Bernie Sanders Blasts Media For Focusing On Ben Carson's Biography Instead Of His Policies

[Autumn]

"I know it's a crazy idea, but maybe we focus on the issues impacting the American people."

Bravo Bernie

Bernie is absolutely right. The media should only be considering Carson's policies, not his lies. Why worry about Carson's lies when his ideas are the real danger and the focus should be on those so that people know where he stands on those issues.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-ben-carson-story_563fafaee4b0411d307169b6

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called out the media on Sunday for scrutinizing GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson's personal story, thereby diverting attention away from his policy positions.

“I think it might be a better idea, I know it's a crazy idea, but maybe we focus on the issues impacting the American people and what candidates are saying, rather than just spending so much time exploring their lives of 30 or 40 years ago,” Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And I think the reason that so many people are turned off to the political process has a lot to do with the fact that we're not talking about the real issues impacting real people.”

“When you look at Dr. Carson, to the best of my knowledge, this man does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity. This man wants to abolish Medicare, impacting tens of millions of seniors, and this man wants to give huge tax breaks to the rich,” Sanders said.

“Look, I listened to the interviews with Dr. Carson. And it's interesting," he said. "But you know what, Chuck? The American people want to know why the middle class of this country is disappearing, why we have 47 million people living in poverty, why we have massive income and wealth inequality.”

[MohRokTah]

1. This is the Sanders' "Dean Scream" moment.

This proves he's unwilling to fight for the election and will end up costing him.

[boston bean]

4. Bernie and ben on the same page when it

Comes to the media.

[MohRokTah]

6. I'd give this 100 ROFLs for hilarity except for the fact that Sanders is a candidate for the Dem nom

This makes him as delusional as Carson in my eyes.

[boston bean]

11. Ben sounded like a paranoid lunatic ranting on and

on about the media like a fox new junkie. And bernie agrees. WTF

If Hillary did this we wouldnt hear the end of it.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

35. Nonsense

[Ned_Devine]

54. It's funny; all of those HRC supporters that put their rapid rabid response to this...

...were on my ignore list. I took them off last night because I didn't feel that blocking people out entirely was the most enlightened thing to do. After reading their posts, I'm not sure I made the right decision.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

71. LOL!

[Ned_Devine]

74. It's like, are you kidding me? It reminds me of little kids using words like "cooties".

My first temptation is to just say "fuck off, morons" but that's not being very open minded. But seriously, how much more of their ridiculous bullshit are we supposed to tolerate? Does no one in the real world tell them what fucking idiots they are?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

76. Right!

[AgingAmerican]

5. Some folks don't recognize integrity when they see it

Some folks just cannot understand the concept of running a clean campaign. Rove is a good example of that.

[beam me up scottie]

8. They also love deflection from scrutiny of their candidate.

It's the DU version of SQUIRREL!!!

[Autumn]

18. I love the hype that Bernie is blasting the media and defending Carson lies!!!!!

It's hilarious.

[MohRokTah]

9. IT's not integrity. It's idiocy.

To think people honestly want this man to be the Democratic nominee is as depressing as thinking there are people who actually want Carson to be the Republican nominee.

[Autumn]

13. What's more important? Media pointing out that Carson is a liar or that

Carson does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity he wants to abolish Medicare, he wants to give huge tax breaks to the rich and a lot more. If the media would focus on those stupid ideas of his Carson would be an American joke and not a candidate for President.

[MohRokTah]

14. The media pointing out his constant lying, of course.

Demonstrating his constant lying will do more to insure he is never president than anything else you named.

That is political reality in the USA.

[Autumn]

15. Yes, exposing GOP lies have always worked so well in the past.

[MohRokTah]

16. It works against Herman Cain. eom

[PosterChild]

85. There is a big difference between exposing repug lies and...

.... exposing crazy dogmatic religious delusions. Exposing crazy dilusions is important and is not incompatible with exposing falactious policy arguments and lies.

I'm not sure why bernie wants to give him a pass, but one answer might be that he wants to focus on policy point positions rather than ideology because he knows he's going to get slammed on ideology .

