Bernie: I should know more about Latin America, but I'm running for President right now.

[bravenak]

Univision anchor León Krauze sat down with Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders this week to talk about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy towards Latin America.

Sanders spoke about the drug war and immigration, but when pressed on the levels of violence in Central America caused by the U.S.’ deportation of hardened gang members, the Vermont Senator said “Look, you’re asking me questions about the impact on Central America, which honestly I should know more than I do know.”

Sanders balked again when asked about the situation in South America.

“You are asking me questions about Latin America that I am very interested in but right now I’m running for president of the United States,” Sanders said in response to a question about the implosion of left wing governments in Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil.

http://fusion.net/video/307108/bernie-sanders-acknowledges-he-should-know-more-about-latin-america/

OMG. What a terrible terrible interview for the Candidate. His lack of foreign policy is quite obvious, even to himself!

[PoliticAverse]

1. Hillary Clinton could certainly school him in the art of fomenting Latin American Coups. n/t

[bravenak]

9. Blah blah blah

I have no idea what conspiracy this is

[think]

66. The School of Americas never existed

[DisgustipatedinCA]

73. You should do some reading in that case. You walked right into this one.

[Scootaloo]

101. You used to know stuff, Bravenak

Wha'happen?

[bjo59]

56. Yes, she most certainly could. (One of the reasons I'm not voting for her.)

[Fast Walker 52]

157. exactly.

[Iliyah]

2. I read about the interview, another bad one.

[bravenak]

3. Completely clueless on non domestic issues. It's scary.

[nichomachus]

124. Maybe Hillary can give him lessons

On overthrowing democratically elected governments and turning countries into failed states. She excels in that.

Dangerous, dangerous woman.

[Hoyt]

4. Sanders is a Nationalist who considers South Americans competition for jobs. Not a good stance

in my opinion.

[bravenak]

6. He really show that in this interview

It was weird how dismissive he was about drug gangster returning to SA and causing more problems down there.

[Hoyt]

11. Yep. It's been obvious, but Berners don't care. In that respect, they aren't much different from DTr

[AgingAmerican]

28. Clueless

[Hoyt]

33. Typical Berner reply.

[AgingAmerican]

36. Your uninformed comment

Is typical Hillspeak

[Hoyt]

40. Well, why don't you explain Sanders' view of poor foreign workers?

[sheshe2]

98. Correct. He is.

[SmittynMo]

5. Yep - Right on

OMG. What a terrible terrible interview for the Candidate on ABC today. Her persistent lack of Email policy rules is quite obvious, even to herself!

[bravenak]

8. Better than not caring about us deporting violent drug gangs back to south america to wreak havoc

On brown folks down there.

[Ash_F]

134. Clinton wanted to deport innocent children.

[bravenak]

139. Did she now? When was she in charge of who we deported?

[Ash_F]

142. Read this. Good thing she wasn't in charge

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-child-migrants_us_55d4a5c5e4b055a6dab24c2f

And you make a good case that she should not be in charge.

[sheshe2]

18. What a clueless post. nt

[SmittynMo]

20. Intentional

I'm guessing you didn't get it.

[KingFlorez]

7. He'd be a disaster on foreign policy logistics

[bravenak]

10. Absoultely

[Corporate666]

12. Bernie IS illiterate on foreign policy, but in his defense...

the levels of violence in central america *caused* by the US deportation of hardened gang members?

Whaaaaaaa?

That's so untruthful and shifting the blame that my jaw dropped.


But Bernie should have had a much better answer for it. He lacks any and all finesse and political subtlety.

[bravenak]

14. He should have known enough to say something

And they do contribute somewhat to the problem, but not the majority of it, for sure.

[WhiteTara]

51. He's also too busy running for president

to reveal his taxes.

[Corporate666]

119. Hey, give him a break....

entering a username *AND* a password on the Turbotax site takes some time. That must be at least 10, 15 keystrokes.


And it's not like there is any precedent for releasing tax returns. It's a ridiculous demand that is only ever made of Bernie.

[Baobab]

13. Its a full time job staying on top of all of Latin America.

he is far better informed than Trump, and we already know and can see that the things Hillary knows and does are disastrous.

