Bernie Sanders Defeats Trump By a Wider Margin Than Clinton in a General Election

Posted: 10/21/2015 11:01 am EDT Updated: 10/21/2015 2:59 pm EDT

H. A. Goodman Become a fan 

Columnist published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Baltimore Sun, The Hill, Salon, The Jerusalem Post www.hagoodman.com

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As a lifelong Democrat against perpetual American counterinsurgency wars in the Middle East, the prospect of a hawkish Democrat or Donald Trump as Commander in Chief isn't acceptable to me, especially when America has a candidate for president who says "I'll be damned" if we send more ground troops back to failed wars.

There are many reasons I'm voting for Bernie Sanders over Trump or Clinton, and I explain these reasons in a recent YouTube segment, however Vermont's Senator will win the Democratic nomination because he's the only chance Democrats have in 2016. I highlight why only Bernie Sanders can defeat Donald Trump in my latest YouTube segment, in addition to why Clinton would have a difficult time against the billionaire.

So why is Bernie our only hope in preventing Trump from ever having a catastrophic encounter with Putin?

First, Real Clear Politics states definitively that polls show Bernie Sanders winning by a wider margin than Clinton over Trump:

RCP Average 47.2 42.0 Sanders +5.2

CNN/ORC 53 44 Sanders +9
PPP 44 44 Tie
NBC News/Wall St. 52 36 Sanders +16
Quinnipiac 47 42 Sanders +5
SurveyUSA 40 44 Trump +4

Compared to Hillary Clinton:

RCP Average 45.7 43.2 Clinton +2.5

CNN/ORC 50 45 Clinton +5
FOX News 40 45 Trump +5
PPP (D) 44 44 Tie
NBC News/Wall St. 49 39 Clinton +10
Quinnipiac 45 43 Clinton +2
ABC News/Wash Post 46 43 Clinton +3

While the most favorable poll for both Democrats is the NBC News/Wall St. poll, Sanders beats Trump in this poll by 16 points, as opposed to Clinton's 10 point lead. CNN has Sanders beating Trump by 4 points more than Hillary Clinton and overall, the Democratic-Socialist from Vermont defeats Trump in all the polls by an average of 5.2 points, as opposed to 2.5 points for Clinton.

Most importantly, Democrats need a foil, or the opposite of the New York billionaire, not the former Senator from New York who's proud of once representing Wall Street. A recent POLITICO article titled Trump has spent years courting Hillary and other Dems explains that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have a long history with one another:

Clinton, the Democratic front-runner and former New York senator who had some say over policy that could have impacted Trump's vast business dealings, received donations from both him and son Donald Trump Jr. on separate occasions in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, according to state and federal disclosure records.

Trump has also been generous with the Clinton Foundation, donating at least $100,000, according to the non-profit.

...She wasn't the only Democratic beneficiary of Trump's wealth. Trump donated $5,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $20,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2006 cycle, effectively buoying the election prospects of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, respectively.

Just $1,000 of Trump's money in the 2006 cycle went to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The last time Trump considered a White House run in 2011, reporters seized upon the fact that he has given most of his money to Democrats and Democratic causes, according to records.

While Bernie Sanders is the antithesis of the GOP and especially Trump, Clinton has received money from the billionaire. In terms of the Democratic establishment, years ago "reporters seized upon the fact" that Trump gave so much money to Democrats; a fact he could utilize to his advantage by saying he won't accept foreign donations or donations from rival political parties like Clinton.

As for why he gives to all politicians, Trump is quoted by ABC News as saying, "And you know what, when I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them."

Regarding the ongoing FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, rest assured that Trump would do his best to discuss the matter during the entire presidential debates if Clinton is the Democratic nominee. There are simply too many political arrows to hurl at Clinton if you're Donald Trump, and unlike a classy and gracious Bernie Sanders, the billionaire would relentlessly attack Clinton's credibility, honesty, trustworthiness, ties to billionaires like himself, and links to Wall Street.

As for Clinton's ties to investment banks and conservative views on Wall Street, the banking community would be happy with either Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush, according to a Washington Post article titled The long-running (and unchanging) Wall Street primary between Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush:

A "Republican-leaning Wall Street lawyer said over lunch in midtown" for that article that, "if it turns out to be Jeb versus Hillary we would love that and either outcome would be fine. We could live with either one." The remarks by Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein that either Bush or Clinton would be great -- remarks that Martin O'Malley is doing his current best to make famous and undercut Clinton -- are also referenced. "Those would be two very good choices and we'd be perfectly happy with them," a "person close to Blankfein" told White and Haberman.

