A few things here. Those policies are usually regarded as left wing policies, so usually more liberal voters want that. Secondly, I never said all young people flock to Bernie...but he does have more young support than other candidates. We see that immediately looking at Iowa. Also, I literally did prove my claim? My claim was that Gen X are more liberal than previous generations, the Silents/Boomers This was proven in the polls I showed, they are more liberal than previous generations. I posted literal pew research data, please, go to the link, it's an article with graphs and data. Also, I never argued for access and think it's not even that relevant. More people go to college now, get into debt, and have degrees that are basically worthless. I honestly don't care about access and I never mentioned access or think there is any great value to having greater access...but I never mentioned it. Lastly, what does it matter if people attack this candidate or not? It's a primary, it's going to get competitive. I will say though I think it's a mistake to think the GOP is ever going to compromise. If they didn't with Obama, I'm not sure they are going to with anyone else. I think Democrats have made too many mistakes and given up too much ground thinking they will compromise or do anything with respect to compromise. I think Mitch's career proves that. So yeah, I think it's a dirty word when you are dealing with the current day GOP because they are not looking to compromise.
Other than them not being very educated on the actual issues, I have nothing against them. But they have a very unrealistic view of how gov't works and that there is this magic pill and a tree that has endless amounts of money. You can't make Harvard free - the state can not pay a $50k/year tuition per student. There isn't enough money to print to make that happen. At best you are talking about some kind of community college for all. That's not what Bernie Bros are thinking mind you.
Bernie's plan for education doesn't include private schools like Harvard in the first place so it begs the question...do you understand his plan fully?
Ok please explain to me how you spend $1.6 trillion to cancel student debt (where does that come from - and by the way a lot of that is to private schools like Harvard) and explain how you pay to make all public universities free (which are state funded by the way)
Bernie pretty much explains how he's planning to do it in his proposal, it's with reversing things like the bush tax cuts, raising taxes on 1% and probably slashing some of the military budget, I'm not sure Bernie or his supporters think its going to be easy, but there are liberals that offer their theories as to how it can be paid for. It starts by stop giving the rich more and more tax breaks and widening the inequality gap between rich and poor. Here's the thing too, what is your alternative for this particular issue? You say free community colleges which is something Bernie agrees with, what about the student loan debt? Do you tell those students too bad so sad, get over it?
Nope ..... probably not. We've had taxpayer funded schools in America since 1635 ..... A basic education is a far cry from a bought and paid for specialized education.
Turning the senate will only happen if a Democrat is elected president. If the voters come out to vote for a Democrat at the top of the ticket, they are more likely to vote for Democratic Senate candidates. The Presidential election will draw most of the voters. Those voters will then also usually vote for congressional candidates from the same party.
I don't even know what's a moderate or persuadable moderate. Do they even honestly exist in this time of extreme polarization? For those of you here that claims to be a moderate or a right-leaning non-trump supporters, would you vote for Trump over Sanders? Would you stay home if it's Sanders? While I don't know the answer to the above, I think we do know the answers if it's someone like said Biden. The Millennials, college-educated young (and also the non-college left-leaning young) would be so bored of him they would more likely stay home. No, they wouldn't vote for Trump over Biden, but they would stay home. That's a left-leaning base that folks ignore because they aren't reliable. The very reason they aren't reliable is also the reason they are a huge opportunity. Sanders or Pete would excite that group and turn them out to vote. Pete would be more ideal because he's less likely to lose the moderate (but sadly, he still has a problem with black voters). That vulnerable to not-showing-up to vote group is REAL while the moderate that might not show up or actually deflect is an unknown. Emotionally and logically, it seems to make more sense to bet on bringing out the REAL group vs trying to keep an unknown group. Nationally, I also think it doesn't matter as much if you are leftish, rightish, or moderate. It matters more if people believe you will change things. The last few national elections are about change and not the status quo.
