If You Think Bernie Shouldn't Have Gone on Joe Rogan, or Fox News, You're leaving

[Uncle Joe]

Fellow Americans for Dead

Many otherwise well-meaning Americans have succumbed to a phenomenon I call “Electoral College Mindset.” The reasons are totally understandable—partly because of our terrible system, and partly because of Republican social engineering, the concepts of “red” and “blue” America resonate like never before. There’s a perceived cultural divide that seems unbridgeable, and it’s manipulated our brains into accepting a prevailing narrative of “two Americas.”

When we suffer from Electoral College Mindset, we believe implicitly that voters from Louisiana, to use an example, are worthless, because that state’s electoral votes likely won’t go to a Democratic candidate in the near future. And while that conclusion is true, it ignores the fact that 38.5% of Louisianans who voted in the last presidential election—almost one million people—chose the Democratic candidate. Not enough to win the state, of course, but enough to show that progressive ideas are far from dead, and enough to make it clear that victories are possible in local and state-wide and even U.S. Senate elections. By ignoring those people, we ignore the future. Electoral College Mindset is why Republicans have dominated state legislatures, governor’s mansions, and both chambers of Congress for so long—Democrats cede turf, and they do it constantly.

(snip)

He also has an enormous, diverse audience that includes the kind of people who may be politically disaffected and even vulnerable to alt-right messaging. Again, if you believe these people are beyond reach, then it’s easy to argue that Bernie’s appearance with Rogan—an appearance which has netted 4.4 million views already, as of this writing—somehow normalizes alt-right figures who have sat in the same chair. But if you believe that an authentic, directed message can reach many of Rogan’s listeners, then Sanders’ appearance easily outweighs those considerations, and the decision to join Rogan becomes a no-brainer.

Ultimately, this is about reach. Electoral College Mindset has led us to believe that there are certain demographics who are lost to us totally, but this is ridiculous on its face—consider how many people in our nation voted for both Obama and Trump, and you’ll know how changeable we are from one moment to the next. Sanders’ core ideas like Medicare for All and cancellation of student debt are bound to appeal to a wide audience, and not necessarily a predictable one. For him to turn down a chance to reach a portion of that audience would be an error. And the fact is, the people responded There’s no doubt that Sanders won votes yesterday, and heightened his own profile and the profile of progressive politics in the process.

(snip)

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/08/09/if-you-think-bernie-shouldnt-have-gone-joe-rogan-or-fox-news-youre-leaving-fellow

[Autumn]

1. I watched it, didn't know who Rogan was at first but Bernie did really well. I bookmarked

Yang's to check out that one later. Bernie's has over 6 million views and the comments are rather positive. It was a great format.

[SidDithers]

2. commondreams...nt

Sid

[Autumn]

5. ThePeoplesView...nt

[SidDithers]

9. Non sequitur...nt

Sid

[Autumn]

11. Yes it is. See how that works.

[Voltaire2]

3. How does Rogan get lumped in with Fox?

He’s not a right wing nut job.

[Uncle Joe]

4. I agree Voltaire but he had controversial guests on his program in the past.

and with some people I guess that's too much?

To be honest I have never seen him before but I thought it was an outstanding, informative, in-depth interview.

[Voltaire2]

6. He's unusual and difficult to categorize

but the podcast is all about interesting discussions with controversial people. And he goes deep in his discussions, and they are actually discussions.

We need more Joe Rogans and fewer gotcha debates.

[obamanut2012]

17. He most certainly is

WTAF.

[Lordquinton]

31. He gives an open platform to people

and the far right has latched on to that and exploits it. His interviews favor them by far and he doesn't see anything wrong with it. Other things too, but that's really the main point of contention in this regard.

[2020Junker]

7. Joe Rogen is a "Get off my lawn!" response

His podcast is incredibly popular. Millennials and Gen Z listen to him.

When I see people bitch and moan about him, I automatically know they're older.

He has really interesting interviews. People take the plastic wrap off around him and just talk. I like his cast. I haven't heard the Bernie interview yet, but I'm looking forward. Who's complaining about liberal issues being put forward?

We are all liberals, yes?

[Vegas Roller]

8. BS was right on both counts

and his poll numbers have skyrocketed since those interviews.

Wait....... never mind.

[JudyM]

10. Trump won a large share of votes because of his populist message (beyond the racism voters)

and Sanders speaks to those people. Populism is a powerful sentiment at this point in US history and, if not Sanders, we’d better have someone on the ticket who shares that vision. Otherwise it will be twisted against our candidate to great effect.

