2020 Presidential Election

[Rich]

He will be 79 come election time. Just the fresh face people are looking for.

With such a crowded field, I wonder if his opponents will take it as easy on him this time.

Biden would be 78, one of the reasons this opinion piece argues that he should not run, since he'll be the "old white guy" that the Democratic party has been successful at NOT running with. Bernie's an old white guy, too, but the author gives him a pass since he's Jewish and offers a "fresh" perspective. Since he ran a whole campaign already on his ideals, I wouldn't go as far to say Bernie's perspective is "fresh".

I think they should run on the same ticket, Bernie & Joe, and then they should make a movie of the same name starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau (and yes, I recognize the challenges of that).

[golfinesquire]

Biden would be 78, one of the reasons this opinion piece argues that he should not run, since he'll be the "old white guy" that the Democratic party has been successful at NOT running with. Bernie's an old white guy, too, but the author gives him a pass since he's Jewish and offers a "fresh" perspective. Since he ran a whole campaign already on his ideals, I wouldn't go as far to say Bernie's perspective is "fresh".

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/opini...zer/index.html

The irony of focusing on his religion is that Bernie does as much as possible to downplay his religion. At one point, he discussed his “Polish immigrant” relatives. Most jews who talk about their immigrant experience would talk about their “Jewish relatives coming from Poland”. To a number of jewish voters, of which I am one, his phrasing was a slap to our history and may actually have turned some voters against him.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Bernie is officially in.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ion/ar-BBTNmSY

[CameronBlue]

I think they should run on the same ticket, Bernie & Joe, and then they should make a movie of the same name starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau (and yes, I recognize the challenges of that).

With Ann Margaret as First Lady.

[CameronBornAndBred]

This is a good list of who has entered. It's not just a list of names; it includes where they are from and what they are known for.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/polit...ent/index.html

[OldPhiKap]

It seems to me that Bernie and Warren are basically fighting for the same pool of voters. Two New Englanders from the far-ish end of the spectrum, long senate careers, in their seventies, rail on Trump (okay, all Democrats do that), economic populists, activist-oriented. I'm not sure what the real market for that combination is, but I think they basically split that market and cancel each other out as long as both are in.

[CameronBornAndBred]

It seems to me that Bernie and Warren are basically fighting for the same pool of voters. Two New Englanders from the far-ish end of the spectrum, long senate careers, in their seventies, rail on Trump (okay, all Democrats do that), economic populists, activist-oriented. I'm not sure what the real market for that combination is, but I think they basically split that market and cancel each other out as long as both are in.

My guess is that Bernie will last longer than Warren, and probably down to the last three standing. He has way more than a remote chance of becoming the candidate, whereas I don't think she does at all.

[golfinesquire]

My guess is that Bernie will last longer than Warren, and probably down to the last three standing. He has way more than a remote chance of becoming the candidate, whereas I don't think she does at all.

I am not sure we should count Liz Warren out quite yet. She has had some miscues but apparently, at least according to some polls, the issue of whether she did or did not (or did) claim to be part Native American is one that garners more interest with the press and the people who would never vote for her anyway than it does with everyone else. Plus, there is still a lot of anger out there over what is perceived to be (actually is) the double standard when it comes to female candidates. I quite frankly don't think either she or Bernie will be the last one standing but she could be more of a player than people realize.

[El_Diablo]

It seems to me that Bernie and Warren are basically fighting for the same pool of voters. Two New Englanders from the far-ish end of the spectrum, long senate careers, in their seventies, rail on Trump (okay, all Democrats do that), economic populists, activist-oriented. I'm not sure what the real market for that combination is, but I think they basically split that market and cancel each other out as long as both are in.

Bernie's decision to run probably hurts Gabbard's chances more than anyone else. She had a relatively narrow needle to thread given her relatively low name recognition and her other controversial actions/positions, but she was perhaps best poised to pick up Bernie's mantle on several domestic policy positions had he decided to sit this out. I am not sure how she has much of a chance to break through with anyone now with him in it.

[Wander]

My guess is that Bernie will last longer than Warren, and probably down to the last three standing. He has way more than a remote chance of becoming the candidate, whereas I don't think she does at all.

I imagine Bernie is really just in it to influence the discourse of the Democratic Party, and thus he may very well be down to the last three standing just to have his message stick around.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I imagine Bernie is really just in it to influence the discourse of the Democratic Party, and thus he may very well be down to the last three standing just to have his message stick around.

He's off to a good start to stay in it for the long haul.

