The ‘Bernie Bro’ is a Media Myth. It Needs to Die

[passiveporcupine]

The media’s false characterization of the average Sanders supporter as a white male “Bernie Bro” is misleading and offensive.

Since 2015, there has been widespread proliferation of smugly-written articles mischaracterizing the movement to elect Bernie Sanders as largely made up of young, hyper-masculine, sexist white males who feel the need to put female Hillary Clinton supporters in their place. The Atlantic was the first to coin the phrase “Bernie Bro.” Just recently, Mashable’s Emily Cahn followed with a similar hit piece paint Sanders supporters as a “sexist mob,” who are “”often young, white and predominantly male.” Salon‘s Amanda Marcotte wrote “A chunk of Sanders support with his young male cohort comes from guys who really don’t cotton well to the idea of women in power.”

The “Bernie Bro” myth demeans contributions from women, people of color

The optics are pretty bad — well-heeled media outlets (snip) are essentially erasing the contributions of women and people of color to the Bernie Sanders campaign to propagate their own narrative, rendering them as invisible people.

This is one of the oldest forms of violence perpetuated by white people of privilege.

more here:
http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-bro-is-a-myth/

But go ahead and keep calling us Sander's supporters Bernie Bros.

Democrats should be above this kind of offensive childish display of peak.

[Live and Learn]

1. And a harmful one to Democrats. False attacks like this lose us future voters. nt

[Electric Monk]

2. It's a meme being pushed by camp weathervane. Obvious trolls are obvious. nt

[delrem]

3. Actually it's a David Brock HRC campaign meme. So no, it won't die. n/t

[840high]

37. Nasty person.

[PatrickforO]

4. The whole meme seems kind of idiotic, doesn't it.

The great thing is that in posts like this thousands of us are fighting it.

[azurnoir]

5. the only way to kill it is to show it for the fallacy it is

and it is a fallacy but more over it is ultimately harmful in the long run

[BeanMusical]

6. Kick and R

[Enthusiast]

7. Kicked and recommended!

[Uncle Joe]

8. Sanders Bests Clinton by 42 Points in 20/20 Presidential Forum Drum Poll

Sanders Wins National Drum Poll in a Landslide – well that is if you consider a 42% victory a landslide. Clinton did not appear at today’s 20/20 Presidential Forum which mainly dealt with criminal justice reform. Three candidates did however feel the subject was important enough to talk about in the forum setting and those were Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley, while Republican candidate Ben Carson showed up and proved why he should not be president.

Drum Poll Results From 20/20 Presidential Forum Democratic ballot: Sanders 65%, Clinton 23%, O’Malley 12%

The drum poll(also known as a straw poll) was conducted at the the 20/20 Presidential Forum on Criminal Justice at Allen University on Saturday November 21, 2015. Attendees were given each a Democratic and a Republican ballot. Sanders’ message of criminal justice reform, which has been a huge part of his platform, seemed to resonate very well with the crowd.

http://thebernreport.com/sanders-bests-clinton-by-42-points-in-2020-presidential-forum-drum-poll/

Thanks for the thread, passiveporcupine.

[passiveporcupine]

14. Thank you for your addition

Last edited Fri Feb 19, 2016, 05:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm glad I got to see that.

He really is on his game, isn't he?

[mythology]

9. While I think the term Bernie Bro is stupid and childish

The article doesn't actually address the issue very well in my opinion. The issue is less whether the average Sanders supporter is a white male or not, but is more related to a larger internet problem where men feel free to attack women. It has nothing to do with the Sanders campaign. It's all the guys who threaten online to rape women or call them all sorts of names that I'm not going to repeat here.

It's all the guys who say women should shut up and look pretty or guy who attacked Lindy West by creating a fake email address pretending to be her dead dad to call her a disappointment. It's the guys who thought calling somebody I know a transgender woman because she has short hair and competes men's gymnastics.

And that behavior is overwhelmingly male. But as I said, it isn't related to the Sanders campaign. It's related to being online where there is the thought of being anonymous and thus invincible.

[RiverLover]

10. The article is about the Sanders campaign. "Bernie Bros" is about the Sanders campaign.

Conflating that with the very real problem you bring up is ridiculous & reckless.

Signed,
49 yr old female Bernie supporter who is not a Bernie Bro & doesn't appreciate being called one by the Clinton campaign.

