Biden, not Sanders, gains in popularity after Warren drops out: Reuters/Ipsos poll

[brooklynite]

Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Elizabeth Warren’s departure from the Democratic presidential race appears to have benefited front-runner Joe Biden more than Bernie Sanders, her liberal ally on many issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll released on Monday.

The poll conducted from Friday to Monday showed that 47% of registered Democrats and independents said they would vote for Biden if their state’s nominating contests were held today, up 7 points from a similar poll that ran just before Warren suspended her campaign last Thursday.

Thirty percent said they would vote for Sanders, a senator from Vermont, unchanged from the previous poll.

The results suggested that Warren’s supporters, rather than gravitating toward Sanders, have fallen in line with Biden, who shifted the dynamics of the race with a commanding victory in the South Carolina primary, followed by wins in most of the Super Tuesday nominating contests last week.

[honest.abe]

1. Funny how the Sanders people were banking on Warren supporters to jump to Bernie.

[NurseJackie]

9. Calling Warren a liar on national TV didn't help.

And then his patronizing and dismissive response to Warren confronting him... that wasn't a good-look for him.

[world wide wally]

2. We just want to win!

[Sloumeau]

3. I take it that you are a former Warren supporter. :)

Yep, it seemed like more Warren supporters jumped to Biden here on DU than to Sanders. Why do I say that? because after Warren quit, the percentage of people identifying with Biden here on DU seemed to rise more than the percentage that identified with Sanders. The ratio of Biden to Sanders supporters on DU is currently more than 2 to 1.

[world wide wally]

4. Actually, I was with Biden from the start. Warren was my second choice

[Tumbulu]

26. Yes, I switched from Warren to Biden

I cannot really articulate my opinion of Bernie. I do blame him for Trump being in office. And so despite being progressive, it is more about character.

And then, when the African American Community spoke. I listened. And acted.

[tblue37]

28. I was a strong Warren supporter. Now I support Biden. In 2016 I supported Bernie in

the primaries, Hillary in the general.

[apnu]

5. Warren supporters, like me, have different motivations from Sanders supporters

We are progressive, we are feminist or allies. But we also are party people (by direct membership or association). Liz has done her time as both a progressive voice and a solid party supporter. She gets along with and has good relationships with liberals and moderates and can steer the conversation towards progress. A progress we all agree on, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum. She's the best of both worlds Democratic and Leftist Progressive.

Sanders is an outsider trying to pack the room with his people and displace us. That his progressive goals mirror Warren's is not in question. On policy we agree, but policy is only part of the game. How we get there and who we bring along with us is as important. Sanders and his people seem to not understand this. They are in the W mode of "my way or the high way". This is not how politics actually works. Its how revolutions work, its how wars work, but not democracy.

Winning is easy, leading after is harder. I simply don't think Bernie can lead. He's done nothing to convince me otherwise. I think this is why people are now flocking to Biden as the last option of leadership. They know he's moderate, but they also think they can work with him, to help steer him towards progress.

Bernie gives none of those vibes. He's uncompromising and a hard case. That has its uses, but as POTUS of the whole country? Having to work with Congress and the Courts that are not, nor ever will be, ideologically aligned with him? Nope.

Democracy works when we can compromise, when it fails its gridlock on the best of days, on the bad days, its war. Literally, war.

[Patiod]

25. Yes. 100% yes

Middle aged and older woman are the back bone of the party. Those of us who were EW supporters and who knock on doors and attend long boring committee meetings were not likely to go with "Burn It Down" Bernie.

Plus there "ok Boomer" replies on social media didn't do much to win us over either

[oasis]

6. "Joementum": An irresistible force.

[apnu]

8. um... Let's not use that term

It comes from Joe Lieberman and that was a disaster.

[oasis]

13. "Joementum". Joe Biden, a true Democrat gives it a new meaning.

This is the 2020 Democratic Party Primary. Not too many here would ever confuse Biden with Lieberman.

[Mickju]

21. I prefer not to have to think of Joe Lieberman.

He is a repulsive creep in my opinion.

[OnDoutside]

7. Oops

Link to tweet

[apnu]

11. These are generally moderate or swing states.

Bernie has issues with his right flank. His "my way or the highway" hard headed approach to progressivism isn't pulling middle of the road people to him.

