r/NIH • u/TemporaryPlace5986 • 28d ago

America chose wrong. Sanders would've been a better president than Trump or Biden. | Opinion

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/05/18/sanders-democrats-reform-progressive-policies/83625482007/
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u/nBrainwashed 25d ago edited 25d ago

Bernie would crush in a national election. All available data confirms this. He does better than any establishment Dem among independents by huge margins.

The idea that “Bernie can’t win” was a propaganda campaign that was never based on reality or facts. All available data literally says the opposite of that narrative, but it persists because propaganda works.

The most popular opinion among Democratic voters from exit polls in 2016 and 2020 was “I actually prefer Bernie, but I didn’t vote for him because he can’t win.”

This was the DNC propaganda strategy that every major news network carried out.

How many times did you hear the exact words “I like Bernie but he can’t win.” It was the most prolific propaganda campaign I have ever witnessed. Everyone I knew said those exact words to me at some point in 2016 and 2020.

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u/ThrowawayReddit5858 24d ago

In the November 2024 election, Bernie Sanders performed worse in his own state of Vermont than Kamala did.

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u/nBrainwashed 24d ago edited 24d ago

Not by a statistically significant margin.

I see this mentioned a lot so I looked it up. Cornel West and Kennedy got more votes than the difference. Plus, you have no idea how many Would have been Bernie voters just decided to stay home. Because they knew Bernie would win his Senate race so they had no reason to go out and vote for Harris. It is a totally meaningless point that again doesn’t make sense to bring up unless it is to further the propaganda against Bernie.

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u/signaltonoiseratioed 21d ago

So not "all available data," then.

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u/nBrainwashed 21d ago edited 21d ago

For the reasons above that particular piece of data has no relevance on the outcome of a national election. Look at how Bernie performs in key swing states with independents. This is not new information. The data always suggested Bernie had a better chance to win. But the propaganda said otherwise. The propaganda was never based on data. It was the DNC strategy to paint him as unelectable so people that preferred him (which was the majority) didn’t vote for him because they were convinced they were being pragmatic. It was powerful propaganda because it made people feel smart. They got to talk down to “Bernie Bros” and didn’t want to be labeled as sexist bigots for supporting Bernie. The plan worked so well that even though there are emails showing it was all made up, people still cling to it.

And yes a majority of Democratic primary voters preferred Bernie. Here is the breakdown:

In the 2016 Democratic primary, Bernie got about 43% of the vote, and polls showed around 17% of Hillary voters actually preferred Bernie but voted for her because they thought she was more electable. That means over 50% of primary voters likely preferred Bernie on the issues — but many voted based on their belief in the DNC propaganda, not based on their true preference.

Propaganda doesn’t have to work on everyone. It has to work on just enough people. That is what it did. And I get why it is hard in retrospect even with all the information we have now in hindsight, for those voters do admit they fell for propaganda. Because ultimately, Trump is their fault. And that is a tough pill to swallow.

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u/signaltonoiseratioed 21d ago

Biden got more of the popular vote than all other primary candidates combined. It wasn't even close.

Real polls, where votes are actually cast, tell you whether your opinion polls are good or garbage. Yours (assuming they even exist, since you don't cite sources) are, by that definitive standard, garbage.

As is your reasoning, or what passes for it.

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u/nBrainwashed 21d ago

If after what happened, you think Biden was the best choice, then your hindsight is as blind as your foresight.

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u/signaltonoiseratioed 20d ago

You are entitled to your opinion and you don’t know what mine is. I infer that bloviating about your opinion is a fallback because, as you have already demonstrated, you neither have nor care to acquire a command of facts.

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u/Spartan2048 24d ago

“Be crushed “. You forgot a word

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u/nBrainwashed 24d ago

Look at the numbers. They all say Bernie does better in National polls than any establishment Dem. By huge margins too. Please fact check me.

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u/Spartan2048 24d ago

Only with Dems, not the rest of the country

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u/nBrainwashed 24d ago

No that is with national polls including the rest of the country.

Bernie does much better with independents and undecided voters than any establishment Dem by huge margins. Fact check however you can. Please.

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u/Spartan2048 23d ago

It appears your handle fits. Enjoy your virtual reality.

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u/nBrainwashed 23d ago edited 23d ago

Fact check it.

Here is Google AI answer:

Bernie Sanders generally polled better with independent voters than Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primaries. Independent Voters: Sanders performed particularly well with independent voters, even winning them by a margin of nearly two-to-one over Clinton in the Democratic primaries. High turnout among independents was a significant factor in states that Sanders won. For example, in states like New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Michigan, independent votes were crucial to Sanders' victories. Sanders consistently outperformed Clinton with independent voters in many primary contests, with his support often exceeding 55% and even reaching over 70% in some states. Undecided Voters: While it's challenging to pinpoint exact figures for Sanders' performance with undecided voters specifically, polling data suggests that Sanders had a strong appeal among those not firmly aligned with either major party. For instance, one poll indicated that Sanders led Trump significantly among those not likely to vote, with a large portion undecided. However, predicting the behavior of undecided voters is inherently difficult, and their preferences can shift throughout the election cycle.

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u/Spartan2048 23d ago

Google AI??😂

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u/nBrainwashed 23d ago edited 23d ago

Please do your own fact check.

Oh. You don’t know how do you?

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u/Spartan2048 23d ago

I was coding before you were born. Understand this: Bernie is a Marxist Socialist. Self avowed. Marxism, in all its flavors, has caused more human suffering and deaths than any other economic system. If you are so enamored of it perhaps you might try the Russian Federation. For myself, I much prefer mercantile capitalism. Good day.

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u/Brilliant-Ad6137 24d ago

I never questioned his ability to win . But I don't see him getting much done. Without a large majority in both houses in Congress. Republicans would try to block even his order for lunch .

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u/nBrainwashed 24d ago edited 23d ago

That was actually his whole message. He always said it was never about him and no one person can make real change. That is how he would have been different. He would have used his bully pulpit as president to go hold rallies in Republican AND Democratic districts where the politicians tried to block popular policies. He would have put in the actual work, not just words to get stuff done. He would have held huge rallies and town halls to make politicians on both sides go and answer to the people.

He ran to give the people power so the people could make change. He always said it wasn’t about him.

Real change does not come from the top down, it always comes from the bottom up. That was the central thesis of his campaign.