DU Poll: What will Sanders do? It is no longer a choice between Biden and Sanders...

[thesquanderer]

...it is a choice between unity and discord, IMO. Only one candidate can conceivably come into the convention with 1991 delegates, or arguably even with a plurality. Four months of unnecessary and unproductive Democratic infighting plays into the Republicans' hands.

I think Sanders will do what's best for the Democrats and our ability to oust Trump.

What do you think he will do?

44 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	I think Sanders will withdraw imminently.
	4 (9%)
	I think Sanders will want to promote his views through the March 15 debate and will withdraw by March 18.
	7 (16%)
	I think the DNC will force his hand and and cancel the next debate to push him to withdraw sooner.
	0 (0%)
	Since he has plenty of money, I think Sanders will stay in indefinitely to promote his agenda, but he will make no effort to contest Biden at the convention.
	10 (23%)
	I think Sanders will fight to the bitter end unless Biden gets 1991 delegates before the convention.
	23 (52%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Squinch]

1. What did he do last time?

[thesquanderer]

14. At least one big difference this time...

Last time, polls generally showed he would be stronger against Trump than Hillary was. This time, polls generally show that Joe is stronger against Trump than Bernie is.

[Squinch]

15. Sure they did.

[thesquanderer]

16. Seriously?

I guess you can believe what you want rather than, you know, looking at the numbers, but if truth matters, see...

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-5565.html

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html

Look at every single 2016 poll where each was polled head-to-head against Trump... Sanders did better than Clinton on 27 out of the 28 polls, and almost always by 5 or more points (and as much as 12 points).

In fact, not only did Sanders poll MUCH better against Trump than Clinton did; but it's a much bigger difference than the difference in how Sanders or Biden would do against Trump today, as you can see by comparing these:

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-6250.html

I understand differences of opinion, but I am baffled by the refusal to acknowledge even easily checkable facts. But as they say, don't let facts get in the way...

[Squinch]

24. Yes, seriously. In your source, there are just as many polls taken in the Spring in which

she has an enormous lead over trump as there are where BS has a lead.

Or are you comparing his Spring results to her Autumn results, when she was running against Trump, Comey and Russia and the race tightened up?

You know he would have faced those same forces, right?

[thesquanderer]

25. I think you're mis-reading the info at those links.

The only valid comparisons are SAME POLL. For example, May 30 Quinnipiac Trump/Sanders to May 30 Quinnipiac Trump/Clinton. That way you're polling the same people, with the same methodology, at the same point in time. You cannot meaningfully compare a Trump/Clinton Autumn poll with a Trump/Sanders Spring poll.

With that in mind, look at the complete list of Sanders vs. Trump results from Jan 1 2016 to June 5 2016. Look at all the exact same polls on the Clinton vs. Trump page. Except for one of the 28, Sanders beats Trump by more than Clinton does... and not just by a little bit, but almost always by 5 or more points (and even as high as 12).

Yes, in almost all the polls, Clinton and Sanders both beat Trump... the point is that Sanders beats him by more--usually many more--points.

And if you look at, for example, how they compared to each other in Jan/Feb/Mar of 2016, that is comparable to looking at how Sanders and Biden have been polling against Trump in Jan/Feb/Mar of 2020, in terms of how far out from the election these numbers reflect.

p.s. -- they stop at June 5 because, once Sanders conceded, they no longer polled for how he would do against Trump.

[thesquanderer]

28. re: "You know he would have faced those same forces, right?"

p.s. -- No, come the Fall, Sanders would not have faced a Comey problem! But that could not have been predicted 6 months earlier.

[hlthe2b]

2. March 17 is AZ, OH, IL, and FL primaries. I think he wants to do the debate, but if

internal polling is really bad for those four states (as it already is for FL), it is a toss-up whether he'll pull out before. On the whole, I think he will wait until the 18th.

