"I Felt the Bern But the Bros Are Extinguishing the Flames." -Sally Kohn

[DemocratSinceBirth]

The Sanders campaign has also taken hits from progressive CNN contributor Sally Kohn, who endorsed the Vermont senator from the stage at a massive rally in New York City just before the Empire State’s April primary.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/280453-liberal-media-turns-on-sanders

Violence and bullying undermine the spirit of his movement

I’m having a hard time being a Bernie Sanders supporter at the moment.

This past weekend, Sanders supporters at the Democratic state convention in Nevada became unruly and threatened the state party chair when she ruled 64 of Sanders’ delegates ineligible, ignored motions made by Sanders supporters and refused to accept any petitions that would change the rules. While some Sanders supporters on social media have denied that the bad behavior took place, several highly credible media outlets have corroborated reports of Sanders supporters rushing the convention stage, cursing at the leadership and throwing chairs. The state Democratic chairwoman Roberta Lange has also reportedly received death threats: “threatening my family, threatening my life, threatening my grandchild.”

This is unacceptable behavior. Sanders has condemned it, but not forcefully enough for my taste. Sanders said in a statement:

...


http://time.com/4339865/bernie-sanders-supporters-violence/

[Autumn]

1. Well bless her heart.

Poor baby got her fee fees hurt.

[Actor]

4. This is very serious stuff. Lives depend on what happens in November, if the insider

trump is somehow elected, millions will needlessly suffer

[Autumn]

7. You think? Millions have needlessly suffered for years

[Actor]

10. 11 million to be torn apart from their lives, if people allow Trump to be elected, for instance

[Autumn]

13. I'm guessing you fucking missed Iraq.

[Actor]

16. I dont understand. Are you saying her vote for Iraq means you should allow

Donald Trump to destroy millions of lives that would NOT be destroyed if he is not elected?

Is that your position?

[auntpurl]

19. Wow. Post of the day.

Seriously, that sums up Bernie or Bust right there. I hope you get an answer. I'd love to hear it myself.

[Actor]

25. If there is more to it I would love to know. I dont want to vote for Hillary either, but

to not do so would be like committing suicide for myself and certain misery for millions.

This is not a complicated situation, it is very simple.

[auntpurl]

39. Agree completely.

[Sheepshank]

50. If you have the stomach for it..read this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1982836

and you can see just where the BoB movement has taken some. Their self indulgent, gotta post at any cost and know no boundaries, was so vile, it literally made me sick.

[Actor]

55. I cant read all that, but I am finding that the Bernie or Bust movement is

a tremendous concern.


I am certain it is a minority, but what i saw in that NV video wasn't thrown chairs, because there weren't any, but I saw faces and expressions similar to that I have seen many times in the teaparty movement.

It is one thing to be passionate about a cause, another entirely to be so passionate you will not hear others.

Having said that, the people running that convention acted un-democratically and created the whole mess

The point is WE should not react that way, that is not how WE act.

[shireen]

66. Bernie or Bust movement is irrelevant

They are a loud minority that's getting too much attention.

If Hillary wins the nomination, most Bernie supporters will vote for her. It's common sense. Most people are smart enough to understand the consequences of NOT voting for her.

[auntpurl]

77. +1

[Autumn]

26. Oh my, the outrage is almost unbearable

I need a fainting couch.

[auntpurl]

36. I'm not outraged, just really, really confused.

How anyone can say they won't vote for Hillary when the alternative is Trump, who will hurt everyone and everything we love, is just beyond me.

How can you risk the ACA being repealed and NO healthcare at all being available to millions?

How can you risk Muslims being deported by the millions?

How can you risk families being torn apart through his racist immigration policies?

How can you risk women's, minority's and LGBT's rights being rolled back to the 50s?

Do not mistake me. I am not outraged, and I am not speaking in hyperbole. I just sincerely do not understand. Voting for anyone but the Democratic nominee in ANY election, much less one with Trump in it, would never even occur to me.

[barrow-wight]

76. I think the question is rhetorical.

There is no answer because they don't care if they burn it all down. It's the very essence of entitlement.