He can do this, if he takes the time to convince moderates that his policies solve their problems. But he's repeating 2016, that is trying to pack the Democratic room with enough of his people to win, and ignores people already in the room. This rankles everybody in the room, no wonder rank and file Democrats are sprinting to Joe right now.

[OnDoutside]

12. He can't. He's known he was running for the last 4 years, and it's the same old Bernie patter. Here

we are at Half Past March, and he's done nothing to appeal to Moderate Dems, Independents, moderate anti-Trump Republicans and Black voters. Fail to prepare, Prepare to Fail.

[Indykatie]

15. Bernie Thinks He Could Win Without Indies and More Centrist Dems

He never had a strategy to attract anyone but those on the far left. In fact his 30% would have been enough to get to the convention with the most delegates had the field remained crowded through the March Primaries. It's why his campaign is so pissed that Amy, Mike and Pete dropped out before Super Tuesday. He didn't game plan that as a possibility. Now that he has gone on record saying the candidate with the most delegates should get the nomination he has no basis for a fight at the convention.

[apnu]

16. This strikes are the heart of his leadership.

We Democrats know this is a coalition, and that's the only reason any of this works right now. Everything you said is excellent and accurate analysis of reality.

[OnDoutside]

18. He couldn't even get the youth vote out last week !!! They were supposed to be his rock, and he

couldn't even manage that. You're right, he did nothing to attract a broader coalition. He's either a shocking strategist, surrounded by shocking strategists, or this wasn't a campaign that was meant to win, perhaps even a campaign to split the Democratic Party.

[apnu]

17. Generals always try to fight the previous war

This is Bernie now. He fought his fight in 2016, came up short, and here he is with the exact same plan. The conflict is different, the ground is different, his tactics are out dated, and didn't work the first time.

To do any of this you have to show some tactical agility, which Bernie lacks. It's great being an independent hard case, that has its uses, but leading the American melting pot? His hard core 'revolution' is doing what most revolutions do, generate more enemies than allies.

[OnDoutside]

19. Well said. I guess we'll find out in time when the dust settles, just exactly what the hell they

thought they were doing.

[IronLionZion]

10. I'm a Warren supporter who has joined the Biden train

I bet there's a lot that Bernie's people were banking on that just isn't so, like having congress pass Medicare for all. It'll be hard enough to get votes for Biden's public option.

Pandemic is the main reason for me. In crisis, I want a battle hardened experienced leader even if he makes gaffes and is forgetful. He's got Obama's seal of approval.

And the worst of Bernie's bros are just plain deplorable and I'm tired of the excuses for their behavior.

[Indykatie]

14. The Warren Voter Demographics Include Many Highly Educated Women and Academics

There was no way these voters were going to gravitate to Bernie. It was either folly or stupidity that had some people adding Warren's votes together with Bernie's votes to make the case that the total represented what the race would look like if Warren dropped out of the race. It now appears that a majority of Warren's voters moved to Biden after she left the race. Perhaps this is the election that will help those on the far left understand that the majority of the country aren't aligned with them. They will continue to whine and b*tch about the "establishment". That's part of the reason Bernie can expand his base of support.

[Hortensis]

20. Reuters spins it as they've "fallen in line" with Biden.

If anyone's pushing them, it's Sanders.

Just noted in Politico

Sanders doesn’t plan to limit rallies amid coronavirus outbreak. ... The Vermont senator’s aides in recent days have emphasized the length and frequency of his campaign events compared to Biden's, but Sanders batted away a question about whether his Democratic opponent is unable to handle the rigors of the campaign.

“No, no,” he said. “What we’re talking about is my schedule. … Joe Biden is a friend of mine, and Joe and I have disagreements on the issues. I do not make personal attacks on Joe.”

To the last. Obviously his viciously dirty attacks have been backfiring, and those of Senator Warren's voters who were drawn by her great can-do positivism are turning to Biden.

As for the main epidemic theme, Trump says he won't curtail rallies but for the first time has none scheduled. Sanders and Biden are continuing to campaign publicly at the height of the primary battle, consulting with "public health officials" where they're going, etc.

[SunSeeker]

22. I was accused of "smoking that Good Sh*t" when I predicted this on March 2.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=613305

[Cha]

24. lol.. Mahalo for the link, SunSeeker!

[Cha]

23. Thank you, Elizabeth supporters!

[DarthDem]

27. Exactly

Thank you, supporters of Sen. Warren!