[oberliner]

11. Author is Nathan Wellman

I would point out that the term "Bernie bro" has nothing to do with women or people of color. It has to do with a small but vocal (especially online) subset of supporters who are aggressively mean-spirited (and occasionally sexist) in their attacks against the other candidate in the race.

The existence of these folks is well documented and is worthy of mention and criticism.

Just as the "PUMA" fans of Hillary were worthy of mention and criticism even though they were only a small subset of Hillary Clinton supporters.

[bettyellen]

15. A couple of my best friends act like Bernie Bros, and for one, it is screwing up his marriage...

and his wife likes Sanders as much as he does. We were just discussing how often we need him to STFU and stop lecturing people, and making shit about Hillary too personal. It is a thing. Maybe people who are 100% in agreement do not see it?

[zappaman]

19. You mean like posters on internet sites who claim to support Sanders, but offer

nothing but dozens of anti-Clinton posts every single day?

Yeah.
Seen that.

[bettyellen]

43. More like he will not STFU with the same lecture over and over again, then slip in a reference to

Vince Foster or my favorite thing- complaining about Hillary's voice. He never notices that people are trying to escape his lectures. His wife is also at the end of her rope. She was surprised to hear I say shit like "Sanders or chemtrails again? either way I'm kicking you out if you don't shut up" when he does it at my parties. He means well though.

[passiveporcupine]

17. While I agree there is a group of people doing this on social media

they should not be labeling all Bernie supporters of this, or using this term to attack other DU members here, as some here have been doing.

[oberliner]

18. Agreed

It is not in any way a fair or reasonable label for all Bernie supporters. But the subset does exist.

[passiveporcupine]

21. The subset probably exists for Hillary supporters too,

but Bernie is a guy so it doesn't work on him or his supporters.

It's not just Bernie supporters who behave this way on social media, and I suspect many of the Bernie supporters who really are "Bernie Bros", are not really even Bernie supportes. They would support anyone but a woman.

I'm curious if we started calling Hillary supporters a nasty name that sounds like Bernie Bros, but starts with Hillary and ends with H**s, would they think it was funny or cool or would they be pissed. They'd have every right to be pissed. Nobody on this forum should be calling anyone else here ugly names. Period.

Now, I will admit, the last time I saw it used repeatedly here, it was a member who was committing suicide by jury and he/she used it in several threads, knowing he/she was going to get timed out. I haven't seen it a lot, but I have seen it referred to by many Hillary supporters, as if it was a Bernie problem (even in this thread), and Bernie has absolutely nothing to do with it and has called it out as despicable.

[oberliner]

40. Yeah - the PUMAs

That was a big meme making fun of a certain subset of Hillary fans when she ran against Obama

[quickesst]

12. Hmmm...

I think somebody needs to tell Bernie before he embarrasses his supporters too much.

Bernie Sanders Tells Berniebros To Knock It Off — ‘We Don’t Want That Crap’

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/07/3746988/bernie-sanders-tells-berniebros-to-knock-it-off-we-dont-want-that-crap/

Heh..." knock it off"

[Odin2005]

13. The Establishment is pushing the "populists are racist and sexist" meme very hard.

They are trying to get people to think that racial and gender equality and economic justice are mutually exclusive.

[jillan]

16. Once again the Clintonians misfired.

Oops!

[MohRokTah]

20. DU Sanders supporters originally embraced the term.

All the way up until the bad press started.

Heck, there are even DU Sanders supporters with the term included in their screen name. That's a prime example of how Sanders supporters originally embraced it before the bad press came down.

The moniker is now out there and it ain't going away except for the hides any time somebody uses the term on DU and the Sanders supporting juries vote to hide.

[NastyRiffraff]

22. +1,000

[MohRokTah]

23. They are reminding me of another group who embraced a term until its full meaning was revealed. eom

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. That's pretty low. No one on this site will ever remind me of a teabagger.

It's ridiculous to state that. Can't everyone on both sides act like grownups? Jeepers. As a non-vocal supporter of no one yet, I would love it if y'all cut it out.

[MohRokTah]

27. I NEVER used the term you just did. eom

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. Sure you didn't.

It is posts like yours that make this Romper Room. Cut. it. Out. It is my sincere wish that the loudest of both Bernie and Hillary supporters stop shouting, calling each other names and take a breath for a second.

And while y'all are at it, remove all the bug and bug-removal signlines... they are absolutely juvenile from both sides. I graduated from high school 30 years ago. I sometimes feel like I'm in a room full of 13-year-olds.

[passiveporcupine]

55. Thank you

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. The term used to describe us isn't an issue.

