Bernie should think twice about going negative against Hillary.

[RandySF]

Bernie Sanders, with all due respect, has been a Democrat for all of three or four months. He has no history with the party on the national or state level or any activists outside of Vermont. So what happened when a guy with relatively low name recognition makes himself know nationally by going on the attack against a popular figure? He's going to be known as the grumpy old man from Vermont who waltzed into a party he never belonged to and started a fight. Not a good idea.

[Scootaloo]

1. Oh?

You are of course, BEING strictly ^O^B^J^E^C^T^I^V^E in your analysis, I'm sure.

[JackInGreen]

14. Sugar cube

You just made my night.

[artislife]

23. *chortle nt

[msongs]

2. let's start a political revolution by hijacking the democratic party's bus. whatta strategy lol nt

[daleanime]

3. He hasn't and he won't.....

what you're worried about is that he'll start talking about her record and positions, although I can understand why you would think of that as 'going negative'. So well, have a lovely evening.

[litlbilly]

27. Just like Give em Hell Harry, tell the truth and they think it's hell.

Bernie doesn't have to go negative at all, just tell the truth about his position on things and the differences with all the other candidates. The Hillariates will think its negative as hell.

[morningfog]

4. I said he should have a long time ago. Hope he does now.

I hope he goes hard after Hillary, it is his only chance at regaining momentum.

And before other piss and moan, negative does not require mudslinging, personal attacks and pseudo-scandal. He needs to make clear how he is different from Hillary, using her name and drawing attention to her record, her triangulation, her flip flops, etc.

[PatrickforO]

5. Setting forth differences on issues is hardly going negative.

[DJ13]

6. Yes, he should surrender to Hillary by allowing her to attack him without retaliation

[Thinkingabout]

7. Sanders doesn't want to go negative and the result would be an outpouring on negative things on

him. He has a good reason to leave the negative at home.

[Joe Turner]

13. That of course would not stop Hillary's campaign

from attacking Bernie...as we have already seen by these out of the blue smears attempting to tie Bernie to one unpopular thing or another. There is only one play for Bernie and it is to attack his opponent relentlessly with the truth. That's all he has to do but he needs to go on the offensive because, as we have seen, the It's Hillary's Turn operatives will go negative on Bernie till the convention. So he has nothing to lose but the nomination.

[Thinkingabout]

21. Oh, have you seen any of the smears and false talking point thrown out on DU? Even Sanders

is not about to get this under control. I doubt Sanders will be there until the convention.

[emulatorloo]

24. IMHO HRC has not gone hard negative on Bernie. Tad Devine is giving bad advice

He is not letting Bernie be Bernie.

I really disagree with Op's characterization about Bernie being "new" as he has caucused with Dems since day one.

However, Devine was ineffective with both Gore and Kerry campaigns. IMHO he sucks.

[AgingAmerican]

34. It drove people away from her in 08

[mindwalker_i]

8. "He doesn't have the magical 'D' next to his name"

... or he hasn't had it long enough.

[aidbo]

9. Are you saying he should know his place?

[Krytan11c]

33. Maybe bow down nt

[Joe Turner]

10. Doing the opposite of what a Hillary supporter says

is probably a good move. Especially when it involves the Goldwater Girl. The democratic party became the vehicle of choice for upward political mobility for Hillary. Liberal ideology, not so much.

[Thinkingabout]

22. See, here is one ot the statements made about Hillary, she was 17 at the time, could not register to

vote until she was 21.

[bvf]

11. Pointing out slippery, johnny-come-lately positions

constitutes an "attack"?

Uh huh. Sure. Go with that.

[Doctor_J]

12. by going negative, do you mean pointing out that Mrs Clinton takes money from

predatory corporations, wants to escalate the wars, favors capital punishment, doesn't believe the US should have universal healthcare, favors charter schools, approves of the TPP, and doesn't believe in same sex marriage?

Thanks for the advice. I'm sure Bernie will consider it carefully.

[Samantha]

15. Sorry to disagree but Bernie Sanders has caucused with the Democrats forever

He is a better Democrat than Hillary Clinton. If he allows her to deck him and simply plays the role of the gentleman and does not punch back, he will be called a wimp. A wimp he is not, so I would not encourage him to do anything other than the absolute right thing under the circumstances he finds himself under, in other words, defend himself, and if appropriate, punch back.