[LuvLoogie]

26. Republicans elect people who

do "not believe that climate change is caused by human activity," that want to "abolish Medicare," who want "to give huge tax breaks to the rich and a lot more."

[Autumn]

31. Not all republicans, just the ones who don't know the issues and watch media

that doesn't expose their stand on the issues.

[Cal33]

49. Idiocy? Is that why Bernie has been drawing out masses of listeners wherever he goes?

You know that Republicans own 90% of the media, and they make sure that Bernie
hardly gets any mention at all. They are afraid of him. But, during the GE debates,
the news media can't help but show what's going on -- and Bernie knows how to
turn the people on. He has been telling them how Corporate America has been
making Americans poorer and how America's middle class is being destroyed by
them. And we are all interested in what's happening to our own welfare, aren't we
-- even though many of us already know much of what he is saying.

Repetition somehow brings it home to us more strongly. For the Republican
masses, though, many of them will be hearing it for the first time.

[notadmblnd]

60. hype and hyperbole

Imagine how nice things would be without it?

[Cal33]

22. That's in the nature of sociopaths and psychopaths. They can't help behaving this way.

Just Google "Sociopaths rule the world." There are some 300,000 articles on that topic.

[senz]

53. People w/o integrity loathe those who have it.

Probably makes them feel bad about themselves.

[beam me up scottie]

56. Well said, senz!

[Autumn]

25. Yes, pointing out that a republican candidate for President

doesn't believe that climate change, one of the most important issues of our time, is caused by human activity, wants to abolish Medicare, wants to give huge tax breaks to the rich and a lot more is exactly a "Dean Scream" moment. Got it

[Kalidurga]

32. Of course

But, if Bernie was to focus on a candidates lies then that could open up the door to him talking about Hillary's lies the least of which was about sniper fire in Bosnia. You know the kind of lie that is so egregious that it got Brian Williams fired.

[senz]

50. So "fighting for the election"

means savaging other candidates based on private matters from their distant past?

Don't sell the American people short.

[JDPriestly]

83. It's interesting how Hillary supporters cry foul when Bernie supporters post one of the many

videos of Hillary in which she contradicts some stance or position she is taking today, say on gay marriage or the TPP or the XL pipeline or some important issue.

But when Bernie criticizes the media for focusing on the up-for-debate facts about what another candidate did or said 30-40 years ago, then that's a sign of Bernie's unwillingness to fight.

I'm beginning to understand who is supporting Hillary -- those who do not think logically.

Personally, I disagree with Bernie on this one point.

Ben Carson is a fraud. Ben Carson has presented himself as a born-again-Christian who is the image of what his God can do to a person's life -- change him from a sinner to a saint or close to a saint. That's what Ben Carson sells as his story. Being saved and having a fundamentalist Christian president don't seem like issues to most Democrats, but to a lot of Republicans, that is the primary issue and reason to vote.


Ben Carson has made up or touched up his story in order to sell himself to fundamentalist Christians. Apparently it is working with a large swathe of Republicans -- but not to much of anyone else.

You have to have been close to fundamentalists or watched them and observed how they think to understand what Ben Carson is selling and why he may be lying about his past.

I don't think that Bernie has that experience with fundamentalist Christians that you need to understand why it is important to debunk Ben Carson's false history or what is false in it. Some of it is probably true.

However, the Hillary supporters who are criticizing Bernie for his comment about the press should be just as happy when Hillary's two-facedness and false representations about herself are exposed as they are when those of Ben Carson are exposed.

Basically,, Bernie is right. We should focus on issues and not personalities.
But in the case of Ben Carson, Ben's faith, his life story and his being saved are the issues he is running on. And so it is correct to debunk his story.

[Warren Stupidity]

95. Da fuck?

[boston bean]

2. LOL

[beam me up scottie]

3. Not exactly a new stance for him, he's always been about the issues:

[one_voice]

7. after 3 times one hopes everyone will see the story.

[Autumn]

10. Simply a different view using actual quotes

[zappaman]

12. Bernies wrong on this one.

Very wrong.

