Inside the bitter last days of Bernie's revolution

[Surya Gayatri]

For better and for worse, Sanders made all the big decisions.

There’s no strategist pulling the strings, and no collection of burn-it-all-down aides egging him on. At the heart of the rage against Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, the campaign aides closest to him say, is Bernie Sanders.

It was the Vermont senator who personally rewrote his campaign manager’s shorter statement after the chaos at the Nevada state party convention and blamed the political establishment for inciting the violence.

He was the one who made the choice to go after Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz after his wife read him a transcript of her blasting him on television.

He chose the knife fight over calling Clinton unqualified, which aides blame for pulling the bottom out of any hopes they had of winning in New York and their last real chance of turning a losing primary run around.

And when Jimmy Kimmel’s producers asked Sanders’ campaign for a question to ask Donald Trump, Sanders himself wrote the one challenging the Republican nominee to a debate.
...

But more than any of them, Sanders is himself filled with resentment, on edge, feeling like he gets no respect -- all while holding on in his head to the enticing but remote chance that Clinton may be indicted before the convention.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/bernie-sanders-campaign-last-days-224041

________________________________

Excellent read on backstage at Camp Sanders.

[LexVegas]

1. It is ugly. Aides knew months ago that he was mathematically out of it. nt

[Surya Gayatri]

2. The portrait of a nasty, bitter guy, who shot himself in the foot, is beginning to emerge.

[Armstead]

44. Not quite as spicy as the last days of Clinton's campaign in 2008

[Surya Gayatri]

51. We have no idea--he has neither acknowledged her historic accomplishment, nor conceded anything.

Who knows what stunts he may pull next week? He's proving to be a very loose cannon, much like the Repub. challenger, the Talking Yam.

[Armstead]

53. The last days of Clinton's 2008 campaign had just as much crap going on

[Yupster]

76. It's always tough in the last days of anything where you are losing

Everyone s flailing around for a way to turn things around.

People turn on each other and start to find ways to cover their own butts from blame.

Same with a losing sports team or army.

[kstewart33]

46. The article answers the question: Why has only one US Senator endorsed Bernie?

And supports CA US Senator Diane Feinstein's view: "Bernie is hard to make friends with."

[Surya Gayatri]

47. Exactly. "Does NOT play well with others"...

[ExtraGriz]

59. was thinking of the same thing....n/t

[Demsrule86]

50. He would have made a terrible president.

He would have used the power of the presidency to pay back those who failed to support him sufficiently.

[Surya Gayatri]

54. Nasty, vengeful tendencies--totally inappropriate for a Commander-in-Chief.

[tonyt53]

58. Sort of like somebody else that won't release their tax returns?

[Demsrule86]

101. He is angry with Barney for stuff that happened over 20 years ago.

I would hate to see him use presidential power to pay back people who have crossed him.

[atomingai]

103. I don't see bitterness. I see a man who wants to see things through til the end. He knows that it's

a tough challenge, but right now it's about keeping his word. In victory or defeat, a man should always finish what he's started and honor his promise.

[chascarrillo]

107. Posts hidden by Jury: 9

[Surya Gayatri]

110. Feel free to peruse the evidence of your fellows' "mommy, mommy", run-to-teacher

mentality that is on display in those bogus hides.

No profanity, no personal insults--just pertinent critiques of The Sainted One. Unbearable for the truly devoted.

[BuddhaGirl]

62. I blame Jane Sanders too

I think she really hates Hillary and was really pushing Bernie to go negative against her, and to continue to press on after the math emerged showing the impossibility of a win.

[Ned_Devine]

3. I actually liked those decisions

I've really felt like liberal leftists like myself and many others needed his voice. You may disagree, but many of us don't and are very thankful for everything he's done.

[Surya Gayatri]

4. He paid a big price for them. Not very good return on investment.

[Ned_Devine]

6. The "party" wanted her as the nominee as soon as Barack was sworn in in 2009...

...and there was no way they were going to let Lieutenant Columbo spoil their plans. It didn't matter what he said or did. There was a concerted effort on the part of the DNC and media outlets to make him invisible. This country of ours has a real big problem with leftists and we saw it first hand with how Bernie was treated.

He wasn't talking about building walls, starting wars or sending people back to their countries or not letting people in. He talked of universal health care and college. He talked about expanding medicare and social security. He talked about getting filthy money out of our corrupt political system and bringing power back to the people. To liberals, and any sane compassionate person, these would all seem like phenomenal ideas, and even if we couldn't afford them, the conversation should have revolved around "how can we find a way to make these ideas a reality?"

Instead so many of you called him a crazy sad old man, made insinuations that he was a racist, sexist and any other nefarious -ist you can think of. And it wasn't just the candidate you attacked. Many of you and the media brought those charges against his supporters as well. Bernie supporters I met in my travels knocking on doors in several states and phone banking were of the hippie variety; vegans, vegetarians, pacifists, people that may have played frisbee golf. You know what I mean? Yet in the media and even here insinuations were made that his supporters were violent, sexist and racist. That was the gamble your side shouldn't have made.

