Bernie Sanders says the tone of the Democratic presidential race has become too personal

[Omaha Steve]

Source: W Post

By John Wagner

CONCORD, N.H. -- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Saturday that he thinks the Democratic race for the White House has become too personal as supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton have accused him and his campaign of taking on a sexist tone.

“I do, and I think that is unfortunate,” Sanders told reporters at a news conference called here to tout endorsements from a statewide postal workers union and two local trade unions.

“We disagree on a number of the issues, but I don’t think we want to make this campaign personal, and I have tried my best not to do that,” Sanders said. “A serious election is a debate on the issues. That’s called democracy, not attacking people on a personal level.”

Sanders has been fending off suggestions of sexism from Clinton boosters since late last week, when Clinton took issue with one of Sanders’s comments on gun control from the first Democratic debate in Las Vegas. Sanders said that he favors sensible solutions to reduce violence but told Clinton that “all the shouting in the world is not going to do what I hope all of us want.”

FULL story at link.

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484
Bernie Sanders takes part in a presidential debate sponsored by CNN on Oct. 13. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/31/bernie-sanders-says-the-tone-of-the-democratic-presidential-race-has-become-too-personal/

[mdbl]

1. Actually it has barely started.

I hope Bernie can win the nomination whether it gets personal or not, but history proves it will only get worse. All Bernie can do is have the answers ready when the BS starts to fly.

[forest444]

2. It has - but mostly on Hillary's part.

I think she did herself no favors by insinuating that Bernie is somehow sexist, and that his comments to the effect that there's too much shouting about gun control were somehow directed at her.

She should understand by now that these aren't GOP zombies she's talking to, and that saying things like that only comes off an insults to everyone's intelligence - nothing more.

[pnwmom]

11. He told HER "all the shouting in the world" won't help with gun control and then pretended

that his comments weren't directed to her.

The hell they weren't. She, unlike Bernie, had never raised her voice in the debate. But when a woman speaks with determination, that's often how she will be perceived.

And no one has ever answered: how come Bernie can shout about any issue he wants, but it isn't helpful for people to do that who are concerned about gun control?

[wordpix]

13. I don't view him as a shouter - I think he's pissed off @the corporate control

of the US and he shows it. He sometimes shows he's just about had it and is not gonna take it anymore. And that's the way I feel, too.

[pnwmom]

14. If Hillary raised her volume to the level he often uses, she would be accused of shouting.

So why don't you view him as a shouter?

[Live and Learn]

25. He didn't single her out. Everything is not about Hillary, believe it or not!

And he didn't claim shouting was bad. He said it didn't solve issues.

[pnwmom]

40. He answered her calm and reasoned statement by talking about shouting.

I don't know what your definition of singling her out is, but his statement was a direct response to hers.

[Live and Learn]

48. Still doesn't mean it was about her. And what he said was true. nt

[pnwmom]

57. What was true? Who was shouting? He was the only one shouting about anything. n/t

[Live and Learn]

59. I didn't hear him shouting at all. I guess it is all a matter of perception.

And I have perfect hearing and vision.

[MADem]

32. You don't? His voice cracks and breaks because all he DOES is shout.

It's a bit one-note, after a bit. It sounds too much like a litany of complaints.

[Live and Learn]

49. Your posts are becoming more ridiculous by the day.

Rather amazing, I didn't think that was possible.

[MADem]

53. I talk about the candidate, you talk about me. Personal insult isn't the way to win an argument.

The guy has a long record of yelling:

[Live and Learn]

60. Wrong again, I was talking about your post.

Nothing wrong with shouting when it is called for,

[daleanime]

31. I have to admire your willpower....

you will see Bernie as sexist, facts or not. Just don't expect to convince any one else. Have a lovely evening.

[pnwmom]

33. I don't think he's sexist. But somehow he's perceiving her as shouting

when he's the only one on the stage who IS shouting.

And I don't blame her for perceiving that as sexism, because that's not an uncommon reaction to women speaking definitively.

[daleanime]

38. See what I mean about your willpower?

You know very well that he was talking about the conflict over the subject, not any single person. But that wouldn't be useful, would it? You did notice that she won't take credit for it, just wants it floating out there in case it's useful, if it turns out not to be she will of course deny ever having meant it. Still enjoy a lovely evening.

[pnwmom]

41. Elizabeth Warren has spoken out about the sexism she and other women in government

have to deal with.

