Bernie Sanders surges ahead of Iowa caucuses

Sanders has also raised more money than anyone else while reaching the 4 million donors milestone in record time.

And polls routinely show that Sanders’s backers are the most enthusiastic and most likely to have firmly made up their minds. Supporters are flocking to his town hall events. He has had the largest one-day crowds in both Iowa and New Hampshire, where high-profile surrogates helped him to attract record numbers.

“We knew he had a core base that looked like it might be in the 10 percent range, but he’s honing on 20 percent now and we know from experience in the Iowa caucuses that you can turn that into much bigger numbers when ballots are cast,” said Patrick Murray, the pollster for Monmouth University. “He’s not surging statistically, but his numbers are very, very solid, and that’s a big advantage when the other candidates are moving up and down.”

In Iowa, the Sanders campaign believes its enthusiastic base of support is ready to deliver a surprise victory on Feb. 3.

The campaign’s network of volunteers, led by young people and college students, knocked on 30,000 doors in 48 hours over the weekend.

A Sanders event in rural Ottumwa, Iowa, drew 200 people on Sunday night during a snowstorm.

“We’ve had a consistently strong field organization and presence here, but there’s no doubt that we’re starting to see the kind of momentum you get when good news builds on good news,” said Bill Neidhardt, the campaign’s deputy director in Iowa.

Sanders also has a narrow lead in two of the past three polls of New Hampshire, where he posted a blowout victory against Clinton in 2016.

On Friday, Sanders and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) turned out 1,300 people at a rally in Nashua, which is the largest crowd for any candidate in New Hampshire this year.

And with the next debate in liberal California, the Sanders campaign is turning its sights on the Super Tuesday state with the largest delegate haul in the nation.

Sanders will attend five events across California this week, including a Los Angles rally with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The campaign has five offices in the state and says it has surpassed 8 million attempted voter contacts through its network of 760,000 volunteers.

A Los Angeles Times survey from early December found Sanders passing Warren to take a narrow lead in the Golden State.

There are still questions about whether Sanders can win the nomination.

While Sanders has built a more diverse coalition than he had in 2016, Biden continues to have a huge lead with black voters, who are the cornerstone of the party’s primary electorate.

And while polls find Sanders running as good or better than anyone in head-to-head match-ups against President Trump, many Democrats remain fearful that nominating a self-described socialist will be a surefire general election loser.

If Sanders emerges as the rival to Biden as the campaign enters the home stretch, there are questions on whether he can emerge on top.

Former President Obama has reportedly told those close to him that he’d speak out against Sanders if he continues to build momentum, and some believe that other party leaders would join a concerted “anyone but Bernie” effort to block him from winning the nomination, if it comes to that.

Many mainstream Democrats continue to be annoyed by Sanders’s persistent lines of attack against the national party and the moderates who refuse to embrace the left’s most ambitious policy proposals.

Well at least he’ll lose bigley and the fat Left can take a hike.

“He’s still running the same divisive campaign and claiming that it’s all rigged against him,” said Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist. “So it’s no surprise that you’d have a popular party figure like President Obama speak out, and he’s smart to raise the alarm about what’s at stake here.”

The Sanders campaign says it’s fueled by the doubters and by slights from the political press. Sanders allies have made a pastime out of highlighting examples of media outlets ignoring or downplaying Sanders’s standing in the polls.

“It’s no surprise; the establishment will do what it’s always done to protect the status quo,” said Turner. “We’re ready for it. Thank God our victory won’t be contingent on the establishment or media elites.”

Interesting how DL is now rejecting links from The Hill.

Didn't the DNC learn anything from 2016? They shouldn't be "blocking" anyone, because... well, democracy. Very disappointed that Obama would take part in this.

The DNC should block non-Democrats, like Sanders.

If Bernie cared more about the country than himself, he wouldn't have run third party and supported Hillary in 2016.

I don't see anything in the article about the DNC taking a stance on Sanders, r5. As for Obama, he's allowed to say what he pleases about the candidates.

Bernie will lose to Trump in a Dukakis-style landslide.

