Why does Bernie appeal to conservatives?

[Bidenworth2020]

discuss

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/the-lifelong-conservatives-who-love-bernie-sanders/417441/

[hcallega]

There's an element of "conservatism" (in the old-school sense) in Bernie. At his core, a lot of his message is about rule following and fairness in relation to the economy. Now a lot of conservatives are more focused on anti-government policies, but I've come across many in my day-to-day life who associate with the GOP more because they see it as the party of structure and order. Bernie appeals to that, as his policies are pretty heavily focused on making big business and the wealthy "Play by the rules" so-to-speak.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

No. Bernie's conservative voters were simply anti-Hillary hacks.
If Sanders runs in three years again, he would only get 10-15% of the vote.

[TheSaint250]

If he ran for president he would be defeated by high turnout of conservatives. He's counter to conservative and libertarian values of small government and anti socialism

[RINO Tom]

He largely doesn't.

[Alabama_Indy10]

He doesn't. He was just running against Hillary Clinton.

[PragmaticPopulist]

There's an element of "conservatism" (in the old-school sense) in Bernie. At his core, a lot of his message is about rule following and fairness in relation to the economy. Now a lot of conservatives are more focused on anti-government policies, but I've come across many in my day-to-day life who associate with the GOP more because they see it as the party of structure and order. Bernie appeals to that, as his policies are pretty heavily focused on making big business and the wealthy "Play by the rules" so-to-speak.

Mostly this. During the primaries, I heard that some registered Democrats who had come to vote for Republicans consistently in general elections liked his message of economic fairness and equality. Of course, there was a significant number of them in formerly competitive or blue states such as Oklahoma and West Virginia who were planning on voting for the eventually Republican nominee in the general, but couldn't because they were registered Democrats, so they voted for Sanders as an anti-Clinton vote. (or in the case of West Virginia, were registered Democratic because they wanted to vote for Jim Justice.

[McGovernForPrez]

If I had to guess, it's because of how non-partisan he appears to be. America has some of the weakest partisanship of fully-fledged Democracies. About half of our registered voters identify as "independent" in one way or another. Obviously your party registration doesn't say much about your ideological leanings, but it says a lot about your tolerance for run of the mill partisan candidates. It's why I believe Warren is much more flawed candidate than Sanders despite their similar ideological base. Sanders appeals to plenty of conservative "independents" simply because he's not a party line type of guy and sets himself apart from the pack by being an independent.

[Strudelcutie4427]

I have a few friends who voted for him in the Massachusetts primary. They're all republicans, but as one of them posted on facebook, "If you vote for Hillary, you're a wanker"

[Mike Thick]

I think that many rural voters, as I believe other posters have said in the past, prefer "government that works for them" to "small government." That's where Bernie's crossover appeal comes from.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Because a lot of Republican voters are actually opposed to tax cuts for the rich, support the universal aspects of the social safety net (read: Social Security and Medicare), and are angry about mass job losses and the overall hollowing out of rural communities from the deindustrialization caused by the same technological advances and trade agreements that have recently been championed by politicians in both major parties - especially, in the case of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton and other exemplars of the Beltway "Establishment." When combined with Hillary having over two decades of being a flashpoint for the American Right's hatred of Democrats, liberals, and feminists, as well as Bernie having been the closest thing to an outsider in DC over the same time period (not technically a Democrat, ideologically and politically very consistent, actually disdains the Money Men rather than court their support), this all becomes easier to understand.

Let's not overstate the case, though; A lot of Republicans do indeed see Sanders and his supporters as Loony Leftists or even dangerous Communist and anarchist America-haters, and things like the Scalise shooting along with some of the people associated with Antifa, Black Bloc, etc. certainly haven't helped weaken that perception.

[Yank2133]

His appeal is that he isn't Hillary.

In some ways it is in inverse of the Obama/Hillary dynamic in 2008.

[Santander]

His appeal is that he isn't Hillary.

[Biden Stans Are Cringelords]

Because he wasn't the nominee. Conservatives liked Obama in January 2008 because he wasn't Clinton, then started "liking" Clinton when it was clear Obama would win. If Bernie had won the nomination, they would have called him a Communist, and probably become anti-Semites.

[America Needs R'hllor]

I have a few friends who voted for him in the Massachusetts primary. They're all republicans, but as one of them posted on facebook, "If you vote for Hillary, you're a wanker"

Charming

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

Because he's an older white male from a rural state, so low-information conservatives can believe that he's a socially conservative outsider.

If and when the GOP goes nuclear on him and it's shown how fiscally and socially liberal he really is, they'll turn on him in an instant and his popularity would go the way of Hillary's.

[Technocracy Timmy]

A lot of lower income "conservatives" aren't actually fiscal conservatives when push comes to shove. See the approval of the BCRA/AHCA vs. the ACA or better yet this:



A white male messenger also helps greatly.

[Cactus Jack]

A large part of it has to do with Bernie actually having...well, to be frank, a personality. Even people who hate his policies like his style.

[Kyle Rittenhouse is a Political Prisoner]

A large part of it has to do with Bernie actually having...well, to be frank, a personality. Even people who hate his policies like his style.

That'd vanish quick.

[Cactus Jack]

A large part of it has to do with Bernie actually having...well, to be frank, a personality. Even people who hate his policies like his style.

That'd vanish quick.

Well, it certainly would in a general election, once Trump reminded the right wing hivemind that they're supposed to be his good little cultists.

[UWS]

I think Utah would be the best example. While Utah usually votes Republican by more than 60 % of the vote and while Hillary unexpectedly trailed Trump in Utah, Bernie was topping Trump in Utah in some polls, probably because Mormons hate Trump and are, of course, anti-Hillary as well.

[Skunk]

I think Utah would be the best example. While Utah usually votes Republican by more than 60 % of the vote and while Hillary unexpectedly trailed Trump in Utah, Bernie was topping Trump in Utah in some polls, probably because Mormons hate Trump and are, of course, anti-Hillary as well.

Or it's just polling was off. Hillary was tied or was extremely close with Trump in some polls too. McMullin led some polls also. Doesn't really say much.

[Tancred]

As others have mentioned, many people who identify as conservative aren't really fiscally conservative. Bernie's economic populism probably appealed to them.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

Based on his home state electoral performance, it's populism doing its magic.

[GoTfan]

I think that many rural voters, as I believe other posters have said in the past, prefer "government that works for them" to "small government." That's where Bernie's crossover appeal comes from.

This.

I also think that part of the reason is that he's stuck to the same left wing views his entire life. He's seen as a symbol of honesty; as Henry Rollins said "Whether you agree with him or not, you know he's gonna come in throught the front door."