Washington Post: Sanders Is Playing With Fire

[Albertoo]

Summary: Time to rally round Hillary if we want to avoid a Trump White House.

Sanders Is Playing With Fire

WASHINGTON -- Bernie Sanders is playing a dangerous game. If he and his campaign continue their scorched-earth attacks against the Democratic Party, they will succeed only in one thing: electing Donald Trump as president.

I say this as someone who shares much of Sanders' political philosophy; I too, for example, see health care as a basic right. He has run a remarkable and historically significant campaign, pulling the party to the left and pumping it full of new progressive vigor. His crowds are almost as big as Trump's and perhaps even more enthusiastic. Most important, he has brought legions of young people into the political process.

But he hasn't won the nomination.

Hillary Clinton has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates, earned by her performance in primaries and caucuses. In the aggregate, she leads Sanders by about 3 million votes. The will of the party is clear: More Democrats prefer Clinton over Sanders as their nominee.

Instead of accepting this obvious fact, the Sanders campaign is behaving like a 2-year-old who can't have ice cream for breakfast. All along, Sanders and his aides have claimed that the party establishment was unfairly tipping the scales in favor of Clinton. Now the Sanders people have gone further and are deliberately stoking anger and a sense of grievance -- less against Clinton than the party itself. This is reckless in the extreme, and it could put Trump in the White House.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/05/20/sanders_is_playing_with_fire_130618.html

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Hillary is the one playing a dangerous scorched earth game

by claiming she already has the nomination, and that she doesn't need Bernie supporters.

[NanceGreggs]

3. When did she say ...

... she doesn't need Bernie supporters?

[workinclasszero]

16. She didn't

Just another bro lie against the democratic nominee.

[NanceGreggs]

17. Well, I know that ...

... and you know that.

I was just wonderin' when those who "know" differently are going to cough up some links to prove their point.

[workinclasszero]

18. They cant

Its just another smear job

[NanceGreggs]

21. I know.

But I like the sound of the deafening silence when you actually ask them to back something up with facts.

[workinclasszero]

23. Yeah

[Fawke Em]

26. Good luck without us boobie'd bros in the fall.

If Trump wins, it's on YOU, not us. We have principles. You have a vagina to vote for.

[NanceGreggs]

27. And you apparently have a penis to vote for.

Too bad he's losing so badly, huh?

[Fawke Em]

33. This fall?

LOL! If it's Trump or Clinton, I'll also be voting for a vagina. Jill Stein.

Yeah - there's another woman in the race.

Next?

[NanceGreggs]

35. So you ARE voting based on genitalia?

I applaud your honesty!

[Fawke Em]

39. No. I'm voting based on platform.

Just tired of being called a "Bernie Bro" since I wear a bra and bleed once a month.

[anotherproletariat]

30. So, it's been noted. Fawke Em (coo name) is not at fault. I'll add you to my list. nt

[seekthetruth]

44. You have no idea what the proletariat is all about.

[LonePirate]

32. Protecting American from Trump must not be one of those principles.

[Fawke Em]

41. Why do you think Clinton isn't as dangerous.

Because I think they both suck, but for different reasons.

I'm also not rich.

[LonePirate]

46. Any rational person who has listened to both Hillary and Trump can make that distinction.

It's not a tough one to make but evidently pride or some other reason is preventing plenty of Bernie's supporters from seeing it.

[Fawke Em]

59. I know her record.

And FOR the RECORD, I was never going to vote for a corporate-owned war hawk. Told my husband in March 2015 that if she was the nominee, I'd be switching parties and that was before Bernie threw his hat in the ring.

This has nothing to do with Bernie. It has to do with her vile record and multitude of mistakes.

[Fawke Em]

20. She didn't say it.

She just lives it.

Hell, I wouldn't believe anything that came out of her mouth, anyway, but I do know how she bristles at the proles.

