Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign megathread

[Higgins]

I can't be the only Democrat who feels Bernie is the best asset the Republicans have. He's basically a literal cartoon of everything Democrats have been accused of being for the past 50-60 years.

[Higgins]

And then 1980 happened.

Reagan had been steadily building a support base for 16 years by that point. He had already made a name for himself back in '64, beat Pat Brown in a landslide in '66, could've been nominated for President in '68, came within a hair's breadth of being nominated in '76, and in '80 was facing off against a President who had no political support (whereas Trump has support among Republicans), who was seen as weak due to the Iran debacle, who was seen as not helping the worst economy since the Great Depression (whereas the economy now is nowhere like 1980 or 2008). People were not afraid of "conservatives" in 1980 as people still are of the word Socialism. Nixon, despite the failed second term, showed that America was a lot more conservative than they realized as did the backlash to civil rights in the 60s.

Reagan also had amazing charisma which inspired people who would normally never vote Republican to vote for him. He had also a country which at that point had truly been in a malaise for almost 20 years and had lost faith in itself and was in a deep funk. Reagan offered, with a smile and simple language, a bright optimistic vision of the future. He was a simple man, plainspoken different from the technocrats who had governed since LBJ; he spoke to a nation that truly had felt crushed morally. We're nowhere near the level of funk America was in 1979-1980. Bernie also does not offer "a shining city on a hill" or hope; he does not offer things that can transcend age barriers or a shining vision of the future. His message is for the young, the college aged, he offers a "revolution."

Bernie is many things, but Ronald Reagan he is not. I truly believe he is more akin to a Democratic Ron Paul.

[Higgins]

I'm sorry, I "agree" with Bernie Sanders on almost everything, but I cannot stand him. The problem is that his supporters are absolutely hideous. At this point I'll even take Joe Biden over him.

I have to admit his die hard suppoters are some of the ugliest people I've ever come across, and I am torn between him and Biden, but his recent comments have me leaning toward Bernie.

If Bernie is the only way we can get a Democrat who is not slobbering over social justice in the White House, then he has my vote.

[Higgins]

Bernie is probably the only Dem I'd vote for at this point. The others support policies I cannot support and would only increase division in an already broken society.

[Higgins]

Should:

Lifers
Convicted drug dealers/traffickers/distributors
Convicted stalkers
Convicted rapists
Convicted child molesters
Convicted murderers

Have the right to vote?

I am for those who are in prison with non-violent minor misdemeanors voting, and those in jail awaiting trial, but should the above really have the right to vote? Is that the kind of people who you want to defend?

[Higgins]

I am for those who are in prison with non-violent minor misdemeanors voting, and those in jail awaiting trial, but should the above really have the right to vote? Is that the kind of people who you want to defend?

The pragmatic case against voting rights for incarcerated felons baffles me. We don't require voters to prove that they are wise, moral, or selfless. Most are none of those things.

There's a word for political systems in which only the deserving have a say, and it isn't democracy. Deprive felons of the franchise on account of justice if you like, but that's a matter of what they have done, not who they are or how they make their decisions.

None of the voters who you say have no morals have violated the law, and thus society. Convicted violent felons have proven to have at best poor judgement and poor morals. They have violated society in ways that likely can never be undone, regardless of time served. If you violate society, you should lose some of your societal rights.

Do you really believe a convicted child rapist or convicted murderer should vote?

It is not a question of who they are. It is a question of what they have done. In your worldview, should we even imprison criminals?

[Higgins]

Alot of people dont get, the Banks are writing off student loan debt anyways. By the time people become seniors, they become even more eligible for a total discharge, anyways.

The problem is, my girlfriend and I were discussing this ourselves. She's more left than I am, but she's also someone with student debt who works very hard: Nothing is "free." It's people like she and I who would be paying for 'free' college.

[Higgins]

Alot of people dont get, the Banks are writing off student loan debt anyways. By the time people become seniors, they become even more eligible for a total discharge, anyways.

The problem is, my girlfriend and I were discussing this ourselves. She's more left than I am, but she's also someone with student debt who works very hard: Nothing is "free." It's people like she and I who would be paying for 'free' college.

I had a hilarious discussion with someone on the subject last week, and their view went something like "I'm a Marxist, but Warren's student debt forgiveness plan goes too far."

That is pretty hilarious.

I have no real stance on student debt personally, other than perhaps we should create conditions where a person doesn't need to take a loan to go to college. Somewhere between pie in the sky 'free college' and where student loans are even a thing. Tax credits to lower income individuals? Expansion of grants or creation of new ones based on very specific needs? Not sure. But just pie in the sky "We're gonna make college free!"? Nothing is free.

[Higgins]

Bernie's only path at this point is use his $$ advantage and run negative ads against Biden non stop in the early states. It's the only way to stop him, negative ads work and there's so much material to work from.

Possible it could work in theory but in practice, the types of "negative" ads that Bernie's SJW advisors would tell him to run would be ads about how Biden put gang members in jail in the early 90s, such ads would actually help Biden.

Honestly along with that Sanders probably would focus more on stressing his own policy this campaign rather than creating a toxic fight against Biden.

I don't think Bernie would tolerate getting screwed over by an establishment candidate yet again. He only reluctantly endorsed Hillary under a great deal of pressure in 2016. I do not think he will repeat what he probably sees as a mistake. I think Bernie could very well pull a 1976 Reagan this time around and if the numbers/votes allow for it, challenge Biden right up to the convention.

[Higgins]

Bernie shouldn't have gotten the facelift and haircut. He looks like 2001 era Dick Cheney nowadays.