Would you believe her on the same subject?

[cui bono]

45. Link to her saying what Bernie said was about Hillary and that it was sexist please.

Thanks!

I don't see anyone putting forth that there is no sexism in government so you can give up your strawman argument.

[pnwmom]

47. As soon as you show me a link where Hillary says that Bernie was sexist. n/t

[cui bono]

72. Why? I never made that assertion. I merely requested you to back up yours.

I take it you can't. If you can, then you're just playing a game here since you haven't posted it.

[pnwmom]

74. I was responding to complaints that she was saying he was sexist.

She never said that.

Her supporters, however, have pointed out that he said to her, "Senator Clinton, shouting about guns . . ." just after she was calmly speaking about guns -- not shouting.

And that was a strange thing for him to say since he was the only person shouting in the whole debate.

[Karma13612]

102. thats the point:

Hillary herself has not said Bernie was being sexist.

Her campaign staff has.

And here is lynch pin: She is not denying the claim.

If she does not deny the Hillary staff assertions that Bernie is sexist, then she is supporting the claim that Bernie is sexist. It goes directly to the concept that her campaign and it's staff represent her.

Welcome to triangulation and dirty politics. She doesn't get her hands dirty at all.
But, Bernie is smeared.

[Francois9]

91. Bernie has used the phrase "shouting about gun control" many times.

The Democratic debate took place on October 13th. Here are some examples of Sanders using the "shouting" theme well before that debate took place:

July 5, 2015

We have been yelling and screaming at each other about guns for decades with very little success...

July 26, 2015

And what I said is that as a nation, we can't continue screaming at each other, or else we've got to find common ground.
July 26, 2015

“...stop shouting at each other and come forward with sensible ideas.”

August 29, 2015

...but I think that people just shouting at each other and going nowhere in a hurry in trying to address that issue is not doing anybody any good...

August 30, 2015

...I think I can get beyond the noise and all of these arguments and people shouting at each other and come up with real, constructive gun control legislation...

September 3, 2015

I think that I can play a good role in working with both sides on this issue so that we can get beyond the screaming at each other and the contentiousness that exists…

October 1, 2015

But what we need, Chris, as a nation is to get beyond the shouting.
and

So, I think the job is to bring people together and say, yes, we`ve got to move forward, we`ve got to move forward aggressively, stop the shouting and let`s work together to do something that`s realistic.

October 2, 2015

...and the President is right. Condolences are not enough. We've got to do something. We've got to stop shouting at each other...

October 5, 2015
The status quo clearly is not working and people on both sides of this issue cannot simply continue shouting at each other.

October 10, 2015

...instead of people yelling at each other, we have got to come together...
October 11, 2015

What I did say is that we keep shouting at each other, which is what has been going on here for 20 years…

In addition to having used the "shouting" theme for quite some time prior to the debate, Sanders has also used this theme in a plural sense, using words and phrases such as "we", "each other", "both sides", "as a nation", and "people". Sanders never uses this theme in reference to any individual, including Secretary Clinton.

It's important to note as well that in the last quote shown above, which dates from two days before the debate, Sanders refers to the "shouting" having taken place over the last 20 years. It seems fairly apparent that Sanders was not referring to Clinton in that statement, as he and Secretary Clinton have only been running against each other for five months and not twenty years.

The bottom line is, this is not an honest assessment of Sanders' statement by Secretary Clinton. I knew immediately that Senator Sanders has been using the "shouting" theme for months because I've listened to his interviews and speeches. You know who else listens to Sanders' interviews and speeches? That's right, Secretary Clinton's crack opposition research team does. Secretary Clinton knows full well that Sanders' comment in the debate was not aimed at her specifically, and that it was aimed, as it always has been, at the two warring sides in the gun control debate.

As political strategist James Carville is reputed to have said, “When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil”. The attack on Sanders' character is certainly a very nice anvil. It also happens to be wrong.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/27/1440438/-Bernie-Hillary-and-guns-all-over-but-the-shouting#

[pnwmom]

101. So he's a robot and this is a habit. Okay. Why is he allowed to shout whenever he feels like it

but he can tell Hillary when it is and isn't appropriate? And she's supposed to realize that he ALWAYS says shouting isn't appropriate about gun control (and only gun control)?

