Fox News’ big Bernie Sanders lie: The right’s laughably lame effort to link Donald Trump and Sanders

[DonViejo]

Sanders-Trump comparisons highlight sad GOP truth: The left would never back an absolute blowhard for president

SEAN ILLING

The media cannot help comparing Donald Trump to Bernie Sanders. And the comparison is not altogether wrong. Both candidates appeal to their respective bases. Both are challenging their party’s establishment choices. And both are drawing massive crowds while surging in national polls.

The left (understandably) cringes at such comparisons. Bernie Sanders, whatever you think of him, is a serious person with real ideas. He’s been a public servant since 1981, when he was elected mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He’s now the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress. And his bid for the presidency, while a long shot, is clearly earnest.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, is a clown – a pompous, spray-tanned clown. More important, he’s not actually running for president. His candidacy is a piece of performance art, a self-promoting circus. No one paying attention believes he wants to be president – I suspect he wouldn’t run at all if this were a real possibility. Trump is campaigning because he can, because it bolsters his brand, and because people are dumb enough to listen to him talk about things he doesn’t understand. If anything, Trump’s campaign, much like Sarah Palin’s, is a reminder of just how broken and stupid our political system has become.

However wrong it feels, Democrats ought to embrace the juxtaposition of Trump and Sanders for at least two reasons. First, it’s accurate. Both candidates are indeed authentic representations of their party’s base. Trump is a near-perfect distillation of the modern American right: The bravado, the bigotry, the raging idiocy, the false confidence, and the lack of ideas – it’s all there in one gloriously manicured body.

more
http://www.salon.com/2015/07/07/fox_news_big_bernie_sanders_lie_the_rights_laughably_lame_effort_to_link_donald_trump_and_sanders/

[stevenleser]

1. The error in this is that Trump is deliberately destroying his brand, not promoting it, and he

doesn't seem to care.

That is where analyses like this break down IMHO. He is serious about running for President. And he doesnt seem to care about ruining his brand to win.

[tazkcmo]

2. He has no brand to ruin.

It started that way with his first bankruptcy. Beyond that, you may be correct that he actually wants to win and is serious. I don't believe so but I've been wrong before. I agree with the article that we on the left should welcome the comparisons due to the stark contrasts.

[stevenleser]

3. Yes he did. He had a very good reputation in Latin America before this, for example.

People down there in places like Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, etc., thought pretty highly of him.

[tazkcmo]

10. ok

But he's running for president of this country. Here the wool was piled on top of his head decades ago.

[stevenleser]

11. I disagree there too. His brand was good enough for Macys and other places to sell a good amount of

product because it was branded with his name. His brand was good enough for several television shows and the big pageant.

That has all been destroyed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. I am one of the few who take trump seriously

he is in this to get the whole enchilada.

[stevenleser]

7. Wow, we agree on something? LOL

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. It's not hard.

We were talking about this during the weekend during a great picnic

1.- he can and will self finance.

2- He is that narcissistic.

3.- Part of the populist revolt. We are at that historic moment.

The only thing that will stop it is if this starts to cost him too much business wise. I also suspect the advisors who held him back the last time no longer work for him.

[Man of Distinction]

19. The only way I'd vote for Trump if he personally promises me a $250k/year job

with full benefits, personally paid for by Trump. And on an ironclad contract that makes me a creditor for a 20 year contract in case he tries to weasel out by declaring bankruptcy, accepting a 50% increase on debt owed to me and expanded to another 50 years on top of the contract, regardless if I do anything for Trump that year.

And that's just to snip his rug off.

[SamKnause]

4. Where has Trump drawn

massive crowds ???

I am a political junkie and I must have missed

the coverage.

Bernie's respective base is much larger than Trumps.

[restorefreedom]

5. they are linked in one way

and it is an important way. they both represent, from very different sides, the people being fed up with politics as usual. the blow dried policiticians with their politically correct drivel looking out only for themselves.

people are seeing through it and have had enough.

and the trump supporters might have a hard time voting for an establishment candidate like Bush if he gets the nomination. So maybe they'll just stay home. Better for Bernie.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. That is the point I made yesterday at RSD

somebody else posted it here.

So, internal link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=428231

[restorefreedom]

12. interesting. thx 4 link. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. You welcome

I run a non partisan paper so I have to keep tabs on all clown cars. Some are more fun than others. But this, I expected a sleeper and it is turning into an actually very interesting race. (On both sides and for significantly different reasons)

[restorefreedom]

14. i better keep supplied in popcorn

although this race imo is too important to treat lightly, let's face it, with trump in it, we need popcorn!

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. As I said, I treat this in a non partisan manner

though Trump is going for the full enchilada and drawing from some classic base anger. (If he gets the full enchilada, you will not be reaching for the popcorn though, I assure you of that. Trump will make all of us wish for the good old days of George Dubya Bush)

[restorefreedom]

16. i have a feeling trump is after attention

i don.t think he will want to release info that candidates typically release about themsleves. i think he will ride this train right short of that and then find some business reason why he has to withdraw.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. So far he has filed all he needs to file

And if he self funds, there is material he does not have to release to the FEC.

[restorefreedom]

18. that sucks

just another argument for publicly funded elections, imo.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Even if this was self funded, he would still be able to run

Self funded is not precluded by publicly funded