[thesquanderer]

4. Interestingly, they seem to have rejected HIM rather than his "socialist agenda"

His positions (including a government run single payer system) polled well. Exit polls showed that many who supported Sanders' policies still ended up voting for Biden (i.e. for other reasons, like a perceived better chance to beat Trump). They liked Sanders agenda, but preferred Biden as a candidate.

[el_bryanto]

8. I hope he withdraws

I'll support him until he chooses to drop out or loses the nomination, but I am tired of this Red Scare style talk designed to frighten people away from the sort of programs that will sustain long term improvements, instead of short term gains for the moneyed class.

Bryant

[sop]

12. Good point. Sanders' policy prescriptions are broadly popular, but many voters don't believe he's

the one best suited to beat Trump, or get his agenda through Congress if elected. Biden would do well to adopt Sanders' populist themes, like wealth disparity and corporate corruption, to appeal to Bernie's young, progressive followers as well as disaffected working class Trump supporters.

[MoonchildCA]

11. I have not rejected his democratic socialist agenda.

Personally, I think his messaging is off by not explaining the distinction well, or often enough. It makes it easy for others to throw “look at Venezuela,” in our face. I’d rather the comparison be made to the successful Scandinavian countries that have the happiest people in the world.
I hope our party does move toward that platform in the future. But we need to do it gradually, within the party, and with the right messaging. And right now, our ship is sinking, and we just need to get it back to shore, or our democracy will be lost forever.

[pampango]

29. It's not a 'socialist agenda'. It's a 'European agenda'.

Don’t buy into Trump’s attacks on ‘socialism’ any time a liberal proposes anything.

[beachbumbob]

6. this is a given, sanders will not drop out period,as long as he has people

to sucker into donations and has money, he will stay to the convention. The question will be, will sanders go "scorched earth" policy on biden in same manner he did hillary? Will sanders followers take I don't "give a fuck attitude" and do what they can to help trump win?

[thesquanderer]

9. The vast majority of "sanders followers" voted for Hillary in November.

His defectors were in the same range as those who defected from Hillary to McCain in 2008.

It was not a "scorched earth" policy. He did not go so hard on her at the debates, endorsed her weeks before the convention, and campaigned for her. You can say he should have done more, sooner, ok, but he did support her and did not scorch earth.

[Devil Child]

7. Would love to see Sen. Sanders see this through to the convention

[thesquanderer]

10. There is an argument to be made for giving people every chance to make their voices heard, but...

...personally, stakes being what they are, I think maximizing unity once the outcome is clear would be the greater good. And may even give Bernie an opportunity to have some more influence on Joe's policies, if they can work together in the coming months.

[HarlanPepper]

17. What a surprise.

[Devil Child]

18. You seem easily surprised!

[HarlanPepper]

19. Not really.

It's more or less sarcasm. But it's better than having terrible judgement and being easily fooled, I suppose.

[rzemanfl]

27. Shame on you child. n/t

[zackymilly]

13. Can you add "Dragged from the convention kicking and screaming"? n/t

[grantcart]

20. Continue to raise tens of millions so he will have a war chest to fund primary

Challenges on the left against Democratic candidates.

[thesquanderer]

21. I"m not sure that suspending his campaign would have any impact...

...on his ability to generate $ for primary candidates he supports.

[grantcart]

23. Supporters would be more willing to give money if he props up the illusion

That he is still in the race.

He also gets free press including the debates which all goes away if he suspends.

[W_HAMILTON]

22. I selected "did not wish to select any of the options provided."

I think Sanders will fight to the bitter end, EVEN IF Biden gets 1,991 delegates.

[NurseJackie]

31. Agreed. The "scorched earth" philosophy among his top campaign staff members didn't "just happen"...

Agreed. The "scorched earth" philosophy among his top campaign staff members didn't "just happen" on its own.

[Squinch]

26. This didn't age well.

[NurseJackie]

30. Same as last time. I have no reason to believe otherwise.