NY Times: Bernie to layoff "hundreds" of campaign staffers.

[kstewart33]

Excerpt:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Senator Bernie Sanders is planning to lay off “hundreds” of campaign staffers across the country and focus much of his remaining effort on winning California, he said in an interview Wednesday.

The Vermont senator revealed the changes a day after losing four of the five states that voted Tuesday and falling further behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Despite the changes, Mr. Sanders said he would remain in the race through the party’s summer convention and stressed that he hoped to bring staff members back on board if his political fortunes improved.

When asked how many people would be let go, Mr. Sanders didn’t give an exact number but did say many people would be affected.

“It will be hundreds of staff members,” Mr. Sanders said. “We have had a very large staff, which was designed to deal with 50 states in this country; 40 of the states are now behind us. So we have had a great staff, great people.”

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/us/politics/bernie-sanders-campaign.html?_r=0&referer=

[DFab420]

1. So he's closing campaign offices in places where he isn't campaigning anymore?

STOP THE FUCKING PRESSES EVERYONE.

[Hoyt]

2. Laying off "unneeded" workers like a corporatist.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

6. Oh for krist sake leave him alone. If your grandkids have single payer HC someday

they will be able to trace that DIRECTLY to this man.

Be grateful, that is how liberals are supposed to act.

[Hoyt]

8. No, they will be able to trace it to the one who goes for a Public Option -- a realist.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

9. BTW, how in the hell does a PO work? Who doesnt choose the one that costs next to nothing?

[Hoyt]

12. There you go. Most of us will choose it. The 40+% of people who are adamantly opposed to it, will

pretty quickly realize it is the better option. I'm sure there will always be some holdouts, but they'll pay for it.

The beauty of a Public Option at this point is we don't have to fight all the other aspects of the ACA, just add the PO onto the ACA. And we don't have to fight the 40% who think they don't want single payer, because they can keep their private plans until they realize PO is the only way to go. Of course, the government has to deliver and I don't think a lot of people will be satisfied with the gaps in Medicare. So Medicare will have to be improved.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

13. My point is everybody will want it, thus dont we actually want single payer?

Isnt that what we actually want and will end up with as EVERYBODY will opt for that!

[Hoyt]

15. I don't think everyone will want it at first. It's not as popular as you think, lots of folks are

stupid. I think a lot of folks will see it as some option of last resort. I won't, but people are stupid.

[Armstead]

23. People don't sign on to a campaign with the expectation of long-term employment

Campaugns have a predetermined shelf life, whether winner or loser

[sufrommich]

4. Except he's saying he'll hire them back if

he does well in California. It's a strange statement.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

7. If he didnt lay them off some would accuse him of bilking his supporters money.

[sufrommich]

11. I'm not accusing him of anything. I'm saying

he's making contradictory statements. In one sentence he says they're not needed anymore:

“We want to win as many delegates as we can, so we do not need workers now in states around the country,” Mr. Sanders said in the interview. “We don’t need people right now in Connecticut. That election is over. We don’t need them in Maryland. So what we are going to do is allocate our resources to the 14 contests that remain, and that means that we are going to be cutting back on staff.”


and in another sentence he says they'll be hired back if he does well in California:

“If we win this, every one of those great people who have helped us get this far, they will be rehired,” Mr. Sanders said. “But right now, we have to use all of the resources we have and focus them on the remaining states.”


Does that make sense to you?

[JoePhilly]

16. Wouldn't he keep them in place for the General Election?

I mean if he's going to win the nomination and all, he'll need those folks working and preparing for his General Election campaign.

Unless he already knows that's not happening.

[democrattotheend]

19. He said he will rehire them if needed

Presumably that means if he gets the nomination. But he knows that's unlikely at this point, and it's better to lay off some people than either quit entirely (and lay off everyone) or rack up big campaign debts like Hillary did in 2008. Unlike Hillary and most other politicians, he isn't that rich and doesn't have as many connections to big money donors who would help him pay off debt.

[JoePhilly]

28. Its a pretty big tell.

It makes no sense for a candidate who thinks they will win to layoff staff in ANY state.

Can you imagine if both of our candidates laid off their staff in EVERY state after that state held its primary?

And then only hired them back after the convention in July?

HUGE mistake.

[onenote]

27. Meaning he doesn't expect to need them for the GE.

If he thought the GE was in his grasp he would maintain offices and staff around the country. Much easier than tearing it down and then having to build it back up.

[enid602]

3. reduce staff.

He should start with Weaver, Devine and Jane.

[joshcryer]

10. +1

Weaver and Decide have been a disaster.

[Cali_Democrat]

22. Layoff his wife?

That certainly would be awkward.

LOL.

[MoonRiver]

5. That's revealing.

[KingFlorez]

14. Only one candidate in the Democratic race has done a massive layoff

And it's not Clinton.

[workinclasszero]

17. Money drying up

Seen this happen a million times, the game is over.

[Gothmog]

18. Sanders small dollar donors are drying up

Without the hope (real or imagined) of Sanders becoming the nominee, it appears that Sanders small dollar donors are drying up. Sanders has been spending money at an incredible rate outspending Clinton two to one in most states and still losing. You can not keep up that burn rate unless the small dollar contributions keep rolling in

[B Calm]

20. Debunked in another thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1851769

[sufrommich]

21. This is a direct quote from Sanders taken from the article:

“If we win this, every one of those great people who have helped us get this far, they will be rehired,” Mr. Sanders said. “But right now, we have to use all of the resources we have and focus them on the remaining states.”



His statements are contradictory. If he doesn't need them anymore why would he hire them back?

[JoePhilly]

29. Why the two orders general??

If Santeago wasn't to be touched, and your orders are always followed, why transfer him because he was in "grave danger". I asked if he was in "grave danger", you said "is there another kind" ... "I can have the court reporter read it back to you!!!!"

Game over.

[DCBob]

24. But of course he is still winning and Hillary is on the ropes.

[nolawarlock]

25. What difference does it make?

The interns were only making $12 an hour anyway. So much for a living wage.

[alcibiades_mystery]

26. Damn Hillary causing unemployment already!!!

[Scurrilous]

30. ...