[Marty McGraw]

104. I hear HRC always

Shouting as well but don't take it as a negative. And do understand what is perceived by me is not necessarily so with others. Almost seems like it is a per-requisite for a politician to get elected and in Bernie's case, crowds will gather around unexpectedly without the luxury of having a microphone around and am sure the raised voice is more habit than anything else.

[Francois9]

110. That's not the point.

The point is that he wasn't attributing "shouting" to Hillary, but to the usual participants on both sides of the gun control debate, who have been shouting instead of arguing rationally. Did you see all those quotes in the article I posted where he uses the word "shouting" to describe with the gun control controversy? Only a paranoid (or paranoid by proxy) would think that he was attributing "shouting" specifically to Hillary.

[pnwmom]

112. He was responding directly to her statement about his positions on gun control. And now you are

saying that the "usual participants" "have been shouting instead of arguing rationally."

Why, after Hillary makes a calm, reasoned comment, is this an appropriate moment to bring up "participants" who shout instead of "arguing rationally." She WAS arguing rationally. So why did he address this comment to her -- as he did, directly. (Even naming her.)

You are sliding into the same error that he did.

[Francois9]

123. I guess once you've had the "click," the world looks different to you.

You begin noticing slights where you never saw them before. They must be slights because that's what your world view tells you, regardless of how the facts may buck.

[JudyM]

105. Thanks for posting this extremely helpful info. This is dispositive in my view about his intent.

He clearly has a pattern of characterizing the gun debate as an ongoing shouting match. Someone should get this in front of both him and Hillary to put this nonsense to bed.

I am also an ardent feminist with an acute sensitivity to veiled sexism, and this ain't it, IMO.

[Red Knight]

42. They weren't directed to her at all.

That's a reach at best. And even IF they had been it has nothing to do with sexism. If Bernie gets a little loud so be it. What the centrist Hillary supporters don't understand is that progressives have been marginalized in the party. His tone is our tone.

[pnwmom]

46. Of course they were. They were a direct response to her statement about disagreeing with him

on gun control.

And I don't care that he gets loud. It just seems hypocritical for him to call anyone else out on being loud.

[cui bono]

43. No, he did not. You just won't accept it.

[riversedge]

78. Yes, he did. You just will not accept it.

See how that works!

[INdemo]

86. If this shouting issue is all that Hillary (Bill ) has

then her campaign polling numbers are not what is being reported.

Bernie Sanders was not shouting at Hillary..If you watched the debate you should realize what he meant.

Many forget the negative tone that Billary used against Obama in 2008 and many Democrats at the time issued statements calling for the negatives to stop.

It was Bill that brought the Rev Wright issue up in the 2008 campaign then ran and hid in the bushes like some little kid would do knowing he was the guilty party that broke the window.


Hillary is talking about issues Bernie brought up months ago and now claiming them as her own ("ideas?)
and the media is playing along with her.
Think she is not a corporate candidate?

[Matariki]

113. "all the shouting in the world" is a common turn of speech

it's disingenuous to try to turn it into an issue of sexism.

[pnwmom]

115. But she wasn't shouting and he named her and specifically addressed her.

What difference does it make if it's a common turn of speech? Ordinary, garden variety sexism is common, too.

[Matariki]

116. "she wasn't shouting" - which pretty much proves that the statement was impersonal.

I can't wait until the primaries are over. Sanders isn't sexist. Hillary isn't a monster. One of them will be our candidate in the General Election and hopefully everyone here will be able to lick their wounds and get behind that person.

[pnwmom]

118. No, it doesn't. Women who are merely being assertive are OFTEN accused

of raising their voices, or getting overly emotional, or shouting -- when they aren't. When the exact same behavior wouldn't even be noticed if it was done by a man.

This article was written about Elizabeth Warren, but it describes the situation all women in politics face. They're constantly trying to walk a tightrope that white males don't have to walk.

To succeed at a certain level, women in politics — like in other industries — must be all manner of contradictions. Assertive but never aggressive, confident but never showy, able to go toe to toe with the boys but never emasculating. It’s an exhausting kind of emotional labor, and it’s something that women are tasked with in private and public.

