2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: If Bernie had any toxic secrets in his past, he would never have run. [View all]kstewart33
(6,551 posts)Bernie's problem is that his biography is loaded with facts that the Republicans will use to demolish him if he were to win the nomination. Nothing that we see as a problem, but liberals don't dominate the public electorate. Only 30% of the Democratic Party are liberal and the percentage is far lower in the remaining population.
So far the Repubs have been deadly silent about Bernie. Not a peep. But you can bet that they've done a ton of oppo research and are loaded to the gills with stuff they will use. His past Marxists and Communist relationships. Stuff in his socialist speeches. His support of Castro during the Cold War and the Sandinistas. His atheism, conscientous objector status during war time, child-out-of-wedlock, honeymooning in the Soviet Union, and material in past columns that he wrote while a mayor in Vermont. The one that begins with a sexual fantasy of three men simultaneously raping a woman will be of particular interest.
The nastiest stuff will be given to talk radio hosts and conservative websites. That's how they will spread it to the general public. Give it time, and the spread will happen. Cable news will also spread it in its own somewhat subtle way except Fox News that will go ballistic with this stuff. Why haven't they yet? Because they, like many right-wing media sites, channels, and radio stations, have been given their orders by their party. Blast Hillary now to increase Bernie's odds of winning the nomination, and then blast away at him in the general.
If Trump wins the nomination, the heavens only know what the man will do with this stuff in the general.
Consider that in the last year, the Gallup poll found that about 50% of those polled said that they would under no circumstances vote for an atheist.
Lastly, consider that the group who votes most reliably are the elderly. They remember Castro and the Cold War and the Sandinistas. Bernie's young supporters don't and it won't matter much to them. But it will to those who remember.
Bernie has never been as viciously attacked as he would be in the general. Given his personality and inexperience in this regard, I don't think that he would handle it well.
You could say the same about the Repub attacks on Hillary. But there's a huge difference. It's all been out there for years. Likely no surprises, and Hillary's a champ at handling it because she's been doing it for decades. But with Bernie who has not been vetted, what I've mentioned and other info will surprise many voters, even likely Bernie supporters.