Bernie Sanders On Democrats Being A United Party At The 'She The People' Forum NBC News

[Uncle Joe]

[pangaia]

1. To be honest, I did not hear him answer the question.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

[NurseJackie]

33. You're correct. BS did not answer the question. He did a little jig instead...

... and just danced around the question.

[George II]

81. Hmmm......

?itemid=13429641

[sarabelle]

49. He has lost the right to say the words "united" and "Democratic Party" in the same sentence.

in my opinion.

[Mr Tibbs]

55. No he hasn't

[LongtimeAZDem]

61. +1

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

60. Of course you did... anyone who's fair and impartial did too!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[George II]

82. No he didn't.

[wasupaloopa]

86. You want trump to be truthful right? Well it starts with you.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. Great answer!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[pangaia]

37. He didn;t answer the question.

[sheshe2]

62. No.

Sorry. He did not answer the question.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. He got the least warm reception overall, for sure.

[left-of-center2012]

4. No. Did not answer 'the question'

"What are you doing to win over Hillary Clinton voters?"

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

5. LOL! Bernie gave a GREAT summary of his political vision. THAT'S how you win over Hillary voters...

and, for that matter, ALL voters!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[left-of-center2012]

6. He needs to focus

Answer 'the question'
and not wander.

[nolabear]

9. He needs to answer the people sitting in front of him.

According to Joy Reid, who moderated, he wasn’t very well received, and when he brought up “I marched with MLK he literally was booed.

I appreciated him saying he’d support the nominee but he seemed irritated by the whole thing.

[dogman]

17. If you were booed for marching with Martin Luther King, you should be irritated.

Has Joy Reid ever said anything positive about Bernie?

[SidDithers]

19. He wasn't booed for marching with Martin...

he was booed because he talks about it like it means something.

Sid

[Uncle Joe]

36. That's exactly what happened, Bernie no sooner got the words out of his mouth and in

Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019, 02:45 PM - Edit history (2)

the process was adding to the point when some in the audience started heckling him.

Bernie was just laying a foundation in making a larger point and marching in DC during MLK's speech most definitely means something, well over a hundred million white Americans didn't take part nor were they on board with Martin's inclusive message.

Bernie's first protests and arrest while chained to two black women against racial segregation and redlining in Chicago actually occurred four years before Martin Luther King; visited the city and was struck in the head by a stone thrown by racists.

All of that isn't the be all of Bernie's biography but it's a certainly a critical element in shining light on his views against institutional racism.

[LongtimeAZDem]

73. I believe the were reacting to what they perceived as "whitesplaining"

[emulatorloo]

78. Dunno, seems like the audience wanted to know what Senator Sanders has done lately and plans to do

Every one is already aware that Senator Sanders went to a MLK rally in ‘63.

They are more concerned about what he will do in 2020 should he be elected President.

All our candidates have to earn the votes of African-American Democratic voters. This audience needs reasons to vote for Senator Sanders over the other primary candidates.

[sheshe2]

84. Hmm

Uncle Joe (44,725 posts)

36. That's exactly what happened, Bernie no sooner got the words out of his mouth and in

Last edited Thu Apr 25, 2019, 02:45 PM - Edit history (2)

the process was adding to the point when some in the audience started heckling him.

WOC did not agree with his message. You call that heckling.

Bernie was just laying a foundation in making a larger point and marching in DC during MLK's speech most definitely means something, well over a hundred million white Americans didn't take part nor were they on board with Martin's inclusive message.

So BS was just laying a foundation in making a larger point. I have to ask how you know this and the larger point he was making.

Do you have a link to back up the "well over a hundred million white Americans didn't take part nor were they on board with Martin's inclusive message."

[Uncle Joe]

85. Martin's disapproval rating in 1963 was 50% and 75% when he died, the U.S population in 1963

was 189.2 million.

According to an early 1968 Harris Poll, the man whose half-century of martyrdom we celebrate this week died with a public disapproval rating of nearly 75%, a figure shocking in its own day and still striking even in today’s highly polarized political climate.

White racial resentment was still a critical factor at that point. But Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s unfavorable numbers were at least 25 points higher in 1968 than in 1963, and his faltering appeal over the final years of his life was also a consequence of appearing to fall behind his times in some respects even as he was leaping well ahead of them in others.

