Bernie Sanders: I like Hillary Clinton and I don't want to attack her. I'd rather debate the issues.

[Cali_Democrat]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/sanders-will-media-force-me-to-attack-hillary-before-listening-to-my-ideas/

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is Hillary Clinton’s first formal opponent for the 2016 Democratic nomination, and as the David going up against the Goliath, he’s getting lots of questions about the size of his slingshot. And he’s sounding pretty tired of it.

“I like Hillary Clinton, I respect Hillary Clinton,” Sanders told CNN’s State of the Union. “Will the media, among others, allow us to have a civil debate on civil issues, or is the only way to get media attention to rip somebody apart?” (Almost literally the next question was about George Stephanopoulos, so apparently the latter.)

Host Brianna Keilar pressed Sanders on whether he would able to throw the “sharp elbows” necessary to defeat Clinton. He said “yes, but.”

“The American people want to hear serious discussions about why they are working longer hours for lower wages, they want to know why year after year we have disastrous trade agreements, why the rich gets richer and everybody else gets poorer,” Sanders said. “Are you in the media prepared to allow us to engage in that serious debate, or do I have to get media attention on making reckless attacks on Hillary Clinton? I don’t believe in that.”

-----

I'm happy Bernie isn't taking the bait.

I wish some of Bernie's supporters would heed this advice.

[YoungDemCA]

1. And I'm sure Hillary feels likewise

K&R.

[MannyGoldstein]

2. "I don't give them Hell,"

"I just tell the truth and they think it's Hell"

- Harry S. Truman

[Buzz Clik]

3. Some DUers could take a cue from Bernie.

I wish some of Bernie's supporters would heed this advice.

Amen.

I like Bernie, but I'm not a real fan of some of his groupies.

[cali]

8. Funny, I don't like much of Hillary Clinton's politics or political maneuvering

but I like a lot of her supporters here. Not all, but a lot.

[Buzz Clik]

14. You don't like Hillary? I had no idea.

You should make some attempt to make that clearer. Maybe a few hundred posts per day might do the trick.

[Cali_Democrat]

18. LOL nt

[cali]

35. hey, why bother with facts. I have several ops up.

one is about HRC. The others are about the TPP and Bernie.

[joshcryer]

29. I've been viciously attacked twice.

With two PMs threatening to be banned from the Bernie Sanders group.

If the negative attitudes don't stop I'm going to have to start my own super thread for Bernie, because I can't associate with the negative bullshit.

[Buzz Clik]

36. I hear you. I like Bernie a lot, but his appeal goes far beyond "not Hillary."

[joshcryer]

39. I support him.

But I think there are cliques whose support only goes so deep. The negative crap needs to stop.

[bettyellen]

54. Thank you Josh! The cliquish crap makes DU suck.

[stonecutter357]

59. i was ban Bernies group.

[Cha]

113. And, they whine about the BOG.. Hypocrites. I like Bernie but some of his supporters really

do give their cause a bad name.

[Historic NY]

125. Seems its an on-going thing here...

especially when you question or ask to provide context. If it continues we might as just have a new board, because it won't be DU..

[kenfrequed]

123. Hmm...

I accidentally posted on the Hillary group page a meaningful post about why I had doubts about her ability to regulate the banks and pay good attention to labor and the environment on trade issues due to her financial backers and her legislative history.

I was almost immediately set upon by Hillary people that threatened me with being banned unless I self-deleted. I did cooperate because it was a Hillary group and I suppose they deserve their space but I question the value of echo-chambers. I didn't get banned, but now I refuse to post on most Hillary-based stories now on DU.

Basically, Bernie is not the only one that attracts groupies.

[joshcryer]

124. That happened to me in the BOG.

But one of their posts made the Greatest Page and I didn't realize it. I just self-deleted out of respect and apologized.

I got the Bernie Sanders group thing lifted though, the main host was understanding over a spat I had with someone there. That won't happen again.

[99Forever]

32. Maybe Hillary could take a cue also and come out of her protected cocoon and speak to the issues.

Instead of hiding from the ones the really are important to us.

[Buzz Clik]

37. Couple of things. First, it's not like we don't know where she stands on just about everything.

Second, we're months and months away from the first primary. We'll have plenty of time to analyze.

[99Forever]

38. Bullshit.

I want to hear the words out of her mouth. If she has a position on TPP, say it out loud, in public, without equivocation, for all to hear. Waiting for it to be a done deal, is the action of a coward and a con artist.

[joshcryer]

44. Odds are she'll support it.

Once it comes out.

[Buzz Clik]

62. No, she won't take a discernible position.

She'll issue another statement saying nothing.

[joshcryer]

67. And if she does, when at the debates...

...if she's pointedly asked if she supports it and deflects or dodges, Bernie Sanders will destroy her.

