"Too Liberal" - Attack Ad Against Bernie Actually Makes Me Want To Vote for Bernie

[TomCADem]

Who ever is trying to hurt Bernie's chances in the primaries with this ad, should be fired. Bernie himself should run this ad:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/esa-fund-anti-sanders-super-pac_us_56ae76cae4b0010e80ea89fa

[kag]

1. Seriously!!

This is supposed to be an ATTACK ad??????

[SunSeeker]

54. No, it was right winger Ricketts' attempt to hurt Hillary by helping Bernie.

See Post 40.
Http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[TrollBuster9090]

74. In a way, yes. An attack ad against Hillary Clinton

It's meant as an attack ad against Hillary Clinton, provided enough left wingers think Clinton supporters are behind it.


It's paid for by ESA Fund, which is a conservative superpac paid for by plutocrats.
https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00489856

But yes, I believe Bernie would agree with everything that's in it, except for the statement that his policies are 'too liberal.' IF ONLY 'liberals' would advocate for single payer!

[liberalmike27]

85. Yea, You May Be Right

Since Hillary is the same as Republicans, on these issues, she's against health care, four years of school, a higher minimum wage, or taxing the rich more to pay for this stuff, and 13 million new jobs.

So you might be right.

[TrollBuster9090]

98. Well, no, she's not the same as Republicans on these issues. (Unless you're being sarcastic)

I support both Sanders and Clinton. I'd prefer Sanders, but let's not kid ourselves about a false equivalence between Clinton and Republicans. Sanders is chocolate ice cream, Clinton is diet-vanilla, and Republicans are offering everybody a bowl of frozen dogshit that they CLAIM is chocolate ice cream. If it comes down to a choice between diet-vanilla and frozen dogshit, I'm not deluded enough to think they're the same.

Clinton is NOT against health care. In fact, she was working on universal health care back in 1993, with a plan that was to the left of the Affordable Care Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_health_care_plan_of_1993

Clinton is NOT against a higher minimum wage. It's currently $7.25, Clinton is on record as saying it should be $12, and Sanders is on record as saying it should be $15. Trump is on record as saying it's already too high, and half the GOP wants to eliminate the minimum wage entirely.

[Betty Karlson]

77. It only demonstrates the complete disconnect certain 1 % people have with reality. eom

[seekthetruth]

2. We've seriously entered an alternate universe......

......this sounds more like something from the GOP than a Democratic candidate.

[StevieM]

59. It was from the GOP. (eom)

[mountain grammy]

3. Great ad.. for Bernie!

[yourpaljoey]

4. wha? Is that really an attack ad?

Last edited Sun May 29, 2016, 03:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Free healthcare and college paid for by taxing Wall Street, big business, and the super rich.
That's what people want.
That looks like an attack-ad parody.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. Bingo.

[passiveporcupine]

35. It does, doesn't it?

And the best part if the rich couple hugging themselves at the end in front of their mansion.

Jeeze Louise, this has got to be a parody.

[SunSeeker]

53. No, Ricketts was trying to get Dems to vote for Bernie to hurt Hillary.

See post 40.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[LittleGirl]

5. I love it

I'm too liberal for Bernie, that's why I voted for him! bahaaahaaaa

[litlbilly]

6. I think Bernie's people should run this ad:) What a great ad

[greiner3]

10. All he'd need to do is add "I'm Bernie Sanders and I approve this message"

[kayakjohnny]

32. !

[SammyWinstonJack]

55. HA!

[SusanCalvin]

8. The link says it's a pro-Bernie ad disguised as an attack ad. nt

[pangaia]

9. I guessed that was probably the case...

[Jack Rabbit]

11. As a Sandernista, I'd like to thank Mr. Rickets for helping to get our message out

Rickets must be a real sociopath to think these are problems. Is he another person who read Atlas Shrugged as a teenager and never grew up?