[Bohemianwriter]

53. It's painfully clear for anyone not having their vision fogged...

by corrupt partisan politics over the common good, using lies and distortion to demonize Bernie and his supporters at the same time as she is wooing REPUBLICAN donors rather than reaching out to Bernie voters whose votes she has not earned.l In fact swhe haswn't EARNED a single vote. She has ony scammed popele into voting for her pandering without substance.

By Hillary and her supporter alienating Bernie Sanders you will not have this election since you seem to be more alligned to republicans in ideology, rhetoric and dirty campaigning.

So good luck in making it to November WITHOUT those "Berniebros". About ten million of them. And more.

I mean, you wouldn't have alleged racists who hates women voting WITH you, would you?

'You side has made it painfcully clear that Bernie voterws are not needed or wanted or worth anything.

_So you have basically made your own political death bed. And you can blame yourself for it. Not anybody else but your own attitudes and CORPdem ideology of corruption and a rigged system. I am now taling to Hilary supporters having played the victim card, smearing Bernie and his supporters for no other reason that they thin Bernie's and his supporters existence are stopping Hillary from getting something both she and her sup+porters think she is entitled to.
I am sorry for our existence. I deeply apologize for the RW politics Hilary has advocate4d since her racialy charged dog whistles from the 90*s I am deeply sorry about her support for illegal wars and a repeat when she was SoS.


I am still waiting for a laundry list over what makes Hillary a progressive or liberal. Can't fund a single track of any liberal or progressive policy she has been traiblazing the last 25 years. From her own mouth, she tried to lift her CONSERVATIVE credentials, taking a long step AWAY from the base she and you expect the vote to if she survives the nomination and the FBI investigation.
What I find disturbing is how she in her emails went behind Obamas back, and sought to undermine his authoirity and supporting RW military coup makers in private.

Why are you voting for a candidate who is not progressive, takes money from Saudis who treat women ike cattle, LGBT as criminals and atheists like terrorists and supports RW dictators who kills both Native American activists as well as LGBT activists in Honduras?
I guess her alleged support for LGBT and women only goes skin deep and is as genuine as whatever comes out of any OTHER republican mouth.

Perhaps Hillary and her supporters really don't care about women's rights LGBT rights or native rights around the world, but uses these as wedge issues to scare people into voting against GOP fundies. Where is DNC, DCL, Hillary and DWS on the NC Bathroom bill? Are they not willing to fight for transgender rights in their own country?
The fact of the matter is, that she is as principled as a used car salesman moonshining as a televangelist. Until 3 years ago, she still thought that religion to be used in government to deny LGBT people equal rights as citizens.

What I find bizarre is how Hillary and her minions claim that money from her donors and Wall Street doesn't dictate her stance, but whine and squirm when it comes to putting some hard evidence of her uncorrupt nature by refusing to release the transcripåts that can put all speculations to rest. Which means that Hillary has something to hide.

What the two party minions don't realize is that your two party dictatorship has effectively disenfranchised 40% of the voters. Voters your side is now trying to disenfranchise and alienate even more.
Their purity test lies ion how strong one supports a candidate whose values are antithetiocal to FDR. Personal cuoltism over party unity and ideals seem to be the mantra of Hilarybots who still haven't given a reason why Hilary deserves the votes of people her campaign has smeared for months. Using the same tactics against Bernie as she did against Obama, playing racial politics, portraying 'Obama as some dangerous Muslim and a BLACK one at that.

[MFM008]

4. I didn't hear the doesn't need Sanders supporters

I don't believe she would say that.

[Eric J in MN]

9. Did she say she doesn't need Sanders supporters? NT

NT

[6chars]

14. I don't think that scorched earth means what you think it means.

[Art_from_Ark]

25. I know exactly what it means

A scorched earth primary campaign is one which is conducted in a way that it alienates a considerable proportion of that party's base-- and that is precisely what Hillary's campaign has been doing.

