# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/101 "2020-04-08T20:19:04Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > It’s highly misleading to trot out this 30 trillion dollars figure for M4A without comparing it to the cost of the status quo. Medicare for All raises taxes, but it saves money overall because it eliminates premiums. If it doesn’t have a $30 trillion price tag then the point is moot. But the fact is that there is no consensus on this among experts of all political stripes. [Cite](https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/sep/13/cost-medicare-all-sticker-shock-or-bill-relief/). I think healthcare is a right and for profit healthcare is immoral and want our system to emulate better ones in other countries. But it’s naive to think that it will magically fix everything. It could very well cost more - and be worth every penny. Or it could cost less. Those big numbers are scary but that doesn’t mean we should be scared - or that they are inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/102 "2020-04-08T20:21:54Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > No-one cares what you think. It was obnoxious. I doubt you’ll ever understand why, but that doesn’t matter. Nothing hinges on your understanding. But my words will make or break the election? Make up your mind: Either I wield the power to change minds and votes or nothing I say matters. If it’s the former, by golly, I voted for Bernie in the 2016 primary. If it’s the latter, then who cares what I say? Why do you care? Your motivation is just to complain? Okay then. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/103 "2020-04-08T20:24:09Z")
> [@Fugazi](#): > > And yet you seem determined to alienate Bernie supporters. That can do nothing but hurt Biden and help Trump. Does your hatred of “Shitbag Sanders” outweigh your desire to see Trump gone? Yeah, Dale isnt helping. Look, I admire Sanders for his great ideas, even if not always practical. What I hated what his constant negative attacks on Biden and others. Sanders is a idea man. We should listen to his ideas and think of ways his ideas could be made practical. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/104 "2020-04-08T20:25:44Z")
OK, that’s enough, people. I know this is an ‘emotions run high’ moment for many of you (on both sides). I concede that. But the personal cracks about other posters will stop. And it’ll stop now. I hope that’s clear. I’d hate to boot several of you from P&E for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/105 "2020-04-08T20:26:35Z")
Give him a cabinet position. Maybe a secretary. He’s a great politician, but he wouldn’t win. Glad he’s out of the race. ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/106 "2020-04-08T20:27:37Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > But my words will make or break the election? > > Make up your mind: Either I wield the power to change minds and votes or nothing I say matters. > > If it’s the former, by golly, I voted for Bernie in the 2016 primary. > If it’s the latter, then who cares what I say? Why do you care? > > Your motivation is just to complain? Okay then. I’ve got better things to do than explain the most basic elements of human interaction, tact, and common decency to someone who is determined not to listen. And, again, you don’t have to understand _why_ what you said was obnoxious, because nobody cares whether you understand anything or not. All you have to do is accept that people who know better than you agree that it was. You can then choose to either keep being obnoxious, or to refrain from being obnoxious. And if you can’t tell the difference then perhaps it’d behoove you to stop speaking altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/107 "2020-04-08T20:42:33Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Now we find out if Bernie means it when he says he’ll support Biden. Will he support him by not tearing him down or will he support him actively out on the trail stirring up his group of voters. Unfortunately at this point we don’t know how much of a trail there will be. > [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > See, there’s this thing called voting. Voting? Yeah that’s something other people get to do. My primary was going to be in June and now probably July. I never get a say in who is running for president. I have to live with whoever gets picked by other parts of the country. > [@Manwich](#): > > Maybe Bernie as VP or at least start supporting government healthcare for all Americans. > > Something to help Biden stand out from Trump. Oh god no not VP. Can we please have someone under 80? It’s moot anyway since Biden will pick a woman. > [@Locrian](#): > > Give him a cabinet position. Maybe a secretary. He’s a great politician, but he wouldn’t win. Glad he’s out of the race. Bernie is an ideologue. No way he will take a cabinet post and work for Biden pushing his agenda. He would much rather be independent on the floor of the senate spouting off in front of a camera in an empty chamber. I have no doubt he will be behind Biden against Trump but he will never work for him. ---
**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 8, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/108 "2020-04-08T20:42:39Z")
Might run afoul of just noticed mod note. ---