My guess is she'll say she supports it, and condition it on the idea that she supports Obama, and believes he did the right thing. There, she's just supported it, straight up, but then deflected to Obama if anything goes bad. Oh and she also supported Obama, who is extremely popular among Democrats, at the same time.

Then when it comes up at debates it'll be "old news" and no one will even care.

So can't risk avoiding the issue for the debates.

[Buzz Clik]

71. No. Sanders will gain points with the liberal/progressive ideologues and no one else.

Clinton is no rookie when it comes to running in the primaries, and Sanders is a total neophyte. If he runs on the strict Democratic socialist idelologies, he will be slaughtered. If he decides to abandon those notions and triangulate (like Clinton) he will be seen as the non-alternative and will still lose.

[joshcryer]

74. His platform isn't that controversial.

Geez.

[Buzz Clik]

76. We will see.

[Enthusiast]

81. We will see a bunch of anti-Hillary sentiment if she comes out in favor of the life destroying TPP.

That's why she will not commit. She is between a rock and a hard place

[cascadiance]

91. Response from someone that doesn't care to try to look at what he says isn't going to win...

We will see about what of his platform is controversial? Why don't you come out and back up your assertion here, other than sounding nebulous as if to say, "I don't care to talk about it, because even though I don't want to say so, he doesn't have the money from the 1% that Hillary does that will give her the election over him".

[Buzz Clik]

95. WTF?

Response from someone that doesn't care to try to look at what he says isn't going to win...

"We'll see" elicited that remark?

You people are becoming intolerable.

[arcane1]

79. Those "idelologies" are actually quite popular, and will grow more so as more people learn of them

Especially when they're presented without slogans and buzz-words.

[Buzz Clik]

96. Your opinion. We'll see how it turns out when the voting starts.

[cascadiance]

88. No, Sanders is the one with experience on answering many questions weekly on Thom Hartmann's show...

... where often he answers town hall style questions even from Republicans. Yes they are screened to some degree, but it certainly isn't as "rehearsed" and planned as debate primaries are.

That is why Bernie does so much better than other politicians on the stump and will also do a lot better than many of these pundits will expect in the debates. Because he is adept on his feet in answering a whole variety of questions, and is honest when he provides answers too and doesn't try to "adjust" his answers the way so many pols do.

Americans of all stripes want honesty like that, and someone like Bernie, when they hear them will provide many of them a pleasant surprise.

There's a reason that "far left" ballot measures like raising the minimum wage PASSED in many red states this last elections, while so many Democrats that the public were wondering if they could be trusted spewing out the Third Way double speak got voted out.

People want honesty in politicians and someone they can trust doing things to help them. Not ones that don't want to take positions on issues that Americans care about, like raising the minimum wage, but the corporate controlled media try to frame as "far left" issues, much as they try to frame politicians like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren as "far left" as well.

[Historic NY]

127. Sorry to burst your bubble most main stream Democrat voters won't listen to drivel on RT...

or watch it. There was a time when liberal talk show Air America tried and that failed too. Most people get their info from a sound bite on the nightly news or some social media mumbo jumbo. The majority of voters won't put the work in listening.

[cascadiance]

129. Umm... Bernie is NOT on Thom Hartmann's RT show. It is on Free Speech TV, not corporatist DRIVEL...

... that the mainstream media has become these days that would rather talk about stuff we saw in tabloid magazines at the super market in older days instead of the news. Bernie is not on Thom Hartmann's RT show, and I would call his RT show far less "drivel" than other crap that the "mainstream" networks push at us. RT doesn't control his content. Maybe RT and its backers share the interest in putting out messages that have Americans question our government, but in the case of Hartmann, it works because American government NEEDS that voice, whether it is something that might be tainted by bias that other RT programming has, or someone who legitimately wants to work to provide an alternative voice that is missing like Hartmann does.

So, you consider any kind of show with "liberal" content "drivel"? Huh? Are you REALLY a Democrat or just claiming you are?

I've just said that we have to overcome these barriers, as will ANY candidate that wants to fight the corporate owned media that extends the corporate owned government domain.

Just like many in the middle east overcame their governmental barriers through using things like social media to help start the wave of unrest that toppled governments that weren't working for them a few years ago, there will be people working in this election to try and fight the problems that the electorate have with access to media and decent gate keepers rather than corporate gate keepers so that they can continue to work hard the 2-3 jobs they have and other things that keep them too busy to spend much time looking up information.

I believe that those means will find their way in to this campaign, and if those means can be found so that it is "easy" for many people in the population to find them, they will look to doing so moreso than they have in the past, because many do feel frustrated, even if they don't have time to delve in to the internet like many of us do. And Bernie of all politicians, who is more experienced in working in unrehearsed media environments that other politicians haven't, is well equipped for this.