The same crap she was doing in 2008.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jan/24/uselections2008.hillaryclinton

[LenaBaby61]

2. June 14th...

Will be here soon, and all will be decided in the Dem primaries 'officially' by then.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Neither Hillary nor Bernie will have enough pledged delegates going to the convention

[LonePirate]

37. Just like in 2008, the race will be over after DC votes and long before the convention.

Actually, the media will probably call the race as soon as the polls close in New Jersey on the 7th.

[Art_from_Ark]

40. No, it won't

Neither camp will have enough pledged delegates before the convention. And it doesn't matter what the damn media says.

[LonePirate]

45. The more you cling to that false hope, the more disappointed you will become.

The supers will shut down this race no later than June 15th. The 2008 race ended after DC. So will this one.

[Art_from_Ark]

48. The supers don't vote until the convention

And for the record, why the hell are you promoting such a tainted candidate? She hobnobs with Republicans like the Bushes, she gets foreign policy "advice" from the worst of the worst like Kissinger and Kagan, she is gunning for yet another war in the Middle East, she takes big bucks from bankers who always expect a return on their investment, she shilled for a war on the Senate floor that was being pushed by Bush and Cheney, she was a corporate lawyer who defended corporations against the little people. And she is being investigated by the FBI for possible national security breaches, among other things. She is without a doubt one of the worst, if not THE worst Democratic candidate in my lifetime, and that goes back to the Eisenhower era.

[LonePirate]

58. Again, look at 2008 to see what will happen next month. Let history be your guide.

And I am not promoting Clinton. I am simply aware of the reality of the race. The reality is the supers like her and will not be changing their votes. The reality is she will gain roughly half or more of the PDs from VI, PR and NJ. That's all she needs. This race is not going all the way to the convention no matter what Bernie says.

[Albertoo]

61. Neatly summarized

[StayFrosty]

5. I don't think there's anything Hillary can say or do

That will win the support of some Sanders Supporters

I say some because not all of them are zealots. But I think the majority of them will come to their senses and realize what's at stake this election

[Fawke Em]

22. When are you going to come to your senses and realize that she's

under a criminal investigation?

Or does that "senses" thing only work if you're an oligarch?

[Art_from_Ark]

28. What's at stake in this election

is potentially electing someone who will be constantly under investigation, maybe even face the threat of impeachment, and so may try to stave it off by giving away the store, just like her husband did in the '90s.

And don't say "Supreme Court" because if Obama can't even get a hearing for his conservative nominee, Hillary sure isn't going to nominate someone to the left of him.

[jillan]

6. Trying to stop democracy and stop people from voting is what this op-ed is advocating.

If trying to destroy what makes this country great isn't playing with fire, than I don't know what is.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. +1000

Back in the Cold War days, we were always told that "in the Soviet Union (China, Cuba, etc.), the citizens are denied the basic right to vote". Sounds like some of the four-legged critters on the farm are happily becoming like those awful two-legged critters.

[Albertoo]

10. Nobody is advocating that anyone should be denied a vote

The point is that Bernie will never get enough delegates to win.
He might believe that in some kind of ego trip, but it's misguided.

All this article does is to voice a word of caution:
an unstable bully like Trump cannot win unless Bernie stays on digging trenches of division.

[Fawke Em]

24. Then the article is false.

You give liberals a piece of crap like Hillary and you get what you get on the other end.

[Albertoo]

60. So your point is: give liberals what they want, or else

Like the article says, a bit like a 2 year old who's been refused ice cream for breakfast, is it not?

[Fumesucker]

11. The Bezos Home Daily says what?

Commentary as an adjunct to a home delivery service, what is the world coming to?

[Samantha]

12. The Washington Post is now part of the Establishment and runs many OPs critical of Sanders

But this is really over the top.

It is obvious establishment players will continue to insinuate Sanders and his supporters are running "scorched-earth" attacks against the Clinton campaign when anyone casually following the contest from its inception knows it is the converse which has been true.

