What the Hell Happened in Nevada Last Weekend?

[Agschmid]

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This past weekend’s Democratic state convention in Nevada took an ugly turn when Bernie Sanders supporters reportedly shouted down speakers and threw things when proceedings didn’t go their way. Things got so out of hand at the Las Vegas venue where the event took place that hotel security staff eventually had to clear the room over safety concerns. In the days since, Bernie fans have bombarded the state party chairwoman with death threats, while the state party has responded by accusing Sanders supporters of having a “penchant” for “actual violence” and suggesting they’ll turn violent at this summer’s national convention in Philadelphia.

[div style="display:inline; background-color:#FFFF66;"]So, yeah, not exactly a good look for a party hoping to come together later this year to take on Donald Trump in the general election and to make his party look like the chaotic one. Also, while the exact details of what happened at the convention remain in dispute, the whole thing adds to the (not unfounded!) perception that the Democratic Party has rigged the system to favor Hillary Clinton and that there are some rather clear Trump-like undercurrents of misogyny and aggression among Sanders’ most passionate backers.

Facing calls from party leaders to denounce the weekend violence and the threats that followed, Sanders' response on Tuesday was surprisingly defiant. While he condemned “any and all forms of violence,” he dismissed the complaints from Nevada Democrats as “nonsense” and complained that his supporters were the ones that weren’t treated with the “fairness and respect” they deserve. [div style="display:inline; background-color:#FFFF66;"]His statement came only hours after Nevada Sen. Harry Reid told reporters that he had spoken to Sanders and was confident that the Vermont senator would try to calm tensions. Instead, Bernie appeared to fan the flames.


Read more on Slate.

[DURHAM D]

1. Someone explained the math. nt