[beam me up scottie]

20. ok. n/t

[Ed Suspicious]

48. :)

[KittyWampus]

39. most pols would know enough to shut up when an opponent is self-immolating.

NOT BERNIE!

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

84. What a detailed analysis!

Your logic is beyond perfect.

[Cal33]

17. The Republicans have never focused on discussing issues and never will, because this

is their weakest point. They have nothing positive to offer the American people.

The only thing they are interested in is more power, and more money to buy that
power. Where do they get their money from? The American people. They would
love to take and steal from us every last red cent we've got! Just look at the
banks, pharmaceutical companies....etc... Haven't they been robbing us for all
we've got?

And can they afford to tell the American people this truth? Of course not! This
is why they will never willingly discuss issues with their political opponents.

But this is where Bernie Sanders has got them. This is where they're at their
weakest, and Bernie will use discussing issues to show up what the Republicans
really are. And this is how he will beat them, when he brings up this phoniness of
theirs wherever and whenever he can -- especially during the debates.

The masses that have been fooled into voting Republican all this time will finally
get to hear some truth -- for a change.

[Fumesucker]

19. Thank you for posting the correct framing on this issue Recced...

[Autumn]

23. Yeah it does read different when actual quotes are used instead of...

Bad Bernie defending republican lies! I've read it over and over and I can't find where Bernie blasted the media for calling out Carson's lies.

[KittyWampus]

41. there is no correct framing for intervening when your opponent is crashing/burning.

[Fumesucker]

47. I would prefer Carson as the Republican nominee over Trump, Cruz or Rubio or even Jeb!

[brooklynite]

21. This - seriously - is another reason I see Sanders as a risk in the General Election

I understand that Sanders cares deeply about income inequality. But it appears to be such a focal point, that he feels he needs ONLY to talk about it and people will vote on that basis. He's going to be out of his league campaigning against the Republicans on that basis.

[artislife]

24. You should see us as a risk

To your primaries.
We are gathering and getting ready to join the established caucus etc members.

[Autumn]

27. Talking about the issues, focusing on the issues. It sure as hell is a risk

to those who don't want the voters to know about the issues.

[brooklynite]

28. Best of luck to you...not seeing any sign of it so far.

[artislife]

30. Well the ground is so far away from the ivory towers.

[Plucketeer]

79. Another instance

of Hillariousness.

[Scootaloo]

86. Your "worry" is of course, totally earnest and objective

[brooklynite]

88. My worry is very subjective, but incredibly earnest...

...we can't afford to lose to the Republicans next year, and my key issue with Sanders is electability. This isn't make me feel any better.

[Scootaloo]

90. I'm always puzzled by this argument

Do Clinton followers just imagine that republican votes wil lcount double if we nominate Sanders? or is this your way of saying you and yours are planning to sit it out?

[Gloria]

29. So he can doubt HRC's character, but Carson's blatant lies are OK????

Not feeling the Bern on this one, for sure

[Autumn]

33. I still can't find where Bernie said Carson's lies are okay.

[beam me up scottie]

38. I can't either, this attempt at creating a new meme is pathetic.

Did you see where one of them compared it to the Dean scream? Lots of wishful thinking going on somewhere.

[Autumn]

40. Yeah, Bernie talking about Carson's idiotic stand on issues is just like a "Dean Scream"

I was flabbergasted for a bit

[beam me up scottie]

43. It's like they think what the media did to Dean was a good thing.

And then to turn around and complain about how the msm treats Hillary?

The disconnect is staggering.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

34. Evangelists will flock to Bernie?

at the downfall of Carson?

[Autumn]

36. Well that's a new one. Haven't seen that either. n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

37. LOL!

you never know!

[Autumn]

51. Nah Bernie telling the media they should be talking about Carson's dangerous ideas instead of

yelling Carson's a liar will doom his campaign. DOOM IT!!!!!!

[gwheezie]

42. Trump is right about Carson being pathological

So why doesn't Bernie see it as an issue? Bernie didn't even have to comment that way. The only reason I can think of is Bernie thinks the GOP will take Carson out over his tall tales.

[Autumn]

68. I think Carson is their current court jester, his lies are so obvious and pathetic

but his antics are giving cover to the other idiots so right now he's useful.