And here's why OP did not provide a link (though the fact that Muriel rejects the link may also have something to do with it, lol. But you can Google it)

The article if from the GOP-supporting The Hill

And they'd love nothing more than to see Bernie surge

The Hill link is rejected??

I tried it again R11 and got that "rejected" message. Would you have any better luck?

He's going to surprise a lot of people.

R5 Obama did say he would be considered a “moderate Republican” in the 20th century...

The Democratic Party has been held hostage by “big money” for 30+ years. It’s going to take a hell of a fight to get it back.

Of course, you have retards like R7 (he never ran third party, R7, and he did support Hillary - more than she ever supported Obama - but you knew that already) and clever ones like R8 (please, R8, please) who purposefully try to undermine any forward progress the party can make, and they usually are in the party!

I’m truly tired of this 👇🏻running our fucking government. It’s a rot that needs to be excised.

I wonder if the best thing that will come out of the Ukraine thing is the fading of scandal-plagued old Biden?

[quote]He's going to surprise a lot of people.

Hopefully by dying soon.

Sanders is a hard “no” for me. I’ll never vote for him, even if somehow he becomes the nominee.

Apparently, Jeff Van Drew, Congressman for New Jersey, just switched from Democrat to Republican.

Seems like we have more than a few of these around here and in office...

It’s being blocked, R12. And it’s infuriating. It goes against why I love the DL, tbh.

R14, I am not trying undermine any forward progress the party can make. My top candidate is Warren and I'd be happy to see the party move leftward. I just happen to think that thus far this year, the DNC has done a pretty good job of remaining neutral about the candidates, as they are supposed to do. And while I may not agree with him, Obama (who is not exactly the DNC's favorite person, btw) does have the right to publicly express his opinions about the candidates.

That's r8 posting again at r20.

R20 I love Warren. Sorry if I mischaracterized you.

Bernie will win.

Very powerful.

Anyone that doesn't vote for the Dem nominee is absolutely crazy. At worst we have an ultra-liberal Potus, or corporate paid President, both will be moderated by the more conservative Dem members in Congress. The main reason to vote is for the Supreme Court. OUr rights can just as easily be waved away. Justice Ginsburg won't hang on for 5 more years, given her illness.

Please, I am seriously begging all of you to play the long-term game and at least cast your vote for the Dem nominee and all Dems down the ballot. Inter-Party ideology wars doesn't matter when we are facing an existential threat as a nation. If you can stomach Trump, then you can stomach Bernie, Pete, Warren, Booker, Biden or anyone else on our side. Do you want that man and his hateful Party to continue leading? Lesser of two evils might be your choice, please don't be selfish, choose Patriotism and vote Dem. We are supposed to be the educated Party, the smart play is to protect the WH. The Real power will remain in the House ad hopefully the Senate. I don't care for Bernie myself, but he is 10000 better than Trump. His supporters suck, but so do the MAGA rats. Bernie won't last 2 terms, so it's a small price to pay to get the Klan out of the WH.

I can't stomach Bernie., r25 If it's him, no presidential vote from me. He, his surrogates and his fans use the same methods as Trump. Lies, smears, referring to political opponents as "enemies." Fuck him. Hopefully it'll be one of the others. I'll vote for anyone else.

Ok, r26, I'm not trying to be rude, and I respect the fact that you hold those beliefs. But tell me this, would you prefer a Democratic or Republican to be the next Supreme Court Judge?

Would you prefer the non-Bernie Dems to be able to negotiate in good faith on 300 bills dying in the Senate? At least the House and WH might be able to pressure the Senate if Rs don't hold the WH.

Would you prefer the other judicial seats to be filled by a Democrat or Republican?

If it's Bernie vs Trump, those are the wider effects of your vote or lack of vote. Trump proves that it's not about the President so much about what a Party can do once their guy, or gal, is in the office. Trump will last 1 or 5 years, but his justices and policies may last for decades. Even if Bernie wins, he must still listen to Chuck and Nancy, and they agree on more things then than they do with Trump so our country can move forward.

