In 1908, a new cookie called 'Hydrox' arrived in America. The simple delight featured a creme filling sandwiched between two chocolate wafers. It was so popular that the National Biscuit Company, aka Nabisco, decided to copy it four years later and release the Oreo cookie. This version was essentially the same thing as the Hydrox, but had different packaging and a slight difference in flavor. Oreo, despite coming after the Hydrox, became one of the most popular treats in America. Most consumers wrongly believed that the Hydrox was the knock-off brand or that it was simply too old fashioned and, well, a little stale. They instead opted for the Oreo. It became wildly successful in the market. Unfortunately for Senator Bernie Sanders, who made waves four years ago in 2016 as the sole Democratic Socialist candidate in the race, new polling shows it seems the Democratic base now views him as the Hydrox cookie and other candidates as the Oreo.
Ahh, poor Senator Sanders. The socialist from Vermont simply wanted to defeat the millionaire and billionaire class. Instead, he was knifed in the back by the Democratic Party as Debbie Wasserman-Schultz rigged the primary for Hillary Clinton. Still, progressive voters got a taste of what could be and seemed to enjoy and rally around him for four years. But, now, with new options available, consistent polling shows that he simply does not have the same support he once did.
As reported by the Washington Examiner, following the first debate, "the socialist senator fell out of second place. He had been leading Kamala Harris by 10, but now he's losing to her by 3 points. Sanders now polls even with Elizabeth Warren in a statistical tie for third place." On stage, despite the candidates essentially copying all of Sanders' ideas, he came across as hardened, old, and a little dried out.
In a key poll in New Hampshire released Monday evening, Senator Sanders is doing horribly. Despite being a neighboring senator, Sanders is polling in fifth place.
"Joe Biden remains in first among Democrats with 20 percent. But Sanders is no longer in second place behind him. Instead, Kamala Harris is at 17 percent. Elizabeth Warren is third with 16 percent. Pete Buttigieg has 11 percent. And Bernie Sanders is fifth with 9 percent."
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Oh Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. You were so popular in 2016 but failed to repackage yourself in 2020. You shifted the party to the left and now everybody's embracing your anti-American ideals of socialism. But sadly, media and key voters do not see you like the progressive savior you should be. You are being beaten out by the likes of newcomers such as Sens. Harris and Warren.
Despite holding the same ideas for nearly all his career, MSNBC commentator Tony Schwartz recently tweeted, "For my money, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris are more formidable, authentic and impressive than Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders."
One user responded, "Authentic? Sanders is the OG. A lot of those ideas coming out of Warren and Harris's mouths were Bernie's 25 years ago (and still are today)."
What Sen. Sanders and his fans do not seem to understand is that they cannot have their cookie, I mean cake, and eat it, too. He forced the Democratic platform to change, but now voters want something new, albeit similar. Much like the Hydrox, it seems most now find him to be old fashioned and bland. They have moved on. He may stick around, but he has been replaced in the market place. At the risk of sounding too cliched, that's the way the cookie crumbles, I guess.
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