Bernie 2020
Bernie 2020 – What’s different?
In 2016, Bernie Sanders put forward a number of solid and thoughtful positions on many issues. It would be easy for the Sanders Cult to simply assert that these positions and policy proposals still apply, should Bern try again this cycle.
That’s not what his True Believers argue, though. Instead of making the case for Sanders, they make a case against Harris, O’Rourke, and even Warren. They lost their minds over last weekend, when the media toyed with the notion of Hillary Clinton running again.
Why not just push what works for Bern?
The biggest problem Sanders has is he’s not the default opposition to a popular front-runner. The bar is much higher this time. Multiple candidates push positions we heard from Bern in 2016. Elizabeth Warren made opposition to Wall Street a cornerstone of her kickoff. Her Iowa “retail” campaign will hit this hard. Harris and O’Rourke (assuming Beto’s in) will siphon off the student-loan constituency. Labor support will be fractured. In this environment, Bern’s just another voice.
What we’ve learned about Bern since 2016
- He has a #metoo problem
- He is willing to parrot Republican and Russian propaganda
- He has a solid pro-Russia voting record
- He’s still not a Democrat
When faced with a strong woman, it was easy for Bern surrogates to go full-misogynist. They’re trying it this year, with early attacks against Harris. They’re going to need more than that to move up past fourth or fifth in the polls, though.