And for those millennials that were chained to their Playstations when the Iraq vote was made, it was not a vote to declare war, it was a vote to use force if Iraq failed to play along with inspectors. Most people thought there were WMDs back then. And most of those same people realized how duped they were and realized that it was a mistake.

But Bernie kept voting to fund the war. If he was so against it, why not vote to de-fund it as a protest? Surely the funding would have passed without his support. Or was it that he was just afraid that would be one step too far for his constituents?

[auntpurl]

78. They (the Bush administration) lied to all of us.

Colin Powell lied to the fucking UN! Hillary has said over and over that she regrets it and that if she could go back and do it over, she would. She was working with the information she had at the time. I hated that bloody war, and I knew it was a terrible idea at the time, but I'm sure NO ONE (Kerry, Hillary, etc) thought they were lying like they were. They said it was a credible threat.

[barrow-wight]

81. A lot of people thought it was.

I still didn't think we should be involved at the time but most of my Democrat friends and family at the time were all on board.

[Autumn]

20. Grasp at your straws. You are transparent as window glass

[Jennylynn]

51. I think the poster means that Hillary, as president, would destroy just as many lives as a Trump

Presidency. But that's just my guess. I could be wrong.

[Actor]

52. If so the poster is very wrong, but with the propaganda attacking Hillary I am not surprised

[LanternWaste]

70. I'm guessing you are unaware of the Fallacy of Relative Privation

I'm guessing you are unaware of the Fallacy of Relative Privation, regardless of 'fucking.'

[Autumn]

71. fallacy? I responded to the "11 million to be torn apart from their lives" bullshit

That part seems to be bad if they are deported back to the countries they left, but it's all good for those uncounted humans in Iraq being torn apart from their lives. I'm not going to fucking be scared of one and ignore the other.

[Actor]

74. So that is bullshit, is it. Based on what I have seen, you are not able

to admit what you know is true.

You are so passionate about what you think you know about Hillary, that you wont see anything other than that.

When Bernie votes for her, which he will if he loses, when everybody you admire does, and you dont, you will then understand, maybe.

[imagine2015]

24. If Trump is elected blame the rich establishment politicians for nominating Secretary Clinton.

Some "centrist" Democrats would rather see Trump elected than the dangerous "radical" Bernie Sanders.

Some "centrist" Democratic politicians have even publicly said they will work with Trump if he's the President!

They won't fight against his policies, they'll work with him!

[Actor]

27. No Democrats, not one, has supported Trump. Not one. The difference between Trump and Clinton

is so vast that to not see it would mean you need to see an ophthalmologist ...

[1StrongBlackMan]

44. Funny ...

"HRC supporters are, at best, Centrists." Yet, I have yet to see any centrist HRC-supporter say anything approaching their want/would rather have, win the Presidency.

Can TeamBernie make that claim?

[asuhornets]

28. that's a lie..name one democrat who agreed to work with trump..

[Autumn]

29. ^^^Post of the day.^^^ Not my circus, not my monkeys.

[roguevalley]

73. when I hear people like her say stuff like this then I don't believe them. Since when is the actions

of people he doesn't know doing things he doesn't condone trump voting for him? She never felt it. She's just 'concerned' She might just 'concern' trump into the white house.

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. And based on stuff that has little to do with Bernie, himself.

[Autumn]

12. This horse shit is just so fucking transparent. Almost makes me miss the Bush cabal and their

doom and gloom Fuck em

[Lizzie Poppet]

21. Yep: as obvious as a hippo in a tutu.

Sadly, far too many people fall for it...

[leftynyc]

15. He lost an opportunity

to stand up and do the right thing. Thoroughly denounce the supporters who called Boxer a bitch, picked up chairs and the like. This column is what that's all about. He blew it.

[JDPriestly]

47. Why was Boxer berating Nevada voters? She is from California.

Did you actually listen to her speech. It was an utter insult to Bernie supporters.

I am a California voter and have been a strong Boxer support for many years.

But after that speech, I will just be happy when she finally leaves the Senate. I realize that she was under pressure, but that is what being on stage, being in the spotlight, being in politics, is about: doing your jobs no matter what chaos is in the audience.

She showed a lack of skill in dealing with the crowd. And that is disappointing considering she has been a politician with great responsibility for many years.

