What if Bernie wins?

[Hermit For Peace]

Since Trump and Clinton are so widely disliked and each have such high negative polling numbers regarding their character, and since Bernie is the only candidate who still has positive polling numbers to his credit, WHY is the country leaning toward the candidates we pretty much despise?

If people like Bernie so much, why aren't more people voting for him? People think he has integrity, that he walks his talk, that he is the honest president we need. What gives with voting for the opposite of what we want?

Just throwing this out there for discussion.

[This account no longer in use.]

It's because the demographics of the voters do not reflect the demographics of the Internet. At this point, an indictment is his only hope.

[RightBehind]

Bernie, not Trump, would Make America Great Again.

[RaphaelDLG]

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

[Hermit For Peace]

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

Ben Carson was an embarrassment. He couldn't speak English very well and he had that soft pansy voice and he didn't come off as a leader, even though he appeared to be honest. Bernie is not like that at all. I think Bernie has a commanding presence.

[Wisconsin+17]

Carson destroyed himself when he said that Schiavo was no big deal.

[Maxwell]

Bernie's not going to win because the voters in the Democratic Primary, where Democrats dominate (and Hillary does just as good as Bernie among them), chose Hillary.

[Hermit For Peace]

Bernie, not Trump, would Make America Great Again.

Maybe so. Maybe he would shake up things in a real way like Obama shook up the health care industry. There's still a lot of work to be done, but Obama got his foot in the door. Maybe it will take Bernie to get a foot in the door of breaking up the big money interests in our country before anything will change.

[Kingpoleon]

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

Ben Carson was an embarrassment. He couldn't speak English very well and he had that soft pansy voice and he didn't come off as a leader, even though he appeared to be honest. Bernie is not like that at all. I think Bernie has a commanding presence.

... Are you an open racist Democrat or closeted about it? Many African-Americans I know, at least as an Arkansan, have "that soft pansy voice". What, are they Uncle Toms, too, for ever considering voting Republicwn?

[Hermit For Peace]

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

Ben Carson was an embarrassment. He couldn't speak English very well and he had that soft pansy voice and he didn't come off as a leader, even though he appeared to be honest. Bernie is not like that at all. I think Bernie has a commanding presence.

... Are you an open racist Democrat or closeted about it? Many African-Americans I know, at least as an Arkansan, have "that soft pansy voice". What, are they Uncle Toms, too, for ever considering voting Republicwn?

You can call me anything you want, doesn't make me that thing. George W Bush was also an embarrassment because his English was horrible. I cringed every time he spoke. I'm just calling it as I see it and it has nothing to do with color, and everything to do with the appearance or perception of leadership.

[This account no longer in use.]

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

Ben Carson was an embarrassment. He couldn't speak English very well and he had that soft pansy voice and he didn't come off as a leader, even though he appeared to be honest. Bernie is not like that at all. I think Bernie has a commanding presence.

... Are you an open racist Democrat or closeted about it? Many African-Americans I know, at least as an Arkansan, have "that soft pansy voice". What, are they Uncle Toms, too, for ever considering voting Republicwn?

What.

[Dereich]

Check out some of the general election polls in 2014; Hillary was up 10-20 on everybody and was one of the most popular politicians in the country. Time in the spotlight as the presumptive nominee reminds people of what they don't like about you and leaves them imagining some perfect alternative who would do no wrong. If it seriously looked like Bernie would be the nominee for just one minute, his numerous and glaring flaws would become everyone's focus. Nobody's popularity survives long term scrutiny and a cranky old socialist is far far FAR away from the type who could overcome that.

[Angrie]

The Democratic and Republican primary electorates are not representative of the populace as a whole. So Clinton and Trump can win majorities (or at any rate pluralities) of support among those primary electorates even while being very unpopular overall.

[BlueSwan]

Check out some of the general election polls in 2014; Hillary was up 10-20 on everybody and was one of the most popular politicians in the country. Time in the spotlight as the presumptive nominee reminds people of what they don't like about you and leaves them imagining some perfect alternative who would do no wrong. If it seriously looked like Bernie would be the nominee for just one minute, his numerous and glaring flaws would become everyone's focus. Nobody's popularity survives long term scrutiny and a cranky old socialist is far far FAR away from the type who could overcome that.

This. Politics 101, yet still way beyond comprehension for a number of Sandernistas.

[Seriously?]