Now there seems to be some rule that you can feel one of two ways about remarks like Reid’s or Buffett’s: that they are evidence that the person behind the remark is a stone cold sexist, or that they somehow aren’t worth talking about in the first place. But that’s a disappointing trap. Especially now. More than ever, words like “unconscious bias” and soft sexism are part of the public vocabulary, but we still tend to treat real world examples of these things as insignificant outliers, no matter how many times we see them.

http://www.salon.com/2015/04/27/she’s_very_disarming_why_we_still_judge_women_in_politics_on_their_ability_to_make_you_feel_comfortable/

[Matariki]

121. Logic 101

a = b : grass is green
b = c : green is a color
then c = a : color is grass


Like I said, I can't wait until the primaries are over.

[Francois9]

85. She would never attack him if she weren't afraid of him.

She just wouldn't bother.

[peacebird]

88. Welcome! And you are absolutely correct on that!

[forest444]

99. In politics just as in life, right?

And welcome to DU, François. Bienvenue!

[SoapBox]

3. He wants to talk issues.

Others just want to cover their flip-flops and changing positions with dirty politics.

[pnwmom]

15. He wants to shout about the issues he cares about, and he often does.

But gun control isn't one of them.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

22. Any idea how ridiculous you look running around this thread, trying to make something stick?

It takes a very, VERY special kind of person to try to make Sanders into a sexist, a racist, a gun nut, and so on.

I deleted the rest. You probably need to hear it, but I deleted it anyway.

[doc03]

4. Probably so but from my observations it has been

mostly his supports that are responsible for that. Oh if you don't think so just read the posts on page one of the latest threads.

[azmom]

5. The whole thing was so stupid.

Hillary is ahead in most polls, why even attack Bernie like that. She's coming across as an arrogant bully.

[Scootaloo]

9. It's more than just "coming across as"

[99th_Monkey]

6. Hillary nasty attacks may be doing Bernie a favor, in the long run

because in the GE he's going to have to face many dirty tricks and personal attacks, guaranteed.

So this gives him some practice honing his already considerable skills at turning attacks to
his advantage, like when Hillary's PAC ran that nasty ad that instantly raised $1 million dollars
for Bernie's campaign.


Go Bernie!!!

[riversedge]

18. Nah-he is just crying to the press now-suspose that is a good 'skill' to develop????

[99th_Monkey]

21. He's calling Hills out for deliberately smearing him as being sexist.

yep. he may need to do this, hopefully not much more in the primary, but keeping
the record straight is part of running a clean campaign not based on warrantless
personal attacks.

[riversedge]

23. He needs to bone up instead of whine to the press.

[99th_Monkey]

26. I see it very differently, which I've already explained, so I'll agree to disagree. no biggie.

please do have a happy Halloween! cheers

[Live and Learn]

29. Bone up? What the hell does that mean?

Sounds like a sexist term to me. And gawd forbid we accuse Hillary of whining. Jheez, could you people plllleeeease take some of Hillary's advice and 'cut it out'?

[MADem]

34. That's a sad little stretch. Or did you never go to high school, or college?

ESL? Immigrant? I could see someone not understanding this common and oft-used reference in those cases.

If you were born/raised in USA, though, this is not an uncommon phrase. Affecting ignorance of it, or suggesting it is somehow 'sexist,' suggests you are either being snarky, or you have a gap in your education. Let me help you with that gap:


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bone%20up

bone up
verb
Definition of BONE UP

intransitive verb
1
: to try to master necessary information quickly : cram <bone up for the exam>
2
: to renew one's skill or refresh one's memory <boned up on the speech just before giving it>

Examples of BONE UP

<I suggest you bone up a bit on torts before the next attempt at the bar exam.>

[Live and Learn]

35. Another patronizing post not addressing the essence of the post, what a surprise.

And making fun of ESL students, how quaint.

[riversedge]

77. The essence of MaDems post is that MaDem took a teachable moment --and took the

time to look up a word/term so you could learn what it means. Instead of accusing a fellow DU member of patronizing,- you could have done the polite thing and said Thank you. That would have been the right thing to do.

[Marty McGraw]

106. Now the word 'Teachable'

Here, really *is* a stretch. And her use of the word immigrant make us all feel like 'Foreign' or an 'Other'. It just knits this side of the aisle so much closer together.

[riversedge]

107. I was referring to the

the learning of a new term --. If you want to discuss other concerns--bring it up with that poster, not me.

[cui bono]

111. You might want to look up the word "patronizing".

The essence of MaDems post is that MaDem took a teachable moment --and took the

time to look up a word/term so you could learn what it means. Instead of accusing a fellow DU member of patronizing,- you could have done the polite thing and said Thank you. That would have been the right thing to do.