The fact that Wall Street isn't frightened by another Clinton presidency ties into negative favorability numbers for Hillary Clinton. According to a recent CNN poll, "57 percent of Americans say she is not honest and trustworthy." Another CNN poll states55% of registered voters have an unfavorable view of Hillary Clinton. As for swing states, July and August Quinnipiac Swing State polls find that swing states have negative favorability of Clinton and voters believe she is "not honest and trustworthy."

In contrast, Donald Trump is the embodiment of the "billionaire class," an arrogant and brash tycoon who thinks for some reason he's qualified to run the country. Against Sanders, Trump would be on the defensive. A recent Real Clear Politics article quotes Bernie Sanders as explaining why people like Donald Trump will be paying their share of taxes under a Sanders presidency:

What we have seen in the last 30 years, as most Americans know, is a massive redistribution of wealth, unfortunately it has gone in the wrong direction. From the middle class and working families to Donald Trump and his friends, the top one tenth of 1%.

Yes, let me be clear, if we are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free, as I believe we have to, in the 21st Century, yeah, we are going to have a tax on Wall Street speculation, yes we are going ask Trump and his billionaire friends to pay more taxes... We'll come up with a rate, but it will be a damn lot higher than it is now.

It's unimaginable that Hillary Clinton would ever speak in such terms, and since Clinton doesn't even want to reinstate Glass-Steagall, only Bernie Sanders offers Democrats a true ideological challenge to the GOP.

Can Bernie Sanders win a general election?

Well, not only can he win a general election, but he beats Donald Trump by a greater margin than Clinton.

Sanders doesn't have the scandals or honesty issues that Trump could pounce upon in a debate, and Bernie matches up nicely with Trump in a general election for numerous other reasons. Ultimately, Donald Trump embodies every single warning of Bernie Sanders pertaining to money in politics and billionaires controlling the fate of our nation.

With Hillary Clinton's FBI email investigation most likely running through Election Day, the only way U.S. nuclear launch codes get anywhere near a President Donald Trump is if the billionaire gets to debate Hillary Clinton on a national stage. Comfortable on screen and in his element, even Trump's nauseating arrogance would allow him to harp endlessly upon Clinton's email issues and prior controversies. In fact, Hillary Clinton might even lose decisively against Trump, primarily because the billionaire donated to her Foundation and the FBI investigation undermines her credibility.

With Bernie Sanders, the New York billionaire is reduced to a caricature of himself, and the personification of everything wrong in politics. Bernie Sanders is the only hope for Democrats against Trump and polls already show the Democratic-Socialist and Democratic candidate winning. In reality, only Bernie Sanders can save Democrats, and most importantly, the United States of America from a reality show in the White House. For this reason, in addition to many other advantages Sanders offers Democrats, the Vermont Senator will win the nomination and eventually the presidency.

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

Almost Every Major Poll Shows Bernie Sanders Challenging or Defeating Clinton and Republicans. Here's Why

Posted: 08/05/2015 6:58 am EDT Updated: 08/05/2015 1:59 pm EDT

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Bloomberg via Getty Images

American politics is never static. Similar to the value system of certain presidential candidates, it's in a never-ending state of constant evolution. For this reason, "Dewey Defeats Truman," "We still seek no wider war," and "They hate our freedoms" are time capsules of American history seen though the lenses of hindsight and reflection.

We now have our first African-American president in his second term, we have anembassy in Cuba, and gay marriage is a right. American politics, and the world, can change in the blink of an eye.

Ironically, there are certain liberal voters in America today more interested in sharing memes on social media (mocking their political rivals), than in actually rallying around a politician who is a genuine and authentic embodiment of their acknowledged value system. To these people, Bernie Sanders can't possibly win, even though he championed gay rights when others needed to "evolve," and even though he voted against Iraq, when others deemed their vote a "mistake."

Luckily, there are a great many other voters willing to imagine a future without Wall Street greed and rampant income inequality. Fortunately, "Bernie Sanders Can Become President" has replaced "I like him but he can't win."