(snip)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/04/04/martin-luther-king-jr-50-years-assassination-donald-trump-disapproval-column/482242002/

You might correct, it may have been closer to only 75-90 million white Americans that didn't approve of his message.

[dogman]

38. And it doesn't?

I bet Martin Luther King thought differently.

[emulatorloo]

80. It no doubt meant a lot in '63. The question now is has anything happened since 1963?

And are there any policies in 2019 to address issues of importance to AA women.

All 20+ of our candidates are going to need to address their issues. This is a fact of life for 2020 primary.

Candidates need to prepared to answer the questions, not just talk about what happened in the early 1960’s.

Thanks for all your posts and updates. Appreciate it!

[R B Garr]

58. +1, I bet what really means something is that the audience knows

that Sanders wanted to have Obama primaried, not something he did 40 years ago in college, then moving to an all white state.

[Gothmog]

45. Sanders will have a hard time winning the support of African American voters by wagging his finger

Link to tweet

Later, former Ohio state lawmaker Nina Turner, the most high-profile woman of color on the Sanders campaign, referred to the audience’s reaction, asking “in what world” was it appropriate for the conference attendees to boo Sanders for sharing his story of protesting with King.

Link to tweet

Sanders’s finger wag — and Turner’s talk — suggest the Sanders campaign may continue to struggle to draw in voters of color.

By focusing on a 50-year-old anecdote, Sanders missed a key opportunity to explain what he’s done for women of color in the past 10 years and how he’d tackle today’s challenges. And when listeners expressed their frustration, Sanders seemed dismissive and unwilling to engage. The optics of a predominantly white crowd applauding Turner for chastising women of color only fueled this message more....

In this campaign, Sanders has an opportunity to do better with minority voters. Pushing back on voters who express concern is not likely to win Sanders more support from constituencies he needs to capture the Democratic nomination.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

46. And while you're concerned about Bernie raising his finger to make a point...

at least he hasn't used his finger to write crime bills that are unfair to minorities.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Gothmog]

50. You mean the same crime bill that sanders voted for?

[SidDithers]

65. He raised his finger to vote for them...nt

Sid

[George II]

77. He also raised his hand to vote FOR that bill. You're criticizing someone for writing a bill....

....but absolving someone who agreed with it and voted for it?

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/103-1994/h416

[ehrnst]

95. Not the one he was asked about. Actually listening to people is how you win

over Hillary supporters.

We like emotional intelligence, and showing some interest in what other people think, in candidates.

[ehrnst]

88. +1000. (nt)

[floppyboo]

7. I thought it was a great answer

I don't think getting wrapped up in identity politics is smart, especially if you want to win.
And I believe whole heartedly that you can't legislate prejudices away. You have to fix the causes.
you can only put band aids on prejudices. You need an economic revolution. You need the Green New Deal.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. Precisely!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Demsrule86]

20. Right and this is why Sanders is at the bottom of my list for the primary. Without social justice

POC, Women LGBTQ etc won't share in the economic revolution. You can't legislate away prejudices so we just ignore them. Those little people getting in the way of the great revolution and all...by asking for equal treatment under the law and a seat at the table. How dare they? And this is why Sanders won't win the nomination.

[KitSileya]

23. A $15 minimum wage is great,

But that raise will mean nothing to trans people if the company offering that minimum wage is legally allowed not to hire trans people. (substitute any of the other LGBTQ identifiers for trans as needed.)

A $15 minimum wage is great, but that raise will be meaningless to women who cannot work because they are forced to stay at home to raise ever-growing broods of children when abortion is outlawed and contraception banned.

A $15 minimum wage is great, but that raise will be meaningless to all the green card holders who came to America as immigrants or refugees and now have their green cards revoked and are transported out of the country.

And so on...

[Demsrule86]

24. Exactly right...without social justice, economic justice is meaningless.

[ecstatic]

25. +1000. nt

[Uncle Joe]

31. If you had viewed the video, you would know that Bernie after criticizing

Trump for his racism, sexism and homophobia said this was the time for the American People to come together in the fight for economic justice, social justice, racial justice and environmental justice.