[riversedge]

76. Thanks for educating that poster. Much apprecitated.

[riversedge]

75. I am glad you were able to learn another term from

MaDem. I hope next time you will take the time to look up a word/term instead of engaging in suppuration. Have a nice day.

[Kalidurga]

66. You mean like Hillary did about being told she was shouting?

[PaulaFarrell]

69. Bone up on what exactly?

I know the phrase well, but I took it as an inference that he was weak and unmanly as well. Used the way you used it, it doesn't make sense. What should he be studying?

[Live and Learn]

94. Exactly. It is quite obvious what was implied despite their denials. nt

[Thinkingabout]

7. Sanders has had ample opportunity to apologize to Clinton, he used her name Secretary Clinton about

Shouting, it sounded sexists when he said the statement and when Clinton elaborated on his statement in a speech she is accused of calling him a sexists. She never said he was a sexists and since he has chosen not to apologize for his statement it appears he does not intends to apologize. Where does this leave him, he is the owner of his statement, he does not apologize. He has earned his title.

[99th_Monkey]

28. Bernie's not about to "apologize" for saying the same exact words he'd been saying

for months, in the same context on the same issue: guns.

Hillary threw the gender card down hard, it was a misplaced personal attack & it misfired,
just like Brocks slimy attack misfired.

[Thinkingabout]

50. Then the consequences will be his to accept.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

61. And Hillary's will be hers to accept.

[Thinkingabout]

65. Are you saying Hillary is responsible for calling Secretary Clinton and the rest about shouting,

this is not the way it works, the consequences are Sanders. He has had more than ample time to apologize.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

68. Troll logic doesn't work with me.

You seem to be here for one reason, and one reason only.

I respectfully decline to interact with you. Please don't ask me why.

I am, after all, a Gentleman.

[Plucketeer]

97. Oh for god's sake!

CRY BABIES gonna cry - end of story.

[Thinkingabout]

98. Then explain to those who continuously returning to this over and over and over. It is oblivious

Sanders is not going to apologize for his statement, let it go. As a Clinton supporter I accept his decision not to apologize.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

114. The fact you say he should apologize shows how you troll

People here know the truth. You are just making yourself look badly. You should be ashamed but I bet that word is notin your dictionary.

[George II]

39. Yep, he fired the first (and probably second and third) shots and it didn't get him anywhere, so....

....now he says its "too personal" and I suppose he wants it to stop?

[Thinkingabout]

51. Yes, it did not turn out as he thought, calling Secretary Clinton, it made it personal to her.

[MADem]

44. Maybe, just maybe, if he stopped shouting at people about shouting, he'd do better.

He always raises his voice while he's accusing others of shouting.

I don't think he, personally, is a sexist. The comment he made sounded condescending, though. The optics are just bad.

If you have to go back through the archives, and find examples where he yells at men about shouting, and say "See? Look! He does it to EVERYONE!" it suggests HE is the one who needs to "modulate his tone" and maybe speak a little more softly on occasion.

[Thinkingabout]

52. He shouts often, maybe shouting is not a problem to him.

[MADem]

56. It is to at least some of his listeners. It's not the way to draw people in. nt

[Plucketeer]

100. There ya go

If ONLY Bernie would emulate Ben Carson - why - he'd be practically perfect! Like all of us are.

[billhicks76]

8. Hillary's Campaign Is Pathetic

I cant wait to see it ride off into the sunset with her ally Jeb Bush.

[riversedge]

19. The only place the campaign will ride to is the Oval office

[billhicks76]

125. She Is A Bush Family Collaborator

Thanks for encouraging people to believe her lies and doing the world a disservice.

[redstateblues]

27. Pathetic post

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

70. Only if you are a Hillary fan. For the rest of us...

I can't speak for anyone but myself but Hillary has nowhere to go but down. Bernie and his minions have not yet begun to fight. The power of the people is what this nation and our constitution are supposed to be about.

I've said way too much. I'll leave it to others to add their 2 cents.

[billhicks76]

126. Lol

Good look with logic like that. Keep living in a bubble.

[mwrguy]

10. Hillary is being so bossy

Poor Bernie.

[NonMetro]

12. Some Say Hillary Clinton Didn't Do This, That It Was Her Campaign People

Or her supporters.