[Historic NY]

136. I'm a Democrat but you seem to forget...

how the branding of liberal by the republicans is a big negative. So its on Free Speech TV tell me thats mainstream and tell me that where Democrats go. And your right some work 2 jobs and others are too busy on weekends with their kids to listen to it.....

[kenfrequed]

149. well then...

I suppose we should abandon any messaging or policy initiative that the republicans can call liberal. No, you probably aren't a republican, but this kind of avoidance and gun shy attitude when it comes to economic progressive issues in the party is one of the things that has enabled the pretense of America being a "center right nation" against the reality of "red states" voting to raise the minimum wage on ballot initiatives.

Stand up and be liberal. There are no Kennedys or Kings to do it for you.

[Joe Turner]

105. "Clinton is no rookie when it comes to running in the primaries"

Yes, HRC is the proverbial "it's my turn...again" candidate. If Bernie really takes the fight to her she may suffer the same fate as her last go around. People looking for real answers to the serious problems this country faces will not find it in Hillary. She is afraid of speaking for herself and making her positions clear on the issues. If she manages to win the Democratic primaries the republicans will sink her. Most folks have had it with the Clintons.

[Buzz Clik]

106. Really great to see you took Sanders's plea in the OP to heart.

Very telling.

[cui bono]

108. Wrong. Bill Clinton ran as a progressive and won. Unfortunately he governed as a centrist.

Obama ran as a half-assed progressive and won. Unfortunately he governed as a moderate Republican.

The people are left. The people like progressive policies. The people are for universal health care, SS, medi-care, good public education, a living wage... even Republicans are for these things when they aren't put forth as belonging to one party or another.

We NEED a candidate to run on strict Democratic socialist ideologies. That's what the Democratic Party used to run on before it was co-opted by the corporatists.

[Buzz Clik]

109. I was speaking of Hillary, not Bill.

[cui bono]

110. I know. I provided proof from history that people can run as progressives and win.

The people want that. They like the democratic socialist programs of this country. Even the teabaggers held signs saying they wanted their Medi-care left alone. They just didn't realize it was a govt program.

[INdemo]

133. Bingo !!

Hillary is waiting and if the TPP is approved then she is for it On the other hand she will not enter into the debate.
Now as far Hillary entering into a real discussion about the Middle class (the 99%) vs the 1% she will only go so far on this issue that is as far as her Wall Street contributors allow her to and she know the limits.
I have said this before about Hillary and that is she is a phony. What you see today is not what you get tomorrow or next week and that is not a personal attach.
Hillary is no Bill Clinton

Can Anyone that earned 30 mill last year from speaking fees etc. actually be a good spokesman for middle class, working class citizens?

[Buzz Clik]

46. She has issued statements; you just don't like what they say.

Even if she agreed to a debate with Sanders or a lengthy interview exclusively on TPP, she would triangulate endlessly. She has a history of being completely in favor of free trade, but she is trying to calm the howling of the left as we move toward the primaries.

[99Forever]

52. Once again. Bullshit.

I will assume nothing positive about any candidate EVER again. I went that route in '08 and '12, and I have come to regret it more than once. No wiggle room. Senator Sanders has CLEARLY defined his position on most issues, and tho there are a couple I don't really agree with, I don't have to "assume" anything.

If I have a question for him, I can call him on almost any Friday during Brunch with Bernie and ask him in person. He won't dodge or triangulate. He will give me his HONEST answer, not just some babbling bullshit to deflect scrutiny.

Let me know when Hillary is ready to do exactly the same.

[erronis]

55. If Bernie doesn't affect this election, then no thinking person will ever be able to.

Bernie will have to do some triangulation (or isohedral/etc.) to try to gather as many supporters as he needs; just as he will need to do the same as a national executive. This is part of all of us living our lives.

However, he is a bit like one of your friends who will let you know frankly how they feel about the things you want to talk about. Probably not the friend who will tell you what you want to hear.

The major parties have been run for so many years by the well-paid sycophants that the noise level from their murmurings drowns out any rational independent voices.

If Bernie ever gets a consultant that tells him to put gel on his hair, iron his suit, lose his accent, and toe the line, he'll lose it. But as he is, YEA!

[Buzz Clik]

61. Not sure who promised that Hillary would be doing a call-in show.

But, if that's your criterion for the ideal candidate ... whatever.

By the way, if you are truly that dissatisfied with the outcome of the 2008 election, should I remind you who Obama's Dem competition was?

I am getting the very strong suspicion that Sanders's appeal for a lot of people like you is simply that he is one dimensional, easy to understand, and has no track record beyond his tiny state and the walls of Congress. I also get the impression that you would be delighted if he ran for president on a one-dimensional platform with just one or two planks (all righteous progressive ideals and nothing more) and failed miserably as a one-term president. You'd be thrilled that, although he accomplished nothing and plunged the Democratic Party into total irrelevance, he failed while pursuing the purest progressive agenda. How noble.