Ummm. No. Bernie will not beat Hillary! in hard delegates. He will not get Hillary's superdelegates. This question is preposterous, unless Comey somehow gets the Obama administration to indict.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

No one has gone negative on Sanders yet.  No one.  If they were to, 75% of the American people would turn on the Flavor of the Month and he would be toast.  We'd have ourselves President Trump.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

No one has gone negative on Sanders yet.  No one.

LOL, what? The Washington Post has had as many as 16 hit pieces a day, and they're certainly not alone.

[catographer]

Check out some of the general election polls in 2014; Hillary was up 10-20 on everybody and was one of the most popular politicians in the country. Time in the spotlight as the presumptive nominee reminds people of what they don't like about you and leaves them imagining some perfect alternative who would do no wrong. If it seriously looked like Bernie would be the nominee for just one minute, his numerous and glaring flaws would become everyone's focus. Nobody's popularity survives long term scrutiny and a cranky old socialist is far far FAR away from the type who could overcome that.

Amen, this is why pointing to hypothetical match-up polls is no way to make the case that Sanders would be better against Trump than Clinton.

[Hermit For Peace]

Bernie has a snowball's chance to win this thing, but when all is said and done, he sure has had a great influence on the people of America and also on the political process. It's an influence that cannot be undone. Can anyone argue that Bernie hasn't helped steer the political conversation in a positive direction?

[Dereich]

Bernie has a snowball's chance to win this thing, but when all is said and done, he sure has had a great influence on the people of America and also on the political process. It's an influence that cannot be undone. Can anyone argue that Bernie hasn't helped steer the political conversation in a positive direction?

Almost everyone on the right, even Trump voters, would vehemently disagree with you.

[IceSpear]

It's not a coincidence that the two people who received the least scrutiny and attacks (Kasich and Sanders) polled the best. And the reason they received so little scrutiny/attacks is because everyone knew they had no chance at winning.

For a month or two Ben Carson had the highest favorability rating and GE numbers due to the fact that he was mostly ignored and was just seen as the nice friendly likable black doctor. Then he completely collapsed under the slightest bit of scrutiny. Sanders' image and poll numbers would take a hit if he was the nominee or looked like the presumptive nominee. The only question (which none of us will ever know) is how big the hit would've been.

[Landslide Lyndon]

It's not a coincidence that the two people who received the least scrutiny and attacks (Kasich and Sanders) polled the best. And the reason they received so little scrutiny/attacks is because everyone knew they had no chance at winning.

For a month or two Ben Carson had the highest favorability rating and GE numbers due to the fact that he was mostly ignored and was just seen as the nice friendly likable black doctor. Then he completely collapsed under the slightest bit of scrutiny. Sanders' image and poll numbers would take a hit if he was the nominee or looked like the presumptive nominee. The only question (which none of us will ever know) is how big the hit would've been.

Considering the fact that according to polls American voters were more willing to vote for a gay or an atheist candidate rather than someone who calls himself a socialist, it would have been a pretty big hit.

[Hermit For Peace]

Maybe it doesn't matter that Bernie was never viciously attacked. He still ran a campaign that had one theme: big money doesn't get to have their way anymore. And the up and coming generations love him for it. And I don't think anyone can deny that the message got out there.

I'm just saying, maybe Bernie's role in all this has been to emphasize that big money's days are limited. He "won" if there are changes made regarding the influence big money has over every aspect of our lives.

Trump is Mr. Big Money, he's the personification of it. Hillary is also big money but at least she is talking about reigning Wall Street and too big to fail businesses. She is aware there is a problem.

[Figueira]

Bush and Carson both speak perfect English, seeing as they are native speakers of English.

Why didn't Ben Carson win the Republican Nomination despite crushing all R and D candidates in favorability and polling the strongest of everyone in general election hypotheticals?

Ben Carson was an embarrassment. He couldn't speak English very well and he had that soft pansy voice and he didn't come off as a leader, even though he appeared to be honest. Bernie is not like that at all. I think Bernie has a commanding presence.

... Are you an open racist Democrat or closeted about it? Many African-Americans I know, at least as an Arkansan, have "that soft pansy voice". What, are they Uncle Toms, too, for ever considering voting Republicwn?

The actual Welsh word is Plaid Weriniaethol.

[Maxwell]

Bernie has a snowball's chance to win this thing, but when all is said and done, he sure has had a great influence on the people of America and also on the political process. It's an influence that cannot be undone. Can anyone argue that Bernie hasn't helped steer the political conversation in a positive direction?

Almost everyone on the right, even Trump voters, would vehemently disagree with you.

Even on the left, I believe his voice is no longer addressing relevant issues and instead becoming toxic.