[Demsrule86]

34. I have seen him campaign for Mello...say economic policies trump social justice...I will watch it.

but it would have to be very compelling. The finger wagging gets me too as a woman.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

53. And that $15 minimum wage will be great, but meaningless to parents who are unfairly jailed

and, thus, separated from their children, for "petty crimes" inforced by over-aggressive prosecutors.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[KitSileya]

59. If that is a thinly veiled dig at Senator Harris' truancy law

I challenge you to name one parent jailed by Kamala Harris because their child was truant. (Hint: you won't find one.) Not in California, at least. Perhaps you'll find some parents in Vermont, though - they have the same laws there, and Vermont seems pretty happy to throw African Americans in jail (and then try to ship them to Texas to save on their prison budgets), not to mention hound their African American lawmakers out of public life with nary a word on the matter from certain Vermont politicians on the federal level.

[sheshe2]

64. Thank you, Kit.

Teach!

[George II]

74. Indeed.....

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. Yeah, but it's okay to write unfair crime bills that disproportionately affect minorities...riiight!

Why would anyone support that?! Why Biden is at the bottom of my list of Democrats I support in the 2020 primary race and why he won't win the nomination.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[lapucelle]

68. BS voted for the 1994 Crime Bill.

If you want to know why anyone would support such a bill, you should ask him.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

72. Yes, was disappointed in Bernie for that vote... but, the guy who wrote the Crime Bill should take

the most responsibility for it and, certainly, shouldn't defend it!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[lapucelle]

79. BS voted for the Crime Bill and against the Brady Bill several times,

and he voted to exempt gun manufacturers from liability. That is his record, and his alone.

[George II]

75. Why would anyone support that? You may want to ask Senator Sanders, who voted for that bill.

[Gothmog]

28. Sanders Faces Skeptical Audience at Forum for Minority Women

Link to tweet

[comradebillyboy]

29. Don't forget he supported Jesse Jackson in the '88 primaries

He bragged about that as well.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

52. One of the only few... good for Bernie!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[ehrnst]

91. Yes, that's TOTALLY and answer to what he would actually do

as POTUS to address violent white supremacy....

I SUPPORTED JESSE JACKSON ONCE FOR PRESIDENT!!!

[ehrnst]

89. Why do you think the audience thought that he was blowing off their questions? (nt)

[DoctorJoJo]

8. Cut Him Some Slack--After All, He Will Be 79 on Election Day!

[floppyboo]

10. Seems to me most of the assholes out there today are 30ish

except that dude in New Mexico maybe. And the Vegas guy was late 50's?

Bernie doesn't need any slack. What's with the ageism? Or does that not fit into identity politics? Schmm

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

13. Yeah, the constant ageism schtick is GETTING OLD (pun intended.)

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[DoctorJoJo]

18. I Share a Birth Date With Biden, So I Resemble My Remarks!

[Control-Z]

11. ...

[WeekiWater]

14. Seems pretty offensive how he ignored the question. NT

[Honeycombe8]

15. Well, that's an odd question.

I mean, what COULD a candidate do to win over another former candidate's supporters, specifically? And why would Hillary's supporters (of which I was one) be any different than other groups of Democrats?

A candidate tries to appeal to everyone, unite people, and lays out his vision and policy positions. That's all any of them can do.

[Demsrule86]

21. Sanders was asked the question because he famously said it was Hillary's

Job to win over his supporters and not his.

[Tarheel_Dem]

22. Exactly. nt

[mopinko]

16. wasnt the only question he didnt answer.

bernie sure is a good on at pounding his round pegs into holes of infinite shapes.
but it doesnt seem to be stickin w this group.
good.

[ecstatic]

26. I was angered by that exchange.

His answer should have consisted of an apology and acknowledgement of how his accusations against the DNC and extreme delay in conceding in 2016 may have contributed to trump's "win." Then he should have vowed to not repeat the same antics in 2020. He said he would support the next nominee, but I think that's only because he really thinks it will be him.

[floppyboo]

35. Sanders kept mum on the DNC until after the general

Yes, his supporters were very vocal, as should be expected. His delay kept his supporters involved in the Democratic Primary. I dare say if he had left earlier, there may have been a larger 'DemExit' than there was. So not buying that at all.

As far as antics, do you mean campaigning for Hillary harder than any other Dem? More public appearances - more call outs to his supporters? That some, a minority, not 100%, not even 20% of them, decided to jump ship and not go along with him is called 'free will'.