That slimeball of a President has people thinking he has drained the swamp and is fighting for them, and unless we have some populism in our message to counter that, whatever else we say might puddle uselessly on the floor as elitist hogwash echoed hollowly by the “lying” media. Many will choose who to believe based on who seems more authentically populist.

[Uncle Joe]

12. I agree JudyM.

[Autumn]

13. If you caught any part of Turd's campaign rallies he was using parts of Bernie's

message, some almost word for word.

[JudyM]

14. And trump isn't the only one who's done that.

[Go Vols]

34. +1

[kcr]

23. The thing is, it's wrong to conflate Trump's populism with the progressive kind.

They are entirely different and appeal to entirely different types. There is no "beyond the racism" with Trump. Trump's is aimed solely at white people and assures them that all others will be left out. Bernie is wrong to mix his progressive, populist movement with Trump's. By going on Rogen's show, he risks confusing his populist movement with Trump's. The fact he either doesn't seem to see the difference or doesn't care is the reason I don't support him.

[JudyM]

26. There's no confusing Sanders' goals and message with trump's, but the overlap of basic populism

does have crossover appeal, and can help us win if it’s part of our message.
Sanders’ meeting him on that field highlights the differences.
Otherwise trump can continue to persuade some that we are the establishment that he is fighting against.

[kcr]

30. No, it doesn't.

This myth that there are somehow idiot progressives out there that merely have no idea that any movement for them exists, so they have no choice but to support the racist, and Bernie is just trying to rescue them, is nonsense. Bernie is ignoring the fact they're racist and trying to appeal to them anyway because he's either misguided at best, or just plain negligent. It's the reason he failed in 2016 and an even bigger reason he's failing this season.

[JudyM]

32. That's not it at all... progressives wouldn't support trump. Whose myth is that?

I understand what he’s doing quite differently, he’s neither misguided nor negligent. He has done a lot for making progressive values better understood and appealing to many, and will continue to do so. I see him as passionately principled, consistently through the years, about the things I think are most important, and I respect that a great deal.

[Hortensis]

15. Nothing new about Sanders trying to woo Trump's RW supporters.

Trump does the very same thing among Sanders'.

This has to be among the reasons Sanders numbers have dropped and won't grow -- he's lost a bunch of his populist bloc and isn't even getting back the 12% he lost directly to Trump last time. Most populists are driven by grievances and antagonisms and, unlike some of Sanders' more radical supporters, not interested in voting as a personal statement. Populists want a leader who'll take over the government.

And, let's face it, Trump's been putting in an incredibly better showing.

[obamanut2012]

16. Rogan is a wingnut and a misogynist, as well as homo and transphobic

I am a huge MMA fan, and we've known for years how horrible Rogan is, and how he has -- and still -- attacks women on twitter, and brigades his MRA/Incel fans. He is a CT nut, loves giving Alex Jones and others a platform, and has come out in the past stating Sandy Hook, etc. are false flags. His fan base isn't "diverse" at all.

I was appalled Bernie went on JRE, and will same the same about Dem candidate who does.

[sheshe2]

18. Thanks for the info, obamanut.

Never heard of him before this interview. Ugh.

[samir.g]

29. CT?

What is that, please.

[melman]

19. What really bothers the people pretending to be outraged by this

is that Bernie's message is popular and being heard. That's it.

[Uncle Joe]

20. ....

?itemid=5645497

[George II]

21. No it isn't.

[melman]

22. Of course it is

All the Bernie bashing is about that. It's never been about Bernie himself.


It's convenient for bashers to pretend it is but it's not. It's about change and those who fear it.

[Thekaspervote]

28. JUST imho, I am not and I don't think others are bashing bernie. I wish we could have

Everything bernie is offering, but believe it just isn’t possible. So , no I do fear change I would welcome it, but it’s a pie in the sky

[LanternWaste]

24. Who's pretending to be outraged about this?

"My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious..."

[NurseJackie]

27. Exactly! Thank you!

[SidDithers]

25. ...

Link to tweet

Stop the Hate-for-Profit Fox News racket.

Sid

[corbettkroehler]

33. Candidate's Top Job Is To Go Where The Votes Are

Last edited Tue Aug 13, 2019, 04:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Medicare For All is popular but do you want to know what will work most anywhere, even Wackoland?

Raising the minimum wage to a living wage. This consistently polls well nationwide. Banning assault weapons polls well. Pay equity polls well. Many issues for which Bernie advocates poll well in red states.

He went where the votes are, an interview, as of last check, which has received 7+ million hits.