"Eighty-five percent of Biden supporters said they would be inclined to back Sanders over Trump..."

[Don1]

Article from a few weeks back.

The survey, conducted from March 11 to 15, also showed that this represents a notable improvement in Democratic Party solidarity since the 2016 elections. This year, Morning Consult found just 7 percent of Sanders voters would support Trump over Biden. This is down from a 12-percent share of his supporters in 2016 who backed Trump over Hillary Clinton, according to the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group.

While one hopes to have as many voters as possible, this is a glass three quarters full, not a glass half empty. That is to say, it's actually GOOD NEWS. It shows that solidarity is BETTER than in 2016. This is good news for the Biden campaign.

Eighty-five percent of Biden supporters said they would be inclined to back Sanders over Trump, a mere three-point improvement over Sanders' numbers. Tracking where Sanders' voters will go is significant because Biden is poised to clinch the nomination and will need to maintain a coalition that includes disaffected Sanders supporters in order to ensure a general election victory. The latest FiveThirtyEight primary forecast calls Biden's nomination a near-certainty.

While I am sure that if one uses different methodologies and slightly different sample of persons, one will get slightly different answers like 10% of Biden supporters might not support Sanders or 20% of Biden supporters might not support Sanders, it's going to be close to 15%. You might expect that using the ABC methodology to give about 12% since they had Sanders at 15% whereas this one had his supporters at 18%.

BUT again, this is GOOD NEWS because it's not merely about typical registered Democrats but instead independents who lean Democratic or independents who could even lean Republican (like Never Trumpers) and moderates. A successful campaign will be a broad coalition of moderates, independents, progressives and have an energized base. So this number is a sign of a broad coalition and the Biden campaign should be congratulated for picking up these people.

In recent days, the former vice president has appeared to make overtures to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, signaling an embrace of policy positions that he did not back in the past.

"Bernie has put forward a plan that would make public colleges and universities free for families whose income is below $125,000," Biden tweeted Sunday. "It's a good idea, and after consideration, I am proud to add it to my platform."

This is also GOOD NEWS. It shows one of Joe Biden's great qualities which is that he is willing to compromise and collaborate and get things done.

Joe Biden is doing exactly what needs to be done. He's getting a broad coalition including moderates and independents and progressives and he's energizing the base and in the near future Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and President Obama are going to campaign for him.

[LAS14]

1. What are those 15% thinking????? nt

[Squinch]

2. Did you know that there are Russian and Republican trolls on some Democratic websites, and

their entire purpose is to try to sow division among Democrats?

Isn't that horrible?

And some of them do it by posing as BS supporters!!! No, really, it's true!

[Don1]

3. Did you know some people believe in Unity and not bashing?

It's true.

We should not push invalid points and bashing but instead start coming together.

[Squinch]

4. I totally agree! Time for everyone to unite behind Joe, and everyone else to get out of the way!

[PubliusEnigma]

12. If you believe in Unity, how can you be Undecided?

[sheshe2]

25. If that were true...

If that were true all Bernie supporters and Bernie himself would stop bashing the party that he is running for.

Bernie Sanders Faces Backlash for Saying Neither Republican Nor Democratic Establishment Can Stop Him

https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-faces-backlash-saying-neither-republican-nor-democratic-establishment-can-stop-him-1488599

Bernie Sanders Called The Democratic Party ‘Intellectually Bankrupt’ In 1985 Letter

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) once told a fellow left-wing activist that the Democratic Party was too “intellectually bankrupt” to allow the progressive movement to flourish within it.
In a 1985 letter newly obtained by HuffPost in which Sanders debated running for governor, he wrote: “Whether I run for governor or not is really not important. What would be a tragedy, however, is for people with a radical vision to fall into the pathetic camp of the intellectually bankrupt Democratic Party.”

snip

“1986 is the wrong time for such a race,” Jezer, who died in 2005, wrote. “I hope you will listen to the voices of the committed activists around the state. We sink or swim with this together.”

Sanders ultimately reached a different conclusion: He ran against Kunin as an independent. But the decision was not without dissent. An editorial from the socialist magazine In These Times criticized Sanders for dividing the left.

“In choosing to create a three-way race, Sanders is dividing the left and making more likely the defeat of an incumbent liberal woman governor by a more conservative Republican,” In These Times wrote. (At the time, Kunin was one of only two female governors in the country.)

