Former Vermont Governor: Sanders 'will play dirty'

[George II]

Vermont's former governor went after Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday, saying that the longtime senator was willing to "play dirty" during campaigns.

Former Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), who was Vermont's governor from 2011 to 2017, told Politico that Sanders, an independent and a self-described Democratic socialist, lacks loyalty to the Democratic party.

“What I’ve seen in Bernie’s politics is he and his team feel they’re holier than the rest. In the end, they will play dirty because they think that they pass a purity test that Republicans and most Democrats don’t pass,” Shumlin told the publication.

“What you’re seeing now is, in the end, even if he considers you a friend, like [Sen.] Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie will come first. That’s the pattern we’ve seen over the years in Vermont, and that’s what we are seeing now nationally," he added.

Shumlin is referring to the weeklong spat between the two progressive candidates. Early in the week, multiple sources reported that in 2018 Sanders had told Warren in a private meeting that he didn't believe that a woman could win the White House in 2020.

Sanders categorically denied the reports, and in response Warren released an official statement standing by her claim.

The tension was obvious during Tuesday's Democratic primary debate in Iowa. After the conclusion of the debate, a hot mic picked up the two in a short scrape that ended with both senators parting ways angrily.

Shumlin, who has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, also said that Sanders was trying to "Hillarize," Warren, referring to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“We should be weakening Donald Trump, not each other,” Shumlin said. “I’m concerned that we’re seeing a replay of the kind of dynamics that didn’t allow Hillary to win.”

In 2016, Clinton beat Sanders out for the Democratic presidential nomination.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/478715-former-vermont-governor-sanders-will-play-dirty

[LovingA2andMI]

1. Believeable....

Period.

[MrsCoffee]

2. You don't say?

Mr. Unity Tour himself?

ROFLMAO.

[NYMinute]

3. Someone had to lay it out in B&W

Thank you Gov. Shumlin

[TomCADem]

4. The Bigger Fear Is Not Only Will Bernie Go Scorched Earth...

...where just tries to incite hatred against his opponents, but if he loses, Bernie's campaign will sabotage the Democratic nominee by having prominent surrogates announce that they will not support the nominee.

The reason is that Bernie wants to preserve the argument that the Democratic party will lose if they do not choose him as President. Thus, Bernie is invested in the failure of the Democratic Party. If Bernie does not get the nomination, he will go through the motions of supporting the nominee, yet he will loudly announce that he is running for reelection in Vermont as an independent, and his surrogates will loudly announce that they are not going to support the Democratic nominee.

[TexasTowelie]

5. K&R! nt

[Me.]

6. As If BS Hasn't Alreaddy Proven This

“What I’ve seen in Bernie’s politics is he and his team feel they’re holier than the rest. In the end, they will play dirty because they think that they pass a purity test that Republicans and most Democrats don’t pass,” Shumlin told the publication.”

[dalton99a]

7. Part-time Democrats don't give a shit about the Democratic Party

[spin]

8. If Bernie doesn't win the nomination I wonder if he will go third party? (n/t)

[oasis]

11. If so, look for Shumlin to become a Dem Party Vermont senator.

Wouldn't be a total loss.

[spin]

12. Good point. (n/t)

[RandiFan1290]

15. No, that is what your precious 'centrists' do

Like Joe Liberman

[Cha]

9. Gigantic KICK!!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. K and R!

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. It's scary as hell.

[betsuni]

14. K&R

[NurseJackie]

16. That's all I need to know.

Former Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), who was Vermont's governor from 2011 to 2017, told Politico that Sanders, an independent and a self-described Democratic socialist, lacks loyalty to the Democratic party.

That's all I need to know. I could never vote for someone who has no loyalty to the Democratic party. And I know that I'm not alone in that either. As a result, BS will never be our party's nominee.

[Hortensis]

17. "Science Confirms The Obvious: Political Extremists Think

Last edited Fri Jan 17, 2020, 08:01 AM - Edit history (1)

They Are Right And You Are Wrong

The study, which implicated extremists on both sides of the political spectrum, analyzed the extent to which being extremely conservative or extremely liberal correlated with feelings of belief superiority.

Belief superiority doesn't just mean you think your opinions are correct, it means also believing it's the only valid opinion, and that all other opinions or attitudes are inferior to yours. "They don't just take a side, they actually believe that everyone who disagrees with that view must be wrong," lead author Kaitlyn Toner explained.

https://www.popsci.com/article/science/science-confirms-obvious-political-extremists-think-they-are-right-and-you-are-wrong/

Sen. Barney Frank observed in frustration that Sanders can't accept why his colleagues compromise in a system designed for compromise and believes they do it for "base motives."

Another study links problems with "metacognition," to extremist thinking: awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, in this case specifically our ability to even consider whether we could be wrong. In some respects it must be nice to always be right, never wrong, literally unable to wonder if you could be.

Sanders draws what seem to me like dishonest and downright weird false equivalences between Republicans and Democrats practically every day. But if he really doesn't see or value the enormous differences, hey, maybe we should give him a pass on all that and elect him president after all?

[brer cat]

18. K&R

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. A case can be made that this is playing dirty

Here we have a high profile Biden backer calling out a rival of Biden by name in a rather viscous way. It is a direct attack on Sander's character. If a high profile backer of Sanders said anything this negative about Biden or anyone else it would immediately be called a smear here. It would be called dirty politics.

[George II]

20. He's speaking from personal experience.

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. Of course. And any personal rivalry he may have had with Sanders in the past inside of VT politics

plays absolutely no role in his perceptions of what is and is not fair or dirty. And any interest he may have in helping Biden now beat back Sanders on the eve of the NH primary is irrelevant in weighing the accuracy of or the motivation behind his current statement.

We use a double standard on this board. Objections to Sanders are "vetting" but objections to anyone else are usually condemned as "negative politics" tearing at the unity we need to achieve in order for us to win in November.

[Devil Child]

21. Sen. Sanders would be wise to "fight dirty" as that's how his opponents already engage with him

2016 and now. He has every reason to take the gloves off if he so chooses.

[Gothmog]

23. Who is surprised by this?