[Gothmog]

42. I was at the national convention and that was not the case

sanders did as little as possible to help Clinton against trump. sanders endorsement speech was all about himself as was his speech at the convention. I was there when the sanders delegates booed Congressman John Lewis. I was warned about this stunt 20 to 30 minutes before it happened by the Clinton campaign whip. According to my whip, sanders was asked to stop this stunt and declined.

I was at the Texas delegation breakfast when a group of sanders delegates marched in and demanded that we condemn Clinton and change our votes to sanders.

sanders spoke to the Texas delegation the next morning and his speech was again solely about himself. There was a mini-riot due to his delegates the prior morning and the only thing that sanders talked about was himself. sanders did nothing to deal with the fact that his delegates were out of control.

Finally a group of sanders delegates yelled at my daughter and called her the c-word because she would not try to get me to change my vote. Again sanders was asked to tell his delegates to behave during the convention and sanders refused

Many democrats do not believe that sanders really tried to help Clinton. Many democrats blame sanders for helping trump win Sanders clearly took a large number of actions that were designed to hurt the party and help trump.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

54. Thank you for bringin this up!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[George II]

63. "campaigning for Hillary harder than any other Dem"....not quite. The convention closed July 28....

...he made his first campaign appearance on September 5, 39 days later. Contrast that with 2008 when Hillary Clinton joined Barack Obama on the campaign trail a day or two after the convention closed.

Are you saying that Sanders worked harder for Clinton than Barack Obama or Joe Biden in 2016?

[lapucelle]

67. Was BS still a Democrat after the convention?

It's pretty tough to be "campaigning harder than any other Democrat" when it isn't even clear that the politician in question was even (still) a Democrat when he finally made an appearance.

https://splinternews.com/a-day-after-calling-for-party-unity-bernie-sanders-goe-1793860582

[LongtimeAZDem]

70. Be careful

[floppyboo]

96. Yes, that's what I'm saying

[SidDithers]

66. "campaigning for Hillary harder than any other Dem"...

Holy crap. Do Sanders supporters really believe that?



Sid

[ucrdem]

69. He disappeared to write that million-dollar book.

The one he doesn't seem to want to discuss.

[dogman]

39. Apologize for what?

Idiots from her campaign criticized him for flying to too many appearances for her. You can repeat those lying memes forever, but that will never make them true. The DNC changed their super-delegate policy, seems like that is a clear statement that they were wrong.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

56. BOOOOOOM!!!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[ehrnst]

93. .....

[ehrnst]

92. Can you provide sources for that claim that

"Idiots from her campaign criticized him for flying to too many appearances for her. "

I didn't hear about that.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

57. It WILL be him!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[ehrnst]

94. In an alternate universe, perhaps...

Where those "many posts" you talk about exist.

[Gothmog]

27. Bernie Sanders gets tough reception at minority women's event, signaling challenges ahead

Link to tweet

[comradebillyboy]

30. Black women are not feeling the Bern.

Perhaps Bernie and his supporters should try to figure out why. Instead of lashing out at those who point out the problem.

[brush]

76. If he's not ready for a question like that about a big part of the party base...

how the hell does he think he can win the nomination? His campaign handled the AA vote and soughtern primaries poorly in 2016 and apparently it never occurred to him or his staff to be ready for questions like that.

Not ready for prime time—AGAIN.

[Gothmog]

32. Washington Post-Opinion: Bernie Sanders's week goes from bad to worse

Link to tweet

Several things are surprising about this episode.

First, did he not prepare for a patently obvious question? You’d think a candidate so conscious of his need to overcome skepticism among nonwhite voters, who are a critical constituency in the Democratic primaries (especially African American women, who turn out in strong numbers), would be more conscientious about speaking to their concerns. Perhaps he still doesn’t understand that the same socialist wish list he runs through at every big rally isn’t what voters aggrieved by racism in the criminal-justice system, the glaring wealth gap between whites and blacks, and a two-tiered health-care system want to hear. (On the last item, it is noteworthy that “compared with their own mothers, American women today are 50% more likely to die in childbirth. And the risk is consistently three to four times higher for black women than white women, irrespective of income or education.”) This reflects a well-known Sanders trait — lack of introspection.

