Party elites don't want you to vote for Bernie Sanders. They made the same mistake in 2016
Are Democrats really making the same mistake with Bernie Sanders that cost them the White House in 2016?
Stunningly, Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race and quickly backed the Democratic Party’s favorite, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar followed shortly thereafter, abandoning her presidential bid and backing Biden as well. It sure is beginning to seem like a coordinated attack against Sen. Bernie Sanders’ momentum heading into Super Tuesday.
It may look like the smart thing to do to stop the self-defined “socialist” who the party establishment doesn’t think can defeat Trump. But not letting rank-and-file Democrats decide is a mistake.
The party elite did something similar in 2016, backing Hillary Clinton and dismissing Sanders, seemingly for the same reasons. And just look how things turned out.
The same party elites are now stubbornly pushing one of their own by eliminating Biden’s centrist competition. It’s infuriating to see the elitist Democrats showing their disdain for letting ordinary Americans have their say.
It can’t be a coincidence that Buttigieg, the young, centrist former small-town mayor, abandoned the race to boost Biden’s chance on Super Tuesday when more than a dozen states, including California and Texas, vote. And it certainly can’t be a coincidence for Klobuchar, the other centrist, to drop out either.
Don’t expect the party elite to admit that they are doing the arm-twisting to clear the way for Biden, who served as Barack Obama’s No. 2 guy. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on.
The elite’s arrogance is appalling. Either they really don’t trust the rank-and-file or they don’t care about them.
Maybe they'll succeed in stopping Bernie Sanders, who has national appeal, especially among young Americans.
But they may also be killing those young Americans’ enthusiasm and in doing so, may once again be handing over the White House to Trump.
Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.
JamieRhein on March 3rd, 2020 at 03:35 UTC »
For the love of god, please stop Trump from getting re-elected.
sirsinnes on March 3rd, 2020 at 03:13 UTC »
I know you guys think you have it bad with the current healthcare system in America, but as an expat living in a country with a decent socialized system for over a decade, let me tell you: you are getting absolutely fucked.
Biden's healthcare plank alone is reason enough not to support him in the primary. Yeah, I'd vote for him in the general, but I also would have no illusions about things getting significantly better under his presidency, and I suspect he'd just set the stage for another right-wing nutcase to succeed him.
DTFaux on March 3rd, 2020 at 01:27 UTC »
To be fair, Bernie, for all his passion, did come out of nowhere in 2016. We also didnt think the US would have made such a hard swerve to the right by voting in Trump...
Now, though, there's no excuse or reason to ignore Bernie (even if he's not your first choice; he def wasnt mine). In an election cycle that's clearly about populism this time around, he's handing the Democrats a potential win on a silver platter with none of the drama or controversy.