So he would be a better choice than either of the others.

[bravenak]

15. He had no anwers at all

Hillary knows her stuff

[Baobab]

25. Sorry, what people do matters.

simply "knowing ones stuff" is not an asset if what one knows and does is evil.

[bravenak]

39. What has He done for Latin America? Nothing. At all.

So he better know something.

[JonLeibowitz]

147. Whereas Clinton lobbied for a lower wage there? No Thanks.

[bravenak]

149. He has no record

[JonLeibowitz]

154. Neither did Obama, on Foreign Policy. Obama had less, in fact.

Did Obama have a terrible foreign policy too, then?

[bravenak]

155. Obama was not ignorant of what was going on in the world

He articulated a clear doctrine. Bernie? NOTHING.

[JonLeibowitz]

158. Ok.

[Baobab]

31. The primaries are not over, also Hillary is a morally challenged person, in my opinion.

Example- her healthcare plan was a coverup of a scheme that made affordable health care impossible globally - to lock people into bad policy and hijack democracy, for corporations.


Thats an example of what we're going to get if she wins.

with friends like that who needs enemies.

[ecstatic]

16. Not surprising. He can't answer questions about his own platform.

IMO, he's shown very little curiosity, very little thinking about how to realistically implement his own ideas.

[bravenak]

17. I agree

It's all rhetoric

[uponit7771]

76. No... no, he said he'd implement his ideas by "collective energy" which would change the minds of th

... the GOP.

I starting to think that this guy never thought he'd get a million votes so he never had to think shit through

[Hekate]

156. Your last sentence strikes home for me: he never thought he'd get this far

He's spent an entire lifetime saying the same things over and over and over again, so he can recite his stump speech in his sleep. What his fans think of as being steady as a rock on principle seems to me to be a case of never having to bring anything into the real world where the messy business of things gets DONE. So he really has never been forced to flesh his ideas out all that much or to bring the criticism of others to bear.

Clinton, otoh, lambasted for shifting her stances, has actually been in the real world where you have to acknowledge the ideas and wishes of other people in order to get anything accomplished -- and the list of her accomplishments is very long.

[Eric J in MN]

19. If you were asked how much violence in Central America

...is caused by the US deportation of gang members, what would you say?

(I've never heard of a candidate being asked that before.)

[bravenak]

35. I would say a small percentage MAY be caused by undocumented people who are deported back

And that we should give them into the hands of authorities of the nation of their origen in all cases in the future so they can decide whether to release them among the population. But thats just me.

[PaulaFarrell]

162. so you'd be saying nothing

Cause all you've done is give the flim flam that politicos give when tthey've nothing to say. At least B is honest and admits when he has no answer.

[bravenak]

163. Um? Handing potential criminals to authorities was my proposal.

[PaulaFarrell]

164. and it's all nice and vague

And meaningless.

[6chars]

21. a 44 year old neophyte i could understand

but bernie really should know this stuff if he wants to be running for president. he has been in the house and senate for several decades. how can he not know this stuff?

[bravenak]

29. Do they not get briefings?

Why doesnt he go to them? Why? This is just sad.

[ericson00]

22. not a leader, not a POTUS, not even a Democrat

he needs to retire already, both from this primary and politics.

[bravenak]

27. He needs to be primaried

I just decided that folks wanting to take his comittee assignments are right. We should. Embarassing

[6chars]

121. lol

[geek tragedy]

23. He humiliated himself in Florida on a radio interview

when he didn't know anything about the peace talks in Colombia.

[bravenak]

24. Oh jeezus

This is embarassing as hell

[geek tragedy]

30. .

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2016/03/bernie-sanders-says-he-has-to-brush-up-on-colombian-peace-process.html

[bravenak]

37. No wonder he lost so badly

Clueless. He could lose Florida for us.

[Sancho]

26. Bernie has always been a lightweight - not prepared to be President....

[bravenak]

38. How is he a Senator?

[Hekate]

160. Vermont is the second least-populous state after Wyoming: 626,000

When you consider that the smallest state is entitled to the same number of Senators as the largest state (California, at 39 million) it really brings home to you the skewed power of the Senate if they fail in their duties as a deliberative body. But that's a different conversation.