[Eric J in MN]

89. The simplest explanation is that Bernie Sanders

...wants the election to be about policy issues.

One could make a reasonable counter-argument that Dr. Ben Carson repeatedly lies and the media should cover that.

But I take Bernie Sanders at his word that he thinks Carson's positions on climate change and tax-breaks for the rich are why people should vote against Carson and more worthy of media coverage.

[randome]

44. I see his point about the, let's say, inartfully described West Point & violent past.

There's enough room for obfuscation there.

But the pyramid theory and the Perceptions 301 lie show how divorced from reality Carson really is. I don't see how anyone can let those go.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[Eric J in MN]

55. Re: Ben Carson's fake violent past

How is Carson lying about a fake violent past better than his lies about getting awarded $10 in a fictional "Perceptions 301" class?

[randome]

57. The Perceptions 301 class is easy to refute. Yale says they never had a class by that name or #.

The fake violent past, well, there's wriggle room there since he doesn't name individuals. Reporters not being able to find anyone to support him in that...the absence of proof is not proof of absence.

OTOH, Yale specifically says nothing like what he claimed happened. That's a different kind of absence of proof since meticulous records exist.

And the pyramid theory: that's just stupid on a very basic level, like saying the sky is green.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[Autumn]

59. Carson can believe and talk about his pyramid theory, Perceptions 301

his violent past. Whatever he wants to lie about and pretend is fine by me. He's a fucking idiot

This is what is not fine by me and this is what the media should be talking about.

“When you look at Dr. Carson, to the best of my knowledge, this man does not believe that climate change is caused by human activity. This man wants to abolish Medicare, impacting tens of millions of seniors, and this man wants to give huge tax breaks to the rich,” Sanders said.

Those thing's that I bolded? They matter to me

[randome]

61. They matter to me, too.

It's ironic, though, that Carson says he wants to talk about the issues and then starts peppering his speeches with these fake anecdotes about a fake life.

It's sort of like making fun of Marco [Gulp] Rubio. I think we all hide a base desire to mock someone and clowns like Carson and Rubio are fair game. We tell ourselves it's okay to descend on them since they clearly make themselves targets in the first place and haven't the vaguest inclination toward self-reflection.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[Autumn]

63. Now I'm terrified. I agree with what you posted

[randome]

66. Strange times, aren't they?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[Autumn]

67. Strange times indeed.

[azmom]

45. Yay Bernie. Calling out the media again.

[sabrina 1]

46. Good for Bernie, again refusing to fall for the distractions. Staying focused on the issues! THIS is

why I love him!

[still_one]

75. This is NOT a distraction. A person who has been caught in several lies, and continues to repeat

those same lies, has a very serious character flaw, and frankly that is just as important as where he stands on the issues

[Eric J in MN]

52. I'm for Sanders, but I respectfully disagree with him on this.

This is primary season. Dr. Ben Carson wrote a fake autobiography. There are other Republican candidates with similar policy-positions who didn't write a fake autobiography. Republican voters should be given a chance to learn about the fake autobiography and choose someone else as their nominee.

[Dem2]

87. I agree

I see no reason not to just respectfully disagree with Bernie on this issue, it's not a big deal either way. I happen to think Carson is out of touch with reality - this is a very critical character flaw and worthy of discussion.

[notadmblnd]

58. Because his ideas won't take him down and his lies just might.

what else will they lie about?

[Autumn]

64. They lie about everything. Yet here they are the majority party.

they might not be if the media exposed their values and their stand on the issues.

[retrowire]

62. Here's a fair comparison

BEN: CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY

BERNIE: ISSUES ISSUES ISSUES

[giftedgirl77]

65. BS is just pissed at the media for calling him on

trying to lie about his alleged support of Pres Obama.

[still_one]

72. That is an entirely different issue. What Carson did was fabricate a bunch of lies that he used to

describe his character, with the intention of utilizing them in his run for president.

Even worse, Carson may not be able to distinguish the truth from the lies.

