# Why don't you support Bernie Sanders? (if you don't) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 17, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632 "2019-06-17T02:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/241 "2019-08-21T19:13:01Z")
We need someone who can win back the swing voters that went with Trump in 2016. Bernie is pretty radical for even middle of the road voters. Also, Bernie will be 78 next year, which makes his age and VP running mate an issue also. A guy like Biden is a white male with a moderate image. He may very well win the more moderate Republican voters who have been shocked into reality by the horrific words and behavior of Trump. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/242 "2019-08-21T19:35:18Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Also, Bernie will be 78 next year, which makes his age and VP running mate an issue also. And Biden will be 77. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/243 "2019-08-21T19:39:56Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Because he’s a joke, obviously. Not what I was going for, but I’ll allow it. Let’s see if Thing Fish figures it out. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/244 "2019-08-21T19:46:21Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Being mayor of a city ten times larger is better experience, especially when the focus of one’s mayoralty didn’t revolve around the Contras and Sandinistas. It’s not 10 times as large, it’s a little over double. He isn’t mayor of the metropolitan area, he’s myor of the city. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/245 "2019-08-21T19:49:41Z")
The issue of VP will be interesting. Both men will probably be obliged to put forward a woman, preferably a woman of colour if possible. But politically Biden will just have another standard democrat by his side (at most a tad to the Left of him). They can work off the same page, in the event the VP has to step up to become POTUS business can carry on as usual. Whereas Bernie might be pressured to have a moderate democrat to placate voters (and the party leadership) of veering to far over but would he ignore it and put forward a similarly minded person? He could give a moderate the nod and just ignore him/her once elected but he’ll be in his eighties shortly so in the event something happens to him having a moderate assume the presidency is not business as usual you’d expect as far his agenda is concerned. It may be the VP turned POTUS shifts to the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/246 "2019-08-21T19:59:19Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > It’s not 10 times as large, it’s a little over double. He isn’t mayor of the metropolitan area, he’s myor of the city. Ok, my mistake. Then amend my statement to strike “arguably” and insert “conceivably.” ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/247 "2019-08-21T21:17:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > To repair damage done to us and to others throughout the world Trump needs to be defeated so badly that the message of “We will NEVER be this stupid again!” is crystal clear. Bernie just doesn’t have the numbers to accomplish this according to every damn poll of consequence out there, sorry. 😕 His numbers are only a little worse than Biden’s and clearly better than any of the candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/248 "2019-08-21T21:19:05Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > We need someone who can win back the swing voters that went with Trump in 2016. Bernie is pretty radical for even middle of the road voters. Also, Bernie will be 78 next year, which makes his age and VP running mate an issue also. A guy like Biden is a white male with a moderate image. He may very well win the more moderate Republican voters who have been shocked into reality by the horrific words and behavior of Trump. So how do you explain the polls showing that Bernie is particularly strong in the Midwestern swing states? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/249 "2019-08-21T21:24:02Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > So how do you explain the polls showing that Bernie is particularly strong in the Midwestern swing states? How strong…and are they the only ones voting this election? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/250 "2019-08-21T21:24:35Z")
For most of Bernie’s Congressional career, he was the lone socialist voice in Congress. He performed the valuable function of defining the leftward boundary of mainstream American political discourse. He put forth arguments, most prominently on single-payer health care, which are only now starting to enter the mainstream, due in no small part to his tireless advocacy of them. It’s simply not reasonable to evaluate his Congressional career based on how many laws he got passed or how well liked he was by his colleagues. That’s not what he was there for. Now that the populace is finally starting to catch up to him, he is a major sponsor of legislation such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/251 "2019-08-21T21:33:41Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Because he’s a joke, obviously. I mean, look at all the colleague who respect his issues-based leadership so much that they are lining up to — oh wait. All the people who’ve worked with Sanders in be Senate and have made an endorsement seem to be endorsing Biden, except one (the other Vermont Senator). You know, people on this board notice when you just make stuff up. In fact, exactly half of the ten Senators who have made an endorsement have endorsed Biden (including two from Delaware). Booker, Klobuchar, Warren, Sanders, and Bullock have one each, all from their home State Senators. The other 38 Democratic Senators have yet to make an endorsement. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/252 "2019-08-22T00:19:57Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > So how do you explain the polls showing that Bernie is particularly strong in the Midwestern swing states? Is he? Out of WI/MN/MI/IA he is only leading in one poll from March in WI (per 538, maybe you have other polls) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/253 "2019-08-22T00:28:35Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > And Biden will be 77. And trump 74, but the GOp isnt declaring him “un-electable” due to his age. we gotta stop with the ageism and attacks. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/254 "2019-08-22T00:33:49Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Oh, come on. Warren, Harris, Booker, Castro, and arguably even Buttigieg beat Sanders on the resume. They all have experience that is more in line with the duties of the Oval Office, not to mention having run political races that aren’t in Vermont. So are you gonna back this up, or back down? ---
**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:** [August 22, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/255 "2019-08-22T00:47:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So are you gonna back this up, or back down? There’s really no point to chasing this down. They all have interesting professional experience, he’s just going to say that it’s more in line with the job of president than being in Congress for 30 years. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/256 "2019-08-22T00:48:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Is he? Out of WI/MN/MI/IA he is only leading in one poll from March in WI (per 538, maybe you have other polls) I’m talking about the hypothetical polls about him vs. Trump. Biden is consistently the biggest winner against Trump overall, but Sanders is a clear second, and the drop off to third is steep; there are MANY polls in which only those two beat Trump, while all of the others lose to him. And Sanders has generally come closer to matching Biden’s performance in swing States than in the country as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/257 "2019-08-22T00:55:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And trump 74, but the GOp isnt declaring him “un-electable” due to his age. > > we gotta stop with the ageism and attacks. The GOP wouldn’t turn on trump if he sprouted horns and a tail. In considering someone for president, it’s not ageist to consider his age. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/258 "2019-08-22T00:58:47Z")
The thing is, Sanders is never ever ever going to win the primary. Way too many Dems hate his guts. They blame him for 2016, they think he’s a carpetbagger, they think he’s an unreasonable ideologue. So it doesn’t matter how he polls against Trump, that’s never going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/259 "2019-08-22T02:41:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So are you gonna back this up, or back down? See below. > [@CarnalK](#): > > There’s really no point to chasing this down. They all have interesting professional experience, he’s just going to say that it’s more in line with the job of president than being in Congress for 30 years. That’s exactly what I said in the first place. I’m not saying that Bernie has no experience: he’s well versed in being a mediocre legislator. Others have experience more in line with what Americans have typically preferred for our Presidents. > [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > You know, people on this board notice when you just make stuff up. In fact, exactly half of the ten Senators who have made an endorsement have endorsed Biden (including two from Delaware). Booker, Klobuchar, Warren, Sanders, and Bullock have one each, all from their home State Senators. The other 38 Democratic Senators have yet to make an endorsement. Hahaha! Biden has been endorsed by Doug Jones, Dianne Feinstein, Bob Casey, Bob Graham, Bill Nelson, and Tom Daschle. I’m pretty sure all of them served in the Senate with Sanders for at least a brief time. I mean, if Sanders is such a damn awesome legislator, where are his current and former colleagues getting on the Bernie train and extolling his amazing political skills? Answer: Sanders’ record is vastly inflated by his supporters, and the silence of his colleagues says something. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632/260 "2019-08-22T03:37:18Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > See below. > … I guess then **no,** you’re not gonna back it up. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-support-bernie-sanders-if-you-dont/835632.md?page=14)