Democrats who are proud of their progressive values are filling arenas to hear Sanders speak in a direct manner (while others dodge questions) on contentious issues like Keystone XL and the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement. While the FBI is currently investigating the email security of one candidate, Bernie Sanders is narrowing Clinton's lead nationally and defeating Republicans in other polls. Like Brent Budowsky writes in The Hill:

The fact that Sanders beats Walker by six to seven points, depending on whether all voters or likely voters are counted -- a near-landslide margin in a general election -- makes it clear that the Sanders surge is more than a surge against Donald Trump, but move that makes him competitive with all Republican candidates.

Polls once extolling Hillary Clinton's enormous lead over Sanders are now dwindling for the same reason Sanders beats Republicans in various other polls: Americans have had enough of dynasties, scandals, wars, and Wall Street corruption. I will be voting for Bernie Sanders because I too have had enough of endless wars, and Bernie says"I'll be damned" if more Americans are sent back to fight in the Middle East. I'll also be voting for Sanders because like the polls illustrating his lightning fast surge, more and more Americans have had enough with a two-party system that doesn't give people a choice. I want my Democratic nominee to vote against counterinsurgency wars and vehemently oppose environmental disasters in the making like Keystone XL, not evolve towards the most politically expedient position available at the time.

As for data indicating Bernie Sanders can win the Democratic nomination, the Huffington Post explains how quickly he's narrowed the lead in New Hampshire in anarticle titled Bernie Sanders Is Narrowing The Gap With Hillary Clinton In The Granite State:

Bernie Sanders is closing in on Hillary Clinton, according to new polling from New Hampshire.

In a WMUR/University of New Hampshire poll released Tuesday, the Vermont senator is in a statistical tie with the Democratic presidential frontrunner, trailing her by six percentage points, which is just within the poll's margin of error...

Sanders and Clinton are virtually tied in terms of net electability, polling at 30 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

With Sanders already surging in Iowa, and now virtually tied with Clinton in New Hampshire, it's important to remember that Vermont's Senator is doing something most observers once thought to be an impossibility. He has a great chance of winning the first two contests on the road to the Democratic nomination, while his challenger deals with subpoenas from Congress and other scandals. Every classified email uncovered by the FBI dooms one candidate, while paving the way for Sanders.

As for how Sanders does against GOP challengers, Quinnipiac's recent swing state pollexplains that he actually performs better than Hillary Clinton in battleground states:

In several matchups in Iowa and Colorado, another Democratic contender, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, runs as well as, or better than Clinton against Rubio, Bush and Walker.

Clinton gets markedly negative favorability ratings in each state, 35-56 percent in Colorado, 33-56 percent in Iowa and 41-50 percent in Virginia.

"Hillary Clinton's numbers have dropped among voters in the key swing states of Colorado, Iowa and Virginia. She has lost ground in the horserace and on key questions about her honesty and leadership," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Again, it's important to note that Bernie Sanders now performs as well, or better in swing states, and this reality took place just several months after announcing his presidential run. He also beats Republicans in direct matchups and it's still early.

We're 459 days from Election Day.

So much for the phrase, "He can't win."

Also, if Quinnipiac and the University of New Hampshire weren't enough, there's a recent Gallup poll explaining that all Sanders needed was a little name recognition:

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' favorable rating among Americans has doubled since Gallup's initial reading in March, rising to 24% from 12% as he has become better known. Hillary Clinton's rating has slipped to 43% from 48% in April. At the same time, Clinton's unfavorable rating increased to 46%, tilting her image negative and producing her worst net favorable score since December 2007.

Sanders is still an unknown to a majority of Americans, with just 44% able to rate him compared with Clinton's 89%

Already, with only a limited amount of media coverage, Bernie Sanders has captivated the hopes of millions of Americans.

This too, will happen with African-American, Latino, and other voters the more that Sanders's policies and value system becomes better known and more recognizable.Killer Mike has officially endorsed Bernie Sanders, and his endorsement means far more than certain polls (cited gleefully by naysayers) based primarily upon name recognition. Combine this with the fact CNN recently stated "Bernie Sanders would beat Donald Trump," and a Sanders presidency is no longer a pipe dream; it's a reality that could take place based on knowing more about Bernie Sanders.

Finally, perhaps the most noble and courageous act by a politician in the last 30 years was Hillary Clinton's attempt at health care reform in the early '90s. I have and always will admire Clinton's work, at that time and in that moment of U.S. history, on health care and her courage in battling a ruthless Newt Gingrich and other Republicans on that issue. However, the former First Lady's political evolution during the past couple of decades has made her a completely different politician today. While almost every Clinton supporters cites a Real Clear Politics poll indicating an enormous lead within the Democratic Party, they also ignore one glaring opinion piece located within Real Clear Politics.