The point is, with a population that small, the chance of everybody knowing everybody is pretty great, kind of like I know my House Representative here in California, though chances of getting to know either of my Senators is slim to none. As long as the Senator of a small state keeps taking care of his constituents adequately, he can stay forever and be as eccentric as he likes, just as with House Reps.

[dubyadiprecession]

32. Bernie is really a one dimensional candidate...

He doesn't pivot much from his working class script.

[bravenak]

52. I have heard absolutely nothing new from him ever

[catnhatnh]

34. Yeah

Hillary has already made her bones south of the border. And I mean that in the fullest sense of the phrase.

[tonedevil]

146. While her role in the...

coup in Honduras is incredibly despicable the really sick thing is her wanting to send the refugee children back.

[Raster]

61. Oh, show a little empathy.... so many of the posters in this thread have major...

...emotional investment in all things Hillary. And most of them just can't comprehend that 80% of Americans find Clinton UNTRUSTWORTHY, even more so than the dreaded tRump, not to mention, that the "nothingburger" email and server issues may well turn out to be quite the issues, contrary, of course to the official HRC line, which may have further detrimental effect to the Clinton campaign.

[NanceGreggs]

42. "If people just stopped expecting me to know stuff ...

... I'd be the front-runner right now."

[bravenak]

45. Basically

[NanceGreggs]

50. Apparently nobody told Bernie ...

... that the presidency of the United States isn't a "learn-on-the job" position.

[bravenak]

54. But when has he ever learned anything new?

I cannot remember, I'm not old enough. Been a long time since he said new stuff.

[NanceGreggs]

95. I can't think of anything either.

I've no doubt that his interpretation of "learn on the job" re the presidency means the rest of the world learns that Bernie doesn't know anything - and they'd damned well better learn to accept that.

[Thinkingabout]

59. Is it too late in the primaries? Yes, about a year too late.

[Number23]

113. NAILED it, NANCE!!!!!

"If people just stopped expecting me to know stuff ...... I'd be the front-runner right now."



Or in other words, "goddammit I'm running for president right now! Why do people keep asking me about shit that a president is supposed to know??!! Just let me run for president!"

[oberliner]

43. Foreign Policy is definitely not his thing

The issues that animate his candidacy the most are domestic ones.

[bravenak]

46. It is very noticeable

Be horrible in the GE. But then again, Trump has no clue either.

[ucrdem]

44. hey bravenak I'm glad you're back!

[bravenak]

48. Hey

[okasha]

47. Wasn't he going to "study up"

on foreign policy the night before one of the debates?

Looks like he still hasn't done that.

[bravenak]

49. Well, he went to Rome

That was the extent of the 'foreign policy' we are going to get

[Nye Bevan]

53. To be fair, I would actually give him some credit here,

for openly admitting that he is absolutely clueless about that part of the world, as opposed to trying to obfuscate and make things up.

[bravenak]

55. You're right

[Kang Colby]

60. Yes, but...

When asked about breaking up the banks a few weeks ago, he also wasn't able to provide a knowledgeable answer. And that's a key tenant of his political platform.

[bravenak]

65. True

[Kang Colby]

69. What does he know?

He knows how to flail his arms around when he talks...at least there is that.

[bravenak]

70. Sure has no clue on how to break up the banks

A vague idea that they are too big though, but no idea what to do about it. Just break them!!!

[Kang Colby]

77. He could break up an old fashioned piggy bank...

and then buy NYC subway tokens.

[bravenak]

81. Oh shit!

Use the money to buy new 8 tracks of his spoken word album.

[Alittleliberal]

93. This is just flat out not true.

Are you talking about the NYDN article? Because Bernie was very clear. His answer was correct and you're participating in a hatchet job.

[Kang Colby]

94. Yes, that's the article.

What's wrong with it, in your opinion?

[Number23]

112. That's a great point. That interview was even more embarrassing than this latest fiasco

And does nothing for the idea that alot of folks have that beyond screaming about billionaires, there is very little to his campaign or his policies.

[ecstatic]

63. Hmmm...nah... He's had over a year to study. It's just not

acceptable this late in the game. How hard is it to take 15-30 minutes to study Latin American issues the night before an interview like that? Or even the morning of (if you're a severe procrastinator like me).