[giftedgirl77]

80. That's your opinion.

Mine is that he wants to be able to complain freely about the fact that the media is pointing out ppls lies & previous actions such as his bullshit about supporting Obama during both his campaigns.

[still_one]

92. of course it is only my opinion, nothing more. I understand your point though

[still_one]

69. They should be considering both. Sorry, but Bernie is really going over board on this,

and when even Carson's fellow republicans, and some of his supporters are troubled by it, that speaks volumes

[NorthCarolina]

70. He brings up a great point, why dosen't the media ever talk about "issues"?

I'm sure they're not ignorant of what Bernie is saying, so it obvious that the media is purposely directing the discussion away from things important to the voters to things that quite mundane and immaterial in the big picture. I've heard many times that the reason the media behaves this way is because it's all about what "sells", but I can't help but wonder if that is that is a factual truth or a surreptitious 'truth'.

[still_one]

73. Because it is about both. In fact, ignore an habitial liar, who even after he was caught in the lie

still continues to maintain it isn't, represents a VERY REAL ISSUE, for someone who wants to be President of the United States.

[Eric J in MN]

91. At the CNBC debate, Ben Carson was asked about his tax plan.

BECKY: Dr. Carson, let's talk about taxes. You have a flat tax plan of 10 percent flat taxes. And I've looked at it, and this is something that is very appealing to a lot of voters, but I've had a really tough time trying to make the math work on this.

If you were to take a 10 percent tax with the numbers right now on total personal income, you're going to come in with bringing in $1-1/2 trillion. That is less than half of what we billed bringing in right now.

And, by the way, it's going to leave us in a $2 trillion hole. So what analysis got you to the point where you think this will work?

CARSON: Well, first of all, I didn't say that the rate would be 10 percent. I used the tithing analogy.

BECKY: I understand, but if you look at the numbers, you probably have to get to 28 --

CARSON: The rate is going to be much closer to 15 percent.

BECKY: 15 percent still leaves you with a $1.1 trillion hole.

CARSON: Let me finish. You also have to get rid of all the deductions and all the loopholes. You also have to do some strategic cutting in several places.

Remember, we have 645 federal agencies and subagencies. Anybody who tells me that we need every penny in every one of those is in a fantasy world.

So, also, we can stimulate the economy. That's going to be the real growth engine, stimulating the economy, because it's tethered down right now with so many regulations.

BECKY: You would have to cut government by about 40 percent to make it work with a $1.1 trillion hole.

CARSON: It's not true.

BECKY: It is true. I looked at the numbers.

CARSON: When we put all the facts down, you will be able to see that it's not true. It works out very well.

BECKY: Dr. Carson, thank you.

Later in the debate, Ted Cruz characterized that question as, "Ben Carson, can you do math?" Ted Cruz is a more blatant liar than Ben Carson.

[humbled_opinion]

77. Bernie is 100 percent correct on this

At work I had a conversation where I said that Carson's lies in his autobiography should preclude him from being the GOP nominee...I was met with ..... Why didn't you ask questions about the lies in Obama's autobiography ? and was subtly accused of racism because one guy said he was accused of being a racist by a Democrat when he asked questions about various things in Obama's autobiography. I feel that it is best to just stick to the issues so that these faux racist charges can be avoided...

[Drunken Irishman]

78. Why not both - and why not focus on what gains the most traction?

Sanders doesn't get it or he's purposely being obtuse here. We've spent a couple months focusing on Carson's positions and he's only risen in the polls - against the Republicans and against both Hillary and Bernie. The only thing that's worked, and has gained traction, is the focus on his lies.

More importantly, lies cut deeper than radical issues because it indicates a huge character flaw. Especially continued lying. Especially from a candidate whose only real reason to running is that he isn't like a typical political.

Except he is. He's a liar.

[turbinetree]

81. I think I will vote for Bernie Sanders.................. it's simple ..........

Honk----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[Autumn]

82. It's very simple isn't it? What we've been doing sure hasn't worked.

[turbinetree]

94. Yep................................

I like simple and straight to the point

K&R


Honk-------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

800,000 + contributors Feel the Bern , it's that simple

[Enthusiast]

93. Kicked and recommended! Way to go, Bernie!