Attack the candidate? Sure, because that's what happens in a campaign. But the constant attacks on the supporters was a bridge too far. I would guess that 99% of us would never vote for Trump even though comparisons between Bernie's supporters and Trump's were made daily. No, we'll either sit out the process entirely or vote our conscience and vote Green Party. I can live with voting Green Party, not only because in MA I don't have to worry about the outcome of the election, but because I see no difference between HRC and Trump beside the obvious differences.

So, I would say that the decision to constantly attack Bernie's supporters daily was a pretty bad decision that the HRC camp will pay a big price for. And THAT is what I would call a "not very good return on investment."

[BreakfastClub]

10. Millions of people wanted her as the nominee. That's how she won. nt

[all american girl]

15. Some Bernie supporters have a hard time realizing that voters wanted her...

[Armstead]

45. Some Clinton supporters have a hard time realizing that large percentage wanted him

I don't know what the percentages will be after the AP Fucked Primaries yesterday, but somewhere between the high 30's and 45 percent voted against Clinton and for Sanders. In some states her margin of victory was very narrow.

No not enough to "win" but a sizable percentage that you ignore and insult at your peril if you care about the upcoming election or the long range future.

[Demsrule86]

52. Obviously more wanted her.

She won. Maybe it was not a good idea to hurl sexist insults at Sen Feinstein and Sen. Boxer.

[Armstead]

56. Go ahead. You're only hurting Clinton's campaign if you want to be smug and dismissive

[Demsrule86]

100. I am not being smug. It is a statement of fact.

I have never understood how you guys think Bernie could win the GE when he can't win a primary.

[Ned_Devine]

85. Thank you. That answer may be too complex for the people that responded to me though

I'll be back for the convention. Time for me to take a break from this place.

[all american girl]

91. More people voted for her...there is no getting around that....

and sorry, he doesn't get to take my vote away from me. I have no problem staying until the end, but no, my vote mattered...she won...you will not take my vote away.

[Armstead]

92. Um, nobody is trying to take your vote away

Trying to convince SD's who made their decision long before any votes were cast is what that system is set up to do. The SD system sucks, but it is what it is. Bernie didn't invent it.

He won't succeed in changing their minds -- unless something unforeseen happens. But objectively speaking, the SDs who represent states or districts that voted for Sanders are also negating their votes.

[all american girl]

98. The guy running his campaing created the SD...so there's that

and you still don't get to take away the 3-4 million votes more HRC...sorry, get over it...I'm not trying to be ugly, but no, this will not happen.

[redstateblues]

31. "No difference"? That is reminiscent of Nader's "not a dime's worth of difference"

Saying Hillary and Trump are the same only shows that you haven't been paying attention to politics or that you are so blinded by your devotion to Bernie that you can't see the truth. The SCOTUS difference alone would affect this country for a generation.

[atomingai]

104. What do you expect when the establishment overrules the people's voice?

[metroins]

30. Why did he lie?

Why did Sanders blatantly lie to supporters by telling them there was a viable path these past 2 months?

He lied so many times during his campaign.

[wildeyed]

37. I hope you liked that better than winning.

Because if he dialed back the rhetoric a little bit and worked harder at the persuasion game, he might have won. It's the nature of politics. You need to make the base larger to win the big elections.

[jack_krass]

5. This revolution is in its *early* days not its last. True we've lost the current battle

And sadly will get a 1%er corporate slop wallowing POTUS (HRC or Trump) but the genie is out of the bottle, and movement will continue to gain momentum.

[Lord Magus]

20. Most Americans don't want a revolution, though. -nt-

[jack_krass]

41. Time will tell, I thimk they do. Our "revolution" is nothong radical, and based on sound principles

-money out of politics
-neocon warmongers out of the state dept.
-corporations out of the lawmaking process
-placing value on education by extening K12
-basic right to health care

[-none]

49. One more -

-Honest elections.

With honest elections, Hillary would have been an also ran drop out months ago.
This country has not had any real honest national elections since at least from 2000 and maybe before.

[Lord Magus]

64. "Honest elections" aren't defined by your candidate winning.

Bernie lost because the majority of voters wanted Hillary, not because the elections were somehow rigged against him.

[LonePirate]

70. It is a myth that election problems caused Bernie's defeat.

Yes, there were problems, some due to incompetence of officials and some due to voter ignorance. However, none of those problems had any significant impact on the race. No massive numbers of delegates would have switched from Hillary to Bernie and thus the dynamics and outcome of the race would no have changed.

Again, no one is denying that problems didn't exist. However, the extent of the problems' impact on the race is being substantially overstated by some of Bernie's supporters. The problems may make an easy excuse, especially since most people are unable to quantify their effect; but they had a negligible effect on the elections. They certainly would not have pushed Clinton from the race months ago. People need to come to grips with that reality.

[snooper2]

68. are you going to restart occupy wall street? I thought that was the start?

[jack_krass]

79. No, Which points in my "wishlist" above led you to that conclusion?

[Armstead]

48. You have no clue what he meant by revolution

Remember the Reagan Revolution?....That was a political revolution in which a party pressed for fundamental changes in direction and succeeded.

We need a similar revolution in the opposite direction.