As Sanders himself pointed out, all of his rallies have been very peaceful. Efforts to create violence and blame the Sanders' campaign will not be believed by the public. Many people have become so used to observing political dirty tricks, they now recognize them the minute they see them.

Additionally, those same people recognize propaganda when they see it and tend to simply consider the source.

Sam

[Number23]

13. They're all much too busy celebrating that Snopes said nobody threw a chair

Holy Mary, Mother of God....

Of ALL the shit the Sanders campaign has been accused of the last few months, throwing a fucking chair was the LEAST of them. And even if not a single chair was actually thrown, we've all seen the video of these folks screaming, rushing the stage and hollering like they had no sense.

They can't even pretend to deny that people screamed at Hillary so much during one of her rallies it had to end early and shouted profanities at freaking children as they left, including tearing up a child's Hillary sign that Hillary had autographed.

They can't even deny that the Nevada Dem chair has had HUNDREDS of profanity laced phone calls, including death threats and being called a "cunt" on her phone since the Nevada convention from Sanders supporters.

They can't even deny that Sanders supporters called Barbara Boxer, a Democratic senator, a "bitch" in front of the whole world.

They can't even deny that Sanders' "response" to the Nevada madness was damn near as craven as the idiocy itself.

But no one threw a chair. Huzzah!1 Oh, and let's keep talking about that one black guy that beat up a Sanders supporter. What do you mean he went to jail and got his mug shot plastered all over the media??! That's CLEARLY the same thing as hundreds and hundreds of people acting like DERANGED LUNATICS at a Democratic convention, at Democratic rallies, on social media, on people's phones, and in media releases. LORD have mercy.....

[NanceGreggs]

34. I swear the BS campaign ...

... has actually morphed into an SNL skit.

[Number23]

38. SNL is way past its prime and still runs rings about these terrifying, sad people.

Even Larry David couldn't make these latest, even more unhinged than usual, antics funny.

[NanceGreggs]

43. You're right.

If SNL wants to compete with the Bernies, they're going to have to include more references to the oligarchy, Third Wayers, DINOs, "The Establishment", etc. - oh, and more cowbell.

[bobbobbins01]

15. He is the fire!

That sounded bad ass in my head.

[Fawke Em]

19. Summary: We Don't Give a Fuck.

Equally as bad for different reasons.

[Albertoo]

62. Wow. Just wow: Hillary = Trump?

World leaders (Cameron) and his own party members are wary of Trump.
And Hillary = Trump?

[grasswire]

29. Poor Eugene Robinson. Has to sit with Tweety every workday.

That would warp anyone.

[barrow-wight]

31. I'm glad that so many voices on the left are realizing how scorched earth Bernie is getting.

Clearly Bernie would rather Trump win if it means he can't get in. And it seems like many of his acolytes are right there with him. It's very saddening because it just might result in a Trump presidency.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

36. I remain unmoved, and I'm still looking forward to voting for Sanders.

And no, this shit isn't my fault and I won't be accepting any blame. I've done what I could to sway a really poor decision. Doesn't look like I'm going to prevail. You bought it, you name it.

[slipslidingaway]

42. DNC and DWS scheduled the first Dem debate months after the Repubs and after the NY deadline

to change party affiliation.

O'Malley and Sanders both objected in the summer of 2015 when the schedule was announced, Clinton never objected at the time. I know that I said at the time that the Dem party was handing the election over to the Repbs and I know I was not alone.

Yes we said that months ago! Do not try and blame the Sanders people, the Dems played a dangerous game by promoting Clinton and many said so at the time!


"Now the Sanders people have gone further and are deliberately stoking anger and a sense of grievance -- less against Clinton than the party itself. This is reckless in the extreme, and it could put Trump in the White House."


Agree the Dems have been reckless from the get go, just as they were pretending about HC back in 2007, and making back room deals with the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Can we wake up please and not be guided by the corporate media!