I'm very interested in your thought process from the questions listed above.

To be fair, R27, if I lived in a swing state (I'm in California), I would probably hold my nose and vote for that asshole. As it is, my vote won't make a difference, so I won't sully my vote if he's on the November ballot, and will leave the presidential field empty.

Ok r28. I still think it matters to be present and let the orange asshole know the exact number of American's giving him the middle finger, but CA will go Blue so I'll stop worrying so much. Don't forget to vote for the down-ballot races, it's not their fault if Bernie is leading the ticket.

Oh, I will vote for other, r29. But I think we don't have to worry about it. Bernie won't be the nominee.

[quote] Anyone that doesn't vote for the Dem nominee is absolutely crazy.

Agreed. There are several candidates I'd have to hold my nose and vote for, but I will do it if it comes to that.

The Democratic party is neither left nor right. It's Progressive. If it wasn't Progressive, there'd be no need for a Democratic Party.

FDR, JFK, LBJ were all Progressive.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unions, Civil Rights, Marriage Equality are all PROGRESSIVE.

The Democrats need to stop subscribing to the Republican's pejorative definition of what the want the American people to think what a Progressive is and define it for themselves.

The only thing surging is Bernie's heart.

[quote]Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unions, Civil Rights, Marriage Equality are all PROGRESSIVE.

Bullshit. These are liberal ideas and progressives don't own liberalism. And more than one of the items in your list came from centrists.

Oh, and r32, unions started in the 1800s when Democrats acted more like today's Republicans.

I hate Bernie Sanders with the fire of 10,000 suns, and happily, he will never be the nominee.

I’m in Pennsylvania and I will never vote for Sanders. He’s extremely divisive. Just as much as Trump, and as much as Hillary was.

So be smart and don’t nominate this non-Democrat asshole.

Bernie is winning and that’s why you have a bunch of acerbic retards losing their shit in this thread, lol.

The very same people who criticized the "Never Hillary" people and the Jill Stein people are now saying, "Never Bernie!" Hypocrites. Put the common good above yourself and vote Democrat.

R35 Moderates never fought for anything. They wait to see which way the wind blows. JFK called himself a liberal. The Unions were started by Progressives.

Progressives are like Trump, r49. They both lie.

The only Sanders I am interested in is Col. Sanders.

R40, Democrats are liberals, but not every Democrat is a progressive.

You say JFK was a progressive, but you seem to have forgotten that JFK lowered the marginal tax rate on the wealthy, increased defense spending and was very nationalistic. JFK wasn't a progressive.

Good for Bernie. We need this kind of rot out of our government 👇🏻

R43 I said JFK called himself a liberal. And Democrats and issues of importance in 1960 are far different than 2019.

No shit, r45. Democrats are liberal, r45. Within the party there are different degrees of liberalism.

Today's Iowa poll of polls at fivethirtyeight. How's that Bernie surge going?

Can anyone name even accomplishment of Bernie during his decades in the Senate??

Yes, I know he “wrote the damn bill.” Did that bill get passed? No.

He’s all talk, no action. And a divisive, non-Democrat asshole.

It pisses me off that this prick's health issues get overlooked while one would have thought Hillary was on her death bed. Fuck him!

The Anti-Bernie comrades are desperate, lol.

Bernie Sanders is the candidate leading with nonwhite Democratic voters, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll.

Sanders: 29%

Biden: 26%

Warren: 13%

Buttigieg: 6%

Is there a new Iowa poll there, r47? I don't see it.

Oh, and sorry R39, you don't get to act like Trump, be one of the causes for his ascent (it took Bernie ages to weakly endorse Hillary after he lost the nom), start conspiracy theories about how the "man" is against you and that's why you lost the nom, smear and lie about good people in this election and criticize them for things you did last time (e.g, closed fundraisers), and then ask for my vote if your dirty tricks somehow win you the nomination. After all that, you can and should rely on the types of people who are just as likely to vote for Trump as they are for Bernie. In other words, not me.