I'm sorry, but that level of slacking is NOT OK with me--we're taking about the presidency here. If "President Bernie" doesn't know WTF is going on, there will be assholes who are ready and willing to take advantage of his ignorance. President Obama and/or Hillary would NEVER walk into an interview of that nature unprepared.

[Armstead]

57. Perhaps if ypu bothered to look you'd realuze he was....

Involved with Latin America to the extent of visiting Nicarguaxand setting up a sister city program, and was an active opponent against US actions and Contras. He was criticized in Burlington for being too engaged in Latin America



He is being honest that he has been focused on other issues this campaign. I'd rather someone give an honest answer unlike Clinton who has a glib answer for everything on every subject...Her actions as SoS were not always sterling.

...I am certain if he were president he would have a team who are experts...

But what the fuck. He's not Clinton so he is the devil....

I Shouldn't even wade into this den of uninformed knee jerk reactions

[bravenak]

58. I called him uninformed and he agrees

Not everything is a conspiracy

[Armstead]

62. Did I say conspiracy?

Just a knee jerk negstive response to anything he says or does....

I should know better than to even try to inject another opinion. So go ahead and have your fun

[bravenak]

64. He is the one that said he needed to know more but failed to brush up before the interview

He knew it was on his schedule

[okasha]

97. Decades ago.

Latin America has changed substantially since then, and a US President needs to know about economic and political conditions now.

[ucrdem]

67. He really should know more. Treaties and CiC are his chief duties per the Constitution:

Article II:

Section. 2.

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

[bravenak]

68. Saying he should know things is rigging the game, sir!

[ucrdem]

72. But only 1% seem to know it.

Sad ain't it?

[bravenak]

74. Oh my!!

You oligarch.

[ucrdem]

78. California #feelsthebern!

[bravenak]

80. I laughed and laughed reading your thread

Nobody wanted to count them. It was sad.

[ucrdem]

82. How do 25 faces become evidence of 25,000 attendees?

#BernieMath, that's how.

[bravenak]

85. There were 25 million people there. Yr just jealous!

[ucrdem]

86. Using #BernieMath the entire state of California attended Hillary's event.

But only to protest of course.

[bravenak]

87. 150 percent of america hates her #berniemath

[ucrdem]

88. Bernie is still beating her

in Vermont.

[bravenak]

89. Gawd. Is this thing ever going to end?

January 20, 2017, we will still have folks saying he's almost got enough delegates to beat her.

[ucrdem]

90. Also that Bernie should have won the general based on their write-in vote.

Using #BerniMath.

[bravenak]

91. I notice that many of them are giving up the nonsense and being quiet

Yay!

[ucrdem]

92. Yep. And to those I extend sincere good wishes.

It ain't easy.

[R B Garr]

71. lol, he is definitely no Obama, and he's been around in his elected Establishment

position for decades longer. Obama was worldly beyond any measure -- pure genius.

[bravenak]

75. I wanted to answer the questions for him!

[mcar]

79. That sounds unfortunate

Kind of like when he said he hadn't studied how to break up the big banks.

[bravenak]

84. Yep. He keeps getting caugh unawares. Imagine him on official duty to Mexico?

Sorry, I have no idea of what you all do in this nation, I am being President of the USA.

[Alittleliberal]

96. That's not what he said

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-daily-news_us_5704779ce4b0a506064d8df5

The Daily News reporter just didn't understand the issue. She conflated the Treasury department and the Fed. Bernie gave an answer regarding working through the Treasury department using a provision in Dodd Frank. The "I haven't studied" part was in response to the reporters silly response about the Fed. He also mentioned they could just be prosecuted on FRAUD! Because banks who sold toxic mortgage packages COMMITTED FRAUD. You are acting like a Republican by continuing to spew this bullshit.

