# Democrats, would you have preferred a primary without Biden and Sanders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 25, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052 "2019-04-25T20:26:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/41 "2019-04-27T13:37:17Z")
I think that as a progressive leader in the broad sense, Bernie Sanders is great. He’s forcing this country to rethink how it thinks about its relationship with government and how we look at economics. But the idea of Bernie as a president concerns me greatly. I fear he would be the stereotypical clumsy liberal who couldn’t run a profitable lemonade stand. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/42 "2019-04-27T13:59:52Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > > > Putting on my pure political analysis hat and setting all partisanship aside, …{snip}… another couple so far to the left who not only won’t play in Peoria, but will seriously piss off Peoria > > Couldn’t help yourself, could you? 😃 It was indeed non-partisan political analysis, albeit not phrased quite as well as it could have been – but then, I am an incurable wiseass. The statement: “two so far to the left as to alienate voters in much of the old Democratic working-class base”, is somewhat more appropriate, but means essentially the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/43 "2019-04-28T02:51:33Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Since we’re watching the current nitwit descend into senile dementia before our very eyes, I’d prefer it if the fossils would realize that their time is long gone and fade away into the K-T boundary with the rest of their kind. Alas, that is not to be and if they’re called upon I’ll vote for the doddering Democrats. But from the 2018 election it’s obvious that the old guard is on its way out in the Democratic Party, so I’m curious to see how this plays out. I think Bernie is relying on a youth vote that may be moving on from him. And Biden _certainly_ will have issues getting the youth vote. Why would Biden worry about the youth vote when he’s already got a significant percentage of the senior citizen vote? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/44 "2019-04-28T03:12:35Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I am not keen on Sanders’ age. He seems pretty spry for his age but still… > > Biden I worry will lock-up the DNC ala Clinton. Although, given what a shit show that was last time I expect they’d be more circumspect this time around. > > Biden is also older than I’d prefer. I came here to say essentially the same thing from start to finish. Plus, a lot can happen between now and then, and there is no guarantee that any of them will still be in the running by the time all this goes down. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/45 "2019-04-28T05:35:24Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Interesting… > > Curious if you think the primaries should simply be vote for who you like or if game theory should be applied to avoid milquetoast candidates? I think generally voting for one’s preferred candidate works in weeding out milquetoast candidates unless the other candidates are so corrupt, unpopular, insane, or otherwise unfit that a competent milquetoast one is preferable. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052/46 "2019-04-30T18:53:03Z")
I like them both because they’ve got solid congressional chops and their knowledge of processes and personnel will be useful in rebuilding the government. But they’re old white men, a demographic for leadership that is falling out of favor with the Democratic base. Sanders especially is too progressive for the office. We need progressives in congress where they can champion that agenda. The presidency needs to be occupied by someone, a moderate, who can garner support from both parties, and maybe sell progressive goals in conservative-pleasing terms. I think them being in the race is too much of a distraction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-would-you-have-preferred-a-primary-without-biden-and-sanders/833052.md?page=2)