If your opponent asks for it, let them have it!

Additionally, some of the idiotic things Hillary (or her campaign) have alleged against Bernie need answering. He cannot allow being called sexist to simply stand. That allegation is laughable on its face. I give you this example, but there are others and I am sure more to come.

Stand up for yourself, Bernie! because in doing so you stand up for us as well.

Sam

[Kip Humphrey]

16. Bernie should think twice before taking political advice from RandySF.

[artislife]

25. FTW!!!

Best advice in the OP!

[840high]

29. Winner!!!!

[jfern]

17. The irony that this is a pretty negative attack on Bernie

And he's been a member of the Democratic congressional caucus for almost a quarter century, and voted for every Democratic nominee for at least that long. Attacks like this are just begging for Bernie to fight back.

[Jack-o-Lantern]

18. They are both good people, let’s drop the infighting.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

19. "He has no history with the party on the national or state level."

Oh, Randy. How long has Sanders caucused with the Democratic Party? He's campaigned for Democrats at the national level. Cali offered up some good posts about his involvement with Democrats in Vermont (don't think I bookmarked them).

You're just flinging all sorts of crap, with none of it sticking.

[emulatorloo]

20. Apparently Sanders doesn't want to go hard negative but Tad Devine is pushing him to do so

I am scratching my head over this as I personally think it is a strategic mistake. It is not who Bernie is.

BTW I think you are way off base on the Bernie is 'new' argument. He has been caucusing and voting with Dems forever.

Of course I am probably in the minority here. I think a lot about how Bernie can win undecided voters and soft HRC supporters.

Policy differences is good, Devine seems to want Bernie to go beyond that.

Devine has a shit track record with the Gore and Kerry campaigns.

[madfloridian]

26. Hey.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251740078

Are we part of the party or not? Are we only part of it when you need us for something? Or what?

[davidn3600]

28. Bernie has been a Democrat for about 4 months, but Hillary has never been a progressive

[Gothmog]

30. Going Negative on Hillary Clinton would be a mistake for Sanders

[Beausoir]

31. He should go negative and as soon as he possibly can.

As soon as he asks the Dutch and the NRA for helpful hints!

It'll totally work!

[Frustratedlady]

32. They both should end the negative comments (as should their supporters), as

O'Malley is looking better and better each week.

Besides, when Democratic candidates diss each other, the Republicans pick up on it and use it for ammunition.

[Scuba]

35. Sorry, but your claim that Bernie "has no history with the (Democratic) party" is a lie.

Bernie has caucused with the Democrats for years. Further, the DNC is using Bernie's candidacy for fundraising.

You should revise or delete your post.

[Cal33]

36. Hillary started going negative on Bernie first. You mean he should just take it lying down, and

not even fight back?

As for "waltzed into a party he never belonged to," Bernie stayed out because more and more
of the Democratic Party leadership was also becoming bought over by the Corporate people.
He stayed clean of any and all corruption by remaining an Independent. But his record as
Mayor of Burlington, VT, US House Representative and US Senator shows that he has always
been on the side fighting for all of the American people - not for the few corporate business
interests.

The Democratic Party is a party of the people. In this sense Bernie has always been more
of a Democrat than some who have always belonged to the Democratic Party. He became
an Independent to stay free from the corrupting influence of Wall Street. As president, he
will break down the nation's biggest banks that have helped to bring about the economic
collapse of 2007 into smaller units, so that no such catastrophe will ever happen to our country
again. Do you think Hillary is capable of doing the same?

Nevertheless, I would vote for Hillary if she should win the Democratic Party nomination. It
would be far worse to have a Republican as president: this time democracy itself will be at
stake in this country under Republican rule. Plutocratic Fascism will be foisted on our nation
by them.

[KingCharlemagne]

37. Thanks for your concern. NEWSFLASH: There's a reason

Politicians use negative campaigning. IT WORKS!

But really, thanks for your concern.

By the way, is it 'negative' to ask why Hillary voted to invade Iraq? Come to think of it, WHY did she vote to invade Iraq?????