That'll change, r50. Obama is already speaking out.

Bernie is hitting the right notes on health care. Isn't that how Obama won, because people were desperate with the health care mess? That’s the issue sending Bernie over the edge. Dems have health care as their top issue

Bernie would shred Trump in a debate.

[quote]Bernie is hitting the right notes on health care. Isn't that how Obama won, because people were desperate with the health care mess?

No. Obama won because the housing crisis happened and the economy tanked about 6 weeks before the election. And John McCain was MIA with nothing to say about it.

[quote]Bernie would shred Trump in a debate.

Clinton shredded him in the debates too and it didn't matter. Debates stopped being about policy and more about name calling. Trump wins that hands down.

...and you're assuming that Trump will even debate the democratic nominee. He's already indicted that he won't debate.

r55

Healthcare reform was probably the biggest issue on Obama's platform. It definitely helped him greatly.

Bernie is the strongest advocate for health care reform in the race. What we have isn't working and most Americans see that in their daily lives.

But polls show that more people don't want what Bernie and Liz are selling on healthcare.

r58

Not true of Democrats and independents.

Absolutely is true, r59. Polls show that support drops into the 30s when people (Democrats and independents included) learn they'll lose their current insurance or their taxes will increase. Why do you think Warren walked backed her healthcare plan?

Bernie surges... into second place. What exactly does #2 get?

Flushed.

I’m starting to think that Joe Biden might be the best option. I’m no fan and think he’s way too old and would be a terrible President.

But He’s probably what the country wants right now. A familiar face, a moderate, someone people know is not going to rock the boat or introduce anything crazy.

He’s likeable enough, and is someone who will restore some normalcy for four years.

I might have to get on board with Joe.

If Bernie is the nominee, I will vote for him. I will vote for just about anyone whose name is not Donald J. Trump. And so should all of you.

Bernie is the best option. He will attract voters who don't always vot for the Democratic Party. A lot of people who voted Trump out of desperation would vote for Bernie instead. He would bring young voters out like no other. He's the one who the Dems should be rallying behind. America is over the same ol'.

[quote]A lot of people who voted Trump out of desperation would vote for Bernie instead

r63

I disagree. He is a very poor candidate. Trump would demolish him in a debate. Plus there is so much shit on him they would focus on, and because he's considered an "establishment Dem" he won't get away with faults like Trump and Bernie.

Whatever your reservations are about Bernie or any Dem, they will still have to work with the run of the mill Dems leading Congress.

Can any of the people rejecting Dem candidates tell me how Bernie, plus a Dem appointee SC Justice is worse than Trump and another Rep SC Justice?

If Bernie is as bad as Trump, I’m not a fan of either, than forget about the POTUS and think about their appointments. Who would you rather have control of the Courts, Dems or Reps?

We still have hundreds of vacancies in the lower courts, that’s where you and I go for justice! If those that bow at the alter of Trump/Russia continue filling those lifetime appointments, then we are screwed. Don’t think Rs would take a seconds notice to remove gay marriage, civil rights, even bring back anti-sodomy laws (which the courts had to ban).

This election isn’t about a Canddiate, though we should fight for our preferred candidate in the Promary, this is about the structure of our government. Have w learned nothing from the disasters of 2016? People may look back at this, like what do with the end of Reconstruction under the racist Andrew Johnson, an unexessary regression that lead to another 100 years of hardship. Don’t let one man or woamn’s personality get in the way of the right serve taught so hard to obtain.

Every time I think I will just get over it and vote for that prick if he is the nominee, he pulls some shit like endorsing another sexist asshole. I hate him.

So so sorry for the 101 typos on my phone and worked up as hell.

R69 I assume annyone that needs the validation of votes from their “peers”, cough politicians, are all assholes. Vain, self-centered assholes. No one asks these people to be leaders, they just think they are our chosen saviors.

That said, Trump is also sexist, so if I have to have a sexist pig, might as well have one that will push for items that align closer to my interests. The alternative is 4 more years out in the cold,watching the president waste valuable legislative days tweeting about 16 year old Scandinavians. Meanwhile, Steven Miller and Pence force their social conservative agenda on all of us.

