How would you advise Senator Bernie Sanders on his Presidential campaign?

[retromike22]

Congratulations, the Clinton II royal coronation team has run out of open positions and you've been reduced to becoming the campaign manager/strategist/press secretary/intern for Senator Bernie Sanders' 2016 Presidential campaign!

What is your strategy?

[Vega]

Run as an Independent, and campaign like hell in the bluest of blue states in hopes of hitting 2% or more in each.

[IceSpear]

I'm fairly sure he's going to run as a Democrat, but if he did run as an independent, would it be theoretically possible for him to only get on the ballot in solid D or solid R states?

[BaconBacon96]

Run as a Democrat, with a very grassroots campaign. Try to push Clinton towards the left. Aim to win a number of primaries in progressive states. Create a campaign structure that could be inherited by a younger, stronger progressive candidate down the line.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Seek the Green nomination for ballot access.

[Vega]

Seek the Green nomination for ballot access.

Actually, this could work as well as a strategy.

[Thunderbird is the word]

Campaign hard to mobilize progressive supporters in a lot of states, reach out to younger voters definitely and don't compromise his message at all, he's probably not going to win anyway but just getting all his ideas out into the public discourse is important.

[Hatman 🍁]

Go the Ron Paul route. He's not going to win, but pulling Hillary (and the Democratic Party) to the left is definitely needed.

[King]

Do what Newt to Romney did in 2012. Lose but make Hillary have to say very liberal things in the process

[NewYorkExpress]

Resign as a Senator now, run as an Independent and play to win (though finishing second to Hillary would be fine as well)

Assuming Rand Paul isn't on the GOP ticket , he would the first choice for VP.

[retromike22]

I'd say use the Dean campaign as a guide, but with less screaming.

[The Other Castro]

I'd say use the Dean campaign as a guide, but with less more screaming.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I'd say use the Dean campaign as a guide, but with less screaming.

You mean not having the media use noise cancellation for the crowd so that you can see that it's so noisy that the candidate is barely being heard.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I'm fairly sure he's going to run as a Democrat, but if he did run as an independent, would it be theoretically possible for him to only get on the ballot in solid D or solid R states?

Sure, if he wanted to he wouldn't have to apply for ballot access in competitive states. But that wouldn't make sense if he wants to have any sort of electoral success. If he runs it means he doesn't think either the Democratic or Republican candidate is worth supporting.

[stegosaurus]

I would tell him to just be himself. He's got a winning message for a Democratic primary, and all of the money in the world can't overcome Hillary's inherent flaws as a candidate. Imagine a debate between these two; no way I see Clinton walking away clean if she tries to dodge questions across a stage from Sanders.

[© tweed]

speak the Radical Truth.  (stop lying about Israel -- or if you really need the progressive Jewish money, just try to ignore foreign policy altogether).  don't jerk off to fantasies of winning.  if you have to jerk off at all -- jerk off to posterity viewing you favorably, as a harbinger.

[Beet]

Pick one or two issues that aren't much on the radar now, but which could be if they were talked about. Then just keep hammering away at those.

[pikachu]

Camp myself in Iowa/New Hampshire and hope for a decent performance. If Sanders could hold Hillary to under 50%, I think that'd be enough to keep him relevant for about a month.

[Zioneer]

I would advise him to pull the political conversation to the left, rather than trying to win.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I would advise him to pull the political conversation to the left, rather than trying to win.

Hillary isn't going to be moved left. Her base is Wall Street.

[© tweed]

I would advise him to pull the political conversation to the left, rather than trying to win.

Hillary isn't going to be moved left. Her base is Wall Street.

the fault lines will be different against Sanders than they were against Obama.  she relied heavily on older Hispanics and whites.  this time she'll be expecting the black vote too.  it's hard to say what Sanders' "natural" constituency, besides a handful of progressive activists and white 18-29s.  perhaps he can get Cornel West to stump for him in South Carolina.

besides, Wall St doesn't mind her moving "left" on social issues, like gay rights and other meaningless sh**t.

[The Dowager Mod]

First thing I would tell him to do is drop out.

[Blair]

Convince Warren to run

[VPH]

1.) Declare a run as an independent; kick things off big on social media and the web
2.) Craft a message of economic populism and divert from social issues for the most part
3.) Pick a VP with some independent crossover appeal (Buddy Roemer, Angus King, etc)
4.) Use moneybombs and also more traditional means to fundraise
5.) Hit the strong Democratic and strong Republican states hard to gain support there
6.) Make it a message campaign, focus on economic concerns
7.) Don't focus too much on a ground game outside of large cities, but make more use of phonebanks, rallies, and social media
8.) Be firey, get attention from the media
9.) Attack both sides of the aisle

[Fuzzy Bear]

I would tell him to just be himself. He's got a winning message for a Democratic primary, and all of the money in the world can't overcome Hillary's inherent flaws as a candidate. Imagine a debate between these two; no way I see Clinton walking away clean if she tries to dodge questions across a stage from Sanders.

I agree with this. 

Firstly, if Bernie is serious about being President, he's got to run as a Democrat.  Period.  He's got a bit of a problem in that he's not really a Democrat, but he's caucused with the Democrats his entire career, so that issue may be non-existent.

I support Bernie because he's the last honest man left, and because he's the most responsive to the issue of the shrinking middle class.  That's a message that can resonate across party lines and generations, and will definitely put HRC on the defensive in a primary.  Then, too, Bernie will be running on issues.  (He has no chance if he doesn't, so that's not a Profile in Courage, but it's good news.)  The issues that he would run on would bring out things about HRC that folks don't like, such as her cold personality, and the fact that the projects an aura of it being 'all about her" and "her turn".  A guy like Sanders would bring this out big time in HRC and that would give her campaign team acid indigestion.

Could Bernie win?  HRC would have to do a lot of stumbling to get the feminist left, who are more liberal than HRC, back in line.  But I'd love to see him try.