[annabanana]

12. You mean this ISN'T a pro-Bernie ad?

It all sounds damn good to me

[ConservativeDemocrat]

47. If you read the research below, it *IS* pro-Sanders. Run by Republicans.

Who really wanted Democrats to be stupid enough to nominate him.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[blackspade]

84. Winning the hearts and minds of liberals as usual...

You're changing reality to a negative one post at a time.
Well done.

President tRump thanks you for your continued efforts.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

90. Extremists hate inconvenient truths...

...but it makes it no less true.

And you're about a year too late in calling for party comity. The behavior of the authoritarian left on the D.U. is known to such a degree, the traffic on this site has gone down when it should have gone up in an election year, and most Democrats have been driven away.

So I'm not going to kiss their petulant counterproductive asses over threats that they'll let Trump win because they're mad about a blog post. Anyone who does that was just looking for an excuse anyway.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[blackspade]

99. Speaking of authoritarians....

Your projection is precious.
Talk about petulant...

But do keep going...

[gordyfl]

13. It was probably aired in a conservative locale.

[jmowreader]

14. Iowa.

[gordyfl]

17. Possibly

a conservative district of Iowa.

[jmowreader]

20. Which describes most of Iowa

They went for Obama twice, but their governor, light governor, AG, both US Senators, three of four US congressmen and a huge chunk of their statehouse is Republican...and remember always Iowa is the state that inflicted Joni Ernst on the nation.

[gordyfl]

25. Not all the same ads aired in Miami

are necessarily aired in Gainesville, FL.

That's one reason campaigns hire pollsters - to run the best TV ads in certain areas using local TV stations.

[thesquanderer]

30. This "negative" Sanders ad was likely run by conservatives specifically to hurt Hillary in Iowa (nt)

[SunSeeker]

46. Of course it was. See post 40.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[TwilightZone]

58. And Steve King.

He trumps Ernst, I think. Guy's a bonehead.

[Duval]

16. LOL! An add FOR Bernie!

Somebody goofed!

[SunSeeker]

49. Who "goofed" were Dems who fell for this ad. Your response was exactly what Ricketts was going for.

See post 40.http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[Hydra]

61. And this is a problem how?

Why is our party establishment against these things, btw?

[SunSeeker]

63. The GOP ratfucking our Dem primary with ads to boost the weaker candidate is a problem.

And our party "establishment" (what Sanders calls party leaders and longtime Dems) are not against the things mentioned in the ad; they supports free public college for those who can't afford it; and they supports universal heath care coverage; and they supports taxing Wall Street, big business and the super rich to pay for it.

[concreteblue]

65. "The weaker candidate" ROFLMAO

You mean the candidate who polls 4-6 times greater leads over the opposition? THAT "weaker candidate"?
Cheesus, the stupid is strong in this thread.....

[SunSeeker]

66. Those poll matchups now do not reflect who will be the stronger candidate in November.

But I do agree with you that the stupid is strong in this thread.

[Hydra]

67. Our party leadership says all of this is "Too expensive"

And will "Never, ever happen." Oh ya, and Wall St and super rich are our donors. Can't tax them.

And as for weak candidates...how is it that Hillary cannot cinch the nomination against an old white guy with no establishment support, no media support, no superpac, and no President pushing for him? By any objective measure she should be polling at 95% against Bernie and Trump if she was no more than moderately qualified.

[SunSeeker]

70. The Democratic party does not think universal coverage is "too expensive."

And you are wrong, Sanders has gotten tons of free media, and help from conservatives (as the ad described by the OP demonstrates). Sanders often vastly outspent Hillary on ads in state primaries. Hillary has gotten battered from both sides. But she still soundly beat Sanders, getting 3 million more votes than him.

[Hydra]

71. You can't do "Universal Coverage" as the ACA

Single payer is off the table- gotta keep funneling money to private enterprise bailouts, don'tcha know.

BTW, Hillary campaign started on a mountain of cash, and is taking money from Bushco now. How did that happen? Oh, I remember, she spent a ton in Iowa...to squeak by on coin tosses.

