2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Why Hillary Clinton Supporters are Still So Angry at Bernie Sanders [View all]Gothmog
(145,619 posts)The premise of the OP is rather ignorant claim that Clinton supporters hate Sanders based because Clinton supporters are stupid. That premise is really false and in that there are really valid reasons why intelligent member of the Democratic base would not support a very weak candidate like Sanders. Contrary to the false claims in the OP Sanders was a very weak candidate who would not stand a chance in general election. The loyal and intelligent members of the Democratic base who rejected Sanders as a candidate did so for very valid reasons and not due to the sad claims made in the OP.
Sanders was a weak candidate who had no chance of being the nominee which is why he was never vetted and never attacked. The Clinton campaign treated Sanders with kids gloves because Sanders never had a chance of being the nominee VOX had a good article on the potential lines of attack that Sanders would be exposed to if Sanders was the nominee. http://www.vox.com/2016/2/3/10903404/gop-campaign-against-sanders One of the more interesting observations in the VOX analysis is the fact that Sanders have been treated with kids gloves compared to what Sanders would face if he was the Democratic nominee. I strongly agree with the VOX's position that the so-called negative attacks against Sander have been mild. Form the article:
When Sanders supporters discuss these attacks, though, they do so in tones of barely contained outrage, as though it is simply disgusting what they have to put up with. Questioning the practical achievability of single-payer health care. Impugning the broad electoral appeal of socialism. Is nothing sacred?
But c'mon. This stuff is patty-cakes compared with the brutalization he would face at the hands of the right in a general election.
His supporters would need to recalibrate their umbrage-o-meters in a serious way.
The attacks that would be levied against Sanders by the Kochs, the RNC candidate and others in a general election contest would make the so-called attacks against Sanders look like patty-cakes. The GOP and Kochs are not known for being nice or honest and as the article notes there are a ton of good topics available for attack. Raising taxes is never a good campaign platform (Just ask President Mondale). The GOP would also raise the socialism and age issues if Sanders was the nominee.
Again, I agree with the VOX position that so far, Sanders has not been subject to negative attacks close to what the GOP would use against Sanders and the attacks against Sanders if he was the nominee would be brutal. I urge Sanders supporters to read the VOX article to start to get a feel for what real negative attacks would look like.
Re-read the OP or have someone read and explain it to you. Sanders was a weak candidate who never had a chance of being the nominee which is why he was never really confronted by the Clinton campaign. The GOP would destroy Sanders easily in a general election contest which is why the premise of the OP is simply false.