[99Forever]

70. Is that what I said?

Jeebus effen cripes, the strawmen abound.

Gotta love PTB tools.

[Buzz Clik]

73. Hell, I don't know what point you were trying to make.

I went off my own.

[INdemo]

138. I dont beieve FDR,or Harry Truman or JFK

did too bad. Then we had the Democrat that had an "R" in front of his name (Teddy Roosevelt)

All of the above championed liberal causes and all of the above were GREAT Presidents.
Bernie Sanders would fit right in this group.If elected he would be the President for all the people and only the corporate mafia would disapprove.

On the other hand Republicans have one name they write their legacy with and of course that being Ronald Reagan and he is the one that started this trickle down BS. Remember him the guy that sold our country to the likes of Wall St and Fred Koch?

[Enthusiast]

83. Bernie doesn't do weasel words?

[MissDeeds]

53. +1000

Yes indeed.

[JDPriestly]

77. I don't know where she stands really on the TPP, on the XL pipeline and on charter

schools just for three examples.

Saying you want a trade agreement that does x, y and z is not saying where you stand on the TPP. I want an up or down and why answer.

[Buzz Clik]

146. Why must you have an answer on TPP this second? She cannot vote on it.

She will never be in a position to lobby for or against it. I don't understand the need.

And charter schools? Huh? How does that enter into the president's purview?

And XL pipeline: good question. According to her:

"We're either going to be dependent on dirty oil from the Gulf or dirty oil from Canada. And until we can get our act together as a country and figure out that clean, renewable energy is in both our economic interests and the interests of our planet, I mean, I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone how deeply disappointed the President and I are about our inability to get the kind of legislation through the Senate that the United States was seeking."

[JDPriestly]

147. Her view on the XL pipeline certainly is not mine. How flippant can a candidate get!

Charter schools are very much in the purview of the president. Obama's appointment to Sec. of Education appears to be a pro-charter person as is Rahm Emmanuel who was close to Obama. I do not agree with them on charter schools.

And you are assuming the TPP will be enacted. Democrats oppose it. Where does Hillary stand? Does she want still more trade agreements?

These are essential issues. She should be answering questions about where she stands on them. Fact is, there is a good likelihood that most party rank and file disagree with her and agree with Bernie Sanders on these essential issues. That may be why she is hiding from the press.

[NorthCarolina]

143. Great, please tell me; exactly where does Hillary stand on TPP? Is she

for it, or against it? I mean, since it's being debated in Congress right now she must have an opinion on it right, and since you know where she stands on just about everything and all, please don't tell me that I stumbled on the one thing that isn't included in "just about everything".

[dpatbrown]

120. High road

Not surprising that Sanders is taking the high road. I agree with you, hopefully DUers will take the same route.

[cali]

4. and yet Bernie so much as mentions the problem of corporate money in politics

and points out that Hillary Clinton's campaign reflects that, and the howls that he's attacking her and being unfair, arise.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. !

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6684704

[MineralMan]

11. Not at all. Hillary Clinton has also come out against

Citizens United style funding. She wants it to stop. That said, whoever is the nominee will be spending corporate money during the campaign. That's the name of the game for 2016. No changes will occur before that election.

Both candidates, however, will oppose Citizens United. Both already have. There will be agreement on that point.

Still, PAC money will be used by the eventual nominees of both parties. Without it, no candidate has a prayer of winning in 2016.

[cascadiance]

22. I guess she selectively avoids talking about McCutcheon case then...

... which deals more directly with removing limits on direct contributions, which she is counting on to give her more funding than grass roots style funding of candidates like Bernie's which don't want to be doing corporate donors' bidding.

She avoids talking about McCutcheon much like she avoids talking about TPP (or for that matter that she favors privatizing government employees emails rather than a properly run government run IT infrastructure through her actions too)... Kind of inconvenient those issues are for her...

And like it or not what I am stating here are ISSUES!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

24. Hillary on McCuthcheon.

She doesn't avoid it, but people avoid looking at what she's said.

http://blogs.findlaw.com/supreme_court/2014/04/snippets-hillary-on-mccutcheon-gay-marriage-cases-race-to-scotus.html

[JDPriestly]

80. What percent of her personal income do you think came from large corporations?

I think that percentage is pretty hefty.

I do not believe Hillary's protestations about Citizens United and corporate money for campaign financing. I just don't trust her on that issue.

[joshcryer]

31. Don't they agree on Citizens United?

Anyone freaking out over that is ignorant.

[MineralMan]

5. I guess he's leaving the negative stuff to random Internet posters.

Bernie Sanders gets it. Going negative wouldn't help him, but is sure to hurt Democratic chances in 2016. He's not going to do that. He is a very smart man. The debates will be very interesting. I expect a great deal of agreement on many issues to emerge.