[SunSeeker]

72. You absolutely can have universal coverage under the ACA.

Hillary has a plan for expanding the ACA to do that. And it is quite doable, unlike getting single payer through Congress.

Hillary is not taking money from the Bushes. Hillary did not win by a coin toss in Iowa. She won Iowa because she had more votes than Sanders, despite the ratfucking by the GOP, like this pro-Sanders ad Ricketts spent millions airing.

[Android3.14]

81. Hillary supporters - makin' shit up is just what you do

According to one tally of nightly broadcast network news during the 2015 primary season, Sanders received a total of 20 minutes of coverage, compared to Clinton’s 121 minutes and Trump’s 327.
Source

[ThePhilosopher04]

62. "Goof" how? Regardless of who ran it, or their motives, it's effective for Bernie.

[SunSeeker]

64. Yes, it is effective for Bernie. That is what Ricketts intended.

Ricketts, being a right wing loyal Republican, wanted to help Sanders to weaken Hillary. Ricketts knows Hillary would be the more formidable opponent in the general election and was trying to get the weaker candidate (Sanders) elected.

Claire McCaskill ran similar "attack" ads in the GOP primary to help Todd Aiken because she knew that nut would be a weaker opponent in the general election. Her ad called Aiken "too conservative" and listed a bunch of stuff conservatives like. The dumbass GOP primary electorate fell for it and she got a general election opponent she was able to soundly beat, especially after Aiken popped off about how women who are raped can't get pregnant because the can "shut that whole thing down."

Ricketts tried to pull a McCaskill. Fortunately, Ricketts' ploy did not work in the Dem primary. The Democratic electorate is a lot smarter than the Republican electorate.

[IdaBriggs]

18. Sign me up!!!

Love me some Bernie truth!

[Enthusiast]

19. K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations.

A Real Democrat!

Single payer is far far cheaper! Care is just as good if not better.

Free college tuition would create millions of jobs! All major state campuses would undergo massive construction programs.

Hey, fuck trickle down. We already know it doesn't work. Let's try something else.

[ErikJ]

21. ESA Fund: End Spending Action Fund

From Open Secrets https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00489856

Total Independent Expenditures: $2,171,311
For Democrats: $0
Against Democrats: $1,062,306
For Republicans: $1,109,005
Against Republicans: $0
Total Electioneering Communications: $0

By definition, electioneering communications do not explicitly advocate for or against the election of a candidate, but simply refer to a clearly identified federal candidate in a broadcast ad. Because of that, the Federal Election Commission requires that groups disclose only which federal candidate(s) were mentioned in the communications - not whether the communications supported or opposed the candidate(s).

[JHB]

29. Founder & Chairman, Joe Ricketts...

http://esafund.com/about/

Government spending is out of control and the officials in Washington don’t seem to “get it.” Out national debt is over $16 trillion, an all-time high, and more than $5 trillion in debt has been added in the last three years alone. A former Federal Reserve chairman calls it “scary,” and the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that “our national debt is our biggest national security threat.”

It is up to us – the American people – to hold our politicians accountable. The ESAFund aims to protect Americans from the irresponsible spending spree in Washington and supports political candidates who understand the importance of a balanced budget.

The ESAFund is a non-partisan political action committee that independently sponsors advertisements which advocate for the election or defeat of candidates across the country on the basis of a particular candidate’s position on fiscal issues.

The founder and chairman of the ESAFund is Joe Ricketts, who is also the chairman of Ending Spending, a non-partisan advocacy group.

And from Ending Spending's web page, prepare yourself to be shocked, SHOCKED: He's a financial sector guy...

Having spent more than 35 years helping to build and run the world’s largest online brokerage, Joe Ricketts today has returned to his roots, focusing on a variety of entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures. Mr. Ricketts founded Ending Spending with the goal of developing an active and engaged community of citizens who are concerned about out-of-control government spending and want to act together to fix the problem.

