8 ms·
The enthusiasm around Bernie in 2016 was palpable. The DNC took it from him.
by marpstar 11mo ago
The enthusiasm around Bernie in 2016 was palpable. The DNC took it from him.
- KerrAvon 11mo agoThis is true. Anecdata, but I talked to some of the “Republicans for Bernie” back then, and it was real, not astroturf. We’d be in a different place if Bernie had been the Dem candidate in 2016. I think it’s likely Bernie’s actual presidency would have been a major shitshow that made Jimmy Carter’s look pretty solid, but it would have relegated Trump to what he originally wanted to be, a fringe political figure grifting millions from gullible conservatives. (I also think Bernie could not have won in 2020.)
- AnimalMuppet 11mo agoBut in that scenario, the Republicans would not have run Trump a second time (and maybe not even the first, because all the populist action would have gone to Bernie). So Bernie would lose in 2020 to a normal (that is, not populist) Republican.