In a Real Clear Politics article by Debra Saunders titled Why Voters Don't Trust Hillary Clinton, the primary reason polls are shifting towards Bernie Sanders is addressed:

Voters in Colorado, Iowa and Virginia think Hillary Clinton is not honest or trustworthy...

Clinton's conduct is catching up with her...

An inspector general has asked the Department of Justice to investigate. It seems a sampling of 40 emails Clinton sent as secretary of state found that four contained classified information that should have been labeled "secret." The only question is: What took so long?

Therefore, within the same website cited to declare Clinton's insurmountable lead and inevitability, there's also a piercing article questioning Clinton's honesty.

Honesty and a genuine value system are the primary reasons Bernie Sanders is gaining in the polls and the primary reason people of all backgrounds will choose him over Clinton or any GOP nominee in 2016. These traits are the reasons polls are ever-changing, since there's no poll that asks, "What's in the heart of your future president?" Since adherence to principle is a novelty in this day and age, Bernie Sanders reminds voters of an ideal. It's this ideal that will enable Sanders to surge past Clinton and towards the Democratic nomination. It will also help him win the White House, since Bush and other Republicans must still answer tough questions about Iraq, Wall Street, and income inequality.

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Related links:

When Republicans Nominate a Billionaire, Only Bernie Sanders Will Save Democrats

Hillary Clinton Has A 'White Liberal' Problem That Will Help Bernie Sanders Become Democratic Nominee

Unlike Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Never Says, 'When I Become President, I Will Answer Your Question'

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

Bernie Sanders Explains To Democrats Why They Lose Elections

He criticized the party's establishment -- while standing just steps away from the party's establishment.

Samantha LachmanStaff Reporter, The Huffington Post

Posted: 08/28/2015 05:24 PM EDT

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS IMAGE CREDIT : screenshot HUFF POST POLITICS VIDEO

WASHINGTON -- In his first-ever speech before the Democratic National Committee on Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized the party's approach to elections, saying Democrats wouldn't win in 2016 if they failed to generate enthusiasm and resorted instead to "politics as usual." 

"Let me be very clear," said Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination and caucuses with Democrats in the Senate. "In my view, Democrats will not retain the White House, will not regain the Senate, will not gain the House and will not be successful in dozens of governor’s races unless we run a campaign which generates excitement and momentum and which produces a huge voter turnout." 

Sanders made the comments at the DNC's summer meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, standing just steps from party officials like DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. He suggested that his campaign was a model for the kind of "revolution" that Democrats had needed during the 2014 midterm elections, in which Republicans won nearly all close gubernatorial and congressional races and took control over a number of state legislatures.

"The Republicans did not win the midterm election in November," the senator said. "The Democrats lost that election because voter turnout was abysmally low, and millions of working people, minorities and young people gave up on politics as usual and stayed home."

"With all due respect, and I do not mean to insult anyone here, that will not happen with politics as usual," he continued. "The same old, same old will not be successful."

Sanders' criticism of the Democratic Party was a departure from the themes he emphasizes in his typical stump speech on the campaign trail. He said that Democrats need "a movement which takes on the economic and political establishment, not one which is part of it." However, the end of the speech was more true to form, transitioning into a list of the issues that his "unprecedented grassroots movement" would focus on: Wall Street, campaign finance, immigration, economic and educational inequality, climate change and mass incarceration. 

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It's Official -- Bernie Sanders Has Overtaken Hillary Clinton In the Hearts and Minds of Democrats

It's Official -- Bernie Sanders Has Overtaken Hillary Clinton In the Hearts and Minds of Democrats

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Posted: 06/25/2015 11:14 am EDT Updated: 06/25/2015 11:59 am EDT

According to PBS, Bernie Sanders is "gaining against Clinton in early polls." Salon'sBill Curry believes "Hillary Clinton is going lose," primarily because millions of voters longing for a truly progressive candidate will nominate Sanders. POLITICO explained recently that Early-state polls hint at a Bernie Sanders surge, a headline that was unthinkable only several months earlier. Yahoo's Meredith Shiner calls Sanders a "progressive social media star and pragmatic legislator" and states that "Sanders also has a much more substantial legislative history" than any GOP challenger. In Iowa,1,100 people packed a gym to hear Bernie Sanders speak in May.

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The TRUTH will set you FREE.