The most lucid argument Clinton supporters have is the fact that boys - icky, icky boys - are slightly more likely to support Bernie than women are.

It's a perverse kind of identity politics. I'm voting against Bernie because I know a white guy who supports him.

Winning elections isn't a consideration. Winning an election that allows men into the club is no victory at all.

[passiveporcupine]

31. I've only seen Bernie supporters use it here jokingly.

And if you understand the definition of what a Bernie Bro is, nobody would embrace it.

[George II]

42. Ain't that the truth, Moh!

[scscholar]

26. So you're turning a positive into a negative...

when we should be turning negatives into positives.

[LAS14]

29. I don't know about the white male...

... bit, but I must say that after spending months being impressed with Bernie's civility in debates I was floored to find so many hostile, mean, unthinking Bernie supporters in this website. It's a whole different world. I can see why Bill Clinton was impelled to say something publicly. I hope the Sanders people in this web site aren't representative of the whole of his supporters, because then the Sanders phenomenon begins to look even more like the Trump phenomenon. A shocking number of mean-spirited people in this country.

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. Honestly, the sides are about even when it comes to mean.

If I was basing my vote on the civility of Bernie and Hillary supporters here on DU, I would stay home. Very few are the "saintly" supporters. Sorry. Both sides are warty as hell in their behavior, and most are unwilling to admit it.

[passiveporcupine]

32. I agree with you

but when I see a Bernie supporter using an ugly name or term for a Hillary supporter or even Hillary, I usually call them on it. We should not be treating each other that way, regardless of how "angry" or defensive we might be feeling.

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. How about when HRC supporters

question your personal story and your self identified status as a minority? They did that to me/

If I were to vote on this stupidly, I would stay home.

[passiveporcupine]

35. Yeah, I'm sorry that happened to you.

Both sides are taking this election very seriously and some people really don't stop themselves before posting something hateful. It's the season. I've seen this too, but our side does not have clean hands either.

Plus, we need to try to remember we are in the majority here, and that will put a lot of people on the defensive...more than they normally would be if things were more balanced.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. From where I sit

most of the drama is coming from the HRC supporters... but as you said, neither side is completely clean.

It is like obstruction in DC. Most of it is coming from the GOP, but the Dems are not entirely innocent lambs to the slaughter.

It is about 90-10 as far as DC, and this, 80-20, maybe.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. My real life personal experience is with HRC supporters

thankfully I do not vote on what idiot posters do on the internets. (those supporters are now empty white noise to me), but on policy.

But yes, it is a media creation, like they did with Obama in 2008. It is the same shit, different campaign.

And in 2008 I got some of that treatment as well, but not as sharp, or racist or nasty.

And yes, I will continue to point it out. They deserve to be called on it, and they know exactly who they are.

[Shandris]

38. I've said it once, I'll say it again.

Welcome to GamerGate. There will be an ENDLESS stream of 'misogyny' from 'Bernie supporters', all tweeted in 'real time' to show just how terrible those horrible, evil HWHITE Bernie Bros are. The only advantage here is that the media has been exposed as completely untrustworthy (partially thanks to the aforementioned GamerGate) and, as such, isn't quite as likely to launch an all-out almost-20-articles-in-24-hours deluge against Bernie as they were a bit over a year and a half ago.

When the description is literally the exact same one they gave to anyone who even asked about GamerGate, it's time to wake up and examine what information you're allowing yourself to absorb. Which, again, is not to say that there is no such thing as a single person who supports Bernie and is a misogynist (or likes games and is a misogynist), but the story (or, more appropriately, the Narrative) is (and was) a lie.

[passiveporcupine]

39. Good connection with gamer gate

I'd forgotten about that.

[MADem]

46. I asked questions about gamergate, and nobody gave me any shit. In fact, I learned

much about it here on DU, and then went and did my own homework. There's a problem there. No small irony that the piece below addresses not just the Bro issue, but relates it, appropriately, to Gamergate--because the same sort of behavior was evidenced in both instances.


This isn't really a topic for argument, either--the campaign has acknowledged it. Which makes me wonder why any fans, supporters or acolytes would continue to deny the issue, instead of ponying up the obvious 'correct' response, which is

"They are aware of it and taking steps to mitigate it. Of course it's wrong."

Or words to that effect. An article from a couple of weeks ago:

The Bernie Bros Are A Problem And The Sanders Campaign Is Trying To Stop Them
Bernie Sanders’ campaign is trying to rein in his unruly online men. Live by the Redditors, die by the Redditors.

posted on Jan. 29, 2016, at 8:03 p.m.