Sanders will fight for himself, not against Clinton.

[JDPriestly]

84. A lot of DUers think that talking about the issues is a personal attack on Hillary.

Talk about the Iraq War.

Bernie voted against it. That was a tough, unpopular thing to do in Congress at the time, but Bernie had the intelligence and the CHARACTER to vote against the popular wave.

Hillary voted for it. That was the easy, popular thing to do at the time.

Character is an issue, a big issue. For me, Bernie wins on character and Hillary loses.

Hillary fans complain that DUers are being too tough on Hillary. Well, Hillary is a weak candidate. She proved that in 2008. She will prove it again in 2016. Besides she is Bill's wife, and she will have to anwer for Bill's record in 2016.

A lot of what Hillary supporters interpret as personal attacks are comments about Hillary's character, Bill and issues problems. And those are precisely what this primary is about.

You cannot claim to oppose Citizens United and earn your very large millions of dollars a year at the corporate trough and then expect people to think you really oppose corporate money in politics. That is not the way the world works.

I think that a lot of Hillary supporters are angry at the criticisms made by Bernie supporters because they can't defend Hillary because in some areas she is indefensible.

I rather understand that because, as a woman, I really would like to see a woman as our president. I'm not a stupid or superficial person, however, and I don't think that Hillary should be the woman in the White House again. I'm very disappointed that Hillary is running.

[MineralMan]

86. Yes, I understand.

However, I think you're overestimating the concerns of the general voting public. And they're the people who will decide this primary election and the general election, too.

Attacks on Hillary Clinton won't win the primary for Senator Sanders. Truly they won't. Sanders knows that, so he's not going to go down that road. Most voters don't read places like DU. DU and other Internet venues have very little to do with outcomes of elections, frankly.

Confirmation bias doesn't win elections. Campaigning does. Most people will never read anything about the topics we talk about here every day. We're out of touch, really, with what wins elections. What goes on here has almost nothing to do with how people vote or why.

[JDPriestly]

92. Actually, I do a lot of campaigning come election time. I register voters and talk to

voters and campaign, so I do know what appeals to voters and what their concerns are, and one of those concerns is honest, courageous government.

Corruption is a big problem in our government and one of the main reasons people don't vote. They feel that the candidates, the politicians run a sort of con game a lot of the time. In other words, they feel that the lies of the candidates are a sort of con game.

Promising to end Citizens United and corporate influence on government while accepting huge speaking fees and large donations from the mega-corporations looks like con artist stuff to ordinary people.

[rbnyc]

100. +1

I see legitimate criticism refrained as "smear" and dismissed over and over again.

[JonLP24]

148. He will fight the middle class

He said this about the declining middle class not Hillary Clinton for the longest time & you're a big supplier of "negative stuff". "Go negative" you only apply this to whoever says anything "negative" which might be the truth so "negative" is open to interpretation there but you are leaving out the scenario of Hillary Clinton going negative against whoever which she no doubt will if it comes to that.

[lovemydog]

6. I respect Bernie Sanders for it.

And I respect Hillary Clinton for it.

K & R.

[Cha]

114. And, guess what?..

I respect you, too, for it!

[lovemydog]

117. Hey, at least there's a few of us like that here.

How you doing Cha? Hope you enjoyed a nice weekend.

[Cha]

118. Yeah, it's nice to see kindred spirits!

I'm doing okay after a rough patch.. that nobody seems avoid .. no matter who they are.

How 'bout you, lovemydog?

[lovemydog]

130. Definitely.

Same here - doing okay. I know what you mean about rough patches. It helps a bit knowing that we all have them. Take care my friend.

[sufrommich]

7. I saw this interview.He's a class act.

It's depressing to watch the media beg for a content free food fight,I'm glad he doesn't play along.These 24 hour cable news talking heads are the idiocracy.

[Cha]

115. Bernie is sooo smart.. he doesn't take the bait of the corpmediaheads. And, he has

exponentially more class than some of the bunch sporting his name.

[Fred Sanders]

9. Amen, and touché to the dividers. Could not have said it better myself, Senator. Even more reason he has my support as I

support Warren, as I support Clinton, as I detest the enslaved corporate media, as do both Sanders and Clinton.

[GummyBearz]

12. Its a good move

He doesn't need to bring up all the bad stuff HRC has done as her record should be known (cough IWR). And as soon as they start a serious discussion (assuming she provides serious answers), that record will speak for itself... ouch

[hrmjustin]

13. Sanders is a good man.

We should all follow his lead.

[Doctor_J]

41. Hillary should follow his lead

and debate the issues

[hrmjustin]

45. She is.

[Enthusiast]

85. Yes, she should.

[NorthCarolina]

144. She can't

and still hope to win.

