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For progressive voters like Richard Poulin, the 2020 Democratic presidential primary offers a painful choice between two heroes.
on the left, Sense Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Poulin, a New Hampshire
owner of the store, was a dedicated supporter of the unsuccessful Sanders campaign in 2016. He now wonders if Warren is better placed than Sanders to beat President Trump.
"The most important thing for me is to get rid of Trump," said Poulin. "It's like choosing between two desserts."
But despite their ideological similarities, Sanders and Warren are in many ways as different as ice creams and petits fours – a simple and reliable classic; the other, a less familiar and refined taste.
The two candidates held two rallies last week, just 11 miles apart, in the mountainous North Hampshire region of northern New Hampshire, illustrating their differences in style, tone and possible paths to nomination. Democrat.
Sanders spoke in a small Littleton opera about 300 followers,
including many of his 2016 supporters who are crucial for his ability to win. Warren went to a spectacular setting – a dark succession in Franconia with a spectacular view of the White Mountains – to address 700 people, including not only ardent supporters, but also curious voters who checked him for the first time.
Their general messages radically called for radical changes in the economy and the political system – an agenda that some Democrats fear will make them too radical to win a general election.
"The goal of this campaign is not just to defeat Donald Trump," Sanders said. "This campaign is about transforming the US government and economy so it works for all of us, not just the 1%."
Warren's decision: "We currently have an economy that keeps on working better and better for the biggest, the giants who have taken over the most important areas: the big agricultural industries, the big technologies, the big pharmaceutical companies, the big banks. "
Some progressive voters attended both rallies and said their biggest fear was that Warren and Sanders split the left-wing vote and pave the way for Joe Biden, the older, more centrist vice president.
which is widely considered the favorite at the moment.
"Bernie and Elizabeth say they can beat Trump, and I believe that's what it is," said Nancy Strand, a Sanders supporter in 2016 based in Bethlehem, who is now inclined to support Warren. "But someone has to beat Biden first. If they divide the progressive vote, Biden succeeds. "
While Warren and Sanders are addressing left-wing voters, they are garnering support from very different demographic groups, as suggested by a hasty poll of Morning Consult.
Warren's coalition is more feminine, better educated and richer. Sanders is more attractive to young voters, people without a university degree and the less fortunate. This puts Sanders in competition with Biden for blue-collar voters.
Warren has regularly won over Sanders in the polls over the last few months, but the rivals – who describe themselves as friends – have not been criticized. They were particularly companions when they appeared on the same stage during the second round of Democratic candidate debates.
New Hampshire is a key battleground as it holds the first primary on February 11, after Iowa held the first nomination caucuses. Biden is leading in most polling stations in New Hampshire, but it is the narrowest advance of all early voting states.
Sanders and Warren have the advantage of being at home because they come from neighboring states. But Sanders has the biggest advantage – and the burden of high expectations – because he won the New Hampshire primary in a rash last time. Its long-term offer took off after beating Hillary Clinton here, between 60% and 38%, setting up a blues contest at the primaries.
In Littleton, Sanders climbed onto the podium with great songs from "Bern-ie! Bern-ie! "Adoring fans. The event gave the impression of an awakening meeting, with some calls and responses from an audience that had already heard Sanders' sermon.
Speaking of "Medicare for All," Sanders asked, "Does this seem like a radical idea?" "No, sir!" The crowd shouted back.
He asked about the purpose of the health system. "To make money!" Roaring the crowd.
Although Sanders recently complained about polls and media coverage, he cited some poll results he liked: clashes in the general election that showed him defeating Trump. This is an implicit slap in Biden's claim that he is only
in a position to beat the president, and against Warren, who faces questions about his eligibility even among his admirers.
Sanders' audience was retired with canes and young people with long, unruly hair. "That's what my hair looked like a few years ago," joked Sanders, who is bald at 77.
For fans who wanted a selfie with their hero, it was not easy. Sanders, who obviously do not like this staple of the modern day campaign, took some pictures after the speech while shaking hands and heading for the exit.
Katie Malgioglio, a student who drove Connecticut by car for four hours by car, was one of the lucky ones.
"Bernie Sanders is why I'm so passionate about politics," said Malgioglio. "I would not be the person I am without Bernie Sanders."
The next day, Warren's crowd in Franconia was more than twice as numerous, but she did not only preach to converts.
"I'm a fan but I'm not decided yet," said Melissa Davis, a lawyer in Plymouth, who supported Sanders in 2016. "I'm a little torn. All candidates use their discussion points and ideas. This is what makes it difficult to choose someone.
Warren sprinted to the podium on a well-maintained green lawn, a sports show that hides his age – 70 years – at a time when Biden's age, 76, was a country problem.
While Sanders' rhetoric was often broad and ambitious, Warren's speech began with a deeply personal account of his education in Oklahoma and the financial precariousness his family was facing – introducing autobiography as Sanders rarely does.
Warren's thread culminated in his vision of government as a force of good for middle-class Americans – at least until he became caught between special interests.
"It's 25 years of corruption in Washington that brought us here," she said.
She reviewed some of the many detailed plans that characterized her campaign. She took fewer questions than Sanders after her speech on the stump, but finished as she almost always does: she gave a selfie to each voter who was in a line that snaked through the field. According to his campaign, Warren spent an hour taking pictures with about 400 people. They estimate that she took almost 45,000 selfies in total.
The combination of Warren's personal touch and the details of politics was enough to win at least one convert to Franconia. Sue Manah Buteau – a strong supporter of the Sanders in 2016 – attended both rallies with her husband, not knowing who to support in 2020. They were both
influenced by Warren.
"What I liked most about her was that she shared her personal story, her roots, her own struggles to grow up," said Buteau, a retired teacher from Lancaster. "She has the kind of energy that could really carry her through the countryside."
Plus, she says,
Warren is more likely to win the support of the Democratic party establishment than Sanders, who is still independent and has often criticized the party.
This remains a sore point for Sanders fans who think the Democratic National Committee has skewed the 2016 primary competition in favor of Clinton and Sanders.
Kate Goldsborough, an actress and stylist in Littleton who also participated in both rallies, considers that Warren is too "dominant" to his liking and fears that Sanders will be dismantled by the party again.
When she asked Sanders about the prospect of her event in Littleton, he tried to focus on his campaign message.
"I can not wait, not the back," he said. "I'm not naive. We take the whole establishment. I need your help. "
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