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In reply to the discussion: Sanders booed by House Democrats [View all]Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)The difference is that, in 2008, there was almost no ideological difference between the two leading candidates. Obama, in a post-election interview, commented on how liberated he felt when he was going up against McCain, because he finally had a plethora of substantive issues on which to distinguish himself from his opponent.
In 2016, by contrast, Sanders has been substantially to Clinton's left on many issues. That's how he went from single digits in the polls to 40-some percent of the vote.
That points to the other important difference. In 2008, both Clinton and Obama were running primarily to become President. Each thought, with reason, that s/he had a good chance of being nominated and elected. This year, Sanders didn't enter the race with any such idea. He pulled many more votes than he expected. His real purpose was not to further his personal ambition but to press certain issues, i.e., to ensure that there was a genuine debate in which many progressives' disagreements with Clinton were given voice.
Bernie is continuing what he's been doing for more than a year now. He's raising issues that the corporate media would completely ignore if he didn't make a stink. That also happens to be the course of action by which he can do the most to bring about the defeat of Republican candidates all up and down the ballot.