General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis time eight years ago, Barack Obama was polling at approx 25% in the Democratic Primary...
...and was slowly moving up. Today, Bernie Sanders is polling at 5%.
By comparison, Clinton was polling at 35% and is at 60% today.
If people want to imagine that Obama knocked Clinton off, so Sanders can do the same thing, I'd say he's going to need to start doing something more serious than just talking about running.
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)that he's "too old-looking" and he comes across "too angry".
Back then (and now) Hillary Clinton enjoyed name recognition and people yearned for the Clinton presidency after six years of Duhbya Bush in the White House that resulted in two wars and a crashing economy, thanks to Republican policies.
Barack Obama had(s) that "cool" that attracted younger voters to him back then. His campaign volunteers were all younger people, too, and they were fanatical. But then again, contrary to Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama back then was working toward actually running in the primaries, and doing so in earnest. I don't get the sense that Senator Sanders is seriously contemplating running.
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)Of course, they are now three years two late in getting whoever they hope to run against Clinton the kind of positive national exposure Barack Obama had before edging out Clinton by the very narrowest of margins. And they keep forgetting the kind of special speaker Obama is and his ability to energize an audience across the political spectrum with his speeches.
Then again, the folks about whom we are talking aren't really good in the doing department. They are world class complainers and talk a good game, but in actually making things happen, not so much.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)This time eight years ago, three Democrats had already announced, this year none have done so. So the analogy is far from complete.
brooklynite
(94,278 posts)Clinton is hiring serious campaign staff (including veterans from the Obama campaign) and RFL has scored commitments for tens of thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars in contributions. Sander's meetings with students in Iowa will likely get him some followers, but he's going to need to scale up substantially to be competitive.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)energy spent gearing up and raising cash is the same thing as strategy, policy or platform. Too much preparation tends to cause people to panic when the moment arrives and it is not the moment they anticipated and prepared for. Current major money politicians on all sides would do well to notice and to remember that they are as sick that surfeit with too much as those who starve with nothing.
wyldwolf
(43,867 posts)I mean, Democrats can be stubborn when it comes to NOT voting for non-Democrats.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)That's who I want to run
brooklynite
(94,278 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)He has my vote if he runs as a Democrat. He won't win, but someone needs to push the envelope in the primary.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)I would say that such a personality must by now have already appeared, and that Clinton is therefore a shoo-in.