Bernie Sanders Tells Berniebros To Knock It Off — ‘We Don’t Want That Crap’

[applegrove]

Bernie Sanders Tells Berniebros To Knock It Off — ‘We Don’t Want That Crap’

by Ian Millhiser at Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/07/3746988/bernie-sanders-tells-berniebros-to-knock-it-off-we-dont-want-that-crap/

"SNIP.............


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had a terse message for any of his supporters who engage in online harassment: “We don’t want that crap.” He told CNN on Sunday that the so-called “Berniebro” phenomenon is “disgusting” and that “anybody who is supporting me that is doing the sexist things — we don’t want them.”

The “Berniebro” phenomenon, where a mob of online Sanders supporters attack politicians and writers who express views critical of the Vermont senator or supportive of his Democratic rival Secretary Hilary Clinton, launched numerous thinkpieces from journalists unfortunate enough to encounter them online. At their worst, Berniebros have accused Clinton supporters of voting “based on who had the vagina” and have invented novel sexist terms such as “clitrash.”

Meanwhile, the Sanders campaign has engaged in an escalating series of tactics trying to convince the Berniebros to cut it out. Sanders’ rapid response director asked the senator’s supporters to chill on Twitter:




.............SNIP"

[72DejaVu]

1. BernieBros Say "No"

[99th_Monkey]

3. So says a Hillary supporter. ... which is probably what most "BernieBros" are

Thanks for confirming suspicions that this whole BernieBro brouhaha is nothing
more than a tempest in a teapot stirred up and promulgated by non-other than
Hillary shills claiming on social media to be "Bernie supporters".

Classy.

[okasha]

6. Paranoid.

But possibly treatable.

[99th_Monkey]

9. Just like Bernie supporters were "paranoid" about Iowa caucus skullduggery.

then, well .. the Des Moines Register proved us absolutely correct, which is still
unfolding as we speak.

I realize that dismissing people's concerns with "CT" and "paranoid" is how Hillarians roll,
but I for one will not be hectored into silence wth that sort of accusatory illogic.

[okasha]

12. Silence?

We can only hope.

Let's see--in the last two days we have had at least four threads manufacturing outrage at Albright's use of a common English-language idiom. Sort of like takng "carrying water" to mean actually hauling buckets.

Now, this is, in fact, really stupid because it is also really transparent. The truly delicious thing, though, is that Senator Sanders has asked his Bros to stop this "crap"--his own word--and you're not going to do it. You're going to continue to ride the adrenaline high because you enjoy all that wonderful rage.

Enjoy. If you try hard, you can keep it going indefinitely.

[99th_Monkey]

14. I'm not "continuing" anything

except to post the truth as I understand it, in support of my candidate.

I have no truck with sexism or misogyny in any form, and your transparently pathetic
attempt to bait me with vacuous accusations and unseemly insinuations fails miserably.

[okasha]

17. Plural "you."

And that wasn't "bait." That was a collection of facts that can be verified just by looking at the list of rather frenetic GDP topics.

BTW, your Bill Buckley imitation still needs work.

[99th_Monkey]

18. I'll need to be going now.

I have way more interesting and productive things to do than to continue trading
insults with you. I know the BernieBro meme is 90% bullshit and 10% Hillary
campaign spin. Sure there may be a tiny handful of examples of a random
inexperienced young supporter who says something that can be exploited & used
against Bernie. We both know that Clinton supporters behave badly at times as
well, and if we cared to cynically exploit them --we could, but we don't.
I dont' think that's what the Sanders Campaign is all about, and I would hope
it would not be what the Clinton campaign is about.

Nothing you are going to say will change any of this ^,
Have a nice evening.

[okasha]

20. Ta.

Sorry, Monkey. Nothing you say will change the facts that international journalists have called attention to the Bros, and the Senator himself has called cease and desist on them.

River in Egypt, Monkey. River in Egypt.

[99th_Monkey]

25. "the Senator himself has called cease and desist" <--which only shows..

that's not what Bernie's campaign is all about .. which is why Bernie's is bending over backwards to insure that his supporters know that too, and to act accordingly. I haven't noticed Hillary calling off her pack of attack dogs lately, but then I didn't really expect her to either.

[trillion]

35. Just click the red x. You can't reason with some people.

This person isn't going to listen to reason any more than the average Hillary supporter is going to listen that Hillarys Wall Street Super Pac means she is the candidate for the less than 1% and will work against the 99%. This person doesn't get Bernie, who he is, who he isn't (Berniebros) and who the heck Hillary is. You can't help this person. Click the x and let them continue on their path.

[okasha]

36. I thought you were going.. ...

Hillary has nothing like the Bros, except in your imagination--or your list of talking points, whichever it is.

I agree that Sanders is better than his fans. Too bad they're embarrassing him.

[trillion]

39. Excuse me? I never said Hillary has anything like the Bros. Nor would I.

Your post is blanket statment and offensive. These are a few of his bad fans, not his "Fans" which encompasses all.
That said, I'm clicking that red x. Continue alone.

[okasha]

67. What a shame.

Now you'll never know that the post you seem to be objecting to was not directed to you at all.

[riversedge]

56. Bernie did not take the initiative-instead he waited months to be called out on national TV

before he FINALLY spoke out. Bad judgement on the part of Sanders to let the vile go on and on for so many months.
That said. By calling them out, he acknowledged their existence.

[99th_Monkey]

57. So when Bernie doesn't call "BernieBros" out thats "bad" and when he does, that's "bad" too.

got it.

And everyone is still waiting for Hillary to call of her attack dogs, who aren't anonymous
here-say phantoms, but real people with real names, many prominent politicians & pundits.

Just another Clinton double-standard, it's "bad" when Bernie does it, but not when Hillary
does it.

[72DejaVu]

7. I've got good news for you, friend!

The X-Files are back, so even after Bernie drops out, you'll be able to get your conspiracy fix!

[99th_Monkey]

11. Clinton-Shilling Journalists Should Stop Slamming the Bernie Bros

Like many of the greatest media-propelled narratives, the notion that Bernie Sanders' online supporters are uniquely malicious harassers lacks credibility.

But this hasn’t stopped several left-of-center news sources from making the striking, mostly false claim claim that armies of pro-Sanders activists on Twitter—animated by misogyny—constantly lash at members of the Hillary Clinton campaign and their allies in the press.

“The bros who love Bernie Sanders have become a sexist mob,” asserted Mashable. “The Sanders campaign knows the ‘Bernie Bros’ are a problem,” declared The New Republic’s Jamil Smith. “Bernie Sanders' Campaign Is Concerned About the 'Berniebro,' As They Maybe Should Be,” suggested Jezebel. Buzzfeed News upped the ante with, “The Bernie Bros Are a Problem and the Sanders Campaign Is Trying to Stop Them.”

It’s true enough that some Sanders staffers are making an effort to encourage social media users to be respectful toward people involved with other campaigns, and have apologized to a few specific recipients of Sanders-inspired hate. But here’s the thing: There’s scant evidence that said apologies are actually warranted.

Baltimore Post-Examiner columnist Carl Beijer investigated the phenomenon and discovered this:

Look for the BernieBro, and at the most you'll find a few examples that are easily explained as statistically insignificant.

Or you will find the flat refusal to provide any examples at all.

Or you will find the repeated and demonstrable misrepresentation of quotes, as in the case of Rebecca Traister's article. Or as in a Jezebel article posted yesterday, where the "Berniebro" quoted turns out to be a woman.

Sometimes you'll get a variation on this when another journalist cites the misrepresented quote, as Jessica Valenti does for the article above. Or more recently, when BBC and Mashable both quote uncritically another journalist, Emily Nussbaum, claiming that "the Feel the Bern crew" called her "psycho" - when it was, in fact, a Tea Party Republican Congressman from Georgia....

http://reason.com/blog/2016/02/01/clinton-shilling-journalists-should-stop

[72DejaVu]

15. You are free to believe what you want

and I'll accept the evidence of my personal experiences, OK?

Fair enough?

[99th_Monkey]

16. Fair enough. nt

[blue neen]

31. "Uniquely malicious" exists right here on DU. Right now.

Please check post #7 in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511170240

[trillion]

42. +10000. And I'm apalled as usual about her using the gender card.

running on - vote for me because I'm a woman. No, I'm not voting for you because I'm a woman too and you're bought out by the biggest banks and insurance companies on wall street and I read your super pac donors everyday to verify that.

I wouldn't vote for Palin because she was a woman why would I vote for another woman who doesn't share my real values when it come to stopping the less than 1% from ruining this country further.

[trillion]

40. I can't help but guess this is how some of that super pac money is being used - getting writers to

write things like this. I suspect ALL of the candidates who have Super Pacs are doing this.

It won't matter. People won't suddenly vote for the less than 1% just because of these attacks. I think anyone who would vote for Bernie knows exactly why they are voting for him. It's why the suggestion of a Biden run is so laughable. Throw in another establishment candidate that is for the less than 1% and see if they'll vote for him now when it's the reason they won't vote for Hillary. These digusting attacks - by the bernie brother and by the media will not hold up in light of the substance of why we are choosing the candidate at all.

Anyway, let this run off you. Sanders is doing the right thing by renouncing them. After that, it's an ugly election that he won't sink to.

[leftofcool]

2. Yea, sure Bernie. They will do just that.

[LexVegas]

4. Too little, too late. nt

[sadoldgirl]

24. That is what I would say about the latest

indirect attacks on young women, who DARE
to support Bernie!

[stevenleser]

62. You can say it but it doesn't compare. It's way off. Nt

[stevenleser]

61. Way too late. As in six months too late. He let his supporters and thus his campaign

turn into this.

He has a long way to go to fix this now.

[whatchamacallit]

5. Rejoice! Judging by that description, it appears very few DU Sanders supporters are "Berniebros"

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. Both the sexism AND the racism is absolutely astonishing...from BOTH sides!!!!

[applegrove]

10. GOP paid trolls.

[Andy823]

30. I think a lot of them are

The bad thing is they have found a home here on DU with the anti Obama group, who have now become the anti Hillary group, and the trolls are welcomed with open arms, as long as they use the same trash and bash tactics of the anti Obama group. Birds of a feather kind of thing.

For the record there are some really good Bernie supporters here on DU, but the anti group has taken over and drowned out ever message except the hateful ones.

[applegrove]

33. +100 They also started the race war and feminism war

between DUERS between 2012 and 2015. Likely practice to see if they could start wars on the DU on settled issues.

[trillion]

43. Can you give an example of an issue were people are againt Obama

and it's not for a good reason?

I haven't found anyone who is anti Obama on everything - unless they are voting Republican.

And, I would say I have only found dems who don't agree with Obama on some things, not ones who are "Anti-Obama."

[Andy823]

68. I think the same thing

Those who are anti Obama on everything, and they are here, probably do vote republican. Ever hear of Manny Goldstein. I am sure you have he was BANNED back in December I believe. Do a search and see what you think.

[Hiraeth]

13. NOT GOOD ENOUGH, BERNIE !!

[trillion]

45. Okay, what MORE can he do?

[Hiraeth]

58. Sarcasm. Never mind

[saturnsring]

19. bernie says knock it off

[okasha]

22. His fans are going to ignore him.

What would he know?

[Empowerer]

37. He must be a tool

[stevenleser]

74. Thus showing what Bernies leadership abilities really are or rather aren't. Nt

[AgingAmerican]

21. 'Berniebro's' don't exist

There is no such thing.

[Empowerer]

38. Bernie seems to think they do . . .

But what would he know?

[AgingAmerican]

41. There is no such thing

[stevenleser]

63. Take it up with your candidate for President who acknowledged both that they

Exist and that they are the problem we have been telling you that they are.

Is Bernie honest or not in your eyes? Here is a good test.

[AgingAmerican]

69. It's a phony meme made up by a resentful Hillary supporter

But whatever makes your heart go all aflutter...

[stevenleser]

70. Again, take it up with your candidate for President who both acknowledged they exist

And acknowledged they are a problem.

[AgingAmerican]

71. Pitter Pat!

[stevenleser]

72. Indeed. At some point you will realize you are arguing against Bernie, not me. Nt

[AgingAmerican]

79. Does that make you a Hillbot?

See, I can do it too! Stupid, isn't it?!

[Skwmom]

23. Berniebros sounds like a Clinton Machine dirty trick. n/t

[MrWendel]

26. Uh huh...

[Skwmom]

32. Put on your tinfoil hat: The Clintons do no engage in political dirty tricks.

That doesn't even pass the smell test.

[MrWendel]

51. do no?

If you meant to say "Do not" then why would I argue with that?

[stevenleser]

59. So now Bernie is a dirty trick of The Clintons?

[Jenny_92808]

27. making up

stuff doesn't work. Hillary is trying to play the RW hate game.

[stevenleser]

65. You just accused Bernie of making stuff up. Nt

[Kali]

28. heh, sounds like what I just posted on a jury for a nasty post aimed at Clinton

- signed a Sanders supporter who, for the most part, stays the HELL out of GDP

[snowy owl]

29. I'm with Bern but the vote for me because I'm a woman? Really?

That stinks.

[trillion]

34. Good for Bernie for calling it to end.

Last edited Mon Feb 8, 2016, 02:11 AM - Edit history (1)

[Aerows]

44. You would think that the Hillary Clinton campaign

just recently discovered the internet, and is unaware of the existence of trolls.

Trolls have been trolling as long as I included a *plonk* file during usenet days, and attempting to attach all of that to Sanders supporters is a gullible, non-savvy creation.

Let me ask a general question - Has someone said something mean to you on the internet today? The answer is probably yes for everyone that dares to post anywhere.

Do you get butthurt about it? Well adjusted people tend to be unfazed by random hyperbolic criticism.

For others, please fill this out:



Build a bridge and get over it.

[AtomicKitten]

47. x 1000000

BernieBroSoMean.

[stevenleser]

64. I find it interesting that this OP is about Bernie acknowledging problematic supporters

Of his and his campaign and you turn that into an excuse to attack Hillary's campaign.

If you don't like what Bernie said here, address it to him.

[Tarc]

46. Well it is about time

These guys have been toxic for awhile now, it is great to (finally) see Bernie reel them in.

[backscatter712]

48. "BernieBros" are two things.

1. They're a small number of assholes on the Internet ranting and raving. As Bernie himself pointed out, the Sanders campaign does not endorse their douchebaggery. My inclination is that they should be ignored.

2. The term "BernieBro" is a slam on every Bernie supporter, used by Hillary supporters, insinuating that every person that supports Bernie's campaign is acting like those net.assholes. In other words, like characters straight out of Animal House. A broad-brush slam that's out of line. Certainly, Bernie himself does not act like that. Neither do the majority of his supporters. Nevertheless, one tactic used by Hillary's campaign is to tar everyone associated with Bernie, or who supports Bernie, with that brush.

[Aerows]

49. Refresher Course

Pretending that abusive or misogynistic behavior is unique to Sanders supporters is a blatant, manipulative scam, as anyone who ever used the internet before 2015 knows. Do pro-Clinton journalists really believe that Sanders-supporting women, or LGBTs, or people of color, are exempt from this online abuse from Clinton supporters, that this only happens to people who support Clinton? (In 2008, Krugman used the same tactic on behalf of the Clinton campaign by claiming that Obama supporters were particularly venomous and cult-like.)

Image that went along with this:

As I documented last week, it is hard to overstate how identical is the script being used by American media elites against Sanders when compared to the one used by the British media elite last year to demonize Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters. This exact media theme was constantly used against Corbyn: that his supporters were uniquely abusive, vitriolic, and misogynistic.

Uniquely abusive, vitriolic and misogynistic.

I've never heard of "I'm a victim" played in politics before.

These are the same games played in political campaigns year after year, and using such an old canard is a sign of desperation.

[cui bono]

50. +1,000,000!!!

And I don't know of any hate filled sites like the two the Hillary supporters put up. Disgusting filth those are, both of them. And they are very proud of the first one.

.

[Aerows]

52. I must say

I am still stunned by the vituperative chatter they engage in on both of those sites.

We have plenty of decent people on DU that support Hillary Clinton and would never even dream of lowering themselves to such a crass, debased level.

I've quit bothering with them - we all know who they are, most likely everybody that didn't like them here on DU due to their poison have them on ignore anyway.

I used to make it a point to not use ignore. I've since discovered that it is the best tool we have on DU to make our forums fascinating and engaging instead of festering and enraging.

[Lil Missy]

53. " voting for the vagina" I've seen that here on Du more than once.

[Blue_Tires]

54. After all that time Greenwald spent screaming that "BernieBros" were a myth...

Sanders pulls this and makes Glenn eat shit...

I'll give this to Bernie, he knows how to endear himself to me...

[applegrove]

55. Yes. Bernie is one good egg.

[stevenleser]

60. Once again Greenwald shows how wrong he is about things. The guy who he was

Trying to defend acknowledges that which Greenwald was trying to convince people doesn't exist.

[NurseJackie]

66. I guess it's not a myth after all.

Yet, even today we still see evidence of people trying to convince us that it is. Weird, huh?

[stevenleser]

73. It's one of the funniest things ever to happen on DU. Bernie acknowledges

The existence of and the bad behavior of Berniebros, and the Berniebros on DU argue with Clinton supporters about the existence of Berniebros.

And they don't seem bright enough to recognize they are arguing against Bernie more than they are arguing against us.

[okasha]

75. Cognitive dissonance.

[applegrove]

81. So true.

[handmade34]

76. I love Bernie Sanders...

it is his supporters I don't like...

[azmom]

77. This article is crap.

[Armstead]

78. Bevis, he said "crap" -- heh, heh, heh,heh

Yeah cool, heh,heh,heh

[betsuni]

80. "We don't want that crap." Frankenstein:

"I beheld the wretch -- the miserable monster whom I had created. ... His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard ... where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demonical corpse to which I had so miserably given life."