**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 8, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/109 "2020-04-08T20:46:11Z")
Sanders supporters in general: Why not vote for the candidate from the party upon whose coattails Bernie was riding? I mean, if pretending to be a Democrat was good enough for Bernie… ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/110 "2020-04-08T20:53:58Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > I’ve got better things to do than explain the most basic elements of human interaction, tact, and common decency to someone who is determined not to listen. And, again, you don’t have to understand _why_ what you said was obnoxious, because nobody cares whether you understand anything or not. All you have to do is accept that people who know better than you agree that it was. You can then choose to either keep being obnoxious, or to refrain from being obnoxious. And if you can’t tell the difference then perhaps it’d behoove you to stop speaking altogether. Because your post was two minutes after my Mod Instruction I’m going to assume you didn’t see it. But keep it civil from this point forward. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/111 "2020-04-08T21:43:09Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Sanders supporters in general: Why not vote for the candidate from the party upon whose coattails Bernie was riding? I mean, if pretending to be a Democrat was good enough for Bernie… It’s this kind of attitude which I’m sure is going to endear lots of Bernie voters to vote for essentially a status quo candidate who looks like he has early onset dementia. You’re the United States, and you’re electing the equivalent of Constantin Chernenko to the position of President. You’re terrified of structural change without realising that by putting it off you’re just slowly running the US into the ground. Thanks boomers. ---
**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 8, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/112 "2020-04-08T22:03:19Z")
It is now a choice between two people. Easy, right? Especially considering that one of the people is from the same ticket that Bernie rode. Easy. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/113 "2020-04-08T22:23:23Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > It is now a choice between two people. Easy, right? Especially considering that one of the people is from the same ticket that Bernie rode. Easy. Yeah easy, easy voting for someone who’s basically a veneer for vested interests, voting for someone who stripped bankruptcy protections for students and families, it’s almost as if you’re more afraid of Bernie than you are of Trump. The “I’m all right Jack” Boomer mentality is alive and well in the democratic party, don’t be surprised if you lose again to Trump in November. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/114 "2020-04-08T22:26:46Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > It is now a choice between two people. Easy, right? Especially considering that one of the people is from the same ticket that Bernie rode. Easy. One of Heinlein’s avatars (I think it was in Stranger in a Strange Land, which would make it Jubal Harshaw) said something to the effect that the difference between “bad” and “worse” is more significant than the difference between “good” and “better.” True in this case, except that, as I texted to my daughter, in this case it’s a difference between “meh” and “pukingly horrible.” ---
**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 8, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/115 "2020-04-08T22:38:00Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > … it’s almost as if you’re more afraid of Bernie than you are of Trump. > > … Bernie’s not running anymore. Trump is. Easy. This should be a landslide, but it may not be because people that yesterday supported a candidate on the Demcratic ticket, today won’t support the Democrat. So point fingers all you want about Trump winning again. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/116 "2020-04-08T22:44:37Z")
I met some former Bernie 2016 people on the Pete campaign. The questions we asked them were: What worked? What didn’t work? What would you have improved on? I think such a conversation could be useful. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/117 "2020-04-08T23:04:49Z")
Rule #1: Never Vote for the Greater of Two Evils. Tattoo that on your eyeballs if you have to, but never stop thinking it. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/118 "2020-04-08T23:34:01Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Bernie’s not running anymore. Trump is. Easy. > This should be a landslide, but it may not be because people that yesterday supported a candidate on the Demcratic ticket, today won’t support the Democrat. So point fingers all you want about Trump winning again. Trump won primarily as a protest against the Dems and the Reps establishments ignoring voters concerns for too long, and your idea of a remedy of this is Joe Biden, a guy who has early on set dementia and who has really no real or original ideas to fundamentally change the system which has let so many people down. This is typical of the Boomer mentality, it’s all _“Me me me me me”_ You expect people to just vote for Biden because Trumps bad, how about voting for Biden because he’s going to placate the left base in the Democratic party and adopt some of their policies? ---
**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 8, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/119 "2020-04-08T23:43:13Z")
So are you voting for Trump, or against? There are two choices here. This is easy. ---
**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 8, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349/120 "2020-04-08T23:45:37Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > [Regression toward the mean](https://fs.blog/2015/07/regression-to-the-mean/) > > That this is what we’ve come to says a lot more about the culture of the country as a whole and the divisions within it than it does about the relative competencies of the candidates. Elizabeth Warren was smart, articulate, educated, experienced, personable, and met questions and challenges to how she’d govern with detailed plans and policy statements. Somehow, this made her “unelectable”. Go figure. > > Stranger I support this post. Warren was absolutely the best candidate in terms of how ably and competently she would have governed. She’s a terrier at good policy while still being able to both work within organizations as well create good organizations that will execute good policy. Was she good a candidate? Apparently not good enough, but that doesn’t speak to how well she would have governed which IMO is excellently. That said: Biden or bust now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-withdraws/851349.md?page=7)