I don’t need to like my President or even respect him, I just need my interests pushed. If that can’t happen, I need him or her to be within my Party so someone else can push for my interests. Everything else is simply window dressing at this point.

Trump is now beating every one of them and they’re showing him winning by a landslide. Hopefully Bernard gets the nomination and gets his ass handed to him. I mean if Dems are gonna lose, at least take the anti-gay, anti-Jew far left with him. Then we can regroup for 2024 and choose someone not 103 years old to run.

R72 I’m happy with those polls. Dems do better when the arrogance is beaten out of us. We fought like dogs to take the House in 2016. I would know, I work on local campaigns. The threat of a Trump loss might motivate voters to get of their ass and fall in line. We have plenty of time to turn this poll numbers around.

r72

"Anti-gay anti-Jew"

You are an ignorant old white fool. Fuck out of here.

R67, there's shit on Bernie too. It hasn't come out yet because nobody outside a minority of Democrats see him as a viable candidate. If he wins the nomination it will be the same way that Trump won 2016 -- the party was a clown car and Trump snuck in there.

While people are distracted by the clown show r75, the normal corporate friendly initiatices have been implemented by McConnell and his crew. Conservatives still got everything they wanted under Trump, because he is a useful idiot. The wall is a distraction. They got tax cuts, increases military spending, the courts, and deregulation.

I’d gladly take a clown as a Dem nominee and let Dems in Congress quietly push through our Parties initiatives. At least we’d win, no matter how bad it looks. Right now, we try to look like the honorable Party, while Rs laugh all the way to the bank.

[quote] Bernie is the best option. He will attract voters who don't always vot for the Democratic Party. A lot of people who voted Trump out of desperation would vote for Bernie instead. He would bring young voters out like no other. He's the one who the Dems should be rallying behind. America is over the same ol'.

Agreed, R65.

R76, you're post makes no sense relative to what I wrote. You're assuming Bernie can beat Trump. I think he'll lose. I repeat, there's shit on Bernie too. And if he wins the democratic clown car it will come out in the GE campaign.

R78 I’m not supporting Bernie, but If he’s the nominee I’ll hold my nose and vote for him. I’m a Warren suporter with Pete as my second choice. At the end of the day, I’d vote for a used tampon over Trump.

Oops, you're should be your in r78.

R72 Sanders will peel the skin and rat’s nest off of Dump’s skull. That’s why that pussy - he doesn’t just grab ‘em, he is one - backed out of debating Sanders in ‘16.

He’s not scared of Biden, he’s scared of Bernie.

That's nice, r79, but any candidate -- Democrat or Republican -- will need more than their base to win the GE. That's the one thing Democrats seem to forget. Remember, Trump flipped areas that voted for Obama twice. It wasn't just his base that voted for him.

But right now we have people within the base turning this Primary into a celeb stan war, refusing to suport the Party’s nominee if another person is selected. They are letting Trump slide into a second term. It makes no sense.

Even if nominie, Bernie or another Dem, is expected to lose, we should still bust our asses to get Trump our. Trump’s team thought they were toast, but his supporters and loyal Republicans still showed up to support the Party, no matter what the polls said. He ended up squeaking out a win.

When’s Dems show up, not even taking swing voters, but when we show up we win. Centrist put us over the top, but Dems need to support the nominee, no matter who it is.

R83 I guess we just have to motivate more of the youth to vote next year...

r83

I bet a lot of them are trolls trying to suppress the vote. Be careful about who you trust on the internet.

Chill, r83, It's the primary. And, last check, it was the BernieBros that helped to elect Trump. So, you should be more concerned with them.

The youth aren’t reliable. I wouldn’t hold my breath for them. If they show up, great, but history has shown that they won’t make much of a differnace. Numbers will be higher because Millenials ad Gen Z are a large group of young to young-ish adults.

