Sanders: Obama Hasn't Closed 'Presidential Leadership Gap'

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Bernie Sanders says the aim of his political revolution is to bring more people into the political process than President Barack Obama, arguing that he can close a presidential leadership gap that's persisted over the eight years of the Obama administration.

"There's a huge gap right now between Congress and the American people. What presidential leadership is about closing that gap," he told MSNBC in an interview Wednesday that will air in full Thursday evening on "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell."

Asked if he believed President Obama had closed that gap, Sanders said: "No, I don't. I mean, I think he has made the effort. But I think what we need, when I talk about a political revolution, is bringing millions and millions of people into the political process in a way that does not exist right now."

Sanders said his strategy for pushing through an ambitious agenda that includes single payer health care and free college tuition would involve mobilizing thousands of people who don't currently participate in the political process — though he did acknowledge that the president turned out more voters, particularly minorities, than ever before.

More at http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/sanders-obama-hasn-t-closed-presidential-leadership-gap-n516586

[stopbush]

1. So far, BS isn't bringing in more people. The D voter count was DOWN

in both NH and Iowa from last time.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

3. in NH 35k less people voted in Democratic primary compared to 2008.

Bernie Sanders is perpetuating a misconception that he is brining in more people compared to President Obama.

[jillan]

13. Bernie won more votes in NH than any other Dem candidate since Kennedy - it was Hillary that didn't

bring them out. Look at her pathetic showing.

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484

[stopbush]

19. Bernie and Hillary split the D vote in NH. Bernie did better among Is.

[angrychair]

17. Context is everything

It is not that historically off in relation to voters in past New Hampshire Democratic presidential primaries:
2016: 250,962 (Republican 284,108)
2012: 60,659 ( Obama incumbent year)
2008: 287,557 (Republican 234,851)
2004: 219,787 (67,833 Bush incumbent year)
2000: 154,639 (Republican 236,802)

It was the second highest primary turn-out for Democrats in New Hampshire primary history.
Cherry-picking one, to the exclusion of all others is disingenuous.

*More importantly, Sanders got more primary votes than any candidate, Democrat or Republican, in New Hampshire history

He got more votes than Clinton did in the 2008 primary, which she won and more than Obama, who came in second.
This was not an incumbent primary, their were two candidates on that ballot. Why isn't there no "concern" about the inability of the "presumptive Democratic nominee" to bring in crowds larger than 2008?

*He got more votes than tRump and Kasich combined, the first and second place finishers in this historic turn-out Republican primary.

[stopbush]

18. Sanders & Clinton split the D vote in NH. His gains were entirely in Independents.

Were this a closed primary it would have been a 50-50 tie, just like Iowa.

[JRLeft]

20. Independents are voters.

[stopbush]

22. Sure. But they're different voters in a primary than in a general.

Especially in a state like NH, where you can vote in the R or D primary not matter what your affiliation. BS doesn't have the luxury of open primaries in most of the upcoming states (IIRC, 21 states have open primaries, so there are only 20 open primaries remaining). He'll need to be attracting D voters to vote for him, not Indies. Right now, that vote is being split with Hillary. Once we move to the states where Hillary holds a 20-point lead over Bernie in Dems, the going gets a lot harder for him. It's doable, but NH will look like a cakewalk compared to what he's up against in the other states. he knows this. That's why he's reaching out to minority voters now.

[thereismore]

4. Yes that's true, however, during off years during Obama's presidency the turnout was dismal.

When Obama is not on the ballot, people don't turn out. In that sense, Obama has not closed the gap.

[TCJ70]

7. The same could be said of Clinton...

...at least he's trying. Think about what turnout would be without him...yikes.

[bettyellen]

12. without him, would be without the constant ankle biting too .

[firebrand80]

2. Go Bernie! nt

[SheenaR]

5. What is inaccurate about what he said

It's not "bashing Obama" when he is asked a question and answers it truthfully.

Asked if he believed President Obama had closed that gap, Sanders said: "No, I don't. I mean, I think he has made the effort. But I think what we need, when I talk about a political revolution, is bringing millions and millions of people into the political process in a way that does not exist right now."

What is wrong with saying that? Would you prefer he lied, so you can write an OP about him being dishonest?

[HerbChestnut]

6. He's right.

One of the worst mistakes Obama made after he got elected was telling the American people, "Thanks, but I'll take it from here." The Republicans won't cooperate unless people light a fire under their asses. If their jobs are threatened then watch how quickly come around.

[Agschmid]

11. Obama did NOT do that.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. If only Obama showed more leadership, GOPers would have cooperated!

What a bunch of bullshit.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. That's what I took from it

[Beowulf]

14. Maybe if he used his mandate

To pressure members of his own party, Baucus and Leiberman for example, he could have gotten a better ACA and a better stimulus package. Maybe that would have kept the base excited and would have turned out for the 2010 midterms. Or maybe not. We will never know because he didn't try.

