Hill's Group: Bernie Sanders Stands Alone as Hillary Clinton Gains Senate Endorsements

[BlueMTexpat]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/29/us/politics/bernie-sanders-stands-alone-as-hillary-clinton-gains-senate-endorsements.html?_r=0

WASHINGTON — Senator Bernie Sanders may find himself mobbed as he moves about the nation stoking the flames of all those feeling the Bern. But back here in the Senate, his embers are cold.

About 40 Senate Democrats have lined up behind Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Not one has come forward for Mr. Sanders.
...
Democrats say they find Mrs. Clinton — the former first lady, senator from New York and secretary of state, who has raised millions of dollars for them over the years — simply more qualified and more electable. Their position is underscored by Mrs. Clinton’s 47 ­percentage­ point trouncing of the self ­described democratic socialist in the South Carolina primary on Saturday.
Mrs. Clinton prevailed in three of the first four primary states.

“Before I endorsed Hillary I spoke to Senator Sanders out of respect,” said Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware. “I think he is passionate about income inequality. I just think that Secretary Clinton has a unique set of experiences and insights to be the next president.”
...
In at least some cases, senators are able to cite specific issues that have drawn them to Mrs. Clinton. Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, who has devoted his career to gun control legislation since the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, specifically cited Mrs. Clinton’s record in an op­-ed article in The Hartford Courant.

“We need leaders who don’t simply check the right boxes on the issues we care about, but who are champions day in and day out in the fight against gun violence,” he wrote. “By that measure, there is only one presidential candidate who qualifies.”

"unique set of experiences and insights to be the next president" and "leaders who don't simply tick the right boxes on the issues ... but who are champions day in and day out" certainly describe the candidate we support.

[stonecutter357]

1. K&R!

[Thinkingabout]

2. Thanks, good post.

[Gothmog]

3. K&R

[Cha]

4. Thank you for this update on what the Senators are thinking about our Hillary post SC..

and Sanders.

snip//

Mr. Sanders enraged some gun control advocates over the years with his support of gun rights legislation. Former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat who was shot in the head during an event in Arizona in 2011, appears in an ad in support of Mrs. Clinton on the issue.

snip//

Still, even Democrats with whom he is best aligned, like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, have given their support to Mrs. Clinton. Or they have remained silent, like Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

snip//

“We all respect Senator Sanders a great deal,” said Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland. “My support for Hillary was there long before Bernie Sanders’s campaign took roots. But if I had to make that choice again, I’d choose Hillary. She is so uniquely qualified to be president.”

Thank you, BlueMTex~ The Senators seem to have more respect for him than Sanders shows them.. as he pronounced them all "part of the #establishment when they endorsed Hillary. Not mentioning that he is part of that same establishment. So divisive with his buzz words.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Thank YOU, Cha!

Apparently some of Bernie's supporters are really turning these SuperDs off by their aggressive "persuasion" to switch their support to him.

If they wouldn't have switched in the first place (e.g., Cardin - who is not my favorite Senator by the way - I'm still VERY pissed off at his vote on the Iran Nuclear Deal), they'll be doubling down on their support for Clinton after being exposed to such aggression. We've tried to tell Bernie supporters about how such tactics do NOT help their candidate, but they simply accuse us of being patronizing - or worse.

They can consider us "brain-dead" all they want for supporting our candidate and offering advice. But most of us have been out and about in the "real world" enough to know that honey ALWAYS catches more flies than vinegar.

[Cha]

8. What do you mean by "Cardin switched in the first place"? I don't know about that?

Yeah, imagine that.. sanders' fans are turning off Super Delegates with their aggressive tactics.

Thank you!

[BlueMTexpat]

14. Sorry, if I wasn't clear.

Cardin said he would have chosen Hillary over Bernie in any event. I salute him in that, even if I am STILL pissed that he did not support Prez O in the Iran Deal. Cardin and Schumer BOTH kowtowed to Bibi N in that.

I guess that what I was trying to say is that if even people like Cardin were enthusiastically pro-Hillary from the outset, the likelihood of their switching after a swarm of SBS supporters "aggressively" trying to show them the error of their ways was doomed from the start.

Hope that it is clearer now!

[Cha]

18. Yes, thank you!

[Her Sister]

6. She's busy also helping fellow democrats get elected!

. “Also, Hillary has been very focused on building a Democratic infrastructure, not just for her election but for state legislatures on up, and that is something that is encouraging to them.”

[BlueMTexpat]

7. Exactly.

People remember those who have consistently and meaningfully supported them. It's as true in politics as it is in real life.

One can hardly say that his fellow Senators do NOT know Bernie. They KNOW Hillary too and they overwhelmingly CHOSE to endorse her.

[pandr32]

10. This!

Good point!

[lunamagica]

9. We need leaders who don’t simply check the right boxes on the issues we care about,

but who are champions day in and day out in the fight against gun violence,”

So true! Hillary has worked hard for decades!

[Stuckinthebush]

11. Not surprising

Hillary is a Democrat. They support their fellow Democrat.

Sanders is a Dem by convenience.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. K&R!

[Lucinda]

13. KNR

[Haveadream]

15. Hillary is our best chance

of building a coalition. Bernie has, by his own admission, always operated outside the sphere of influence and connections in Washington. It is also largely why he has never really been able to accomplish much. One of the areas in which he has been effective has been in gun control and that is because he has the support of the pro gun lobby. There is strength in numbers and he knows that but selectively applies it to his own pet projects. Hillary's perspective is more expansive, inclusive and nuanced.

“If you care about who can defeat the Republicans, who can lead the top of the ticket so we can get a majority back and who, once there, has the most capacity to get something done, it’s her,” said Guy Cecil, the head of Priorities USA Action, a “super PAC” supporting Mrs. Clinton. “Also, Hillary has been very focused on building a Democratic infrastructure, not just for her election but for state legislatures on up, and that is something that is encouraging to them.”

[BlueMTexpat]

20. I totally agree

with these assessments. We need coalition and consensus builders now more than ever.

[charlyvi]

16. Democrats endorse Democrats

Who knew?

[book_worm]

17. Well, she is a Democrat and he is an independent

I'm thankful he caucuses with the Democrats, but let's face it she has worked hard for the party and he hasn't. Besides she is more qualified to be president.

[LAS14]

19. k