Thread by @jonathansmucker

Excited to knock some more doors in Iowa today. #Bernie2020 #NotMeUs

Been finding that some of the electability arguments I made in this article are working quite well at the door... thenation.com/article/occupy…

Been encountering a lot of folks who love Bernie but their main concern—understandably—is defeating Trump. To varying extents they've internalized the Establishment narrative that you can't go "too far left" & be viable. It's not too difficult to get many of these folks to shift.

I talk about how the Democratic Party has been bleeding out working class voters for four decades. These voters have been staying home because they feel like no one in politics is fighting for them. Bernie is winning these voters back.

Trump won in 2016 because he was able to generate enthusiasm amongst his base. To beat Trump, we need a candidate who can generate massive enthusiasm on our side. Bernie is the only candidate who has proven he can do it.

Bernie's volunteer base is massive. And he’s raised more money than any other candidate—and it’s small donations from working class voters. This is the way to beat Trump.

At the door I talk about how the Democratic Establishment tells us they know who can win. But look at their track record. For two decades, every candidate they told us was the “safe bet” lost. Gore in 2000. Kerry in 2004. Clinton in 2016. Every single one.

We need a candidate who captures the nation’s imagination and inspires an enthusiastic base to turn out and volunteer. That’s the recipe for victory, and Bernie’s the one who’s got it.

When you talk with folks about how the Dem Party has been bleeding out working class voters, and how Bernie is bringing them back by fighting for working people, it provides a story that's compelling because it's comprised of elements that people already feel to be true.

And this point is important:

When someone says their concern is "electability," continuing to emphasize how Bernie is the most progressive candidate can inadvertently have the opposite effect: it can reinforce the Establishment frame that Bernie is "too far left."

Instead, own the electability argument. We're so used to crappy centrist neolibs wielding "electability" as a bludgeon—maybe it's made us disinclined to own it ourselves.

But these jokers don't have a leg to stand on. Their "safe bet" candidates lost every election for 20 years.

So I tell people straight-up: defeating Trump is my #1 priority. And that's why we have to make sure that a candidate who can defeat Trump is the nominee. That candidate is the Senator from Vermont.

Other things that have worked for me this week...

If a voter is leaning toward another candidate, always compliment that candidate in some way:

"Biden has a lot of experience."
"Buttigieg is well spoken."
"Klobuchar performed well in the last debate."
"Warren is my #2 pick."

Then talk about your concerns about their viability.

If you can't stand the candidate they prefer, suck it up anyway. Acknowledge that the voter your talking with has reasons for how they're leaning. Connect with them. Then share what's important to you, from the heart.

None of this is to suggest we should avoid talking about how much better Bernie is on policy than other candidates.

The trick is to help people to see that his policies—and his courage in standing up for working people—make him more attractive to more people (i.e., more viable).