# Obama's got 9 days to show some guts and save the republic **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 23, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393 "2020-02-23T15:09:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 15
**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:** [March 5, 2020, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/281 "2020-03-05T06:48:37Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Duuude. > > I’ll try one more time, but then I give up if you don’t, or won’t, get it. > > There were a number of “anti-Bernie” or “center-lane” candidates. Voters who didn’t want Bernie were scattered, spread thin, not sure who to unite behind. And some of them just liked Pete or Amy better than Joe, but if it was down to Joe or Bernie, they definitely weren’t picking Bernie. So by urging those other candidates to get out of the race, and by urging influential Democrats like Clyburn, Reid, and Beto to endorse Biden, Obama back-channeled additional support behind Biden to make him \*the \*guy. You weren’t addressing me, but this seems quite thin to me. Pete, Amy saw no path forward and bowed out. You see a conspiracy I guess? I’m not seeing it. Warren seems like someone who has no path who hasn’t bowed out (yet) and to me she’s the oddball, not Amy or Pete. And Amy and Pete endorsing Biden after bowing out is even less of a conspiracy – they’re moderates, so is Biden. Your view may have merit, but I’m not seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/282 "2020-03-05T07:40:05Z")
So there’s been this [Sanders ad editing and splicing together things](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/04/politics/fact-check-sanders-ad-obama/index.html) Obama has said about him in the past to give an impression of Obama giving Sanders high praise. > [@](#): > > Fact check: Bernie Sanders ad featuring praise from Obama leaves out important context Bloomberg’s ad that showed past Obama nice things said about him were somewhat misleading, but this sort of creative editing is a few steps worse beyond that. I was thinking that Obama would stay out of it until the nominee was decided, but I wonder if this disinformation play will push him to an actual Biden endorsement. And not sure why he’s trying to take on Bloomberg’s tactics but slimier when they failed for Bloomberg? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/283 "2020-03-05T08:21:16Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > You see a conspiracy I guess? I’m not seeing it. I wouldn’t use the word “conspiracy”, because it has a negative connotation. For Obama to exert some influence behind the scenes is a very positive use of his influence IMO. But your post also implies that I’m just reading tea leaves or guessing. I am going by what legitimate journalists are reporting. Do you believe they are making it up, that they don’t actually have well-placed sources as they say they do? Again, from the NBC News report I posted upthread: > [@](#): > > People close to Obama said the former president has been keeping close tabs on the race. They said the signal has been sent in the past 36 hours that he sees Biden as the candidate to back ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/284 "2020-03-05T08:29:28Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Duuude. > > I’ll try one more time, but then I give up if you don’t, or won’t, get it. > > There were a number of “anti-Bernie” or “center-lane” candidates. Voters who didn’t want Bernie were scattered, spread thin, not sure who to unite behind. And some of them just liked Pete or Amy better than Joe, but if it was down to Joe or Bernie, they definitely weren’t picking Bernie. So by urging those other candidates to get out of the race, and by urging influential Democrats like Clyburn, Reid, and Beto to endorse Biden, Obama back-channeled additional support behind Biden to make him \*the \*guy. It seems thin to me as well. Nobody needed to push Buttigieg or Klobuchar or Steyer out of the running; they were already pretty much dead. As recently as this weekend, Bloomberg was seen as Biden’s strongest competition for the mainstream Democratic vote. If there was secret maneuvering to help Biden, it would have involved getting Bloomberg to drop out before Tuesday. And as it turned out, that wasn’t necessary. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/285 "2020-03-05T22:00:50Z")
This isn’t about Bloomberg. Obama’s clout is with core Democrats: Bloomberg isn’t looking for a future role inside the party (and neither is Bernie for that matter). ETA: But why do people keep saying “it seems thin” as though it’s just speculation? NBC News is citing actual sources close to Obama! This is _reporting_, not just a theory. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/286 "2020-03-05T23:48:21Z")
Wow, MI’s governor endorsed Biden. That is a DAGGER into Bernie’s heart. The party decides! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393/287 "2020-03-11T02:07:16Z")
Tim Miller, whose advice was linked in the OP, wrote a followup piece tonight: > **[Democrats Are Better at This - The Bulwark](https://www.thebulwark.com/democrats-are-better-at-this/)** > > Seventeen days ago I sent up a flare to mainstream Democrats. Based on my experience trying and failing to stop Donald Trump in 2016, I warned that “barring a drastic change in the race, Bernie Sanders is going to be the presumptive Democratic... > [@](#): > > **Democrats Are Better at This** > \*Four years ago the Republican party rolled over for a populist charlatan. This year, the Democratic party fought back against their own populist—and won \* > > Seventeen days ago I sent up a flare to mainstream Democrats. Based on my experience trying and failing to stop Donald Trump in 2016, I warned that “barring a drastic change in the race, Bernie Sanders is going to be the presumptive Democratic nominee 11 days from now.” > Well, drastic change has come and Democratic primary voters were the change that they sought. > With his victories tonight in Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi, Joe Biden is set to be the nominee of the Democratic party—barring some unfathomable turn of events far more drastic than what was required 17 days ago. > How did it happen? How did the Democratic mainstream achieve what Republicans could not in 2016? > What were the antibodies, strategic choices, and circumstances that made them more able to defeat a populist insurgency? > Here’s how. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-got-9-days-to-show-some-guts-and-save-the-republic/848393.md?page=14)