When you take a position of responsibility, you accept the burden of dealing with tough situations. Barbara Boxer showed herself to be inept and not up to her job.

It's time for Barbara Boxer to quit. She could not handle the situation. She let her nerves and her anger get the upper hand. She was unable to take a deep breath, step back from her emotions and act and speak rationally.

Time for her to go.

She was in a very special position and a crucial moment and failed to bring peace and wisdom. Instead she gloated and accused. Very poor crowd management.

The entire convention looked like a circus headed by the children in the audience and not by grown-ups.

[leftynyc]

48. Bash the retiring Boxer

all you want and what difference does it make what she was doing there? And how does that answer MY statement that Bernie blew it with his flaccid statement about it.

[JDPriestly]

56. This is a manufactured Dean moment for Bernie.

I think that it is time that Democrats realize that the media is trying to manage our Party and our campaigns for us.

Did you listen to Boxer's speech? It was awful.

Talk about Bernie Bros. Hillary hyenas would be appropriate with regard to Boxer's speech. She should have done better. I think her nerves are not good. She could have spoken peacefully and with love about unity and how we are all in this together, but she allowed herself to be angered by what she perceived as the mood of the crowd.

It is the job of a politician to handle situations that are difficult with tact. She could have made a joke. She could have made conciliatory statements. She could have encouraged unity in many ways. And best of all, the best technique she could have used, one which teachers and people with human and spiritual awareness use, would have been to simply be silent, to be quiet within herself. That is the best thing to do in a crowd that feels hurt and oppressed. Just stand there, be quiet and wait until something calming occurs to you and then say that.

Barbara Boxer screamed and berated the crowd like a hyena. Listen to her voice and words. It was awful. She incited an angry crowd. She is responsible in part for any unpleasantness that followed.

I understand that Nina Turner assured the crowd and brought some peace and harmony. But Barbara Boxer should apologize for her insightful, ugly, gloating speech at a time when a harmonizing, kind, intelligent and peaceful speech was needed.

Barbara Boxer was in a position of authority and abused it to sow anger rather than to sow love and peace. She should apologize.

I note that the press is not giving much time to the reports by the Bernie supporters who were there.

I think this reporting is more about the profits of the media, Net Neutrality and Citizens United than about Bernie supporters.

Let's keep our eyes on the balls: net neutrality and Citizens United. Those are the topics the press is interested in this election. And they don't like Bernie's point of view on either of those subjects.

[TeeYiYi]

60. +1...

She morphed into the biggest bully in the room, and she had the microphone. Her countenance was maniacal.

That wasn't fear onstage... It was gloating condescension and cruel taunting.

TYY

[Actor]

2. It is a tough call. Bernie is proposing to go right at the most powerful, richest people in the

world

Donald Trump is of course one of them as he is an insider of the establishment, hell he basically owns a big part of the establishment.

Bernie needs to pivot and use his new found popularity to move the movement.

[GummyBearz]

31. You are the first person I have ever seen call Trump an insider of the establishment

Insider lists have names like Bush and Clinton on them... Trump is an insider? rofl

[Actor]

32. The ultimate insider. He owns most politicians, pays them off on a regular basis.

This is embarrassing that you dont know this and would promote such right wing nonsense on a liberal board.

[radical noodle]

41. Trump isn't a political insider he's a 1% insider

The wealthy don't have to buy him, they are his friends... his partners. His campaign is about hanging on to the best deal for them.

[GummyBearz]

45. That I agree with

1% insider for sure. And he will have most of their economic interests in common with his own. But it ends at economics

[radical noodle]

58. He seems to be an insider with all the RW haters and crazies too

In fact, he seems to hate minorities, women, certain religions, and the disabled. He thinks and acts like a 14 year old bully. He won't rule out using nuclear weapons in Europe. He has the mental capacity of a centipede.

[QC]

3. In other breaking news, children have suddenly turned against Brussels sprouts

and many cats no longer like baths.

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. "progressive CNN contributor"

>progressive
>CNN

Pick one...

[LexVegas]

8. The Berniebro mentality comes from the top. nt

[villager]

9. Sort of like that faxed posting point, you mean?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. oh? I see! like hiring brock was a message from hillary

Message from the top to all her supporters that any and all tactics are allowed. And they followed right along

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. blaming sanders for other people's actions is childish and petulant

I don't blame hillary for her supporter's actions.

