Elizabeth Warren is much smarter than Bernie Sanders. She has more than one speech. She didn’t lose in 2016. She has far less baggage. Her ideas on policy are much admired by left-leaning pundits. She’s even a few years younger. But for all that, she’s way behind him in the polls. Why?
There are three possible reasons:
- Bernie has better name recognition by virtue of his 2016 campaign;
- The voters prefer his gruff authenticity to her wonky schoolteacher persona; or
- Bernie is a man.
These aren’t mutually exclusive, and the correct answer is probably a combination of all three. We may collectively lament the last two, but in politics, you have to play the hand you’re dealt. Complaining about an imperfect world doesn’t do any good.