As much as I hate to do this (why isn't there a better way to turn twitter threads into a single coherent paragraph?!?!?), I agree with all but the first point about Bernie in this thread:
As I mentioned above, I don't agree with Tomlinson's first point, whenever anyone claims a candidate hasn't been vetted they just mean that the media hasn't harped on whatever reason they personally think is bad about the candidate enough. The media is not even-handed in its vetting. That is a major flaw, but it's reality so get over it. Bernie has been "vetted" more than many other candidates, but also a lot less than still other candidates. Whether it is "enough" vetting is all subjective and it just comes down to a complaint that the media isn't writing the stories that he wants them to write. (Isn't that always the case?)
But the rest of Tomlinson's points are spot-on, IMHO. I will happily support Bernie in the general if he is the nominee, but my Bernie-loving friends seem to be really blind about the real weaknesses of his candidacy.
Been losing followers in direct proportion to saying true things about Bernie lately. Sorry kids, ignoring them won't make them go away.— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
Here's my concerns about Bernie:
-He's unvetted in a national election. Yes, really. In 2016 the GOP left him untouched because he was... 1/
...a very useful wedge for dividing young Democrats from the candidate they have always feared, Clinton. For her part, Clinton left him untouched because she didn't want to alienate his supporters in the general. Bernie has never faced real scrutiny like he would in a general. 2/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-Bernie lacks support among the Democrats' strongest minority constituencies. He has half the Black support of Biden in a year when minority turnout is going to be critical in many of the swing states where the election will actually be decided. 3/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-He has no record of accomplishments to run on. Despite being a career politician with decades in the Senate, he's sponsored or cosponsored precious little successful legislation. Which is indicative of another one of his weaknesses... 4/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-He doesn't work well with others in congress and isn't able to build consensus or coalitions. To make the sort of transformative structural changes his entire platform is built on, Bernie needs to be able to get wildly different factions of the party to stand with him. 5/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
But he's shown no talent for this, or even interest in learning the skill. His assumption that his "movement" will just horsewhip their representatives into line from the grassroots is naive, to say the least. The Democratic party has always been a factional mess. 6/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
It's a very diverse conglomerate of smaller fiefdoms that often see eachother as only marginal allies. Getting all of them to work together is like herding cats and electing Bernie is not going to magically change it into a big kumbaya circle. 7/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-His support has shrank, not grown, over 4 years. He may have won the popular vote in IA, but turnout was down, and his total of 24% was twenty points lower than when he placed 2nd in 2016. This is problematic when his entire argument is he'll turn out millions of new voters. 8/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-Much of his base of support isn't loyal to the Democratic party, and indeed many of them actively hate it. This is a problem for the down ticket races we need to win to retake the Senate and actuallyget anything done. Bernie's coattails are likely to be short. 9/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-He's EXACTLY the candidate Trump and the rest of the GOP wants to run against. I know this is a shock, but yes, the fascist who "won" last time appealing to actual Nazis really does think his best chance is to run against a Jewish socialist. Trump tweets support at Bernie. 10/— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
-And finally, yes, he's too old. He's 78. He just had a heart attack, which he then lied about for days, and now he's losing weight at a pretty alarming rate.— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
Sure, Biden is also too old and I wish he hadn't run, but Bernie is a full year older still and has a damaged heart. 11/
You can love Bernie. You can agree with and support his policies. But you have to take into account all of the above is also true and will have a big impact on not only his chances at beating Trump, but in carrying the party to a point where his plans can become reality. 12/12— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) February 8, 2020
As I mentioned above, I don't agree with Tomlinson's first point, whenever anyone claims a candidate hasn't been vetted they just mean that the media hasn't harped on whatever reason they personally think is bad about the candidate enough. The media is not even-handed in its vetting. That is a major flaw, but it's reality so get over it. Bernie has been "vetted" more than many other candidates, but also a lot less than still other candidates. Whether it is "enough" vetting is all subjective and it just comes down to a complaint that the media isn't writing the stories that he wants them to write. (Isn't that always the case?)
But the rest of Tomlinson's points are spot-on, IMHO. I will happily support Bernie in the general if he is the nominee, but my Bernie-loving friends seem to be really blind about the real weaknesses of his candidacy.