[MaeScott]

14. She actually repeated the lies...so sad. Or someone got to her with $$$

I put nothing past the PTB

[MariaThinks]

17. i'm done with bernie. i can't stand to watch him anymore. He's such a self serving hypocrite

who cares nothing about the democratic party. He has his own agenda.

[Lizzie Poppet]

23. "who cares nothing about the democratic party"

It takes a particularly aggressive sort of shallowness to place branding over policy...but to each their own.

[Betty Karlson]

22. Translation: I have been paid to become a Hill-bully and I see California looming on the horizon.

[riversedge]

33. I suspect Sally's comments are real and she is disappointed. No need to mock her with your

out of place comments.

[Betty Karlson]

37. Oh please: this incessant stream of Bernie-bashing OPs is anything but genuine.

So I take their contesnts with a healthy pinch of salt.

Healthy in this case being the salination equivalent of the Dead Sea.

[riversedge]

30. Lots of Left bloggers-and now Sally who is a strong supporter of Sanders have said his

statement was weak.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. I used to get upset watching her tout Senator Sanders on CNN.

My how the worm has turned.

[riversedge]

53. I only very occassionally turned into her show. But, yes, that wormed has turned.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

54. I don't think she has a show but even though I didn't like her touting BS I never doubted her...

I don't think she has a show but even though I didn't like her touting BS I never doubted her sincerity.

[JDPriestly]

40. The organization of the Nevada convention was what was weak.

And Barbara Boxer is a California senator. What was she doing berating Nevada voters?

It was a put-up job to create a Dean scream moment for Bernie.

And a lot of Hillary people are falling for it. In the end the disunity and trouble will hurt our Democratic nominee whether Hillary or Bernie.

The Hillary supporters gloat too early.

[workinclasszero]

43. Live by the bro...die by the bro

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Swift boating not just for republicans anymore

Not that it surprises me. The Dems used to do it, with less finesse though

[JDPriestly]

38. Hillary owns the press. Bernie loves the people.

This propaganda about Nevada is simply not very convincing.

When you hear the facts from the Bernie supporters who were there, it appears to me that the Nevada state Democratic Party did everything it could to incite anger by putting obviously unfair rules in face and then, when Bernie supporters complied with the rules, just refusing to play by their own, Nevada state Democratic Party rules.

But since the press is a virtual monopoly, all you hear is the bad stuff.

I am working on the Bernie campaign in California. My co-volunteers are delightful people, all strongly supporting Bernie but not angry at all.

The DNC acts as though this is 1968. But this is not 1968. Bernie's movement is not a protest movement. It is a positive movement to carry the Obama legacy onwards and to accomplish all the things that Obama could not have dreamed of accomplishing because of the dire state of the economy when he took office. Bernie is determined to improve the country.

Hillary is not second best. She is not an alternative to Bernie for many Bernie supporters. Her negativity. Her pouting. Her feeling sorry for herself because she is a woman, because she lost to Obama, because doing great things would just be so difficult . . . . I cannot believe that a true Bernie supporter has decided to support Hillary because of events at the Nevada convention.

She needs to come out and meet us Bernie volunteers. I invite her to do that. She will find wonderful people who are drawn to Bernie in great part because of his kindness and his hope for peace.

Let's remember that even the bird felt safe landing on Bernie's podium. The Bernie campaign is a peaceful, loving campaign. I'm sorry that the press has sought to paint it in such an ugly way.

The press is desperate to get Bernie out of the campaign because they do not like net neutrality and fear losing income if Citizens United is overturned.

Beware the Dean scream. That is what the press is trying to make of the Nevada situation. It's not going to work. What a bunch of bru-ha-ha over nothing.

[1StrongBlackMan]

42. Hmmm ...

The fact that the criticism is coming from left-leaning sources makes it more difficult for Sanders supporters to rebut it.

No ... It won't. The fact that the criticism is coming from the Left, just proves to them how deeply the corruption runs!

Rev up the bus and toss away. We got some liberals/progressives to silence.