Second, Sanders’s tone-deafness really makes Monday’s proposal to let felons still behind bars vote seem like crass pandering. Rather than make an extreme proposal, which if anything undercuts legitimate proposals to re-enfranchise felons who have served their time, on an issue virtually no one is clamoring to hear, he might consider a bold move similar to a plan put forward at the same summit by Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.). That plan would wield the pardon power widely for the benefit of those (disproportionately African American) convicted of nonviolent drug crimes and give former nonviolent drug offenders job opportunities in the new, legalized pot industry. Sanders might show some willingness to study “reparations” (which do not necessarily entail cash payments but can take the form of extensive investment in high-quality housing and education for disadvantaged nonwhites who have lacked access to both for decades). At times, it really seems as though Sanders isn’t even trying to meet these voters halfway.

Finally, Sanders is getting shown up regularly on race issues not only by African American candidates but also by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has included in virtually all her policy proposals specific measures to address racial inequality (e.g., an education plan that includes generous funding for historically black colleges and universities, a housing plan that includes “down-payment assistance to first-time homebuyers in communities that were once subject to redlining”).

[Uncle Joe]

40. It's rather ironic that Bezos' Paper speaks of "tone deafness," with them its more

like willful ignorance.

I'm wondering if the author of the second paragraph read his/her first paragraph?

First, did he not prepare for a patently obvious question? You’d think a candidate so conscious of his need to overcome skepticism among nonwhite voters, who are a critical constituency in the Democratic primaries (especially African American women, who turn out in strong numbers), would be more conscientious about speaking to their concerns. Perhaps he still doesn’t understand that the same socialist wish list he runs through at every big rally isn’t what voters aggrieved by racism in the criminal-justice system, the glaring wealth gap between whites and blacks, and a two-tiered health-care system want to hear. (On the last item, it is noteworthy that “compared with their own mothers, American women today are 50% more likely to die in childbirth. And the risk is consistently three to four times higher for black women than white women, irrespective of income or education.”) This reflects a well-known Sanders trait — lack of introspection.

Second, Sanders’s tone-deafness really makes Monday’s proposal to let felons still behind bars vote seem like crass pandering. Rather than make an extreme proposal, which if anything undercuts legitimate proposals to re-enfranchise felons who have served their time, on an issue virtually no one is clamoring to hear, he might consider a bold move similar to a plan put forward at the same summit by Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.). That plan would wield the pardon power widely for the benefit of those (disproportionately African American) convicted of nonviolent drug crimes and give former nonviolent drug offenders job opportunities in the new, legalized pot industry. Sanders might show some willingness to study “reparations” (which do not necessarily entail cash payments but can take the form of extensive investment in high-quality housing and education for disadvantaged nonwhites who have lacked access to both for decades). At times, it really seems as though Sanders isn’t even trying to meet these voters halfway.

So the author states that Bernie's message doesn't address racism in the criminal justice system and in the second paragraph Bernie's proposal to allow ALL inmates to vote is just "pandering."

While also ignoring the historical record that prisoners being denied their right to vote while incarcerated can trace its roots to Jim Crow right after the Civil War as a means to disenfranchise African Americans from participating in democracy.

If one takes the position that our racist/capitalist based criminal justice system has disproportionately put minorities and poor whites in prison, why should someone have to wait to get out of prison before voting?

Increased mortality rates of mothers (all American women) dying during child birth cited in the OP are a direct result of our current profit over people health care system but Bezos' paper can't seem to admit that either, ignoring its' own statistics.

Apparently Bezos' paper can't seem to get outside of its' own bubble either in regards to Bernie's stance on reparations and giving aid to the most distressed communities, perhaps someone should get WAPO an Internet connection so they can do some research.

Sanders backs bill creating reparations study commission

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Friday that if elected president he would sign legislation creating a commission to study the issue of granting reparations to African-Americans.

Sanders, speaking at the National Action Network convention, was asked if he would support the bill introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) if it reached his desk as president.

(snip)

"But let me also say this: I think that what we need to do ... is to pay real attention to the most distressed communities in America," Sanders said. "We have got to use 10 percent of all federal funds to make sure that kids who need it get the education, get the jobs, get the environmental protection that they need and that would be a major focus of my efforts."

Sanders referred to legislation by Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a Congressional Black Caucus member and the third-ranking House Democrat, that would require federal programs to direct at least 10 percent of their funds to communities where at least 20 percent of the population has lived below the poverty line for at least the past 30 years.

