# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/161 "2020-03-11T17:14:15Z")
The vile shitstain is staying in. Just has to continue the grifting and fleecing of his flock. Oh, and also another scorched earth battle to make sure Trump gets re-elected. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/162 "2020-03-11T17:18:32Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The vile shitstain is staying in. Just has to continue the grifting and fleecing of his flock. Oh, and also another scorched earth battle to make sure Trump gets re-elected. Your hatred for other progressives and liberals doesn’t sound healthy… and it’s certainly not helpful for trying to defeat the Republicans. Hope you feel better! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/163 "2020-03-11T17:24:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Your hatred for other progressives and liberals doesn’t sound healthy… and it’s certainly not helpful for trying to defeat the Republicans. Hope you feel better! It’s not hatred, but it’s outrage, and it’s justified. Bernie Sanders cannot win. Bernie Sanders can only accomplish one thing by continuing his campaign, and that’s tearing down the only viable candidate the Democrats have right now. You can make all the bullshit justifications and excuses you want, but you know it’s bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/164 "2020-03-11T17:28:45Z")
He gave Biden a gift. His team now has until Sunday to come with answers to all of the “Joe, whatcha gonna do about…” questions. I can’t blame him too much for not getting out yet. According to my math, Sanders needs to get about 57% of the remaining delegates to win while Biden needs just 50%. Unless he catches lightning in a bottle, that math gets harder for him next week at this time and then would be the appropriate time to consider dropping out. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/165 "2020-03-11T17:28:50Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > And yes, saying mean things about Bernie is not very helpful at this point. Bernie’s like the customer who comes into a restaurant at closing time and says he’ll only be 10 minutes - and ends up asking about everything on the menu, ordering multiple courses, and asking the waiter to take back each dish because it wasn’t cooked quite to his satisfaction. Sanders is not a Democrat and he’s overstaying his welcome. He’s becoming more and more like a more polished version of Ralph Nader or Jill Stein. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/166 "2020-03-11T17:29:40Z")
Biden winning a college town in Michigan was very surprising and pretty ominous for the night ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/167 "2020-03-11T17:37:55Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > The vile shitstain is staying in. Just has to continue the grifting and fleecing of his flock. Oh, and also another scorched earth battle to make sure Trump gets re-elected. Eh, I’d be surprised if he’s still in a week from today. Not _shocked_, but surprised. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/168 "2020-03-11T17:48:40Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s not hatred, but it’s outrage, and it’s justified. > > Bernie Sanders cannot win. > > Bernie Sanders can only accomplish one thing by continuing his campaign, and that’s tearing down the only viable candidate the Democrats have right now. > > You can make all the bullshit justifications and excuses you want, but you know it’s bullshit. I disagree, and your mind-reading powers are failing you here, but thanks anyway! It might surprise you to learn that some progressives see things differently than you about the primary, and aren’t being dishonest or making “bullshit justifications and excuses”. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/169 "2020-03-11T17:49:10Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Bernie’s like the customer who comes into a restaurant at closing time and says he’ll only be 10 minutes - and ends up asking about everything on the menu, ordering multiple courses, and asking the waiter to take back each dish because it wasn’t cooked quite to his satisfaction. Sanders is not a Democrat and he’s overstaying his welcome. He’s becoming more and more like a more polished version of Ralph Nader or Jill Stein. And as someone who waited tables in Florida, every single one of them was a cranky old man like Sanders. I still remember to this day the asshole who demanded something from the grill after being told it was already shut down for the night. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/170 "2020-03-11T17:59:37Z")
I’ll endorse Josh Marshall’s take, that there’s no need to try and rush the end of this primary (and indeed, attempts to do so could harm the party’s chances): [https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/dont-rush-this](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/dont-rush-this) If that’s behind a paywall for you then here’s a snippet: "To be clear, I think the contest is basically over. I think Sanders should end his campaign sooner than later. But the decision has to come from him and grow out of conversations, literal and figurative, with his supporters. It has to come from them. And there’s no huge rush. Sanders and his core supporters have been at this for five years. Literally less than two weeks ago he seemed close to being the presumptive nominee. The turnabout has to be crushing. Regardless of candidate or ideology, no Democrat can miss the stark stark ideological divide in these election numbers. If you’re under 35 or 40 you’re overwhelmingly likely to support Sanders and just as likely to support Biden if you’re older. Both sides need to act in a way that makes unity in the fall possible." Also, if you’re not a TPM member, you should join! It’s the best US political news website by far, and it’s not even close, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/171 "2020-03-11T18:00:45Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I think that Sanders supporters are going to do what they’re going to do and those who choose to remain home weren’t reachable anyway. If your whole schtick is “XYZ is a human right” and then you decline to vote the primary barrier to XYZ out because someone on the internet called Sanders an “unfunny clown”, you were never serious about XYZ in the first place. It was only about attention-seeking via neckbeard arguments about XYZ and trying to inflate your own relevance