...the social web has also shown off the worst of Sanders supporters. Writing in her endorsement of Clinton this week, progressive writer Joan Walsh complained of harassment from online supporters of Sanders that the Vermont senator’s campaign aides have been aware of for months. Walsh called them “the Berniebot keyboard warriors,” but they’re more commonly referred to as the Bernie Bros.

In fact, top Sanders campaign aides have quietly reached out to senior officials in the Clinton campaign and women like Walsh personally to apologize for Bro behavior. Online, aides are pushing their digital community to police itself and keep the Bros quiet. And some volunteer members of Sanders’s digital army are scrambling into action, reporting offenders and moderating bro-y posts.

Still, the Bros break through, and there’s real worry in corners of Sanders-world about it.
On Thursday, the BBC catalogued social media attacks on black pundits and women who opine on Bernie. Mashable posted a ton of screenshots of Bro attacks Friday morning....Women who support Clinton — or work for her and support her — have consistently cited a barrage of sexist attacks across social media. In the manner of GamerGate trolls or men’s rights activists, according to women who have dealt with them, Bernie Bros swarm, pummeling their chosen target with tweets. It’s become a trope among women who work in politics or cover it....

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/the-bernie-bros#.bl2gQYa3ww

The most telling parts of that piece are these:

Bros are pretty confident their bro-ing is a service to Bernie.

and

Shortly after Monday night’s Iowa Democratic candidate town hall in Des Moines, Sanders’ director of rapid response, Mike Casca, tweeted a simple but urgent request to the Sanders’s digital cohort. Cool it, he begged. The tweet is now permanently pinned to the top of his feed.
“if you support @berniesanders, please follow the senator’s lead and be respectful when people disagree with you,” he implored.

[Starry Messenger]

47. +1

[passiveporcupine]

56. Bernie has asked them to knock it off

What else can he really do? They are not working for him, they are working against him.

[senz]

41. "Bernie Bro" - or just "bro" - is a term used by online bullies to provoke and harass

supporters of Senator Sanders.

It is an act of verbal aggression. Period.

The use of the term "Bro" increases with every drop in Hillary's poll numbers. Apparently verbal assault on Bernie supporters makes some DUers feel better.

It's interesting that some still talk about how we're all going to get along so well after the primaries are over.

[stevenleser]

44. I'd like to believe it is a myth. However...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1280539

[MADem]

48. It's not. Even the spokesman for the Sanders campaign has acknowledged it.

Did you see this?

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-rallies-dark-tone-218817

[Historic NY]

49. In twitter land one guy has taken to assigning people to lists

of BS supporters he has created a dozen or more lists with thousands of people on each list??? Why, of course to troll.

[stevenleser]

74. Good link. It's a thing, whether some supporters acknowledge it or not. Nt

[passiveporcupine]

57. The point is, it's not Bernie supporters who are doing this

The real Bernie Bros out there don't do anything for Benrie. They don't care about him. They are playing a game for fun. It's not about Bernie. It's about the anonymity of the internet that allows them to be as racist, sexist, and nasty as they can be, and get away with it.

Those are NOT Bernie supporters. IF they were, they would respect his request to knock it off.

You cannot call Sander's supporters bernie bros without doing the very same thing the people out there that are acting like Bernie Bros are doing.

[stevenleser]

73. Sure it is. See the link I posted. It's Sanders supporters. Nt

[passiveporcupine]

75. Yeah, like I'm going to read that whole thread

Give me a link to a post or two where Bernie supporters are using vulgar language to swipe at Clinton supporters, or Clinton, and then maybe you have something. Knowing you, I doubt you have anything.

BTW, I can't even look at a thread that big. It just locked up firefox for me and I had to restart. Don't give me links to threads like that. A single post is fine.

But, if you are complaining because it was a call-out thread, I agree with you to a point. It should not have been posted for a regular poster; except that you are a public figure who visits talk shows and news programs to express your opinion, and I think that means anything you say or do, related to politics, is fair game. You pretty much screwed yourself with your "Bernie Bro" behavior toward Hillary in 2008, and now claiming we are being nasty by showing it? Yeah...uh nope!

[frylock]

45. It's not going to die. Let them push it. It's all they have and it's not influencing anybody

Seeing the former President of the United States on stage whinging about internet trolls was the lowlight of this shit show of a campaign that Hillary has going here. Putin probably has that up on a 100" 4K set running on a loop and just laughing his fucking ass off. What a joke.

