Bernie on President Obama's debate performance:

[cali]

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, had some biting criticism for President Barack Obama's debate performance, saying Thursday that the president took a "disastrous" approach in his match-up against Mitt Romney.

<snip>

Sanders especially took issue with the president's strategy to reference positions the two candidates have in common. Throughout the night, Obama said he and Romney both agree that the corporate tax rate is too high, that America needs a boost in energy production, that some regulations are needed in the marketplace - and that he suspects the two have a "somewhat similar" position on Social Security.

The Vermont senator, however, said the president's decision to align himself with Romney - even if faintly - was a "disastrous approach."

"The truth of the matter is, Mitt Romney right now is the head of a right-wing extremist party called the Republican Party," he said. "And if the president cannot differentiate himself clearly from right-wing extremism, we have a lot of problems as a nation and he has a lot of problems as a candidate running for re-election."

<snip>

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/04/vermonts-sen-sanders-obama-was-listless-in-debate/

Let the slamming of Bernie begin.

[flamingdem]

1. I agree that there isn't much to be gained by aligning with Willard

That seemed unnecessary though the proof is in the post debate poll numbers. Some independents are really looking for the two sides working together so Obama may have calculated that factor in his decision to say some of those things. I do not know Romneys plan for Social Security, I suspect it's not about keeping it the same with minor tweaks.

[Greybnk48]

2. I would NEVER slam Bernie.

I may move to Vermont!

I support Pres. Obama and i cannot imagine anything that would change that. But I'm a bit puzzled by his performance as well, and then to come out blazing the day AFTER the debate (in Madison) is a real head scratcher. He talked about 2 Mitt Romney's yesterday in Madison, and I thought to myself (and felt guilty for it) there are two Obama's too.

[mother earth]

3. Slam, Bernie? I applaud Bernie! I felt the same way, you don't identify with slime, whilst trying

to be gracious or find some "common" ground that simply doesn't exist.

If I could say one thing to our president, it would be to celebrate and make clear the differences.
Those differences are stark. rMoney is a liar and an opportunistic scumbag without a moral compass.

[CrispyQ]

4. Sanders is absolutely right. -nt

[bluethruandthru]

5. I think Bernie's right!

While I do think that Obama's efforts to work across the aisle are well intentioned... I don't see what he was trying to gain by pointing out similarities between himself and Mitt.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

6. Bernie is right on --

So was Jon Stewart last night. The Truth hurts sometimes, but someone needs to be saying it.

[bullwinkle428]

7. K&R. I was waiting for Bernie to chime in on this, and he didn't let me down!

[Doctor_J]

8. Yup.

this whole financial disaster was set up by Smirk and the Repuke Congress in 2001-2006. If the president does not win re-election, it will be solely because he didn't run away from them fast or hard enough

[JRLeft]

9. Bernie was 100% right. The ideal is to draw contrast. Not to align yourself with

your opponent.

[GoCubsGo]

12. Except when your flip-flops constantly.

I think the President was trying to force Willard into changing his position again. And, an added bonus is that Willard's "base" despises Obama with every inch of their being. What better way to turn off the "Anyone but Obama" crowd than to liken himself to the candidate they don't like, and whom they're already holding their noses if and when they vote for them? If the republicans want to play the voter suppression game, then why not discourage as many republican voters as you can?

[bvar22]

10. I stand with Sanders.

[font color=firebrick size=3][center]"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for,
at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
--- Paul Wellstone[/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity99![/font]

[reformist2]

11. The president doesn't need to move closer to Romney, he needs to stay put!

The public is now center-left!

[PufPuf23]

13. Senator Sanders makes good points alas.

Neither candidate ever used the word poor in the debate.

POTUS Obama would have been much better to focus on the differences with Romney that I believe are substantial.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. In the end, all I care about is the huge surge for OUR Prez now.

I see Bernie's point, definitely....and I also see GoCubsGo's point.

I was concerned with Obama's apparent passivity as I was watching, and I was getting a little verklempt---unnecessarily, as we see now.

So, it's hard to say what's the one right way, even as a Monday morning pundit (or whatever the going idiom is for 20/20 hindsight)..

I hvae no desire to slam Bernie, I think he's terrific! I think Obama was being himself: following his deeper instincts towards peace and dialogue.

Apparently, using my 20/20 hindsight again, it worked!

[Doctor_J]

16. I care more about how the next few years go for America

the man who debated Rmoney Wednesday night is in no way fit to take on and defeat extremists in the Congress. It was a disgrace. You're celebrating because his disastrous performance didn't cost him in the polls, yet. As Bernie says, he's up against radical extremists, and his instinct is to brag about his common ground with them. If you really believe that his intention is to seek "peace and dialog" with the likes of Steve King, Michelle Bachmann, and the rest of the traitors and psychopaths in the GOP, then he is not the person who should be president.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

17. I think the next few years depend on someone who is capable of controlling himself

in the face of scum and psychopaths.

During the show, I too wanted to see the Prez kick that creep in the nuts, but after some time to simmer down, I'm more aware that lighting your hair on fire doesn't do anyone any good. Seems a good majority of people are thinking the same.

I didn't read him as "bragging" about common ground. I took that as a strategy to take the focus away from rMoney's hyperbolics and back towards common sense; aiming towards higher ideals in the face of corruption. Anyway, the real purpose of the debates is to present themselves to the populace, not perform on the WWF. He may have been tired, and he may have been astounded by the sheer brazenness, and he may have been affected by the altitude, and the Syria/Turkey situation, but in spite of all that, he still managed to rise above the provocations Stenchy threw at him. That's leadership, imo.

And, take it from me, when dealing with Psychopaths, Narcissists, Borderline and other pathological personalities, the best way to engage is to manage your angry reactions, think clearly, appeal to those who are sane, and proceed unswayed toward your goals. (Not that I, personally do it so well! I think PBO has a better handle on that than I do. )

Dialogue is the ideal, but definitely--as you say--, you have to be able to go on without it when cooperation is not forthcoming.

Based on his various accomplishments so far, I think Obama has managed to do this pretty well, after he realized it is not possible to get repukes to behave like adults concerned for the good of all.

[bullwinkle428]

15. Kick for Bernie's appearance on Thom Hartmann's show today at 3:00 P.M. EST!

http://www.thomhartmann.com/

[bigtree]

18. it's fine that he has his opinion and expresses it

. . . but it's certainly debatable whether this type pf criticism -- one of his primary responses to the debate -- is anything more than self-serving, backbiting. Fine, maybe, to hold these views; but it's a curious strategy to make this string of complaints his public response.

I'd think that an unyielding attack on Romneys' prevaricating performance would better match Rep. Sander's concern expressed here for whatever fault he had with the President's presentation. This grousing does more to hobble the President than it enhances any opposition to the republican in this race.