A pioneer in the use of technology to revolutionize the financial services sector – as well as an international leader in developing new services for the self-directed investor – Mr. Ricketts founded the company now known as TD Ameritrade, the largest online brokerage and a recognized national leader in securities trading and clearing.
***
Mr. Ricketts served as Chief Executive Officer of Ameritrade Holding Corp. from 1982 to 2001 and Chairman from 1982 to 2008.

http://endingspending.com/about/joe-ricketts/

[perdita9]

22. Since when is taxing Wall Street controversial?

I'm all for it.

[eggplant]

23. Satire is dead.

As far as I can tell, this is a real anti-Bernie ad.

[SunSeeker]

52. No, it was right winger Ricketts trying to ratfuck the Dem Iowa primary.

See post 40. Http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[Skittles]

76. it is critical thinking skills that are dying

[ReRe]

24. So are you really in CA?

K&R

... This ad makes you want to vote for Bernie? Well do it! Vote for Bernie Sanders on June 7th!

[libodem]

26. Heck yeah

I'll vote for that.


That ad seems destined to backfire.

[SakonyaChen]

27. I would like to apply there

Apparently they run pro-democratic ads against democrats. Sounds easy. I wonder if the pay is good with all that sweet, sweet Koch money.

[ananda]

28. As for me, the more liberal the better.

..

[CentralMass]

31. Just slap "I'm Bernie Sanders and I endorse this meesage: on the end of it.

[redwitch]

34. That was my first thought!

This is so funny!

[pnwmom]

43. It actually is a pro-Bernie ad. See the other comments. n/t

[redwitch]

33. The horror!!!!

LOL!

[PatrickforO]

36. Wow! Bernie is definitely NOT too liberal for me. Nope. More common sense about how we

spend OUR tax dollars that WE pay in; instead of on shit that we do not need and does not help us like a forever war and a huge, bloated, erect, throbbing domestic spying apparatus.

Nope, Bernie wants OUR government, OF, BY and FOR US the American people, to spend OUR tax dollars on programs that actually make our lives better.

We need Bernie and we need this discussion.

TO CALI, THEN TO THE CONVENTION!!!!

GO BERNIE!

[Harriety]

37. I agree. This makes me feel really good about Bernie.

Whoever created this ad, thanks a bunch!

[SunSeeker]

42. You should not be thanking Ricketts.

See post 40.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=378567

[Fla Dem]

38. RW Conservative ad to bolster Bernie up before Iowa Caucus. Old news.

Right from the Huffington Post, where TomCaDem posted the video from. He evidently did not read the article.

"Something was obviously suspicious. The strategy reeked of an attempt by conservatives to actually bolster Sanders in a Democratic primary under the guise of an assault. The method has worked before — famously deployed by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in her Senate campaign to bolster her most conservative opponent in the Republican primary, Todd Akin.

ESA Fund pled ignorance, insisting that the spot was merely in response to Sanders’ strong positioning in the polls. And Sanders, as was certainly his right (really, it would have been malpractice for him not to) proudly noted that Wall Street interests were going after him.

On Sunday, however, more evidence emerged that ESA Fund is, indeed, trying to prop up Sanders as a means of taking Clinton down. In the group’s filing with the Federal Election Commission, it revealed some massive contributions from high-profile donors, including $500,000 from hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, $850,000 from Ricketts’ wife, Marlene, and $500,000 from Paul Singer, another hedge fund manager (who has now given ESA over $1 million). "

[SunSeeker]

44. Amazing isn't it? This appears to be a case of post and run.

TomCADem has not responded to the posts correcting his misrepresentation of old news of that right wing asshole Ricketts trying to ratfuck the Iowa Dem primary.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

45. Thanks for the research

I was wondering. This ad is far too suspiciously absent of all of the messages that would cause people to not want to support Sanders for it to be on the up and up.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[scottie55]

39. Too Liberal My Ass

Who would be stupid enough to create and ad where you describe Bernie's platform, where 75% of Americans agree with his platform?

If he was 10 years younger he would have 500 more delegates......