Sen. Bernie Sanders has raised more than $1 million for his 2020 presidential campaign in less than four hours, his team confirms, putting him well ahead of other contenders who launched their bids with strong financial support.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-...8xpv7yp8GEa5tU

[OldPhiKap]

It's hard to catch lightning in a bottle twice. My sense is that Bernie's moment has come and gone. (Doesn't mean he won't stick around past Super Tuesday -- he has shown that he can sustain off the back of the land). The fund-raising cited by CB&B is awfully impressive, though, so maybe there is still the Bern out there. And agree with CB that Bernie likely goes much farther than Warren.

If Kamala finishes in the top two or three in Iowa and NH, she is going to be hard to beat I think. And if no one else gets into the center-ish land that Klobuchar has right now, I could see her running well too. I just don't see the others who have announced so far, or those on the verge (looking at you, Gillibrand) doing much.

The two big shoes to drop still are Beto and Biden, it seems to me, before we can start debating minutes -- er, handicapping the race.

[CameronBornAndBred]

My FB feed has instantly filled up with several shouts of joy from Bernie Bro folks. It's clear that as of today, he is the instant front runner, at least until Biden makes a move. If JB jumps in, then I suspect he'll take that mantle.
I'm getting the feeling that while the field is growing quickly, we are nearing a time when any new announcements will become a slow trickle. With Bernie now in, and raising cash as quickly as it appears he is, others won't take their time in fighting for those dollars.

[golfinesquire]

He's off to a good start to stay in it for the long haul.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-...8xpv7yp8GEa5tU

Maybe or maybe he has just picked off the low hanging fruit of the Bernie bros who could not wait for him to jump back in. I don't know why, but I really feel like he will crash and burn more quickly than his supporters anticipate.

[dudog84]

Maybe or maybe he has just picked off the low hanging fruit of the Bernie bros who could not wait for him to jump back in. I don't know why, but I really feel like he will crash and burn more quickly than his supporters anticipate.

Don't you mean crash and Bern?

[golfinesquire]

Don't you mean crash and Bern?

I wish I had thought of that!

[PackMan97]

Don't you mean crash and Bern?

$1 million in four hours...sounds more like Cash and Bern

[sagegrouse]

He will be 79 come election time. Just the fresh face people are looking for.

With such a crowded field, I wonder if his opponents will take it as easy on him this time.

Biden would be 78, one of the reasons this opinion piece argues that he should not run, since he'll be the "old white guy" that the Democratic party has been successful at NOT running with. Bernie's an old white guy, too, but the author gives him a pass since he's Jewish and offers a "fresh" perspective. Since he ran a whole campaign already on his ideals, I wouldn't go as far to say Bernie's perspective is "fresh".

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/opini...zer/index.html

There are many other factors, but James Hohmann of the WaPo highlights his list of Bernie's problems with this history lesson on second tries of previous Iowa winners, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee.

1. Beware the ghost of Rick Santorum.

Politicians across the ideological spectrum often have unrealistic views of the loyalty they command at the grass-roots level. History shows that caucus-goers and primary voters in the early states are fickle and cruel mistresses. The former Pennsylvania senator won the Iowa caucuses in 2012 with 30,000 votes. When he ran again four years later, Santorum spent just as much time camped out in the Hawkeye State but amassed only 1,783 votes – less than one percentage point. Mike Huckabee, who won the caucuses in 2008, got less than 2 percent of the vote. Santorum and Huckabee believed they could count on their old supporters coming home. They counted wrong.

[CameronBornAndBred]

There are many other factors, but James Hohmann of the WaPo highlights his list of Bernie's problems with this history lesson on second tries of previous Iowa winners, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee.

1. Beware the ghost of Rick Santorum.

Politicians across the ideological spectrum often have unrealistic views of the loyalty they command at the grass-roots level. History shows that caucus-goers and primary voters in the early states are fickle and cruel mistresses. The former Pennsylvania senator won the Iowa caucuses in 2012 with 30,000 votes. When he ran again four years later, Santorum spent just as much time camped out in the Hawkeye State but amassed only 1,783 votes – less than one percentage point. Mike Huckabee, who won the caucuses in 2008, got less than 2 percent of the vote. Santorum and Huckabee believed they could count on their old supporters coming home. They counted wrong.

I get what Hohmann is saying, but Bernie feels different. Much like Trump, he seems to have a very loyal base, and to his credit, has proven himself as an excellent campaigner. And while Huckabee and Santorum were players in their initial outings, neither ever had the feel of a true challenger. Of course they got enough votes to make news, but never to make waves.

[JNort]

I still think the love Bernie got from young voters will stay plus add ons who don't like how he got kicked to the curb for Hillary.