# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/61 "2015-06-10T21:15:37Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > 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. Exactly. Sanders is like Ron Paul for liberals. ---
**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, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/62 "2015-06-10T21:16:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > An Israeli citizen? He might win the _Republican_ primary. He is not. But with the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left, Rehm will not be the only liberal wingnut “just asking questions”. ---
**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, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/63 "2015-06-10T21:17:10Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left Say what? ---
**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, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/64 "2015-06-10T21:20:19Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > He is not. But with the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left… Riiiight. ---
**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, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/65 "2015-06-10T21:24:16Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > He is not. But with the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left, Rehm will not be the only liberal wingnut “just asking questions”. Those types of leftists (which really are mostly annoying college SJW tumblrista types or unreconstructed Marxists) are both very small in number and hate virtually every other mainstream candidate more-especially the “neoliberal warmonger corporate whore” Hillary Clinton. ---
**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, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/66 "2015-06-10T21:30:31Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > But with the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left . . . :rolleyes: This wouldn’t have anything to do with Israel, would it? ---
**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:** [June 10, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/67 "2015-06-10T21:33:07Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > He is not. But with the virulent anti-Semitism infecting the left, Rehm will not be the only liberal wingnut “just asking questions”. And they are also virulently anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, anti-women, anti-gay, anti-science, and anti-sane. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/68 "2015-06-10T21:52:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > We do not need another clueless economics illiterate in the White House. > > Regards, > Shodan Agreed. George W. Bush filled that role quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/69 "2015-06-10T22:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Shodan** : > > 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. That’s Sanders’ point exactly: Everyone else thinks there’s a link, and so point to a proliferation of brands as evidence of prosperity, even though it doesn’t actually decrease childhood poverty. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/70 "2015-06-10T22:38:13Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > :rolleyes: This wouldn’t have anything to do with Israel, would it? Well, yes. See the Left has always had this endearing habit of siding with the downtrodden underdogs. For millennium the Jewish people were downtrodden underdogs. For decades Israel was a downtrodden underdog. But now the Palestinians are downtrodden underdogs. So the Left now naturally sides with the Palestinians vs Israel. Some confuse that with being Anti-Semitic. And, honestly some of the Left are so adamant in their zealotry in favor of the Palestinians, that they support the PLO- which _is_ Anti-Semitic. It’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/71 "2015-06-11T00:09:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > _Do_ we jigger the economy to promote brand proliferation? We jigger the economy and our laws to promote business interests because we measure our success and the strength of our economy in terms of how well businesses are doing. Sanders is arguing that our economy and laws should be arranged for the benefit of our most vulnerable citizens and that our economic success should be measured by how well we provide for them. If 45% of our population is living below the poverty line, then our economy is not strong and we have nothing to brag about, no matter how long the deodorant aisle is, is what Bernie’s trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/72 "2015-06-11T00:22:23Z")
[QUOTE=Merneith] Sanders is arguing that our economy and laws should be arranged for the benefit of our most vulnerable citizens and that our economic success should be measured by how well we provide for them. [/QUOTE] Sure…that’s pretty much what [socialism](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBYmeLBWjeI) is, so it’s unsurprising that Sanders advocates for it. > [@](#): > > If 45% of our population is living below the poverty line, then our economy is not strong and we have nothing to brag about, no matter how long the deodorant aisle is, is what Bernie’s trying to say. Well, since our population doesn’t in fact have 45% below the poverty line (it’s more like [14-15%](http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/)…still not great but no where near 45%) I guess we are doing ok after all. 😛 I wish him all the luck, but he’s got almost zero chance of beating Clinton (or anyone else) for the Democratic nomination. The most he can hope for is to do well enough to move the party a bit further left in the primary and make the other candidates at least talk about issues he thinks are important. