# Is it Biden versus Bernie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062 "2020-01-27T17:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/101 "2020-02-03T18:59:35Z")
In my understanding, Bernie actually does have a long record of legislative compromise – he just doesn’t compromise in his rhetoric. He did vote for the ACA, after all, along with plenty of other policies that were considered weak or unsatisfactory progress from the most progressive elements of the left. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/102 "2020-02-03T19:09:22Z")
For what it’s worth, I’ve listened to most of the hour + long recording that Lev Parnas released - the one where Trump tells him to get rid of the ambassador. He (Trump) talks about lots of other things candidly on tape, things that have gone unremarked by the press. One snippet that I found interesting was he talked about how it would be much harder to beat Bernie than it would a “normal” candidate. I’m pretty sure this happens at around the 50 minute mark, give or take 5-10 minutes but I’m not inspired to find it. But he definitely used the word “normal” . ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/103 "2020-02-03T19:15:27Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The dynamic you describe was exactly what I expected to happen with the trump campaign in 2016. I figured that as conventional pols dropped out that their support would flow to other conventional pols, leaving trump to fall behind despite retaining roughly the same percentage of voters. Needless to say, that’s not what happened. Democrats like to say that they’re smarter than Republicans. This is our chance to prove it. The difference is the primary structure for the delegates in the Democratic primaries. The Republicans have winner take all or winner take most primaries and makes it easy for someone to steamroll and rack up delegates while winning small pluralities. Democrats allocate delegates proportionally and it’s certainly not realistic to think that a Bernie is going to get 85% of the vote in a large state. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/104 "2020-02-03T19:35:33Z")
> [@Corry\_El](#): > > Democratic and Republican parties are pretty different in many ways but dissatisfaction with status quo or ‘establishment’ I think runs across the whole electorate. Also I don’t see something fundamentally different about Democratic and GOP politicians in terms of why they run (personal ambition, mainly): that runs across pretty much all political parties in all countries at all times. Meaning the ones other than Sanders will probably not be able to immediately agree which of them should face Sanders and all others drop out. Like in GOP case in 2016, if all candidates but Trump and one major ABT (Anybody but Trump) had dropped out as soon as Trump did well in opening contests things might have been different…but that’s unlikely in any party. The other contenders tend to stay in the race and battle the others to become the ABX candidate, meanwhile X keeps building momentum. > > Which is not to say Sanders is a shoo-in. Betting odds approximately 40% he’ll be nominee. I tend to think that’s not a massive mis-pricing. But that’s partly conditional on him doing as well as appears likely in IA/NH. If he does I think that prob goes well over 50%, but all the other major candidates but one will not spontaneously agree who should be the ABS, drop out and back that person. Has there ever been an election in which the electorate would say they’re satisfied with the status quo? I highly doubt it. Almost everyone thinks their taxes are too high, what they receive isn’t adequate, and that too much money is being spent on welfare queens, big banks, energy companies, or insert name of punching bag here. I don’t think anyone needs secret meetings to determine who will drop out to allow an anyone but sanders candidate. The money will start to dry up very quickly after a couple of bad performances. With Pete, he’s got a huge future ahead of him and can return to fight another day. I don’t see him going scorched earth to try to claw back after a 4th or low 3rd in IA/NH. Warren can always return to the senate and has to keep her eye on a possible primary challenge in 2024, there’s a deep bench in MA. Biden has SC in his back pocket but if he stumbles badly in IA/NH/NV and squeaks by in SC, he can always ride off into the sunset (as I’d wish he done) Could I be wrong? Yes. But I don’t think so. The most amazing thing about the 2016 race was that Bernie’s fundraising never let up even after the New York debacle which left him all but mathematically eliminated. I don’t think Biden/Buttigieg/Warren have that type of fervent support. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/105 "2020-02-03T19:51:35Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The most amazing thing about the 2016 race was that Bernie’s fundraising never let up even after the New York debacle which left him all but mathematically eliminated. I don’t think Biden/Buttigieg/Warren have that type of fervent support. I’m very hopeful that the Democratic party will figure out that this kind of fervent support is a _very good thing_, especially for a very progressive politician, and rather than be afraid of it, seek to try to capture and benefit from it. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/106 "2020-02-03T19:58:26Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > In my understanding, Bernie actually does have a long record of legislative compromise – he just doesn’t compromise in his rhetoric. He did vote for the ACA, after all, along with plenty of other policies that were considered weak or unsatisfactory progress from the most progressive elements of the left. Exactly. The difference between Bernie and other politicians is that if the best the legislative process can produce is a crap sausage, he’ll accept it rather than take nothing at all. But he won’t try to tell us it’s filet mignon in order to look like he’s “getting things accomplished”. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062/107 "2020-02-03T19:59:17Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Three questions: > \*Who among the Democratic candidates still in the race – or even those who were in the race two months ago – isn’t proposing going beyond Obamacare to a health insurance system with a robust public option and nobody left behind? Biden’s proposing a public option, but if Biden’s proposing a system where nobody gets left behind, I don’t see it. A public option helps, but it doesn’t fill nearly all the holes, AFAICT. > [@](#): > > \*Who other than Sanders and Warren is proposing absolutely abolishing private health insurance? AFAIK, they’re the only ones. I think that’s a mistake, btw, for the reason that your third question points out: many other developed countries have universal health care where private insurance plays a nontrivial role. My criteria: health care needs to be universal, cover everything that’s reasonably regarded as not elective, be easily affordable, and be SIMPLE for the consumer. On this last point, I mean that you shouldn’t have to worry about low or high deductibles, in or out of network, wide or narrow networks, you shouldn’t have to worry even about being covered or not: that part should be seamlessly handled between the government and your employer’s HR department. Health insurance shouldn’t be a headache that people have to spend time figuring out. That third question: > [@](#): > > \*How many of those developed countries have completely abolished private health insurers? I know off the top of my head that the UK and Germany have private health insurers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-biden-versus-bernie/847062.md?page=5)