[stopbush]

21. Ds historically don't turn out for midterms. Is a long-term problem.

It could be as simple as Ds not being kept in a constant state of fear and anger, as are the Rs.

[Justice]

24. This was the really off point for me. And to say that without offering the 'how' is very shallow

[MineralMan]

9. Well, he's apparently not afraid to take a risk, it seems.

This approach seems like a fairly large risk.

[bettyellen]

15. I would love specifics on this: "bringing millions and millions of people into the political process

....in a way that does not exist right now."


What is this "plan". How will he magically be able to raise the taxes anytime soon?

[Justice]

23. exactly. Just saving revolution over and over does not make it so.

[bettyellen]

25. I have met young Berners who literally expect to go to school free in a year.

I have no words for them. God forbid I channel "bad mommy" and explain about our current congress.

[mikehiggins]

16. A win is a win, right?

HRC got shellacked in NH despite having every advantage except voters.

And I am just as qualified as the MSM hacks to say that.

[bravenak]

26. Very off putting

I do not like this

[Cali_Democrat]

29. Notice Bernie doesn't offer any specifics

He just says Obama didn't show enough leadership.

Bernie has no plan to prevent Republican obstruction.

He's all talk.

[bravenak]

31. Same thing with his agenda.

Words. He says them.

[Gothmog]

27. Sanders supporters wonder why certain groups will not support sanders after comments like this

There are good reasons why the demographics are not working for Sanders and why many voters including some African American voters are not supporting Sanders. Demographics are important in that this explains one of the big divides between Sanders supporters and Clinton supporters. There is a vast difference in how Sanders supporters and Sanders view President Obama and how other Democrats view President Obama. I admit that I am impressed with the amount accomplished by President Obama in face of the stiff GOP opposition to every one of his proposals and I personally believe that President Obama has been a great President. It seems that this view colors who I am supporting in the primary http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/clinton-sanders-obama_us_56aa378de4b05e4e3703753a?utm_hp_ref=politics

But lurking behind this argument about the future is a dispute that's really about the past. It’s a debate over what Obama accomplished in office -- in particular, how significant those accomplishments really are. And it's been simmering on the left for most of the last seven years.

On one side of this divide are activists and intellectuals who are ambivalent, disappointed or flat-out frustrated with what Obama has gotten done. They acknowledge what they consider modest achievements -- like helping some of the uninsured and preventing the Great Recession from becoming another Great Depression. But they are convinced that the president could have accomplished much more if only he’d fought harder for his agenda and been less quick to compromise.

They dwell on the opportunities missed, like the lack of a public option in health care reform or the failure to break up the big banks. They want those things now -- and more. In Sanders, they are hearing a candidate who thinks the same way.

On the other side are partisans and thinkers who consider Obama's achievements substantial, even historic. They acknowledge that his victories were partial and his legislation flawed. This group recognizes that there are still millions of people struggling to find good jobs or pay their medical bills, and that the planet is still on a path to catastrophically high temperatures. But they see in the last seven years major advances in the liberal crusade to bolster economic security for the poor and middle class. They think the progress on climate change is real, and likely to beget more in the future.

It seems that many of the Sanders supporters hold a different view of President Obama which is also a leading reason why Sanders is not exciting African American voters. Again, it may be difficult for Sanders to appeal to African American voters when one of the premises of his campaign is that Sanders does not think that President Obama is a progressive or a good POTUS.

Again, I am not ashamed to admit that I like President Obama and think that he has accomplished a great deal which is why I do not mind Hillary Clinton promising to continue President Obama's legacy. There are valid reasons why many non-African American democrats (myself included) and many African American Democratic voters are not supporting Sanders.

I understand why Sanders supporters dislike talking about demographics but the fact remain that Sanders supporters tend to not like President Obama and that dislike affects the amount of support that Sanders is getting from certain demographic groups

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

28. I don't want a "leader". I want someone who represents the people.

Someone like...Bernie Sanders.

[Nanjeanne]

30. I think his comments are perfect although will be intentionally misstated by media

He is right that what happened in 2008 was great - but that those excited voters stayed out of the midterms and have felt a disconnect between their lives and what Congress is doing.

He admits that the President has tried - he's made an effort - but it simply hasn't translated into the kind of movement Sanders wants to see. Sanders has talked many times about how disappointing the percentage of this country's voters is compared to other countries and how we would like that to change.

I think he's dead on.

And no matter how much the media (and some Clinton supporters) would like it to seem as if he's saying something about Pres. Obama - he is not in any way.

[Dawson Leery]

32. Trump/Sanders: "Leadership" = yelling at people.