Why do people think Bernie would have done worse than Biden?

[perpetual_cynic]

I believe Bernie Sanders would have done better in the general election than Joe Biden, for two main reasons:

- He was winning Latinos in the primary easily, and Biden absolutely collapsed with them in the general election.

- He would not have stopped in-person canvassing, which as it turns out isn't THAT dangerous COVID-wise. That was the Democratic Party's unilateral surrender, and it nearly cost them the 2020 election, and several winnable House races no doubt.

I just wonder where this conventional wisdom comes from.

That's what I find so ironic is that Bernie did so well with Latinos and then look what happened in the general. It would have been a coin toss I think between Bernie and Trump because Bernie wouldn't have been able to claw back at the moderate suburban voters that Biden gained to win key states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.

[perpetual_cynic]

I believe Bernie Sanders would have done better in the general election than Joe Biden, for two main reasons:

- He was winning Latinos in the primary easily, and Biden absolutely collapsed with them in the general election.

- He would not have stopped in-person canvassing, which as it turns out isn't THAT dangerous COVID-wise. That was the Democratic Party's unilateral surrender, and it nearly cost them the 2020 election, and several winnable House races no doubt.

I just wonder where this conventional wisdom comes from.

That's what I find so ironic is that Bernie did so well with Latinos and then look what happened in the general. It would have been a coin toss I think between Bernie and Trump because Bernie wouldn't have been able to claw back at the moderate suburban voters that Biden gained to win key states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota.

Bernie losing Minnesota is...a take. He could've done a hair worse in affluent Twin Cities suburbs, but he probably makes up for that by patching up some of the bleeding in the Iron Range, the Red River valley, and along the Iowa border.

Minnesota is not relevant, I shouldn't have brought that up. The only reason it was close in 2016 was because of third-parties. Do you really think voters in Ozaukee and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin would come out and shift towards the Democrats if Bernie was on the ticket? How about Oakland County MI, or better yet Kent County MI, where Biden carried it but John James carried it in the Senate race? These voters may be anti-Trump but they aren't willing to risk their pocketbooks I guarantee you that.

[perpetual_cynic]

- The type of Latinos who vote in democratic primaries are not the same in general elections, I doubt he would do better
- considering Sanders is old, it would not be very wise to campaign during Covid as well. That's being said, killing of door knocking was a dumb strategy 

I suspect Sanders does worse among Latino swing voters than Biden did.

If it is true that it was because of the socialist attacks by Trump, Sanders would have been an easier target.

[perpetual_cynic]

- The type of Latinos who vote in democratic primaries are not the same in general elections, I doubt he would do better
- considering Sanders is old, it would not be very wise to campaign during Covid as well. That's being said, killing of door knocking was a dumb strategy  

I suspect Sanders does worse among Latino swing voters than Biden did.

If it is true that it was because of the socialist attacks by Trump, Sanders would have been an easier target.

I agree.
Socialism might not be an effective talking point to young native-born left-leaning milennials, but  to immigrant communities with very strong ties to Latin America, and aware of the class tensions in Latin American societies, it probably would have been much more effective.

Yes. I also think the turnout was too low in the Dem primaries in Latino-heavy areas particularly in TX to make a determination as to why they chose Sanders.

[perpetual_cynic]

- The type of Latinos who vote in democratic primaries are not the same in general elections, I doubt he would do better
- considering Sanders is old, it would not be very wise to campaign during Covid as well. That's being said, killing of door knocking was a dumb strategy  

I suspect Sanders does worse among Latino swing voters than Biden did.

If it is true that it was because of the socialist attacks by Trump, Sanders would have been an easier target.

I agree.
Socialism might not be an effective talking point to young native-born left-leaning milennials, but  to immigrant communities with very strong ties to Latin America, and aware of the class tensions in Latin American societies, it probably would have been much more effective.

I think the turnout was too low in the Dem primaries in Latino-heavy areas particularly in TX to make a determination as to why they chose Sanders.

That's an interesting point.
It'd be interesting to see if research existed on what distinguished the Latino Dem primary electorate with the overall Latino electorate as well as Latinos as a whole.

It could have also been that Latinos simply changed their minds between the Dem primary and the 2020 election. Biden talked about the economy but I he really focused more on moderation than Sanders. Sanders focused more on the economy than Biden, I think, and polls have shown that Latinos are much more reactive to economic policy than anything else.