Thread by @BlueSteelDC

Sanders wasn’t a vetted the first time because:

1. The media needed a horse race and there literally was only one more horse left.

2. Sanders was very vulnerable to any examination of who he was. Berners called it smearing him to highlight his real opinions and voting record

Look at the Iowa exits. Hillary Clinton won really left voters in Iowa because that was the time Sanders spoke about his actual plans for healthcare and it lost him votes.

Ppl also said he wasn’t qualified to be a commander-in-chief.

Clinton didn’t try to have Sanders vetted because really after South Carolina and especially after Super Tuesday the race was over.

So she and President Obama spend the rest of the election trying to get Sanders to work with her the way she worked with President Obama

But Sanders has a lot of ugly in his background. Usually ppl don’t run for President with backgrounds like his.

1. He hasn’t accomplished shit. The media is kinda now pointing that out.

2. His campaign finances have always been suspect.

3. He has been on everyside of an issue

4. He didn’t hold a job until late 30s and didn’t vote until he was 40. How you going to say you are a civil rights pioneer with that

5. His polling indicates he really didn’t appeal to the WWC voters

6. He had a lot of early help from Republicans and Russians early

So Sanders isn’t going to have the same go of it this time.

Why

There are a lot more horses in this upcoming race. They are a better media story and frankly telegenic.

Sanders was a a great tool for an anti Clinton agenda but w/o Clinton there is no Sanders.

7. Sanders ran a shitty campaign, spent way more money than Clinton to lose horribly. Was very disorganized, alienated people on the ground and lost in places he had a demographic advantage

He will lose in an organizational match up. Nor will he attract top staff

8. His Goverment office is a mess. Chuck Todd and Ezra Klein have nicely written about how he treats his staff not so nicely, he doesn’t like to be corrected and VT Digger had a whole series on how he doesn’t show up to work.

@SallyAlbright

So let’s talk about why he won’t really be vetted this time.

Every media person except Toure (types who actually don’t pour over data)- knows Bernie never had any secret sauce. If not for them easing off and a number of other propping actions Bernie would have never gotten far

So now they are asking him Actual questions on how his proposals would work (or not).

And Bernie is answering in the manner he knows how.

“That is not the point.”

If you are eating a meal and guy stops you to say there are rich ppl in that restaurant eating steak. We should demand steak.

You go to the restaurant and stand outside. But after hours you are now hungrier and no closer to eating steak. You mad but at the guy who stopped you.

Bernie entire schtick has been to tell people what they have isn’t as good as what someone rich has.

They should be angry enough to storm the gates. This may imperil the gains you do have and you may still get nothing.

But striking against this foe is worth it to make a pt.

9. Sanders cannot speak for more than 30 minutes without revealing flaws in his policies and problematic attitudes to other races.

He will not be vetted. He just won’t get help the way he did before.

The reason they hate Beto is he is getting the favorable media treatment that the media once gave to Sanders.

He is getting the young supporters.

Other than that all Sanders had left was dummy accounts propping him up and grudge 3rd party voters who wanted to break the DNC

His alliance with these groups that wanted to break the DNC is why I had issue with Sanders