The editorial prompted Sanders to reply: “I believe that the real changes that are needed in this country … are not going to be brought about by working within the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-democratic-party-independent_n_5e21e4f8c5b632117612f412

Would you please explain your definition of unity?

Don1
3. Did you know some people believe in Unity and not bashing?

It's true.

We should not push invalid points and bashing but instead start coming together.

[The Magistrate]

31. Interesting To Note, Ma'am, It Was A Woman He Tried Knifing In That Race

He really does seem to have difficulties with women in authority....

[sheshe2]

37. So true, sir.

He called her a liar on National TV. My Senator and will never forgive him for that.

Link to tweet

He has issues with women. Especially strong women.

She won her Senate seat in a tight ugly race from Scott Brown, former Cosmopolitan centerfold. Scott did his macho war woops, tomahawks and Pocahontas taunts. He lost.

Fact is she did more than Bernie long before she won that seat. It was called the CFPB. She did what he just talks about. She took on the big banks and won. Now she is the Senior Senator of MA. She has returned to the Senate and will carry on.

[TwilightZone]

5. Nice job leaving out the article title.

Of course, the title of the article is:

"Bernie Sanders Supporters Are Not As Loyal To Joe Biden As the Average Democrat, Poll Shows"

But that doesn't fit the agenda.

[Don1]

7. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Do you have something to say that is not about my character and IS about the CONTENTS of the op?

Didn't think so.

[TwilightZone]

8. Your intentions are clear.

I choose to respond accordingly.

[Don1]

10. Facts are more important than bashing.

So is unity.

[Demsrule86]

29. It is old shit...and shows why Sanders need to get out now.

[LongtimeAZDem]

21. Yep

[nolawarlock]

11. Nice try ...

By infusing your character into how you presented the OP, you distorted and diluted the contents. In such a case, content and character become symbiotic.

[Don1]

19. Nice try at what exactly???

I explained the numbers. If you have disagreements with the interpretations you are completely free to explain them.

I will repeat that these are both expected and good for Biden's campaign. The situation is relatively quite a bit better than 2016 and Joe Biden's campaign is doing well.

[thesquanderer]

13. Sometimes people post something to make a point other than the one made in the headline.

What's wrong with that? The headline isn't necessarily the only point of interest made in a story, and someone may want to comment on some other aspect of the story.

It's also worth noting that headline writers may have their own perspectives they are pushing. Headlines of "objective" articles are not necessarily, themselves, neutral fact presenters. In this case, the article is about a morning consult analysis. If you click through to the actual morning consult article, it includes this:

Biden supporters are only slightly more likely than Sanders supporters to say that they would back the other candidate over Trump.

The headline writer could as easily have gone with THAT as the headline, but the headline writer had a different agenda, and preferred to emphasize an anti-Sanders slant rather than a more neutral one.

There were quite a few posts recently about a poll that showed a decent number of Sanders supporters wouldn't vote for Biden (15%?), and sometimes I pointed out that that's the case in every election, you always lose some of the votes that went to your competitor. But it's interesting to see that question specifically polled here, confirming that, indeed, almost as many Biden supporters would do the same if the shoe were on the other foot. The "moral superiority" of some here gets really tiresome after a while. (Not directed at you, I don't remember whether or not you took any such position.)

[TwilightZone]

14. The poster's intent is clear.

Spend a little time reviewing his prior work and it will become rather obvious.

[thesquanderer]

17. I'm really bad at remembering what people have said in the past. ;-)

Every now and then, a series of posts makes me remember someone, but most of the time, I'm replying in a vacuum regarding anything else that poster has said!

[Hav]

23. That is usually the better approach

On the other side, when one's recent thread history includes gems like (paraphrasing) "What if Sanders dies of Corona,...", "What if Biden dies of Corona,...", "What if Biden supporters wouldn't support Bernie" you start to wonder whether someone is fishing for something specific or just not good at making a point and then continues digging.

[Demsrule86]

30. Try an advanced search...it helps sometimes to see where someone is coming from...don't understand

the point really since nothing he/she says can make Sanders the nominee...what it used to mean is that we should make Sanders the nominee because Biden supporters will fall in line but Sanders supporters won't...saw this everywhere...but the numbers are not that bad and I know some fervent Sanders supporters who voted for Stein last time (kids) who will vote for Biden this time to get rid of Trump.

[Don1]

39. "the numbers are not that bad"

I agree 100%. I think they're good.