[ViseGrip]

46. Oh paleeze! Focus on Bernie's policies. That is what this is about.

Activists drive me crazy all day long. I focus on the actual candidate, and their records, and what they say they will do. Not the bloggers.

[anotherproletariat]

49. So true...hard to win when the face of your campaign has become that of thugs.

If Sanders had just spoken up immediately against intimidation and violence, maybe he would have saved his legacy...as his campaign has been circling the drain since March.

[scottie55]

57. More Like Blame The Media For Skewing Everthing To Make Hillary Look Better

I wonder what Cabinet Level Position Hillary will give CNN, and MSNBC.

They are the biggest part of her campaign, and will need the favor returned.

[peace13]

59. Well I just got back from a night of clubbing and by that I don't mean partying.

Pretty much just 'violence-ing on anything I don't agree with. This has reached the height of stupidity. Sanders supporters are the opposit of what the media is saying. let's look at the callers and the text-ers and put some da@n names to these actions. Do it. Have the Chair turn her phone over and we will see!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

63. Done, peace13

let's look at the callers and the text-ers and put some da@n names to these actions.

Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family's safety, and to find out if — as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested — they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.

They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)


Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family's safety, and to find out if — as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested — they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.

They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/pro-bernie-trolls-on-why-they-harassed-nevadas-democratic-chair-20160518#ixzz497ivhTfg

[procon]

61. He lost any goodwill after his tepid response to the violence of his followers.

It's gone beyond the ongoing harassment and the pejorative labels attached to every person who criticizes Sanders. His fans have run out of excuse so they've been using the same C&P evasions to cover up criticisms by going straight to the, "Yeah, but what about...", and everything is a lie, blah-blah-blah, everyone is out to get him, blah-blah-blah, the system is rigged, blah-blah-blah... on an endless loop.

Honestly, at this point it's hard not to see Sanders as anything other than a thin-skinned, sullen and resentful con man, an opportunist who rode a wave of populist adoration to enjoy an undeserved extended 15 minutes of fame.

[scottie55]

64. Enter Expletive That Will Get This Post Hidden Here!!!!!!!!!!!!

procon, see a doctor.

[All in it together]

62. There were no chairs thrown and who knows who sent nasty comments to Lange

Take away people's rights, the rights of delegates to be heard at a state democratic convention and many people with speak out, thank God we have people who care about democracy.

Sorry you take the media lies and smears as truth, Sally. Our free press has been bought and sold to the oligarchs.

[LanternWaste]

65. I like your Sanders, I do not like your Sanders supporters. Your Sanders supporters are so unlike...

If DU is any indication of the civility, the objectivity and the rational thought illustrating the collective sentiment of his supporters, I'd have to agree with the author.


'I like your Sanders, I do not like your Sanders supporters. Your Sanders supporters are so unlike your Sanders.'

[myrna minx]

72. I never knew what a horrible person I was until I came to DU.

All because I support Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary of 2016.

[Eric J in MN]

67. It's highly credible that in a room full of cops and

...smart phones, people threw chairs but nobody was arrested and no video exists.

That's ridiculous.

[azurnoir]

68. a quick Google search says she promotes Hillary under the aegis of being a Bernie supporter

supposedly a better strategy than most,but really she isn't very convincing

http://mediamatters.org/video/2016/02/22/cnns-sally-kohn-the-narrative-that-hillary-clin/208727

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/opinions/democratic-new-york-primary-reaction-kohn/

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/sally-kohn-sad-and-desperate-to-compare-clintons-record-with-women-to-trumps/

[Eric J in MN]

69. Good catch.

She says in the article that she praised Clinton at the Sanders rally.

People booed, and therefore "Bernie Bros are real," according to her.

If she got up at a Clinton rally and said, "Bernie Sanders would be a great president" she'd be booed, too.

[Orsino]

75. And still no one is quite sure exactly what is supposed to have happened.

But there was footage of a chair tipped over, so clearly Sanders must be discredited.

[oldandhappy]

79. I am wearing a t-shirt that says

The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you. Seem appropriate tho I got it for another reason. MSM seems to supporting the clinton story. Please consider checking some other sources. Otherwise, be happy.

[MariaThinks]

80. put a blanket on the bern.