# What's Bernie's remaining realistic path to the nomination? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 5, 2020, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949 "2020-03-05T05:16:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/261 "2020-03-15T19:05:27Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > Not sure what that all means Rio, but surely in this crisis, a leader who actually identifies problems and elucidates solutions is better than free market wafflers like Trump and Biden. > > The difference is stark. Woukd you want to be K E of Biden’s 10 millions uninsured right now? Would you care to clarify that statement? Or are you just rehashing the same Bernie Bro nonsense? ---
**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:** [March 15, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/262 "2020-03-15T19:16:07Z")
Big Sanders fan Shaun King on twitter is mad Biden is urging his people to vote. I predict many people will stay home but I don’t have a problem with Biden telling people to vote ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/263 "2020-03-15T19:20:46Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > Biden is generally distrusted about his commitment to mainstream popular ideas like maintaining social security and providing Medicare for all because he has been weak on these issues. > > Why not show Bernie has a different, more popular and elecable record on those issues. Actually, no, he hasn’t, and Biden is not weak on those issues. I just pointed out that Biden is 100% behind SocSec and Sanders is lying thru his teeth, as Poltifact and other sources said. Yet, you go ahead and post it again, even after being disproved? Arent you reading the thread? and it doesnt matter since Bernie has lost. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/264 "2020-03-15T19:25:52Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > … > > The difference is stark. Woukd you want to be K E of Biden’s 10 millions uninsured right now? Biden is proposing a workable plan to cover every American, one that could actually pass congress. And it doesnt matter as Bernie has lost. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/265 "2020-03-15T19:34:50Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Big Sanders fan Shaun King on twitter is mad Biden is urging his people to vote. I predict many people will stay home but I don’t have a problem with Biden telling people to vote I think I finally blocked Shaun King, but I’ve certainly seen plenty of red rose twitter telling old people to stay home. Not sure how effective they’ll be, although I’m sure turnout will be depressed. On the other hand, Bernie’s college students also are having their lives upended with campuses closing and students going home. So, that won’t work in Bernie’s favor. Of course, his revolutionary army seems to be more Twitter warriors than voters anyway. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/266 "2020-03-15T20:04:12Z")
I expect Bernie to use the coronavirus pandemic to hammer Medicare for All as hard as he possibly can in tonight’s debate. Hammer it like no tomorrow. His last life hopes for attaining the U.S. presidency will expire in a few hours if he doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/267 "2020-03-15T20:37:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I expect Bernie to use the coronavirus pandemic to hammer Medicare for All as hard as he possibly can in tonight’s debate. Hammer it like no tomorrow. His last life hopes for attaining the U.S. presidency will expire in a few hours if he doesn’t. Oh really? What states do you think Bernie can win over the next week or so? ---
**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:** [March 15, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/268 "2020-03-15T21:31:34Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Oh really? What states do you think Bernie can win over the next week or so? None, but you gotta throw Hail Mary passes. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/269 "2020-03-15T21:38:59Z")
He doesn’t have possession, Biden can run out the clock. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/270 "2020-03-15T21:44:35Z")
And, it’ll depend on if the moderators allow him to always change the subject. How’s he going to deal with the mother of all recessions? This isn’t a financial crises, he can’t just blame big banks and Wall Street. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/271 "2020-03-15T22:34:57Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I expect Bernie to use the coronavirus pandemic to hammer Medicare for All as hard as he possibly can in tonight’s debate. Hammer it like no tomorrow. His last life hopes for attaining the U.S. presidency will expire in a few hours if he doesn’t. Yeah, well Bernies plan has exactly zero chance of passing congress. And Sanders plan has nothing whatsoever to do with Medicare. Biden has plans that will cover all Americans- and could pass Congress. Uphill battle, yes, but possible. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/272 "2020-03-15T23:02:47Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > And, it’ll depend on if the moderators allow him to always change the subject. How’s he going to deal with the mother of all recessions? **This isn’t a financial crises, he can’t just blame big banks and Wall Street**. Sure he can. > [@](#): > > BS: We can’t allow greedy billionaires and corporations to ruin our economy! > > Moderator: But what would you DO? > > BS: We are determined to take back our economy from the billionaires and corporations that are ruining it! > > Moderator: How? > > BS: On day one we will enact laws that will stop the billionaires and corporations from ruining our economy! > > Moderator: What laws, specifically? > > BS: Laws that will show the corporations and billionaires that their time is up. The American people have said, enough is enough! We will dramatically reduce wealth inequality. Let’s be clear, the time is now to create an economy that works for all of us, not just the top 1%. > > Moderator: How? …oh, never mind. _sigh_ (Fictional transcript. Emphasis in quotation, mine.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/273 "2020-03-16T05:31:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > None, but you gotta throw Hail Mary passes. You know what happens when you throw a pass but there’s nobody downfield to catch it? ---
