There can be two separate bills, though. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/230 "2020-04-09T23:51:12Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Realistically bipartisanship is Biden’s best chance to get things that require legislative action done. No, its the only chance to get the GOP platform done because that’s the only bipartisanship they are interested in. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/231 "2020-04-10T00:20:48Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Realistically bipartisanship is Biden’s best chance to get things that require legislative action done. > > If Democrats do manage to eke out a slight Senate majority they probably do not have the votes to nuke the legislative filibuster. The odds of a supermajority are slim. A majority, even if it is just based on the VP tiebreaker vote, does open up budget reconciliation once a year.\* The likeliest possibility still seems to be a small Senate GOP majority. In that case, only things that are at least mildly bipartisan will get passed. I’m not even talking about that. I’m talking about the democrats fighting with everything they have. Which Biden will not do. The republicans will bring a gun to a knife fight while Biden will bring cookies and milk. The president is going to need to use executive orders, reconciliation, and boxing the GOP into bad positions (like they did with the coronavirus stimulus, and like they tried to do with extending the Bush tax cuts) to get agenda items they want passed. Biden probably won’t use these tools. Instead he will let the GOP use all the tools at their disposal while the democrats use almost none, the GOP will write the terms of the debate, and ‘bipartisanship’ will mean the GOP gets 80% of what they want and the democrats get 20% if they are lucky. HOpefully, Pelosi will hold up another coronavirus stimulus unless the democrats get concessions like voting by mail. Voting by mail is not only smart and healthy during a pandemic, it increases voter turnout which increases democratic election victories. Knowing Biden, if he were president he’d give that agenda item up for nothing in return as a good faith concession. Its like when the ACA was being debated, the democrats gave up both single payer and a public option for nothing in return. Biden is weak and gullible. That isn’t because he is a centrist, its because he is Biden. Buttigieg was a centrist, and I don’t think he would do those things. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/232 "2020-04-10T00:23:18Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Feelings, sure. To the point of weeping, though? That hasn’t been my experience. Your experience isn’t especially relevant. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/233 "2020-04-10T00:56:17Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > HOpefully, Pelosi will hold up another coronavirus stimulus unless the democrats get concessions like voting by mail. Voting by mail is not only smart and healthy during a pandemic, it increases voter turnout which increases democratic election victories. Republicans have worked extremely hard to make it hard to vote because its the only chance they have, we’re going to be living in The Stand before they agree to vote by mail. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/234 "2020-04-10T01:28:43Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Feelings, sure. To the point of weeping, though? That hasn’t been my experience. It’s also a really shitty time for everyone right now. People are all stresed out, and just one thing, even something really small, can send you over the edge. Think like, you’ve had had a really bad day, just one thing after another, until finally just the tiniest thing, just breaking a glass, or spilling something, it’s just one thing too many. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/235 "2020-04-10T11:09:00Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > [snip] then Hillary is most likely the President in 2024 or 2028. > I think it makes a lot of sense. Wow, Baby Boomers really do think they’re immortal. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/236 "2020-04-10T13:22:06Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > The left has to decide how to respond now their compromise candidate has dropped out. First time I’ve ever seen Bernie described as a “compromise candidate”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/237 "2020-04-10T13:46:51Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Wow, Baby Boomers really do think they’re immortal. We are! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/238 "2020-04-10T13:49:05Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > No, just stop it. It makes no sense at all. Hillary shouldn’t be allowed within a time zone of the convention and should be exiled to an island with no internet for the rest of the campaign. Nothing against her personally, but she’s absolute election poison. (And yes, I know she won the popular vote in 2016. But she lost the election to the least qualified person ever to run.) Yeah, you may be right. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/239 "2020-04-10T15:06:57Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Money is on Kamilla Who’s Kamilla? ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/240 "2020-04-10T15:54:54Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Who’s Kamilla? Kamilla the Hun. Do keep up Omar. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349.md?page=13)