[Doctor_J]

15. Good luck getting HRC to debate the issues, Senator

she's in the four corners, ignoring any question that might be the least bit controversial.

[Agschmid]

23. Please put me on ignore.

All you did in that post was insult the OP, which is what you are complaining about.

I think you could probably do better.

[woo me with science]

50. Such a clear, manipulative pattern in the corporate messaging.

So conveniently consistent that I can use the same response in multiple threads!

Please point us to all the OP's laying out why Hillary is the best representative for the people.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6684995

Because it sure seems that baiting, policy-free OP's like this one have BECOME the messaging strategy for HRC supporters here.

See, you won't point us to the threads showing why Hillary is the best policy representative for the people, because you can't. They don't exist.

Look down the board. All the OP's by Hillary supporters are like yours. Here was my response to another like this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6683607

What you have done here with this baiting OP *is* the campaign strategy: message control and manipulation. As long as people are taking your bait here, they are not talking about Bernie's campaign, his clear stances on issues ranging from the TPP to Social Security to campaign finance reform, and Hillary's lengthy record of coziness with Wall Street and predatory corporate and warmongering policies.

Yes, it's worth making the defensive, diversionary MO here explicit. But I'm off to substantive threads now.

[Agschmid]

57. I'm a Bernie supporter.

Your copy and paste doesn't really apply to me.

[Buzz Clik]

66. There have been hundreds of posts praising Hillary's position on various issues.

Roughly half (one tenth?) the number of posts attacking at all levels.

[Doctor_J]

43. IMO it's even simpler than that

If HRC debates Sanders on the issues, she will lose, since great majorities of people are closer to Bernie than to her on most of them. OTOH, if she hides, and waits for the media and the fan club to carry her to the nomination, she'll jut have to debate a Republican. THis is great for her, since she and the Republicans agree on everything except reproductive right and gay marriage, so the GE will come down to those two issues.

Brilliant strategy. Also extremely dishonest.

[Ron Green]

49. ^^^THIS!^^^

Thanks for this. Spot on.

[woo me with science]

51. "Brilliant strategy. Also extremely dishonest."

Well said. And I think you are correct.

Especially the last line.

[Buzz Clik]

68. This is pure delusion:

since great majorities of people are closer to Bernie

Not a chance. As much as I like Sanders, he has never been tested outside his own state. His primary run will be short lived. Welcomed and needed, but brief.

[NorthCarolina]

155. So tell me, what about YOU qualifies you to make such a claim?

How is it that you can flippantly decide Bernie has no chance? Are you the conscience of America? Are you in some capacity that puts your finger on the pulse of American voters, or are you just blowing hot air?

[Buzz Clik]

156. It's opinion.

I'm guessing he'll get his debate, and you'll be so excited about his performance that you'll need to change your drawers. Everyone else will call it a draw or say that Sanders did well in his wheel house but was thin on all other issues.

[Enthusiast]

90. +1 an entire shit load.

[Buzz Clik]

65. -10000000

[Enthusiast]

89. You nailed it, woo me with science!

[joshcryer]

33. Clinton will have no choice.

Barring some unforseen Obama esque challenger Sanders is Clinton's biggest challenger. Sanders will be at all 6 debates.

If Clinton dodges, she'll be done for.

[KingCharlemagne]

16. Contrarian here (one who supports Sanders currently). There's a reason why

politicians use negative campaigning: it works. Sanders should hang Hillary's Iraq War vote around her neck like the albatross it was in 2008. Make 2016 a referendum on Iraq 2002-03. She should have to explain why she voted for a war based on lies.

[Bluenorthwest]

19. Where do you live? Where I live, negative campaigning fails hard and fast. A worthless tactic.

The Koch Bros try to come here with their negative attack style and their candidates lose by 20%. Where do you live? Got any examples of how you guys elect Democrats using negative campaigns against other Democrats? I expect silence in return.

[KingCharlemagne]

28. If negative campaigning didn't work, politicans wouldn't use it. It's usually

most effective for a candidate who is behind (hence Sanders) and who needs to drive the negatives around the front-runner higher. Poli Sci 101. (Look it up!)

Speaking of silence, got anything to say about Hillary's Iraq War vote, pal? She's either the biggest dupe in modern American political history or something far, far worse.

I live in Maxine Waters' congressional district in southern California.

[LWolf]

20. It's not attacking her

to point out policy differences. It's a campaign; pointing out differences SHOULD happen. Just because those difference do not always show HRC in a favorable light, it's not "attacking."

[FLPanhandle]

21. Good man

That attitude is better than many of the Sanders supporters on DU.

