American’s on the whole are NOT as open minded as most of us KNOW….
Ah?
There is only ONE current Presidential candidate that fits the socialist definition …..
A majority ofAmerican’s would vote for a candidate regardless of age, religion, being a woman or their skin coler….
But being gay or a socialist WOULD be an issue for most Republicans and even some Independent voters and a lesser amount of Democrats…
Democrats could nominate someone that could play into the 2020 Donald Trump re-election campaign’s plan….
More than nine in 10 Americans say they would vote for a presidential candidate nominated by their party who happened to be black, Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or a woman. Such willingness drops to eight in 10 for candidates who are evangelical Christians or are gays or lesbians. Between six and seven in 10 would vote for someone who is under 40 years of age, over 70, a Muslim or an atheist.
Just one group tested — socialists — receives majority opposition. Less than half of Americans, 45%, say they would vote for a socialist for president, while 53% say they would not.
…
As the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries get underway, it may be instructive to know that little prejudice stands in the way of Democratic as well as national support for candidates who happen to be Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or female. Being especially young or advanced in age could pose minor appeal problems.
Being gay or lesbian, Muslim, an atheist or a socialist wouldn’t cause much stir among Democrats, but these candidates could have difficulty attracting support from Republicans and, to a lesser extent, from political independents…
Note….
In plain language ?
Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg COULD unfortunately give Democrats a step down against Donald Trump come November…
Rachel “The Doc” Bitecofer 📈🔭🍌
@RachelBitecofer
An all-white ticket, no matter its ideological construction, is a TERRIBLE idea for the modern Democratic Party’s coalition and anyone on your campaign team suggesting that should be summarily fired.
….“Morning Joe” co-host Willie Geist told Biden that some Democratic pundits, including longtime strategist James Carville, have warned that the party “cannot nominate [Sen.] Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or we’ll lose.”
“(Carville) said people are not going to vote for socialism, he says. Do you agree with that, that if Bernie Sanders is the nominee, Democrats will lose?” Geist pressed Biden, who has been running neck-and-neck with Sanders at the top of most polls.
“I refuse to suggest any Democrat can lose. I think, you know, we could run Mickey Mouse against this president and have a shot,” Biden shot back….
More…
Nate Silver
Probably worth noting that other post-IA national polls show a closer race / less of a Biden collapse than the high-profile Quinnipiac and Monmouth polls do:
Harris X: Biden +3
Morning Consult: Sanders +3 over Biden
Ipsos: Sanders +3
Quinnipiac: Sanders +8
Monmouth: Sanders +10
If you asked Americans in say 2015 “,Would you vote for a reality tv host who has previously filed for bankruptcy,believes President Obama was born in Kenya and talked openly on the radio about how much “pussy ” he was getting, for President?
You would have likely gotten even more of a negative response.
We see what happened a year later.
So I put little stock in such surveys.
but those are more “personal” matters. America actually has a long history of embracing the “anti-hero.” People chose to overlook all of that, mainly because they preferred the policies they think Trump stood for in contrast to his opponent.
Socialism is ideological. Can people overlook their problems with his perceived policies even if they think Sanders is the most swell guy in all the world?
I don’t see any big difference.
These same polls showing a “Socialist “can’t be elected also show Sanders currently leading Trump.
My simple point is that these type polls of what type person people “ wont “ vote for are ,in my view, of limited value as that decision is often based on all sorts of factors.
I believe that Trumps election proved, if nothing else, that norms that existed several years ago have essentially collapsed.In essence anything can now happen and simply saying so and so can’t be elected because he/she is (fill in the blank) is no longer a valid way to look at elections.
Four years ago, I would have said Sanders can’t be elected.Today?No I wouldn’t say that.
Very few people really understand Sanders’ beliefs and history. He has yet to be challenged.
I agree that character should matter above all else and Trump should have been rejected out of hand before that, but many other Americans simply feel that his own money issues and his own life problems are his business,
With Sanders, they will see him as after *their* money and *their* lives. This would be a problem even if Sanders looked like a President straight out of central casting and had the personal warmth of Mr. Rogers.
Sanders being elected President (especially in this economy) would be a bigger upset and more remarkable than Trump winning. It would fly in the face of more rules than Trump’s surprise win.
It would appear to be competitive though (I assume) at least at first because Trump is so polarizing.
Those who are backing or who think they might be comfortable with the idea of Sanders as the nominee have absolutely no idea what they will be in for. Sanders has never really been challenged because he has never been a “real threat.” Perhaps Bloomberg will preview what would lie ahead starting next month.
One can certainly look at the UK and the very recent example of Jeremy Corbyn as a test case. With Sanders as the nominee, the Democrats face a real risk of losing the House.
Has the U.S. ever been more “progressive” than the UK?
This is not to say that Sanders would not get at least 40% against Trump. The Coronavirus itself would.
I’m not in favor of Sanders being the nominee for a host of reasons.Do I believe he can win?Probably not.However four years ago I would have said a definite “No.”
Today?”Probably not.”
That’s the difference in my view.
And about 30 years ago, the number of people saying they would never vote for a socialist probably would have been about 90 %.
Win or lose, he is certainly leading his party in a particular direction and normalizing socialism.
“Socialism” has been “normalized” for a long time.
It’s just that people are hung up on the word.
Not his version of it.
Chris Matthews speaks openly about how when he hears the word he thinks back to growing up in the 1950s and associating it with Fidel Castro murdering his opposition and how Castro would have done it in Central Park if he had power in the U.S.
And of course there are many immigrants from all corners of the world living in the U.S. today who have very negative feelings about that form of government.
But no serious person believes that is the socialism that Sanders believes in.
Then why did Sanders speak so positively about Fidel Castro?
He can say it was a”youthful indiscretion.”
https://www.newsweek.com/msnbc-host-chris-matthews-ties-bernie-sanders-fears-socialist-executions-central-park-fidel-1486375
Sanders will say Trump’s close ties with Communist dictators like Kimare the real issue which he doesn’t agree with, There are multiple ways to answer effectively.
It seems like Sanders is the wrong guy to push that kind of message. They both seem to have a penchant for tyrants.
The only thing people will take out of is that Trump will say he will protect America from socialism.
I honestly don’t share your opinion on that Sanders is close to tyrants. Sanders will say there are things about Castro he doesn’t like or approve. I also think the fiasco with Iran is that Iran will now get a nuclear bomb quicker thanks largely to Trump.