(snip)

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/437572-sanders-backs-bill-creating-reparations-study-commission

[Gothmog]

41. sanders is being vetted finally and it is amusing

No one took sanders seriously and so he was not vetted. Vetting is important I amso glad that sanders is being vetted this cycle https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/28/why-bernie-sanders-has-an-uphill-climb-ahead/?utm_term=.1b4f90c2a717

Finally, what happens when the oppo dump on Sanders comes? We have no idea, because it never happened in 2016. Clinton was so terrified of alienating his supporters and seeing them vote for Jill Stein in the general election (or not vote at all) that she tiptoed around him for pretty much the entirety of the primary campaign. That doesn’t mean that he’ll be destroyed when stories about the more colorful aspects of his history start cropping up, but there’s just no way to know.

Which is what we could say about the Sanders candidacy as a whole: There’s no way to know how it’s going to go. But he’s got his work cut out for him.

See also https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-campaign-donald-trump/index.html?utm_source=twCNNp&utm_content=2019-02-20T14%3A52%3A07&utm_term=image&utm_medium=social%C2%A0

2. How will he withstand more scrutiny and more attacks?
One of the secrets to Sanders' success in 2016 was that no one -- most especially Clinton -- thought he had any chance of going anywhere in the race. Clinton largely ignored him for the better part of 2015, allowing some problematic parts of Sanders' record for Democrats -- most notably his voting record on guns -- to go unnoticed. (When the race began to tighten, Clinton gently prodded Sanders on guns and health care.) Sanders, too, largely flew under the radar of investigative reporters for major news outlets who were busy looking into Clinton, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and others seen as more viable candidates. (That reality clearly benefited Donald Trump in the early days of the campaign, as well.)

Sanders will get no pass -- from either the media or his fellow candidates -- this time around. He is among the frontrunners -- and will be treated as such. His wife's time as president of Burlington College could well come up. And his opponents will do a deep dive into his nearly 30 years of votes as a member of the House and Senate. This is all very normal stuff in a campaign. But not for Sanders.

Now we can see how sanders reacts to being vetted

Link to tweet

Among some Democrats, there was a sense of bewilderment that the Sanders campaign had gone—as one operative put it—”nuclear” over a mere web video. One Democratic consultant sympathetic to Sanders described the video as being “like a gnat buzzing around your ear,” one which should not have distracted from the candidate’s Midwest tour.

It also raised questions as to whether the senator was ready for the scrutiny that would come from being a frontrunning candidate, after having run as an insurgent against an ideal foil, Hillary Clinton, in 2016.

“When you’re leading in the polls of president of your party you should expect investigative stories to hit at least once a week and to be attacked by your opponents every day,” said Ben Labolt, who served as press secretary to Barack Obama during the 2012 campaign. “An attack on something like ThinkProgress is the sign of a super-narrow-minded campaign that isn’t actually thinking of how the election will be won... They have chosen an establishment force that no one outside of the Starbucks at 16th and K would recognize.”

I am glad that sanders is being vetted

[Gothmog]

43. Looks like Bernie is getting some negative press in the MSM for the first time in history.

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

44. From the Washington Post

Link to tweet

[BannonsLiver]

47. He dodged the question and showed contempt for the audience

You get Bernie away from his TPs and script and he’s really awful thinking on his feet. Thus the need to go back to the March on Washington well for the 5,000th time. It’s his security blanket.

[LongtimeAZDem]

71. I reminds me of the recording of the scientist from "I, Robot"

"I'm sorry; my responses are limited. You must ask the right questions."

[emulatorloo]

83. A successful Democratic President has to excel at thinking on their feet.

Being President means you have to explain your goals while you are under intense scrutiny.

And a President has to make important decisions, even when there is no script to follow.

I am very much looking forward to the debates, so we can see them answer tough/fair questions side by side. I wish them all the best. We as voters need to hear from to make our decision who we will support in the primary

[ehrnst]

87. You really want to keep this particular event kicked as a positive?

To each his own...

[robbedvoter]

90. Notice the hand gestures. say more than his words.

From tje guy reacting like this to Hillary's nomination

Link to tweet

[Blue_Tires]

97. The party so "united" he doesn't want to be an official member?