[Nay]

25. This is the thing that makes Bernie electrifying. He DOES NOT get sidetracked into

bullshit; he will talk only about the issues and not about personalities/rivalries/inconsequential crap. ISSUES ONLY. And his issues are the ones that sorely need discussion because no one else is talking about them clearly at all. They're still dancing around, trying to see which way the wind blows, 'crafting' a position. Can anyone here conceive of Bernie crafting a position? It's ludicrous. He doesn't have to. He knows what's right and says it, and if others disagree, oh, well, he DOESN'T CARE. He'll get right up in your shit and tell you not to vote for him if you think libertarian shit is the way to go, or poor people should be starved, or workers should be turned into virtual slaves.

Let's hope it's refreshing enough that it motivates lots of voters.

[joshcryer]

47. This is why Penn from Penn & Teller supports him.

No BS.

[jtuck004]

26. As if the people are the ones that matter. Thank you sir. n/t

[onehandle]

27. Not attacking Hillary would cut down on 90% of posts from 3 or 4 DUers.

They will argue that they are 'debating the issues.'

Good for Bernie, anyway.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. ^^THIS^^

[Doctor_J]

40. And Hillary taking stances on issues would cut down 90% of those posts

what do you think she is afraid of?

[Number23]

103. Oh, how you nailed it. And they're the same ones screaming about their unimpeachable

principles and commitment to truth and justice all while they do nothing but spam this forum and troll every attempt at a real conversation about the issues here.

[Cha]

116. Yeah, wonder what Bernie would think of those who post RW sites to attack Hillary and puff

themselves up?

[stevenleser]

121. More than 3 or 4 unfortunately. This is another interesting test of his leadership ability.

Here he is saying attacking someone else is wrong and he doesnt want to do it.

Let's see if he can lead his followers, the ones who purport to like and agree with him the most, to not attack Hillary.

Something tells me he can't accomplish that.

[JoePhilly]

152. They don't seem to realize that ...

... the people they need to convert are people who would happily vote for Hillary.

So they regularly attack Hillary, calling her supporters an array of nasty names, somehow thinking these tactics will help their cause.

If they can prove Bernie would beat any GOP candidate handily, he can't win the primary. It's that simple.

I do not expect them to figure it out. But I think Bernie gets it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. Hopefully, she'll reveal her positions on some of the issues debated by that time.

[SunSeeker]

56. Bernie has class. nt

[MisterP]

58. hmm, care to name any of these Bernie supporters who aren't addressing the issues?

[Buzz Clik]

64. That's not his point -- he wants the attacks to stop.

[MADem]

60. I don't think some of his "supporters" have gotten the word.

I suppose, after this comment, that those who truly support Sanders will stop attacking Clinton and stick to the issues.

That would mean that those who continue to attack aren't really Sanders supporters at all, but instead, are working for some other political party with a goal of tearing Clilnton down.

By their words we shall know them.

[Buzz Clik]

63. If the message was received, it was ignored. Even on this thread.

I expected nothing less.

[MADem]

69. I think it's great--if they aren't really WITH Bernie, they will ignore him, and then we'll know!

I think that's a link worth keeping, too--it never hurts to point out what the candidate is actually saying about how to approach the issues.

It's appropriate to reference a candidate's words and views when rebutting an argument, and we certainly know now precisely how Senator Sanders feels about these sorts of scurrilous attacks.

Reminds me of the "Be Clean For Gene" days, actually! It will be a simple matter now to know who is actually a supporter of Senator Sanders, and who is using his candidacy as a platform to attack other candidates.

[Buzz Clik]

72. +1

[imnew]

93. The reason it seems like attacks is because most of Hillary's views

and beliefs by nature are Republican.

It's just the way it is man..
I like her as a person but deep down other than a couple of differences she is a Republican with a D in front of her name

Truth may hurt to her supporters here but that's just the way it is ...

[JDPriestly]

75. K&R.

[sabrina 1]

78. Rec'd for Bernie once again telling the truth, this time directly to the media excuses

for 'journalists'.

As for that last remark, I have no need to bash Hillary. I do intend to discuss her record and Bernie's.

If my candidate of choice can't stand up to that kind of reasonable discussion, I would find another.

[kpete]

82. very good advice

ISSUES

what is best & possible for this poor country of ours, at this moment in time?

I hate elections, but i will vote
and i will encourage others to vote

if enough people vote, we can change ANYTHING
if, as usual, the American people are just too busy, distracted or confused
-we can only expect more of the same.

Change will be impossible.


Peace-for a change,
kp

[imnew]

87. If he gains traction and the gap closes , Playing nice against Hillary isn't going to work

Bernie will soon find this out.

Hillary is a pitbull and wants this office more than anything.

She and her team will stoop to any level to win this.

That's a guarantee Mr Sanders..

[Spitfire of ATJ]

94. Meanwhile, the Moonie Times claims he's attacking her.

[workinclasszero]

97. Wow Bernie supporters

Why don't you follow the example of your own leader?

