Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has formally dropped out of the 2020 bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination. So it’s former Vice President Joe Biden versus President Donald Trump for president in 2020. Staying home isn’t an option.
A reminder that Sanders is not and never has been a Democrat. The dynamics of the 2020 race are very different than 2016.
This from a story in FiveThirtyEight.com: “The Sanders/Warren wing is smaller than the Obama/Clinton/Biden wing of the party, even though the Sanders/Warren wing tends to be more active and visible, especially online,” said Benjamin Knoll, who teaches American politics at Kentucky’s Centre College. “The Sanders wing of the party is hugely popular among younger Democrats, and time and time again they simply don’t show up to vote in primaries at the same rate as older voters”
The DNC changed rules from 2016 to accommodate Bernie. And, “establishment Dems” — those who actually vote — didn’t care for his message. After Nevada, when Bernie tweeted “The Republican Party establishment and Democratic Party establishment can’t stop us now.” It was arrogant and not party unifying. The majority of the Democratic voters basically said “hold my beer” and went all in for Biden. The voters Bernie said he’d bring in never materialized.
Sanders is going to try and sway Biden into backing some of his ideas for the Party platform but without the influence he had over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Biden has no obligation to carry any of Bernie’s water but will embrace a few ideas.
From Newsweek:
Many critics of Sanders’ remark noted that his tweet was poorly timed just one day after The Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence officials had informed his campaign that Russia is attempting to help his candidacy. Sanders rejected the report altogether, saying “I don’t care, frankly, who [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants to be president. My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do.”
Both Republicans and Democrats pounced on the report in an effort to paint the senator as too anti-establishment to win the general election against Trump.
“He has still refused to register as a Democrat, as far as we know, and he is saying this morning that the Democratic establishment will not stand in his way,” MSNBC’s Reid told DNC Chair Perez Saturday, questioning if Sanders is inciting a “civil war” within the party: “He’s saying the Democratic establishment, that means you guys, will not stop him from getting the nomination. He is presenting what he’s doing as a hostile takeover and not a merger with the party that he caucuses with in the senate.”
Bernie’s departure from the race has left many Berners feeling down. The image above was sent to me from the Facebook page of Victor Valledares, the West Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. Chiming in with a comment, DPOC Central Vice Chair Beatriz Valencia, who is also a candidate for Orange City Council.
So neither of our local party leaders believe in the Democratic Party any more? I offer a simple solution.
Quit.
Resign your DPOC leadershop spots — today — via email.
Valladares was re-elected to the Central Committee for a new term in January 2021. Valencia did not and needs to be selected as an alternate to hold her Vice Chair spot for re-election in January. Valladares should quit his 2021 appointment as well. Valencia should not bother seeking the Party’s endorsement for City Council either — nor should the party give her an endorsement. The Democratic Party can now unify and has six and a half months to raise money and work to flip swing states blue. Get on the bandwagon or get left behind. It’s really that simple.
There are times in every political cycle the candidate you want to win doesn’t. And November offers you a choice between a candidate you don’t like and absolute evil. I wanted Gary Hart in 1984; I got Walter Mondale. I voted for Walter Mondale. I wanted Mario Cuomo in 1988. He didn’t run. I went back to Gary Hart who Monkey Businessed himself out of the race. I got Michael Dukakis. I was just OK with him and I voted for him. If “Vote Blue No Matter Who” applied to Bernie, it applies to Biden.
The DPOC should endorse Biden by acclamation at the next meeting.
Valladares and Valencia wanted Bernie; they got Biden. Staying home isn’t an option. It’s Biden or Trump. If you are a party leader, BE A PARTY LEADER.