Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: All of this Sanders dread is astounding to me [View all]wnylib
(21,783 posts)everyone here in the reaction to Sanders.
I cannot speak for others, although I have seen posts that share my concerns. The concern about Sanders is that he has chosen a losing word to run on in US politics and we need badly to win this election.
FDR ran during a severe Depression. So many people were affected by it, rich and poor, that Karl Marx's corpse could have won against a Republican then. The economic situation today is not nearly the same.
Hardly anyone alive today existed during the FDR years. People do not know what his programs were. For several decades, Republicans have worked to undo FDR's legacy. Generations of Americans have grown up being taught the evils of socialism and that FDR was a socialist. The Cold War equated socialism and communism. MLK was branded a commie for his civil rights movement.
Since 1980, Republicans have controlled the message that deregulation is equal to free markets and democracy. I know that's a lie, and so do other DUers. But the general public does NOT know that.
I do not personally oppose MFA or free tuition. They are successful in Europe in a mixed economy based on capitalism combined with social programs.
But a crucial election year IS NOT the time to try selling the general public on democratic socialism when the majority of voters outside of the bubble of progessive Dems fear and do not understand the term. In the general election, the word socialism is a loser.
So I wonder if Sanders supporters understand the difference between the primaries and the general. In the general, they will not even carry all Dems. I know well-educated Dems with good jobs and incomes who resent the idea of MFA and free tuition. They see it as draining money from them to support less successful people. Selfish? Sure. But as long as they are not economically hurt by Trump and are not ethnic minorities, they will choose Trump over Sanders.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden