"Sanders campaign touts another endorsement that didn't happen" CNN

[msanthrope]

(CNN)—Once again, the Bernie Sanders' campaign finds itself having claimed the support of someone who didn't exactly endorse the Vermont senator.

Brenda Romero, a Nevada student leader and DREAMer that Bernie Sanders' campaign touted as someone who endorsed their campaign, tells CNN she never endorsed the Vermont senator and is backing Hillary Clinton.

Romero said Monday she had agreed to be part of Sanders' Nevada Latino Steering Committee, but that she never endorsed the senator.

Sanders released the list of activists and elected officials on his Latino committee in January.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/politics/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-dreamer-support/index.html

[cali]

1. So she was on the committee working for him to win the Nevada primary

but didn't endorse him. Okay.

[msanthrope]

8. No--she didn't endorse him after his campaign's antics.....

When Romero’s name was released on a list of members of the Sanders campaign’s Latino steering committee in Nevada, it may have appeared as if she was backing the candidate. In reality, Romero said she had agreed to be on the committee, thinking it would be a good way to find out more about his campaign, advise staffers on outreach to the Latino community and help her decide which candidate to ultimately support — not because she already supported him.

“I was on board, not knowing very much about the candidate and still having an open mind about them,” Romero said. “I wanted to be a part of that so I could have much better insight on what his campaign was doing and what his policies would do as president.”

Romero said she became uncomfortable when the list was interpreted as a list of endorsements. In a news release announcing the committee’s formation, the campaign never stated that the list equated to an endorsement, though the release began with an endorsement quote and includes the names of other Nevadans who had endorsed Sanders earlier that week.

When one of Sanders’ senior staffers took to Twitter to criticize several Nevada Dreamers’ endorsements of Clinton as a “press hit,” Romero decided to take a closer look at Clinton. Today, after meeting with Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Romero said she decided to endorse Clinton.“Just her very stance on many of the immigrant issues that she has and how she is on a much more personal level with other Dreamers and stuff like that,” Romero said. “She’s gone out of her way to help them.”
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2016/feb/08/csn-student-in-middle-of-sanders-clinton-tug-of-wa/

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Anyone else noticing a pattern here?

In New Hampshire last week, the Democratic presidential candidate put out an ad touting his endorsements that gave the false impression that two local newspapers — the Nashua Telegraph and the Valley News — had endorsed him. An early version of the ad overtly claimed the papers had endorsed him. They had done no such thing.

Sanders did the same in Iowa, running a nearly identical ad — “He’s been endorsed for real change,” the narrator said — that left the strong and wrong impression the Des Moines Register was among those endorsing him. The paper had endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Also in Iowa, Sanders sent out campaign mailers that included the logos of the League of Conservation Voters and AARP, according to Newsweek, even though AARP does not endorse and the League of Conservation Voters endorsed Clinton.

In Nevada, Sanders campaign staffers allegedly misrepresented themselves as Culinary Union members, wearing union pins, so they could gain access to employee dining rooms on the Las Vegas Strip and campaign for Sanders. After Nevada journalist Jon Ralston reported this, the union, which had made no endorsement, said it was “offended” by the multiple instances of “falsifying.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bernie-sanders-is-no-revolutionary/2016/02/08/19a15618-cea3-11e5-88cd-753e80cd29ad_story.html

[Fawke Em]

4. Yeah, a pattern of people loving on Bernie but not "endorsing" him.

Very odd.

[Bonobo]

5. I don't get how "I am voting for him" is not an endorsement. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

10. I'll take Romero at her word:

"I didn't agree to such an endorsement," Romero said Monday, noting that while she agreed to be part of the steering committee, she was told that the role would be advising the "campaign and potentially Sen. Sanders about immigration issues."

Romero is the latest in a string of endorsements touted by Sanders who didn't actually back the Vermont senator.

[msanthrope]

13. Check out post 8----

[Cali_Democrat]

16. Thanks for the info

It's looks like Bernie's tactics backfired.

[Bonobo]

17. Was talking about Ta-Nehisi. nt

[msanthrope]

12. See post 8---apparently she made up her mind after the campaign

attacked some other activists.

[Logical]

7. Still waiting for "little birdy" story! LOL!

[winter is coming]

32. There's got to be a bird out there somewhere, given the amount of guano being spread. n/t

[Logical]

33. LOL! Nt

[uponit7771]

11. +1

[NurseJackie]

41. Yes, I notice a pattern! It appears to be deceptive & damaging. (What will people make of this?)

Note to Jury: No candidate or candidate's supporters were attacked or smeared. I merely noted that I see a pattern and stated my personally held opinion about how this appeared and what I perceive to be negative consequences. I also asked a question that I do not know the answer to. This is not against the rules. It's okay to disagree and to have different opinions. Please do not ban me for asking a question for which the answer may be uncomfortable.

[firebrand80]

3. As I've said before, too many amateurs

in Bernie's campaign. I know he hates the establishment, but if he's the nominee, he'd better bring in some folks who know what they're doing.

That's not a knock on what he's accomplished so far, but these small missteps could be a big misstep one day.

[TTUBatfan2008]

22. Completely agree.

He needs to run a tighter ship on this campaign stuff. But then again so does Hillary. Not impressed at all with the Clinton surrogates blatantly playing the gender card and anti-youth card against voters.

[Armstead]

25. Perhaps they jumped the gun...but she is the amateur if she didn't realize what she was doing

You don't join a committee affiliated with a campaign just to "learn about" a candidate, without understanding what the hell that means. I mean that's Politics 101.

If she simply wanted to "learn more about" Bernie, she could follow the news, visit his website or do any otehr sources of research that do not involve affiliating with a campaign organization. She could even have reached out and talked to his campaign representatives to ask questions, or perhaps even talk to The Bern himself.

She made a rank amateur mistake. Can't blame Bernie for that.

[pangaia]

34. That is what got me also.

Something either weird or ignorant here.

[MineralMan]

6. Bernie Sanders needs to get a handle on his campaign.

This kind of mistake always gets publicity. A campaign should have documented proof of endorsements they claim in their advertising. For individuals, that means a signed letter of endorsement. For organizations, a press release from the organization stating its endorsement is the bare minimum required.

They also need to be very careful about using logos of organizations on their literature. They've screwed that up more than once, and for a couple of very prominent organizations with large memberships. Such organizations are quick to condemn the false use of their logo.

I'm sure that Bernie Sanders, himself, would not countenance this sort of thing, but he needs to make it crystal clear to his campaign organization that they must only claim endorsements that can be documented. No documentation? No statements or suggestions that the endorsement exists.

[KingCharlemagne]

18. I agree. I do wonder whether this might be an innocent screw-up more than some nefarious plot. A

"Steering Committee" has connotations that its (non-Rove) members are supporters, thus the jump from agreeing to serve on said committee to endorsing the committee's nominal beneficiary seems like an honest mistake.

But Sanders' 93% honest and trustworthy exit polling depends on not even giving the appearance of countenancing such tactics.

[MineralMan]

44. I'm not convinced that Bernie's campaign manager

is quite up to snuff for a national campaign. In addition, I think they may be relying on inexperienced people to handle the day to day production of campaign materials. While their strategies appear to be working OK in building enthusiasm so far, it's a long, long campaign ahead and there are many opportunities for mistakes to accumulate and hurt the campaign over the long term.

The first hint for me was how his campaign head handled the data breach issue with the DNC. Too much bluster, I think. It felt a little too much off the cuff.

Running for President is a BFD. There are so many ways a campaign can stall or fail without much warning. Enthusiasm's good, but it's not enough, in the end, in a national campaign.

[KingCharlemagne]

45. Agree 1000%. Trick for Bernie is to have professionals running the show but keep

them well behind the scenes, so as not to detract from his plain-spoken, homespun persona.

[uponit7771]

9. WOW!!! REALLY!! At this point these aren't accidents!! Come on Sanders reel this crap in

[ecstatic]

14. Bernie's campaign staff doesn't know what they're doing

So far, it's been relatively minor stuff (if you leave out the data breach), but if he doesn't get some qualified people on board ASAP, he could end up disqualifying himself.

[casperthegm]

15. I'm a Sanders supporter but....

Even if these are accidents it doesn't look good. Clinton and the media will be quick to jump all over anything that looks like Sanders and his campaign are trying to mislead the public. We know that he's a good man and authentic, but if you give Hillary anything to work with she can turn it around on you quickly.

[msanthrope]

19. Look, if Sanders can't handle Clinton oppo, how well do you think he'd fare in the

general?

[Hiraeth]

20. a little blip on the radar must be reported to the American Public. We have a right to know.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. That's all they've got are the little blips

[Hiraeth]

23. yep. She sounds confused:

Romero said Monday she had agreed to be part of Sanders' Nevada Latino Steering Committee, but that she never endorsed the senator.

[msanthrope]

26. Not confused at all--see post 8 for her interview. nt

[pangaia]

35. You don't join a steering committee to learn about a candidates positions.

[msanthrope]

39. Yes, please tell this DREAMER activist why and how she can join Latino Steering

Committees.

Do go on.....

[pangaia]

46. HUH??

[Hiraeth]

37. Sorry. No respect. At all. Ask me to do something here in GD-P but blocked me from your little group

for asking a question. Really. Done. You all are just too silly around here.

While I might understand Hill supporters by and large I have no respect whatsoever for Hill supporters here on DU.

None.

[msanthrope]

40. I blocked you from a group? When? nt

[Art_from_Ark]

28. "I'll be on your steering committee, but I won't endorse you"

Wow, she does sound confused.

I wouldn't want people like that on my political steering committee.

[msanthrope]

24. Welcome to politics. nt

[Hiraeth]

38. not my first rodeo. eom.

[Armstead]

27. That was her mistake.

You don't join a committee affiliated with a campaign just to "learn about" a candidate, without understanding what the hell that means. I mean that's Politics 101.

If she simply wanted to "learn more about" Bernie, she could follow the news, visit his website or do any other sources of research that do not involve affiliating with a campaign organization. She could even have reached out and talked to his campaign representatives to ask questions, or perhaps even talk to The Bern himself.

She made a rank amateur mistake. Can't blame Bernie for that.

[msanthrope]

29. Yes, please tell a DREAMER activist why she can't be on the Latino Steering Committee.

I mean, not like she'd have anything to contribute to any Democrat, right?

[Armstead]

30. I'm saying it was a misunderstanding. Big deal.

Her mistake is not what is important. It is the use of a simple mixup to portray Sanders and his campaign as deceptive weasels.

This minor league screw ups that occur in every campaign pale in conparison the lae Big time shit that goes on with Super Pacs, bundles, and all of the otehr real problems with politics today.

[msanthrope]

31. According to her interview in post 8, no misunderstanding at all. nt

[Armstead]

36. She made a mistake. Members of the Sanders campaign may have jumped the gun. End of story.

Do you want to be consistent and blame Clinton because some involved in her campaign in 2008 helped to establish the perception that Obama is a Muslim born in Africa?

I don't blame Clinton for that. These things happen in campaigns.

[pangaia]

47. You have more patience than I do but you are wasting your time.

[noamnety]

42. I can understand why there's some confusion.

She joined a committee to help his campaign mobilize support - while not supporting his campaign.

Between that and this: "as student body president, she has "to stay neutral to candidates" combined with "she said Monday that she is backing Clinton" she seems to be taking all the positions at once.

I wish her well; I think Hillary will be a good fit for her.

[msanthrope]

43. Her interview in post 8 describes how Bernie's campaign helped her make her decision. nt