SMH

[freshwest]

98. +1,000. Bernie nailed it. You got a point, too. The stakes are too high for RFing. n/t

[ladyVet]

99. Way to go, Senator Sanders! Keep it up. :D nt

[AuntPatsy]

101. I wish they would too..

[mvd]

102. Good idea, Bernie

We don't want to badly weaken our eventual candidate. Hillary should do the same. The idea isn't to mindlessly trash Hillary - she's a classy woman. But, there are concerns that should be discussed. Her financial support from bankers, does she agree with TPP, will she be a strong fighter for more income equality, etc. Right now I don't see her as less disappointing than President Obama.

[villager]

104. Hopefully the supporters of both candidates will heed this good advice

n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

107. You can't debate the issues with someone who steadfastly refuses to give concrete answers on them.

I agree, this primary season should be about issues, and clear, concrete policy proposals.

However, "my most inspirational bible verse" and "I want to empower communities and families" are not concrete policy proposals. Just saying.

[MFrohike]

111. "I wish some of Bernie's supporters would heed this advice."

I can't help but laugh at the contrast between that sentiment and the dogpile throughout the thread. I'd advise the supporters of ALL candidates to follow that advice, rather than some smugly lecturing others.

Both of the announced candidates have flaws, perhaps decisive ones. Time will tell.

[Cha]

112. I had a feeling Bernie felt this way.. Some of his supporters will not do one thing to change

their posting of rw sources against Hillary.. even though if it were a rw source against Bernie.. they would scream bloody fucking murder.

Mahalo Cali.. good find.

[MarianJack]

119. I'm supporting Hillary, but...

...I will NOT attack Bernie, whom I consider to be a great man.

PEACE!

[heaven05]

122. classy guy

hope it holds. Yet after looking at his years as a politician, I think there is something genuine about him in the positive, lookout for my constituents kind of way. If he makes it to the POTUS office, we'll see....

[MaggieD]

126. Too bad his supporters....

..... Don't share his values.

[Trajan]

131. Coming from one of the most divisive DUers I have ever seen here. ..

Yep .. whistling past the graveyard, are we?

I'm a Bernie supporter first, and I will be a Hillary supporter if she wins the nomination ...

Yet ... the petty hatreds of the Hillary camp are disgusting and do a disservice to the candidate AND the party ...

You do not represent well ... you make Hillary look bad ... You can do better ...

[MaggieD]

132. I'm divisive?

Why? Because I'm not into posting screeds about Democrats here 24/7 like the Bernie supporters do? Because I'm not a useful tool for the right? Because I actually support Democrat unlike some people here?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/us/politics/the-right-aims-at-democrats-on-social-media-to-hit-clinton.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1

[redruddyred]

135. I don't know, I welcome a lot of the criticism which goes on here.

I see the debate as healthy. some of the posts go over the line, but I think it's impt to have these discussions. they aren't necessarily ad hominem as you suggest.

[MaggieD]

137. Screeds full of right wing talking points

Are not the same as discussion. Discussion is good. Being a tool of the right, who is co-opting the extreme left, to take down our front runner is bad. IMO.

[redruddyred]

139. accusing anyone disagreeing with hillary of being a 'tool of the right'

is not useful discussion

[MaggieD]

141. And I am not doing that

Let's not pretend this site is not chock full of people doing exactly what I claimed - posting daily screeds about HRC filled with right wing talking points. It's beyond over the top at this point. And also effin stupid if you don't want to hand the presidency to the republican party.

[redruddyred]

142. I haven't seen any of those

and I spend way too much time on DU as it is.

[Capt. Obvious]

154. +1

[redruddyred]

134. count me out then.

I'm with sanders: I also like and respect hillary, but have many questions abt her as a presidential candidate.
however, I will support whoever wins the nomination.

[MrMickeysMom]

153. Nice try...

You keep trying to bait people with your meaningful discussions….

[peacebird]

128. I also wish that Hill's supporters would cease with the unelectable bs in almost every Bernie post

There is a lot of negative from supporters on each side. I prefer Bernie because of his populist record spanning over 4 decades. I fear Hillary is sounding the populist horn now because of Elizabeth Warren, and she will revert to DLC third way if elected. I don't have that fear with Bernie. He truly is "what you see is what you get"

[BainsBane]

140. I would love to see discussion of issues

Good for Sanders. I only hope his supporters can follow his example and find some issues they care about.

[JEB]

145. I agree with Bernie re TPP.

I agree with Bernie re income inequality. I'll support Bernie.

[madokie]

150. Gotta love a man who can say this with a straight face and mean it 100%

Bernie can do it.
Bernie will do it.
Bernie will be our next POTUS

[NCTraveler]

151. He doesn't need to attack her, just as she doesn't need to attack him.

Both of them have thousands of supporters willing to take up that cause.