The youth aren’t reliable. I wouldn’t hold my breath for them. If they show up, great, but history has shown that they won’t make much of a differnace. Numbers will be higher because Millenials ad Gen Z are a large group of young to young-ish adults.

R86 Hillary helped elect Dump. They run in the same circles after all...

For YEARS.

r88

Most of these politicians just aren't exciting for the youth. That's why we need Bernie. The youth love him like no other.

There is absolutely nothing anyone could possibly say to youth voters to make them vote for Bernie or anyone else. They talk a good game but think they are punishing the Democrats by not voting. They could have voted for Bernie just as well in 2016 but they didn’t and they won’t now either.

Absolutely nothing on earth is worth them getting off their asses and waddling a couple of blocks to a polling station. If there was, they would have done it already, without having to be begged and pleaded and having volunteers knocking on their doors and practically offering free blow jobs for their vote and they still won’t vote.

That’ll show the Democrats! Just sit at home and then spend the next four years whining about how the person that is against everything you want, and hates you, won.

Of course this time, Trump will be pulling some wag the dog stuff, starting wars everywhere to get the press off his corruption. There’s nothing like Trump shipping you out, to be thrown in an Iranian prisoner of war camp and beheaded, to take the public’s mind off his Russian bribes. He’ll go on TV and say, “why do you care about Russia and Putin, when poor little GI Joe is being beheaded on YouTube! It’s unpatriotic to ask me about Putin in wartime!”

Enjoy Iran, suckers!

R81, Sanders boasting about how he wanted to debate Trump, when it was obvious he wasn’t going to be the nominee and should have dropped out, is just one of the many ways he undermined Hillary and helped her lose.

He’s an asshole and actively works to harm real Democrats.

I don’t know if Bernie is so delusional that he really thinks if every other candidate on both sides would just get out of the way, he could win. That’s not how it works.

The other possibility is he’s a Russian asset and Putin is just throwing him in there as a spoiler to make sure the eventual Democratic nominee loses.

r92

They DID vote for him in 2016 which is why he almost beat Hillary's ass despite her getting far more publicity than him.

Yeah, r95, the publicity Clinton got amounted to nearly $1 billion in attack ads from the press and she still managed to beat Bernie... by a lot.

R95, “almost,” if losing by millions of votes is “almost.”

He lost by millions of votes to Hillary. It wasn’t close at all.

And rather than complaining about it being Hillary’s fault that BernBros weren’t enough to get him over the top, think about this - if he couldn’t win an election with nobody but Democrats in it, how was he supposed to win an election with millions of Republicans voting?

[quote]They DID vote for him in 2016 which is why he almost beat Hillary's ass

Hillary had almost 1000 more delegates voting for her at the Democratic Convention. He didn’t “almost” beat her at anything. It wasn’t even close. Sanders is a straight-up loser who is unable to accept reality.

R14, learn your history. "The Democratic Party has been held hostage by “big money” for 30+ years. It’s going to take a hell of a fight to get it back. "

BOTH parties have been held hostage by 'big money' for hundreds of years. That's the way it works ALL OVER THE WORLD.

Except if you're incredibly gullible and in complete denial...

Bernie will win.

r100

Crossing my fingers!

The DNC will try and stop him.

I look forward to voting for Bernie Sanders in 2020.

Sanders appears to be unstoppable. Those who defy him will be crushed.

CBS NEWS: Bernie Sanders is surging in California

Holy crap!

Anyone who votes for the anti-gay, antisemitic far left needs the crap kicked out of them.

Bernie Sanders = Jeremy Corbyn

It’s so exciting, so delicious to know that Bernie Sanders is going to be President of the United States of America.

Obama said if the nominee is Sanders, he'll step in to stop it.

The Berniestans here are LOONEY!

r107

FAKE!

R110 At least he let us know so we can call him out on it as soon as he starts. Oh wait....

R102, that's HILARIOUS. Trump -- or whoever ends up running if the Donald drops dead -- will easily crush Sanders with one word: Socialism.

when biden is nominated Bernie will be a spoiler and not support him and throw the election to trump, like he did with Hillary to an extent.

fukker