[Kentonio]

50. It needs to die because its a lazy way to deflect mass criticism.

The more people raise objections to anything done on the Clinton side or by her surrogates, we get this 'Oh its just BernieBros' defense as if the content of what had actually been done could just be disregarded.

[Nyan]

51. Killer Mike was right when he said young women are getting bullied on this issue.

As a young woman myself who supports Bernie, I find this whole bullshit meme fucking hilarious.

[bettyellen]

52. Telling people they are voting with their vaginas or uterus is rude and insulting.

[passiveporcupine]

58. The one time I saw that happen here

I called out the poster, who tried to say they were just being funny. Yeah, right! I'm sure it's happened more than once here, but it's not a common occurrence, so don't try to play that "Oh poor poor us" response here.

[bettyellen]

59. I appreciate you calling the poster out for that. Perhaps I have come across it here and

other places more than you. It happens. It's a dumb thing to say to women- even if you are quoting another woman.
We should all be better than that. Not playing "poor me"- am feeling sorry for BS's campaign for allowing such ignorance (from Big Mike) so you can go some where else with that nonsense.

[passiveporcupine]

60. Big Mike was repeating a quote from a woman

who happens to be a feminist. And she did not use the word vagina.

I don't think that really qualifies for this complaint by the Hillary camp.

[bettyellen]

61. They both reduce me to a body part, and as I said, even if you quote someone else...

you (Big Mike) are promoting that statement. And it's ignorant and insulting where ever it comes from.

[passiveporcupine]

62. Not reduced to a body part

That is ridiculous. All she was saying is that sex alone does not qualify you for office. And I don't even know if she was talking about Hillary.

And she was right. Even though the feminist movement is fighting for women to break all glass ceilings, you have to have more than just sex to qualify to break those ceilings. And a lot of women in the feminist movement today don't seem to understand that. They are so wrapped up in fighting for their cause, that is all they can see. They see woman like Hillary as a fighter for their cause and they block all the negatives about her. Like using sexism herself to try to get votes.

That does NOT help their cause. I'm a woman who worked in a man's world (mechanical and electrical engineering) and I know what it takes to break ceilings. You have to have certain skills or you don't qualify. And whining about being a woman does not get you there.

[bettyellen]

63. Literally making smug assumptions and reducing me to reproductive organs to bolster that stupid

assumption. It would be just as fair to characterize Bernie supporters to one issue voters- their wallets. I don't think that they all are, so I wouldn't make such blanket statements. YMMV.

[passiveporcupine]

64. Certainly, MOST women are not doing that

but I've seen enough posts by women who do qualify for what I've just said, and also videos of women being interviewed, who don't have a political thought in their head except to promote a woman to office.

[bettyellen]

65. it;s kind of like the people who keep repeating "the 1%" without actually knowing how govt can be

reformed to improve things. Lots of low info voters on both sides.

[passiveporcupine]

66. I guess this has evovled to a whole different fight and I'm not playing

I guess I will state it like this. You want us to stop using the word vagina? I want your side to stop using the term Bernie Bro. Can we at least agree on that?

[bettyellen]

67. I don't like any of the name calling- so I don't do it. Saying "he did it first" is for for children

[passiveporcupine]

68. Who did it first?

that is not what I'm saying at all. I'm just asking for equal respect from both sides.

[bettyellen]

69. By that standard, one idiot says something inflammatory and all bets are off. Which sucks.

That's basically how things shake out when we hide behind other people to excuse our behavior.

[passiveporcupine]

70. Who am I hiding behind?

Your posts are becoming a true reflection of your attitude.

[bettyellen]

71. I belive we were discussing some one else's post? No need to put words in my mouth or take it

personally. You really haven't been able to resist taking personal swipes at me, despite me being totally civil toward you.
You just can't help being insulting. Good luck out there campaigning, because I am done.

[passiveporcupine]

72. Well, thanks because I'm done too

Your clarity in your posts is outstanding. NOT! You keep throwing out zingers like I'm not supposed to think you are addressing me? Right!

[backscatter712]

53. What we really have is Hillary's BrockBros out driving the swiftboat... n/t

[closeupready]

54. I'm not sure at what age "controversies" like this began to seem

not only silly to me, but infantile, but I got there, sure enough. Carry on, serious people of DU, Reddit, and other message boards of the world!!