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/73 "2015-06-11T01:07:24Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > We jigger the economy and our laws to promote business interests because we measure our success and the strength of our economy in terms of how well businesses are doing. > > Sanders is arguing that our economy and laws should be arranged for the benefit of our most vulnerable citizens and that our economic success should be measured by how well we provide for them. > > If 45% of our population is living below the poverty line, then our economy is not strong and we have nothing to brag about, no matter how long the deodorant aisle is, is what Bernie’s trying to say. It bears noting that this is so patently obviously the correct interpretation of his remarks that any attempt to advance any alternative interpretation can only be viewed as an exercise in disingenuousness. > [@XT](#): > > Sure…that’s pretty much what [socialism](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBYmeLBWjeI) is, so it’s unsurprising that Sanders advocates for it. > > Well, since our population doesn’t in fact have 45% below the poverty line (it’s more like [14-15%](http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/)…still not great but no where near 45%) **I guess we are doing ok after all.** 😛 > > I wish him all the luck, but he’s got almost zero chance of beating Clinton (or anyone else) for the Democratic nomination. The most he can hope for is to do well enough to move the party a bit further left in the primary and make the other candidates at least talk about issues he thinks are important. That (the bolded part) doesn’t necessarily follow. The most that can be said is that we’re not doing as poorly as we would be with a 45% rate. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/74 "2015-06-11T01:17:07Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] That (the bolded part) doesn’t necessarily follow. The most that can be said is that we’re not doing as poorly as we would be with a 45% rate. [/QUOTE] It’s the best percentage since 2007 and we are coming off of a pretty nasty recession. In addition, that’s why I added the ‘still not great but no where near 45%’ part, and put the ‘I guess we are doing ok after all’ with a ‘:p’ after it, to denote tongue in cheek. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/75 "2015-06-11T01:18:25Z")
Oh, ok. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/76 "2015-06-11T04:04:06Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Well, since our population doesn’t in fact have 45% below the poverty line (it’s more like [14-15%](http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/about/overview/)…still not great but no where near 45%) I guess we are doing ok after all. 😛 Sorry - I bungled a quote from that article about the deodorant. Bernie said: > [@](#): > > 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. Which is where the 45 came from. Bernie’s saying that we should base our notion about the strength of our economy on how many of our people live in poverty, not in on the soaring bottom lines of our businesses, is what I was trying to say about what Bernie’s saying. And yeah, as I said earlier, I don’t think Bernie’s got a real chance - but it’s not because he hates shoes and deodorant. Or toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/77 "2015-06-11T07:31:49Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > We have a lead in the Electoral College, but not a lock - and, of course, we have the _ **patented Democratic technique of stepping on our dicks** _. . . . > > Mind you, I’m not convinced that putting another Clinton on the ticket isn’t half an excuse as well, but we’ll see. I’m not convinced that we have a viable alternative, either, though, soooooo… Herein lies the genius of running Hillary for President, who can’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/78 "2015-06-11T09:05:21Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > 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/)? > [@Shodan](#): > > 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. These characterizations of Sander’s position are highly misleading. Here is the full quote: [INDENT][INDENT] HARWOOD: If the changes that you envision in tax policy, in finance, breaking up the banks, were to result in a more equitable distribution of income, but less economic growth, is that trade-off worth making? SANDERS: Yes. If 99 percent of all the new income goes to the top 1 percent, you could triple it, it wouldn’t matter much to the average middle class person. 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. You can’t just continue growth for the sake of growth in a world in which we are struggling with climate change and all kinds of environmental problems. All right? You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants or of 18 different pairs of sneakers when children are hungry in this country. I don’t think the media appreciates the kind of stress that ordinary Americans are working on. People scared to death about what happens tomorrow. Half the people in America have less than $10,000 in savings. How do you like that? That means you have an automobile accident, you have an illness, you’re broke. How do you retire if you have less than $10,000, and you don’t have much in the way of Social Security? [/INDENT][/INDENT] No calls for a cutback on deodorants. No claims about a pro-deodorant conspiracy. Basically we have conservatives attacking imaginary positions by imaginary Bernie Sanders. I guess I agree. Conservative hallucinations _are_ scary. In the [interview](http://www.cnbc.com/id/102694365), deodorant is mentioned once. I’m not saying that I particularly like Sander’s position. I’m saying that depictions of his positions cast doubt on the reliability of some of his critics: the gap between report and reality is that large. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/79 "2015-06-11T13:02:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And, honestly some of the Left are so adamant in their zealotry in favor of the Palestinians, that they support the PLO- which _is_ Anti-Semitic. > > It’s weird. It is if you leave your analysis at such a superficial, binary level. We’ve been over this many times, but in short, supporting Israel and its right to exist and a desire for peace in the region can require _opposing_ Netanyahu and his policies. Only the shallowest jingoism can lead to seeing that as _anti_-Semitic. Netanyahu is not Israel nor Judaism. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014/80 "2015-06-11T13:10:39Z")
I’m all for Bernie but I get that he couldn’t pull it off because of the “socialist” stigma. Could Bernie though, _hypothetically_, win against Sarah Palin? I’m thinking and inclined to think that even that would prove to be difficult. 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-again-why-bernie-sanders-isnt-electable/722014.md?page=5)