**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 16, 2020, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/274 "2020-03-16T05:38:21Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > None, but you gotta throw Hail Mary passes. This isn’t a football game. There are real world consequences here. Sanders can’t beat Biden at this point. But he can help Trump beat Biden. Sanders is in a kingmaker position. He needs to decide who he’d rather see as President for the next four years; Joe Biden or Donald Trump? And Sanders supporters need to ask themselves the same question. If they feel better about it, they can tell themselves that Sanders is choosing who will be President. ---
**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 16, 2020, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/275 "2020-03-16T06:22:56Z")
I was legitimately buying into the hype that Bernie was going to give an airing to his issues but not really attack Biden, maybe even work toward transitioning to unity. Instead, he attacked Biden on decades-old votes and statements that have fuck-all to do with anything coming up in the immediate future. What a chump I was, to imagine that Bernie could see anything beyond himself, ever. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/276 "2020-03-16T06:38:58Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Actually, no, he hasn’t, and Biden is not weak on those issues. I just pointed out that Biden is 100% behind SocSec and Sanders is lying thru his teeth, as Poltifact and other sources said. Yet, you go ahead and post it again, even after being disproved? Arent you reading the thread? > > and it doesnt matter since Bernie has lost. PolitiFact doesn’t say that, they say it depends which parts of Biden’s record you look at. Sanders doesn’t have any history of wanting to weaken SocSec. Did you read the article from the Intercept? It doesn’t try to give some one word or phrase summary, it discusses the issue in detail. I don’t get the obsession with taking one narrow reading of a statement and scoring a number of Pinocchio’s without any context or use of common sense. This isn’t high school debate. I’m not bringing this up because Bernie deserves some magic points for good past deeds. It shows he has consistently backed good ideas and can show leadership, even when ideas aren’t yet popular. It means he’d be a good leader now and has good moral judgement and the strength to assert good ideas. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/277 "2020-03-16T16:57:35Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > PolitiFact doesn’t say that, they say it depends which parts of Biden’s record you look at. Sanders doesn’t have any history of wanting to weaken SocSec. … It rates it as Mostly False. Yes, Sanders does. > **[Analysis | Sanders vs. Biden on Social Security: A guide to the claims](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/08/sanders-versus-biden-social-security-guide-claims/)** > > Bernie Sanders keeps attacking Joe Biden for decades-old statements on Social Security, but these snippets are missing important context _In one case — 1983 — Sanders attacks Biden for supporting a deal that Sanders himself had praised. That’s rich._ ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/278 "2020-03-21T11:08:44Z")
Maybe you have been reading different bits of your website but even your website says Bernie has a point about Biden’s record on Social Security. > **[PolitiFact - The fight between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders over Social...](https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/jan/22/fight-between-joe-biden-and-bernie-sanders-over-so/)** > > U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and his campaign have attacked former Vice President Joe Biden over his record on Social Securi " Biden co-sponsored an amendment to freeze military and domestic spending for a year, which included some built-in-adjustments for Social Security benefits — tantamount to cutting the program." In the 1995 speech, Biden was more explicit: He bragged about advocating for cuts to Social Security. “I’m up for reelection this year and I’m gonna remind everybody what I did at home, which is gonna cost me politically,” Biden said, removing his glasses. “When I argued if we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ bene— I meant every single solitary thing in the government. And I not only tried it once, I tried it twice, I tried it a third time, and I tried it a fourth time.” I mean, Biden is attachable on Social Security because of his record. It’s important to read these websites more deeply and see what different potential candidates have said and done. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/279 "2020-03-21T11:41:55Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > I mean, Biden is attachable on Social Security because of his record. It’s important to read these websites more deeply and see what different potential candidates have said and done. Agreed. We really need to examine the records of Michael Dukakis, Adlai Stevenson, Daffy Duck, Evo Morales, and all the other “potential candidates.” ---
**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 21, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/280 "2020-03-21T11:54:11Z")
Biden did say that stuff about Social Security. And Bernie ran ads with audio clips of him saying it. And the Democratic primary electorate shrugged and gave Biden big wins anyway. To win the nomination now, Bernie would have to start winning every primary by at least 30 points, even though he is nearly 30 points down in national polls. It’s just not happening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949.md?page=15)