as a Sanders supporter that everyone better be nice to. I’m no Sanders guy, but I see this from a slightly different perspective. A sizeable group of folks are unsatisfied with the status quo of politics, irregardless which dominant party is in power. The status quo sucks. Trump sucks. If their thought process is the only way things change is if people choose “US”. If people do not choose “US” then they deserve what they get (4 more years of Trump) If they view this as a long game. Ie, the Democrats pass him and his policies over, they can reap what they have sowed. I assume they hope that the failed policies of the Democrats and ,well Trump being Trump, should be enough of a push to the gen pop. If it isn’t then the next thing will … The most probable way for an unfractured Democratic Party is to adopt some of his policy goals as their own. Unlikely but that is how I see it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/172 "2020-03-11T18:01:04Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s not hatred, but it’s outrage, and it’s justified. > > Bernie Sanders cannot win. > > Bernie Sanders can only accomplish one thing by continuing his campaign, and that’s tearing down the only viable candidate the Democrats have right now. > > You can make all the bullshit justifications and excuses you want, but you know it’s bullshit. Yes, it is over. Sanders worked like crazy for Mich and lost badly. It’s over. Whoever your favorite was, it’s now time to get down to business, get behind Biden and start on \*\*Job One- Dump Trump. \*\* ---
**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 11, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/173 "2020-03-11T18:01:58Z")
Bernie is going to be ripping into Biden harder this Saturday debate than how Warren tore into Bloomberg. It’s his last shot. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/174 "2020-03-11T18:03:52Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Bernie’s like the customer who comes into a restaurant at closing time and says he’ll only be 10 minutes - and ends up asking about everything on the menu, ordering multiple courses, and asking the waiter to take back each dish because it wasn’t cooked quite to his satisfaction. Sanders is not a Democrat and he’s overstaying his welcome. He’s becoming more and more like a more polished version of Ralph Nader or Jill Stein. He might not be an ACTUAL dyed in the wool Democrat, but he pulls his voters from the same side of the aisle. The bitterness that you type out might be A reason why Trumps stays elected … Think on that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/175 "2020-03-11T18:07:03Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’ll endorse Josh Marshall’s take, that there’s no need to try and rush the end of this primary (and indeed, attempts to do so could harm the party’s chances): > > [Don’t Rush This - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/dont-rush-this) > > If that’s behind a paywall for you then here’s a snippet: "To be clear, I think the contest is basically over. I think Sanders should end his campaign sooner than later. But the decision has to come from him and grow out of conversations, literal and figurative, with his supporters. It has to come from them. And there’s no huge rush. > > … Yes, it has to come from Sanders- Sanders has to graciously concede and get behind Biden. It cant and wont come from the DNC, the DNC \*can’t. \* But no, Sanders doesn’t need to consult his supporters. But it should be sooner rather than later. The BernieBros are getting desparate and flooding the media with attacks on Biden- their newest one is that Biden is senile :rolleyes:. So, Sanders should concede NOW, and stop the attacks on Biden by his supporters. Otherwise- trump wins. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/176 "2020-03-11T18:18:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > He gave Biden a gift. His team now has until Sunday to come with answers to all of the “Joe, whatcha gonna do about…” questions. > > I can’t blame him too much for not getting out yet. According to my math, Sanders needs to get about 57% of the remaining delegates to win while Biden needs just 50%. Unless he catches lightning in a bottle, that math gets harder for him next week at this time and then would be the appropriate time to consider dropping out. Your 50% only works if Biden doesn’t get a single one of the 164 delegates committed to Bloomberg, etc, or a single one of the 714 Superdelegates. Try the math with a realistic, even Conservative number (bearing in mind that many of the likely superdelegates have already endorsed him). ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/177 "2020-03-11T18:27:18Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Bernie is going to be ripping into Biden harder this Saturday debate than how Warren tore into Bloomberg. It’s his last shot. Will anyone be watching or care besides die hard Bernie Bros? I don’t even plan to watch. I’m taking this weekend as an escape from viruses, crazy markets, and politics ---
**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:** [March 11, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/178 "2020-03-11T18:34:11Z")
For debates, it never matters who watches – it matters what moments (and what “narrative”) come out of the debate and are replayed again and again in the news and online in the following dates. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/179 "2020-03-11T18:42:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For debates, it never matters who watches – it matters what moments (and what “narrative”) come out of the debate and are replayed again and again in the news and online in the following dates. I think they’ll be crowded out by corona paranoia, especially since Bernie has no chance. Sure, the good shots will be all over social media by the Bernie Bros, but it’s too little too late ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949/180 "2020-03-11T18:49:30Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Bernie is going to be ripping into Biden harder this Saturday debate than how Warren tore into Bloomberg. It’s his last shot. If he does so, it will be from pure spite and smallness of character. It will only serve to damage him further in contest yet to come. I hope he doesn’t and I believe he won’t. I hope he behaves like a statesman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-bernies-remaining-realistic-path-to-the-nomination/848949.md?page=10)