[sheshe2]

26. Perfectly clear. nt

[Don1]

20. Exactly.

There indeed has been an anti-Sanders slant to a number of things, not just this one, BUT it's important to stop UNNECESSARILY bashing Sanders and progressives. We have to move toward unity and stop holding grudges. It's going to be very soon that Sanders concedes or at least that is my belief. Why pull stunts with stuff now? Let facts be objective and say when Biden is doing well which he is.

[Hav]

24. Is that what you are doing? Moving towards unity?

What is the point behind all your threads dealing with hypotheticals, some of them rather absurd, because that is exactly what holding grudges looks like and it's the opposite of moving forward.

[Demsrule86]

32. There can't be unity until Sanders and his team stops attacking the Democratic nominee.

So send Sanders a note...tired of this...I regard this as a threat...nice country you go...be nice to us or it goes away...Sanders should go away and end this. If he gives a damn about this country and progressive principles he has claimed to support for many years, he will do so. Time will tell.

[The Magistrate]

34. That Usage, Sir, Implies Some 'Bashing' Is Necessary

"...it's important to stop UNNECESSARILY bashing Sanders..."

(from your No. 20 above)

Good of you to acknowledge this. Perhaps we can work towards settling just how much is required for achieving the purpose of bringing devotees to their senses....

[The Magistrate]

6. Have You Explored Other Hobby Interests, Sir?

Perhaps embroidering antimacassars, or constructing soap-box derby racers?

When breaking an addiction , it helps to have something to engage your hands and focus your mind. Several days may set you on a new habit....

We're all pulling for you!





"From Bernie’s perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they don’t want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[Skidmore]

9. Antimacassars...Lol!

Sir, I love it and can't stop laughing. Worthwhile occupation or preoccupation for idle hands and minds. I agree.

[The Magistrate]

16. One Of Those Words, Sir, Like Burgle

That exerts a peculiar charm all its own. My understanding is that they were functional, to protect furniture from a common grooming aid for men's hair.

[Demsrule86]

33. Very good...+10000

[comradebillyboy]

15. I would have grudginly voted for Sanders over Trump but

I am thrilled that I will never have to vote for him since he won't ever be our nominee. After the first three or four primaries when all the pundits told me Joe was toast I was steeling myself to swallow that bitter pill. But then miraculously Joe was resurrected from the dead and began his triumphal march to the nomination. It's almost enough to make me believe in magic.

[Demsrule86]

35. It was magical...I was so excited. I remember thinking if Biden was only 100 to 200 behind, we would

have shot...but the news said there wasn't enough time. And then boom! It happened. The night belonged to Joe and to us- his supporters who were hoping against all odds.

[Hekate]

18. You're not bored with this job yet?

Or do you take turns with your team? I hope you practice social distancing.

All the best.

[sheshe2]

27. ...

[honest.abe]

22. This is rather odd poll when Sanders has zero chance of being the nominee.

I suspect many polled were confused by the question.

[Demsrule86]

28. Here are the numbers from your article. The article is from 3-17

While 90 percent of Democrats would commit themselves to support Biden in a head-to-head match-up against Trump, 82 percent of Sanders supporters would do the same, the survey from Morning Consult found. This is old...and what difference does it make as Biden is the nominee? There will be no need for us to vote for Sanders. I looked for a newer poll but there isn't one. I guess it doesn't really matter anymore.

[Don1]

40. You have to be careful of semantics in statistics.

Note the difference: "Democrats" versus "supporters." When comparing apples to apples it should be supporters versus supporters or Democrats versus Democrats.

[Indykatie]

36. Many States Already Have Programs to Provide Free Instate Tuition

Even Indiana has a free tuition program available for students remaining in State. 2 of my granddaughters went to public universities with free tuition via 21st Century Scholars. The 3rd went to a private Indiana college and was given the equivalent of the public university tuition.

I'd be more impressed if Bernie was pushing policies to fund and improve K-12 education. That would be the more progressive approach. It doesn't help poor and minority students if they aren't prepared to enter college.

[BidenBacker]

38. Not sure I believe this poll

A few weeks ago Quinnipiac did a much more detailed survey and found that Democrats would support Biden OR Sanders by an equal 93-2% ratio...

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3657

Joe's big advantage over Bernie is that he picks up a few extra percent of Republicans but more importantly has a better advantage when it comes to getting more Independents. Biden is obviously the better candidate of the two and you don't wanna mess around when it boils down to who's best suited to beat the blowhard.

538's ranking of polls puts Quinnipiac ahead of Morning Consult after analyzing more than 200 of the former and only a dozen of the latter.