Is it me or is the mainstream media incorrectly making an assumption that indepedents are moderates who just have policies desires that are straight down the middle? A large contingent of independents feel dissolutioned by the current corporate class having a undue influence on our legislative process and therefore don't trust either party. A large contingent of independents welcome economic populism. Moderates != Independents
MSM are slavish followers. They act like they ask tough questions but they want to provoke more than anything, and they want to provoke what's the latest and greatest. This is part of the reason why Trump can control the narrative - a provocative treat and the MSM are in. It's unfortunate, but that's what it is - entertainment of whatever is cool and shiny now. I think the REP has done a great job understanding this and capitalizing on it while the DEM tries to explain things to death while failing to set trends and paths for the MSM to follow and broadcast their message.
I'd say moderates make up the largest group of people in the country. How many are pursuable? That's the million dollar question. What we do know is that most moderates are turned off by Trumpism and just need a candidate they feel comfortable with to go out and vote. Bloomberg, Buttigieg, and even Klobuchar fill that role. I think Biden has lost his luster - we all know that Trump will attack him relentlessly regarding Ukraine and while he did nothing wrong Trump will use it to try to defeat him. His touchy feely nature also made him toxic. Sanders is too far to the left. I think you get some portion of moderates staying home versus holding their nose and voting for Sanders. I won't stay home as I see Trump as a demagogue but not everyone sees him that way. So I'd hold my nose and vote for Sanders but I know a lot of people who would not. Sanders simply is too extreme in his views. He has good ideas, but no plan to actually make it happen in a realistic way. And his language is divisive and at times tone deaf. Warren just isn't getting traction because she is in Sander's shadow.
But the young voters aren't a million-dollar question - that's a base that is known. That's a huge opportunity. Anyhow, this is the reason why I think Sanders is a given L like some here think is wrong. If he messages his campaign properly, he can try to get the moderate (whatever they are) on the fence to select between the two "evils" while turning out his base + new voters. If you are right that most of the moderate are tried of Trumpism, then he has an easier job doing that than Trump. If you are wrong, the new voters turn out might be his only chance at winning. With a more moderate Dem candidate, you are betting on an unknown against a known (Trump baes will turn out). In addition, whoever is the DEM candidate, the Trump campaign will be EFFECTIVE at messaging the person as another "evil" and push any moderate on the fence to select between the two "evils" - a replay of the DEM as the most horrible candidate ever is almost certain.
As with any other Dem candidates. In the case of Sanders, he will accept who he is, defend himself and point out it’s not extreme and the media will follow along and play part of his platform as legitimate. The other Dem candidates probably try to counter the attacks and get stuck on the message that it is bad and I’m not really for it when they are at least partially for it, weaken their position and energy on their side.
I don't understand your point? Yes a large contingents of independents welcome economic populism, I do as well but Bernie is not the only one talking about that.
I am a moderate and I would not vote for Trump over anybody. So moderates should be held captive to Millenials? Sanders has a 30% part of the party why should the other 60% or so not vote on what they believe? What will Bernie actually change if he will not compromise and will probably not have both houses of congress to work with. And also not every democrat behind him.
Do you mean compromise with other Democrats? I'm telling you now, if Mitch still holds the Senate he will not compromise with ANY democrat. The partisan nature of our politics is now hold all three powers or get little next to nothing done. We can thank Mitch mostly for that but it is what it is. He's not compromising with Bernie, Biden, Amy, Pete, none of them. This strategy has worked for him why would he suddenly change? I also think you could say the same for the other side, why should progressives not vote on what they believe? Why should they be held captive by moderates? Not every democrat is behind moderate choices. Obviously there is a divide here and putting ones sides desire over the other isn't going to help. We need the primary to see where they shape of the party is in 2020 and find a way to unite both sides after.
My main point is moderate that actually sit home or won’t vote for Bernie vs Trump are.... who? I’m not counting those that already were going to vote for trump, obviously. Compare that to young left leaning folks - they demonstrate consistently that they would sit it out.
