The Great Biden Consolidation: How the PleaseNotSanders movement achieved what NeverTrump never could.

NY Times ^ | November 4, 2020 | Ross Douthat

[C19fan]

Eleven days and an eternity in political time ago, I offered some advice for Democrats seeking to stop Bernie Sanders, drawn from the failed experience of #NeverTrump. Losing candidates need to drop out, I suggested, unconventional alliances need to be considered and hanging around hoping for a brokered convention is a fool’s game if you’re ceding a plurality of delegates to the insurgent candidate you want to stop.

The tone of my column, like the evidence of the polls, suggested that the stop-Sanders effort would meet the same fate as the stop-Trump movement and that the Vermont socialist would complete his takeover against a divided opposition.

But instead, in a whirlwind few days, the Democrats took my advice, and it worked. Instead of a divided field of moderates headed into Super Tuesday, there was a rapid consolidation. Instead of defeated candidates limping off to lick their wounds, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg were on a stage with Joe Biden within a day of their decisions to drop out. And now, instead of sticking around John Kasich-style and playing for the convention, Michael Bloomberg has thrown in with the Biden team as well.

[C19fan]

Recent history has shown the Democrats are just better at playing raw power politics. Perhaps this is due to them being a coalition of groups with not much in common except wanting freebies and using the levers of power to shove their social choices down our throats. So it takes some major smashing of heads to keep the thing together.

[Trump.Deplorable]

Sanders didn’t respond

He could have ran ads in Super Tuesday states destroying biden over his corrupt son, his forgetfulness, his ukraine dealers, etc

But Sanders decided to play “nice old grandpa” while the media was out with fangs destroying him at every moment.

Yep Sanders proved once again, he should never be president.

He is just an old commie ideologue

[Zuben Elgenubi]

But instead, in a whirlwind few days, the Democrats took my advice

Ross A$$hat patting himself on the back again.

[pt17]

With all due disrespect to the NYT and nevertrumpers, the latter has a long-standing practice of not accomplishing much of anything other than looking lazy, stupid and inept.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I wonder when Sanders’ flunkies will start issuing orders to assemble rioters in Milwaukee for the DNC in July.

[Jim Noble]

not much in common except wanting freebies

They don't want freebies. This is a serious category error.

They want power. Power for its own sake.

Their dream is a boot stamping on a human face. Forever.

The freebies have nothing to do with it.

[Maceman]

[chiller]

Douthat remembers 43 as very unpopular. I don’t. Yes we were all tiring of ME wars, and voters are always ready for a change after 8 years, but I will always think favorably of George W. Bush’s term.

He showed only minimal wobblyness while in office, and a bit more after leaving office, granted, but not until DjT.

43’s successor stood no chance against the 1st black president. I don’t attribute that to disgust with GWB.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

He did the same thing in his race against Hillary.

In one of the debates, he declared he was “tired of hearing about her e-mails” and refused to pursue that line of attack against her.

I think Mark Steyn yesterday said he lacked the killer instinct.

[bigbob]

How? Obama used his phone, that’s how.

[Trump.Deplorable]

Yea I remember that

I think Bernie doesn’t want to be president, I just think he likes listening to himself rabble about the commie ideas that he likes. And draw crowds of idiots who like to listen to it.

He is really not much different then the old fools in NYC who shout the same BS on street corners

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

Let’s see. Trump defeated the NeverTrumpers and won the presidency. The Democrats have put down the socialist rebellion for now, but there’s no likelihood that they will just go away or fall in line with the establishment. And if Biden loses in the fall, they are in worse shape than they were before the primaries. Just a little early to be gloating. This is a losing situation for the Democrats, no matter what.

[JimRed]

Are the RATs saying “We can’t WIN with a REAL socialist”, or are they saying “We don’t WANT a REAL socialist”? If it’s the latter maybe there is a glimmer of hope for the Republic.

[ModelBreaker]

“Instead of a divided field of moderates headed into Super Tuesday, there was a rapid consolidation.”

There are no moderate D candidates. Only candidates who do a better or worse job of sounding moderate.

[ModelBreaker]

“Let’s see. Trump defeated the NeverTrumpers and won the presidency. The Democrats have put down the socialist rebellion for now, but there’s no likelihood that they will just go away or fall in line with the establishment.”

Big difference. Trump was genuinely opposed on policy by the RNC establishment. They are globalist, China loving, open borders kind of guys. Trump is not. He fought to the nomination despite their vicious opposition.

OTOH, the DNC has no problem with Bernie’s ideology — and there are only trivial policy differences between the folks who have run for D president this year. The DNC’s problem with Bernie is that Bernie is too honest about what he wants and would get creamed in a general election.