[Lucinda]

99. KNR

[BootinUp]

100. He never has shown ANY FP creds this campaign. nt

[Txbluedog]

102. Why does Bernie need FP credentials?

He's just going to reneg on all treaties, impose significant import tariffs and create sn isolationist mecca where all the jobs will come back to America

[bravenak]

103. Yay!! No allies!!! Whooo!!

[Luminous Animal]

105. What were Obama's foreign policy credentials?

[bravenak]

107. Him knowing exactly what was going on and being able to articulate a doctrine

Bernie has none of that

[Luminous Animal]

110. Oh Bravenak. As if you are still in diapers.

[bravenak]

111. Aint you cute

[Luminous Animal]

104. Hillary knows enough on how to get activists killed. (Honduras… or don't you care.)

[bravenak]

106. Everything is her fault, I know

[Luminous Animal]

108. Berta totally insignificant. Had nothing of value to add to her community. Her death

is meaningless to the empire.

[bravenak]

109. So Hillary killed her? Surprising. Never seemed like the type.

[Luminous Animal]

115. She predicted her death and levied it on Hillary's head because of the S0S policies and who

the U.S. allied themselves with in Honduras 1%.

[bravenak]

116. I'm sure Hillary did not plan her death in any way

[akbacchus_BC]

114. On the other hand, I wonder if Mr. Sanders was aware of America's negative intervention

in Latin America! Having said that, it equates to Mrs. Clinton apologizing for her email fiasco. Just let it be, it is here nor there when it comes to politics! Mrs. Clinton said she would have done it differently and apologized, most people accept it. Why are you trying to gain points about Mr. Sanders lack of knowledge of Latin America?

[bravenak]

118. Gain points? He NEEDS to know this stuff if he wants to be president

The nominee does not get a pass on foreign policy.

[forjusticethunders]

120. If anything, a socialist or any kind of leftist

should be MORE in tune to what's going on in Latin America than the average politician. At the very least, he should be able to tell us where say, Chavismo went wrong and the implications for socialism.

What a fraud.

[noiretextatique]

117. Hillary and the Clinton Foundation know a lot

Unfortunately, most of what they know is no better than what Ronald Reagan knew.

[RadiationTherapy]

122. You can't know everything about everything. That's what advisors are for. I find his honesty

about "he ought to know more about it" to be refreshing.

Honesty and transparency in a politician feels like drinking water to me.

[bravenak]

125. It was his job to study up

I do not find absolute ignorance refreshing in the slightest

[RadiationTherapy]

128. Ah well, perhaps you will still come around to liking Bernie!

[bravenak]

129. I liked him until I started getting hate mail

[RadiationTherapy]

130. Yikes! That seems a bold move by a presidential candidate. I'm sorry he emailed you!

[bravenak]

133. Never said he sent it. Just that i get it and it is inappropriate. Turned me off the revolution

[wendylaroux]

131. omg!!! hoo boy.....

[bravenak]

132. I know exactly where you came from

[wendylaroux]

135. where I came from?

[bravenak]

136. Yeah

[wendylaroux]

137. ok b where did I come from?

[bravenak]

140. You already know

[wendylaroux]

143. yes,I do know where I come from,do you know where I come from?

[bravenak]

144. Yes I do

[wendylaroux]

151. Oh brave ,dear dear brave.

[workinclasszero]

123. Its terrible that a person so ignorant of this world

gets to run for President. SMDH

And on the other side a demagogue carnival sideshow barker is running...just DAMN.

[Tal Vez]

126. At least he admitted that he needs to learn more.

Trump would have said something idiotic and derogatory about the Latins.

I have no problem with a candidate admitting that he doesn't know everything about everything. Who does?

[wendylaroux]

127. who else does mean Bernie hate now?

[RBInMaine]

138. Sadly, Bernie's incredible lack of knowledge is astounding. He is NOT PREPARED for the office.

[bravenak]

141. Even on breaking up the banks he admits he never thought about HOW

[sagat]

145. What a Palinesque response.

At least he didn't storm out this time, I guess.

[bravenak]

152. He probably wanted to

[Hekate]

148. That was certainly an inartful response

[bravenak]

150. He does that often. Refuses to discuss the issue at hand in favor of his stump speech

[ljm2002]

153. In general, I prefer a person who recognizes what they know...

...and what they don't know, and is willing to admit what they don't know; than someone who spouts off their opinions whether they know what they're talking about or not.

YMMV

[BootinUp]

161. That's the funniest thread title I've seen in a while

sadly, its pretty much a direct quote.