[StevieM]

60. It was a GOP ad designed to hurt Hillary in Iowa. (eom)

[SunSeeker]

40. You were played by Ricketts, who ran the ad.

It was MEANT to make you like Bernie so Hillary would lose votes to him. In other words, it was meant to hurt Hillary.

Claire McCaskill successfully did the same thing to Todd Aiken, who she correctly saw as the weaker opponent. So she helped him to win. Just like a Ricketts tried to help Sanders win, because he thought Sanders would be the weaker opponent for the GOP.

Here's McCaskill calling Ricketts out on that ad:

https://mobile.twitter.com/clairecmc/status/691827221359677444

[eggplant]

56. Works for me. Bernie is polling ten points higher than Hillary against Trump.

Why wouldn't we want him as our candidate?

[SunSeeker]

57. Sanders would make a weak general election candidate, once the GOP got through with him.

Last edited Mon May 30, 2016, 02:09 AM - Edit history (2)

What the GOP would hit him with wouldn't be this nice stuff. Last time someone listed the type of dirt the GOP might dredge up, they got a hide here. But this Slate article talks about some of the things, if you're interested:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/05/bernie_sanders_electability_argument_is_still_a_myth.html

Face it, he couldn't get a majority of Dems to vote for him in the Dem primary...even with the GOP running ads for him, as this OP demonstrates. He will never get a majority of the national electorate to vote for him--especially after the GOP is done with him.

Hillary is the most qualified presidential candidate we have had in decades. She has the most implementable plans to address everything from college costs to climate change. She is a strong general election candidate with an excellent team to run the ground game where Trump is weakest. And unlike Sanders, she is supported by the winning Obama coalition. She has what it takes to win and be a great president. Sanders does not.

[Plucketeer]

82. Good to read such an objective assessment.

[LiberalLovinLug]

91. lol. Their nominated candidate is too frightened to debate him

What does that tell you?

The GOP need real or fake scandals to pin on their opponents, doesn't really matter which kind. They can be small or big, because they and their stooges in the MSM will blow it up REAL GOOD for them. Not only to smear the other but also to deflect away from their own hollow platform.

There is plenty of material to use against Hillary, whether warranted or not. All they have on Bernie is that he is a "democratic socialist". When you look at the unfavorablity numbers, that doesn't seem to bother most Americans in this day and age. So what else they got?

[Hiraeth]

94. who is this, exactly:

And unlike Sanders, she is supported by the winning Obama coalition

[dynamo99]

96. Weak?

I actually think Trump is the one Repub that Bernie could do well against. Because Trump is likely to fly the GOP into the ground, with a lot of "moderate" Repubs staying home on election day. Sure the GOP would attack Bernie, but they've got a very weak candidate themselves.

The South was what sunk Bernie. That and the fact that the superdelegates mostly declared for Hillary right at the offset, because at that point Bernie hadn't demonstrated much credibility, she was the machine candidate, and nobody in politics wants to piss off the next President. Maybe if Bernie had started a year earlier he could have done it. We'll never know.

Sure, Hillary is "qualified". She's smart, experienced, and a hard worker. She's also arrogant (not uniquely so, it's the arrogance of power), on the take, and more likely to get people killed in wars (both because she's personally hawkish, and because she'll feel pressure to show how tough she is to counteract those who think she'll be weak because she's a woman). And conservative, she'd be a moderate Repub if there was such a thing anymore (remember when Richard Nixon proposed a guaranteed annual income?).

I used to say, "Bill is slime, but he's OUR slime". She'll be the same. Most of us will end up voting for her, simply because voting for the orange Mussolini is out of the question.

[TrollBuster9090]

75. Yep. A little of that fancy reverse-REVERSE psychology.

And the McCaskill thing is a good example. In fact, it should be talked about MORE in this forum.

[Silver_Witch]

83. Oh no poor Hillary.!

You are beyond conspiracy with this premise! Seriously not everything is about Hillary or attacking herr! And the fact that you keep posting links to this one respone is a bit sad. We read it and we don't believe it.