True, she personally did not use the word "sexist" but she did this. She took an innocuous statement by Sanders about "shouting" and purposely turned it into a gender issue. A couple of days after the exchange about gun control, in which Sanders said all the "shouting" in the world won't do any good, she said "some people" think when a "woman talks", she's shouting.

She knew Sanders didn't mean it that way.

Yes, it's ugly. Hillary Clinton made it that way.

[indivisibleman]

17. Exactly ^^^^ n/t

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

62. She didn't use the word but the implication is certainly there.

[NonMetro]

83. Exactly!

And a lot of HRC supporters are quick to triumphantly point out that she didn't say "sexist" - as if they didn't know what she meant. They're being dishonest -and unfortunately, it would appear that needs to be pointed out to them. But they will also take offense if you do point it out!

[peacebird]

89. Bingo!

[KingCharlemagne]

95. I hope Sanders rips her a new one for her vote on Iraq. Warmongering is

a non-sexist issue.

[Karma13612]

103. thank you. You stated this perfectly, waaay better than I could have. nt

[wordpix]

16. let's just compare their proposals for reducing gun violence & see who wins the debate

that is, if moderators ask the question

[pinebox]

20. sure

and we'll counter with minimum wage.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

63. Ask them to compare on EVERY issue. That would do her in.

[jtuck004]

24. Not even enough. The Civil War, that was personal. This is nuthin', yet. n/t

[Bernblu]

30. Hillary can't run on the issues so she made up the ridiculous charge that Sanders is sexist.

It's something Karl Rove Would be proud of and shows how low Clinton and her campaign will go.

[George II]

37. Why not give us the actual quote where she charged Sanders of being a sexist?

[Thinkingabout]

54. Not possible since it did not happen. But there have been lots of accusations she did, funny how

that happens.

[George II]

58. So where is the quote of Clinton's calling him a "sexist"?

[George II]

36. So he's walking back starting the personal war?

[PatrickforO]

55. Oh, Clinton will get REALLY personal. It's how she rolls.

She plays dirty and we saw it with Obama in 08. She'll milk this shouting thing for all its worth and then some. She has to. She can't hold a candle to Sanders on issues.

[davidpdx]

71. Like when she claimed that McCain crossed the Commander-in-Chief threshold

and insinuated that Barack Obama didn't.

[Francois9]

92. "Commander in Chief threshold"?

The disastrous war Hillary engineered against Libya shows that Hillary does not pass the "commander in chief threshold."

[6000eliot]

64. Sanders supporters have been attacking Hillary for months right here.

[Beacool]

109. Well, that's how they roll.

They have attacked her relentlessly over a long time, but goodness forbid anyone says anything about their candidate of choice, then all hell brakes lose.

Either way, the whole thing is a big yawn, we all know who will actually win the nomination.

[eridani]

120. We/ve been attacking her positions on endless war, welfare deform, and letting banksters off

Her prior history on issues of concern to me is seriously lousy, with the exception of reproductive rights.

[flamingdem]

67. Well done, Bernie won't play games

Hillary can't resist. Point for Bernie but the games work better with media reporting.

[MyNameGoesHere]

73. Hey I wasn't in your yard

so stop shouting at me.

[FreedomRain]

79. All the shouting in the world is not going to do what I hope all of us want.

Of course politicians shout. It's a standard rhetorical tool. I am positive Sanders knows quite well he himself uses it more than Clinton, and the remark clearly included himself in the label. His point was we should do more than that for once, because on this issue that's just about all we have ever done.

[Vinca]

80. I know Bernie had hoped for a civil campaign, but that was not realistic.

This is American politics. At best it's dirty. Wait until Hillary's gang starts painting him as a Commie Pinko. You know it's coming.

[JDPriestly]

81. Bernie's statement, " all the shouting in the world" was about as impersonal as a statement can

get.

How and why in the world Hillary took it personally is beyond me.

Hillary was not shouting so the shouting word did not apply to her. She was not the only person on the stage or "in the world" talking about gun legislation.

Hillary is the sexist candidate here taking a statement that was innocuous out of context to play the victim of sexism. I'm not even sure she agrees with her surrogates who are screaming "sexist."

I'm a woman. I've personally suffered from sexism in my youth.