What the Dem party does not seem to understand is that independents now make up a large portion of the electorate. The younger generation and some of the older generation cannot be brought to heel as quickly as they once were.

Van Jones astutely pointed out the difference between 2008 and today, the rebels were winning and backing Obama in 2008, they are now backing Sanders and will not conform as easily.

[Peace Patriot]

47. "Sanders is playing with fire"? No, he IS fire!

FEEL THE BERNE!

His fire is igniting the hearts of millions of people, whose hearts had been dead, dead, dead, killed by demoralization, disempowerment and disenfranchisement. Killed by the Corrupt Media. Killed by the 'TRADE SECRET' voting machines which gave us an 8%-approval-rating Congress and really, really, really bad governors in many states. Killed by endless war. Killed by increasing poverty. Killed by the death of the American Dream, that your children will do better than you did. Killed by all the homeless misery they see all around them. Killed by the insurance companies. Killed by Big Pharma. Killed by Big Oil. Killed by "free trade for the rich." Killed by Reagan. Killed by Clinton. Killed by Bush. Maybe a heartbeat or two under Obama. Then, slam-bang, killed by the prospect of a Clinton vs. Trump kabuki show that will reduce voter participation to any even more disgraceful level than before these primaries.

The dead heart of America has been touched by fire! One million people have been newly registering to vote in California!** The Sanders campaign has won amazing victories all over the country, as recently as this week in Oregon by a 12 pt. margin. With all the handicaps placed on this campaign from the outside (hostile media, hostile Democratic Party moguls, lies and dirty tricks, voter purges, David Brock)--and internal handicaps like no superpac and no corporate/billionaire money--the campaign should have withered on the vine, as a noble fringe effort to reform the unreformable.

But it didn't die. The flame grew and grew and grew until it is now a blaze in many hearts throughout the land, and an inspiration to people around the world, that U.S. democracy is still alive.

The cold panic and hysteria of those with money-soiled hands and souls couldn't be more evident than in the last few days with the "swift-boating" of Sanders as "violent" by the Corrupt Media, at the instigation of the corrupt Clinton campaign, and by cold-fingered knifings like this article, which trot out every nasty little thing that the author (or his mentor) could think of, to ridicule the best thing that has happened in our country in about 50 years: The Bern.



-----------------

**(It was 850,000 new registered voters in California as of March. It will likely reach one million by the May 23 deadline. Most of these are Democrats. Most are young voters.)

[Art_from_Ark]

49. +1,000,000

[uponit7771]

54. Fire = ahead by 3 million votes

[reformist2]

55. WaPo must be finally feeling the BERN!!!

[bemildred]

50. Ha ha, WaPo is feeling petulant. nt

[pansypoo53219]

51. this is GOOD sign. GO BERNIE!

[frustrated_lefty]

52. Utter tripe.

Hillary and her surrogates hand the election to Trump by forcing their crappy nominee down our throats.

[djean111]

56. Oh. Wow. Another dump Bernie and unite behind the Third Way war-lovin' Wall Street

candidate y'all were supposed to support in the first place. From a source that regularly trashes Bernie.
Oh. Wow. Amusingly petulant, too. Poor babies. Does being excoriated online ever work on any damn body? Do authoritarian types really think this stuff works?

This crap has really gotten old and stale. What's next? Clint Eastwood yammering at an empty chair?

[Surya Gayatri]

57. Massive K & R. Thanks for posting.

"Now the Sanders people have gone further and are deliberately stoking anger and a sense of grievance -- less against Clinton than the party itself. This is reckless in the extreme, and it could put Trump in the White House."

[Albertoo]

63. This passage sums the deal: who wants Trump?

[CobaltBlue]

64. Albertoo—I do not trust 'Washington Post'; and no one else should.

[JudyM]

65. ... and apparently NYT wants to fan flames...