[SunSeeker]

92. It is a "bit sad" that you refuse to accept reality. nt

[liberalnarb]

89. You obviously have no regard for facts.

[SunSeeker]

93. Project much? nt

[IronLionZion]

41. The GOP group is trying to prop up Bernie

because they think it will hurt Hillary somehow.

I think it will backfire on them badly. Bernie voters like me will vote for the Democrat against Drumpf no matter what.

[stuffmatters]

48. Bernie could add "against fracking"(especially our Ocean) & run this in California FAST

It's the best presentation of single payer & specifics on how Bernie plans to pay for free public higher ed I've seen anywhere.

[TonyPDX]

50. Brilliant! n/t

[pnwmom]

51. Tom, couldn't you read your own link? This WAS funded by anti-Clinton Super Pac.

It's a pro-Bernie ad designed to hurt Hillary in the primary. Please read the Huff Post article that you linked to.

[silvershadow]

68. K&R.

[emsimon33]

69. K&R

[Feeling the Bern]

73. Wow. Sign me up! Epic Republican bullshit fail!

[Tortmaster]

78. C'mon. Even supporters of Senator Sanders won't fall for ...

... second-grade conservative reverse psychology, will they?

[Doctor_J]

79. That is the DINO's view of the situation. They want liberals kicked out of the party

Most Clinton supporters would have voted for Reagan, and still worship him.

[Gothmog]

80. Anti-Sanders attack ad isn’t quite what it seems to be

This so-called attack ad is really an ad designed to help Sanders. The fact that the Sanders supporters think that this is an attack ad and do not realize that the purpose of this ad is to help Sanders is amusing http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/anti-sanders-attack-ad-isnt-quite-what-it-seems-be

Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they’d prefer to run against Bernie Sanders in the general election. Whether or not their assumptions are correct is a separate question, but GOP officials, convinced that the senator would be easy to defeat, have gone out of their way to help Sanders in the Democratic race.....

At first blush, the move may seem encouraging to Sanders supporters. After all, if Republicans have gone from defending Sanders to attacking him, maybe it means GOP insiders are getting scared of the Vermont independent?

It’s a nice idea, but that’s not what’s going on here. In fact, far from an attack ad, this commercial, backed by a prominent Republican mega-donor, is the latest evidence of the GOP trying to help Sanders, not hurt him.

Indeed, in this case, it’s hardly even subtle. This commercial touts Sanders’ support for tuition-free college, single-payer health care, and higher taxes on the “super-rich.” It concludes that the senator is “too liberal,” which isn’t much of an insult in an ad directed towards liberal voters in Iowa.

In other words, we’re talking about a Republican mega-donor investing in a faux attack ad to help Sanders win because he sees Sanders as easy to beat in November.

It’s the mirror image of the tactic Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) used in the 2012 U.S. Senate race in Missouri, when she invested in ads intended to boost then-Rep. Todd Akin (R) in his primary race, with commercials touting his far-right positions and calling him “too conservative.” The point was to make Akin look better in the eyes of Missouri Republicans so he’d win the primary, making it easier for the incumbent Democrat to defeat him on Election Day.

This ad is just another example of the GOP trying to help Sanders become the nominee because the GOP knows that Sanders is the weaker candidate.

[markpkessinger]

100. From ESAFund's website . . .

"ESAFund (formerly Ending Spending Action Fund) is an independent organization that proudly supports candidates regardless of party affiliation who favor enhancing free enterprise, reducing the size of government, and balancing our nation's budget. We are also proud to strongly oppose those who do not."

That hardly sounds like Sanders supporters to me.

[JEB]

86. Crazy shenanigans aside, I support every policy mentioned.

[Glaisne]

87. Sounds good to me!

Where do I sign up?!

[liberalnarb]

88. "Too Liberal" is a complement.

[arikara]

95. Good ad

Bernie should use it.

[liberalnarb]

97. I support Bernie

But the original poster obviously didn't read the link.

"The New Anti-Sanders Super PAC Is Funded By Anti-Clinton Donors"