# Tell me again why Bernie Sanders isn't electable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 8, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014 "2015-06-08T22:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/41 "2015-06-10T17:07:18Z")
Of course, the actual point of the Sanders campaign is not to elect him but to push the Overton Window leftward, which needs doing. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/42 "2015-06-10T19:30:07Z")
Is America ready for a President who thinks the solution to childhood hunger is to [cut back on deodorants](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/26/sorry-bernie-sanders-deodorant-isnt-starving-americas-children/)? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/43 "2015-06-10T19:46:01Z")
It’s poorly phrased, but what Sanders is trying to say there is that an economy which has grown to support a vast number of brands all selling the same product is not a strong economy if childhood poverty, stagnating wages, and lousy job opportunities continue to be growing problems. Sanders is saying that increasing the GDP is not the only measure of the strength of our economy, and certainly not the measure that matters the most to our citizens. The real thrust of Sanders’ remarks there is in this quote: > [@](#): > > The whole size of the economy and the GDP doesn’t matter if people continue to work longer hours for low wages and you have 45 million people living in poverty. Sanders doesn’t actually care how many deodorant brands there are. He just thinks jiggering the economy to promote deodorant brand proliferation is a poor priority. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/44 "2015-06-10T20:08:25Z")
the lesser known candidates always have fans who are really pumped up . The problem is that there are not enough of those people to win an election. Perfect example was Ron Paul. His fans were super high on him. But their numbers were small. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/45 "2015-06-10T20:12:44Z")
If Sanders thinks anyone is jiggering the economy to promote deodorants, he is disqualified from serious consideration on that basis alone. If Bernie thinks the number of deodorants (or sneaker brands) has anything to do with childhood poverty, then, as would be expected from a socialist, he has no clue of how the economy actually works. We do not need another clueless economics illiterate in the White House. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/46 "2015-06-10T20:17:55Z")
running for president as a lesser candidate is probably fun. You get to fly around the country and eat good food and stay at fancy hotels while others pay the bills. And you get on TV and get to say whatever you want since you know you are not going to win . It has to be more fun that hanging out all the time in DC. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/47 "2015-06-10T20:22:03Z")
DC is a very nice place to live in, so long as you’re not expecting anything out of the government. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/48 "2015-06-10T20:23:43Z")
**Bijou** , you can do all that stuff with a book tour and not have to worry about people investigating your finances or that marijuana possession arrest you had in college. > [@Merneith](#): > > Sanders doesn’t actually care how many deodorant brands there are. He just thinks jiggering the economy to promote deodorant brand proliferation is a poor priority. _Do_ we jigger the economy to promote brand proliferation? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/49 "2015-06-10T20:24:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > If Sanders thinks anyone is jiggering the economy to promote deodorants… Somewhere in here is a great conspiracy theory, probably involving the French. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/50 "2015-06-10T20:34:57Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Somewhere in here is a great conspiracy theory, probably involving the French. Your ideas intrigue me, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter. Regards, Jerry Lewis ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/51 "2015-06-10T20:49:59Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > _Do_ we jigger the economy to promote brand proliferation? “We”? Not as such. The likes of Procter & Gamble? You betcha. Do our government’s policies support that? There’s a solid case for it. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/52 "2015-06-10T20:50:25Z")
Apart from the “socialist” thing… > **[Diane Rehm weirdly, and incorrectly, claims Bernie Sanders is an Israeli citizen](https://www.vox.com/2015/6/10/8761235/bernie-sanders-israeli)** > > "I got offended a little bit by that comment," Sanders said. REHM: Senator, you have dual citizenship with Israel. SANDERS: No, I do not have dual citizenship with Israel, I’m an American — don’t know where that question came from. I’m an American citizen. I have visited Israel on a couple of occasions. No, I’m an American citizen, period. … this came from a liberal wingnut talk show host on NPR Diane Rehm. ---
**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:** [June 10, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/53 "2015-06-10T20:53:14Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Apart from the “socialist” thing… > > [Diane Rehm weirdly, and incorrectly, claims Bernie Sanders is an Israeli citizen | Vox](http://www.vox.com/2015/6/10/8761235/bernie-sanders-israeli) > > REHM: Senator, you have dual citizenship with Israel. > > SANDERS: No, I do not have dual citizenship with Israel, I’m an American — don’t know where that question came from. I’m an American citizen. I have visited Israel on a couple of occasions. No, I’m an American citizen, period. > > … this came from a liberal wingnut talk show host on NPR Diane Rehm. Not sure what the point is except for that host being rather stupid. ---
**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:** [June 10, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/54 "2015-06-10T20:59:31Z")
Well, it’s a windmill for the Republicans to tilt at. Witty Obama managed to produce a birth certificate, but Sanders will never be able to prove he’s not a dual citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/55 "2015-06-10T21:02:44Z")
but if you have about 0% chance of winning , what do you care if they find out you smoked pot in college? These days almost everyone did that. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/56 "2015-06-10T21:04:22Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > We do not need another clueless economics illiterate in the White House. Tell us again how the economic stimulus is going to cause runaway inflation! That one never gets old! . ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/57 "2015-06-10T21:05:20Z")
We’re still waiting for the job creators to get motivated, too. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/58 "2015-06-10T21:05:40Z")
> [@The Great Sun Jester](#): > > Well, it’s a windmill for the Republicans to tilt at. Witty Obama managed to produce a birth certificate, but Sanders will never be able to prove he’s not a dual citizen. Again, Diane Rehm is a liberal NPR talk show host. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/59 "2015-06-10T21:12:31Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > We’re still waiting for the job creators to get motivated, too. Perhaps if we cut their taxes some more? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/60 "2015-06-10T21:13:15Z")
An Israeli citizen? He might win the _Republican_ primary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014.md?page=4)