Bernie is not sexist, and his statement "all the shouting in the world" had nothing absolutely nothing to do with sex or gender. How could he have said what he said any differently? How about,"all, and I do not include you, Hillary in the word all because you are a woman, the screaming, and I am not accusing you, Hillary of screaming because since you are a woman I know you speak like a lady at all times and don't scream, in the world, such world not directed specifically to your world, Hillary bur rather to the entire world including all the men in this roon

This is a made-up controversy that makes Hillary look like an overly sensitive whiner.

[djean111]

82. This is a made-up controversy that makes Hillary look like an overly sensitive whiner. Yes it does.

It does not seem very "presidential". Just what we need - a thin-skinned hawk for a president.

[Matariki]

117. +1

you said it better than me.

[cynzke]

87. EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF POLITICS PRACTICED TODAY!

Seize on something your opponents says and use it against them. Bernie Sanders shouts at times. A fact. Nothing wrong with that. It is what Democrats should see in their candidates. Our government is messed up and we want to see someone who is passionate and as angry as we are. If Hillary wants to shout at times, that would be ok too. Now I do not believe that what Bernie said was a DELIBERATE (plotted) attack on Hillary. But the phrasing was easy to EXPLOIT from a political standpoint. I watched Hillary's speech and while she did not directly accuse Sanders by her words that he was being "sexist", there is no doubt she is IMPLYING it. This is standard practice of political campaigns today. Find a chink in the armor of your opponent and attack that weakness. I don't think it wise of Hillary or her supporters to dwell on this and try to make it an issue. Sanders does not truly appear to be sexist and we as Democrats should REJECT this type of campaigning. If a candidate is BLATANTLY flaunting a flaw in their character REPEATEDLY by comments they make, then by all means call them out on it and use it to your political advantage. But I think in this case, Sanders comment is being exaggerated and hyped for political purposes.

[Evergreen Emerald]

90. Lol: It is as old as polictics: blame your opponent for being a meeny.

wambulance anyone?

[NurseJackie]

93. This is mild compared to what a well-funded GOP candidate has in store for the Democratic nominee.

[Marty McGraw]

108. Fortunately, all that

wasted money is still stuck in the dumb-shit ever-so obvious mis-constructed way of advocating to only the more extreme conservative head out there and gets completely laughed at or ignored by the rest of us.

Didn't we all just love those anti-ObamaCare commercials the Kochs put up? Their tactics are tired & old and I can't see any production crew being all that enthused about creating one. A lot of people are desperate for a paycheck though.

[Blasphemer]

119. This is my feeling exactly

Yes, it would be nice if we had civil presidential elections but that's not happening anytime soon. If a candidate can't survive a relatively mild primary battle (it's like Wild West around here but the actually campaigns have barely scratched the surface of contention), then the general election would be a slaughter. As I decide on who to support this primary season, one thing I've looked for is fortitude. Dealing with decades of GOP mudslinging puts about a million checks in the Clinton column on that front.

[sulphurdunn]

96. After the 2008 primary,

I'm pretty sure there isn't much, if anything, HRC wouldn't do to win the nomination. That gives her a distinct advantage over any candidate with scruples.

[Matariki]

122. Just look at this thread. How will we ever discuss the issues?

Much less elect people who will actually do anything about them. With all this grade school bullshit about who was shouting, who was accusing who of what blah blah blah. It's embarassing.

And how WILL we fix the gun control problem in this country? Who has the best ideas and why?

[deutsey]

127. A lot of people prefer the soap opera quality of elections

Most of those in the news media do (ratings=$$$), of course, but I believe many others enjoy the thrill they feel in the reptile part of their brains when elections are reduced to petty personality squabbles or demonizing Muslims, immigrants, socialists, fill in the blank.

Start seriously talking (i.e., not just bloviating rhetoric) about how the economy has become increasingly rigged since Reagan to benefit a tiny elite and what needs to be done about, about our collapsing infrastructure and what needs to be done about it, about climate change and what needs to be done about it, and about other complex issues that profoundly affect us all and people's eyes glaze over.

[The Second Stone]

124. As Harry Truman said, if you can't take the heat

get out of the kitchen. Sen. Sanders has been handled with kid gloves by his opponents in the Democratic primary. If his skin is this thin, he certainly won't be able to serve as President. Whoever the nominee is, they are going to be savaged by the Republicans and the media. And they won't get anywhere whining about it. Just ask Obama. It's personal.