Thread. So far, it seems like while Bernie is very exciting to Bernie people, he's just not that exciting to other people.
Excitement might pick up later, or he might not need Obama 2008 level excitement to beat Trump, given how unpopular Trump is.
But Obama 2008 this is not.
Excitement might pick up later, or he might not need Obama 2008 level excitement to beat Trump, given how unpopular Trump is.
But Obama 2008 this is not.
I remember Obama 2008. The excitement level was insane. Everyone I knew wanted to volunteer. We dropped what we were doing and went to the rallies. When he won there was dancing in the street all night. It felt like history.
I felt a bit of that with Bernie 2016. College kids would randomly yell "Bernie fucking Sanders!!" at me on the street. There was fear of Trump (and that's probably what did Bernie in), but there was also tons of exuberance, especially from young people...
Now, it feels less like that. I don't see those shouting kids on the street. I see Sanders in a few storefronts, but fewer. Bernie feels like the front-runner. The tone of his fans feels less exuberant and revolutionary, more defensive and reactive.
As one example, there was that whole thing when Bernie people tried to portray Warren's candidacy as a betrayal, even though she announced her campaign before Bernie. "Yeah but she knew he was going to run", was the response. It was the attitude of a front-runner guarding a spot.
The Bernie people all definitely still feel that Bernie is revolutionary, that he represents -- not to steal a catchphrase -- hope and change. But maybe the Democratic establishment is weak enough now that overthrowing them doesn't feel like as much of a revolution? I don't know.
This is just a general sense I get, of course, but those Iowa results seem to back it up. Let's see if it holds. As competitors drop out, assuming Bernie doesn't collapse, broader enthusiasm may build. Bernie's people are certainly hoping this will happen.
And people are VERY tired of Trump, and even establishment Dems hate Trump VERY much. When the general election rolls around and Trump starts spouting quasi-fascist craziness, the narrative of Bernie as savior might galvanize the nation.
OR, he might not even need that. People beyond his hardcore fan base might never be so enthused by Bernie, but they might quietly, resignedly march to the polls and vote for anything and anyone that will put an end to the exhausting, shitty Trump era.
But 2020 just doesn't feel like 2008. The Bernie people are still fired up - maybe with more anger this time than hope, but fired up nonetheless. But everyone else just seems kind of exhausted, limping toward the finish line. We just want all this dumb shit to be over.
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