[lunamagica]

7. K&R. I was against this type of post tonight, but since he did not conceed, and the way Hillary was

booed by his crowd, I've changed my mind.

BRING IT ON!

[Surya Gayatri]

8. Not only did he NOT concede, he stood there encouraging his fanatic

followers to boo the very name of Hillary.

He did not even congratulate her for winning the majority of PLEDGED delegates, much less mark the historic nature of her victory.

What a classless schmuck.

[lunamagica]

9. Classless, completely classless

[Number23]

11. Well said. This article has been posted a few times

and I've kicked and rec'd every last one.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. Me, too. Every last one!

[ancianita]

61. None of you here respect the process of finishing. the. primary. You disrespect the rules

of the voting system through your mindless gloating and snide derisions and negative hit pieces.

Celebrate without casting shade.

Shallow demands for premature respect, and mean spirited judgments about millions in your own party are not classy.

Let the man and party supporters get on with forcing your candidate to face the reality of changing party structure to represent the interests of the 99%, knowing that it's for your benefit.

Think you yourselves can show that kind of class?

[Surya Gayatri]

69. Codswallop...bullpucky...claptrap...blatherskite...hogwash...etc.

You disrespect the rules of the voting system through your mindless gloating and snide derisions and negative hit pieces.

How about the basic rules of courtesy and comity in the political arena? Completely flouted by your fearless leader.

[ancianita]

77. Republican namecalling. Typical of the shallow. Name ONE example of flouting, discourtesy.

It's not a fucking tea party. It's a presidential PRIMARY.

9 hides in 90 days.

That tells everyone here a lot about how you support fellow Democrats.

[Surya Gayatri]

81. Feel free to peruse the evidence of your fellows' "mommy, mommy", run-to-teacher

mentality that is on display in those bogus hides.

No profanity, no personal insults--just pertinent critiques of The Sainted One. Unbearable for the truly devoted.

As for fellow Democrats, I support them fully.

Libertarians, anarchists, revolutionary socialists, opportunistic independents?? Not so much.

[ancianita]

83. I've served hundreds of juries, still with a 100% chance of serving. I know how good the system

is, and how 'hide' people flip from bully to victim over their hides.

You display all the worst behaviors of a party that needs to unite.

Back off with the cheap mean girl act and let the process unfold until November.

Get over yourself. Try to be informative and helpful rather than snarky.

[Surya Gayatri]

84. Thanks for the unsolicited advice. You might want to take some of it yourself.

Do you always butt in with unnecessary hecktoring, or is today special?

[ancianita]

86. You've made yourself special. Even the advice you've solicited is lost on you.

[Surya Gayatri]

87. Ride on...

[ancianita]

89. Haha...

I will.




Stay fluffy on your pony.

[Surya Gayatri]

93. Good taste. Luv Khaleesi and the Palomino pony is adorable.

[ancianita]

95. Gotta mark that you said something positive about a Berner on my calendar.

[Surya Gayatri]

96. Not the first or the last time. LOL!

[ancianita]

97. Great!

[redstateblues]

102. With BSS stacked juries hides are given for

Daring to say anything negative about old what's his name.

[WhiteTara]

75. The primary is over. When the required number of delegates

is reached, the primary is over. You need to learn the rules. I'm not "casting shade" but the primary is over. We need to focus on the real opponent.

[SidDithers]

35. +1...

As far as I'm concerned, he's fair game until June 16.

Sid

[Beacool]

13. Nothing in that article surprises me.

He's always been an ideologue, his way or the highway. The talking heads are mentioning the difference between both speeches tonight. Hillary made history, yet she was classy enough to devote a few minutes of her speech to Sanders. Both she and her supporters were gracious. What a difference when it came to his speech and the response it got from his supporters when Hillary's name was mentioned.

How relevant he remains going forth will depend on what he'll do in the general election to help the party, the nominee and the down ticket candidates.

[Surya Gayatri]

14. Sadly, it only confirmed what I instinctively intuited, just watching his antics on the stump.

[Gothmog]

16. Great Article and it is clear that Sanders is a bitter man

[Surya Gayatri]

17. His vengeful nature and nasty streak are on full display.

Not an inspiring or reassuring picture.

[melman]

36. Says you

Because that's what you want to see.

[Demsrule86]

57. It is what was there.

What case can he make to the Supers? He lost California by double digits...and cherry picked polls won't work. I doubt he can deliver his voters and I would give him what he already has and nothing more. If he thinks he will be VP or pick a VP...it won't happen...he berned his bridges.

[Surya Gayatri]

63. Says me because I read the article which confirmed my

worst intuitions about the Bern.

[ancianita]

65. Vengeful, my ass. You haven't shown that you know anything about him but what

confirms your own shallow judgment about what this party should become.

Your posts are cheap hits full of hearsay.

You're so classless.

The worst kind of winner.

[Surya Gayatri]

71. Politico is hearsay now? Who knew?

Winner, shwinner...the Bern's character flaws are there on full display, win, lose or draw.

As for "classnessless", you would know about that.

[ancianita]

74. nyahnyah rubber glue that's your republican style

[rjsquirrel]

105. Goes with the territory when your candidate is

the worst kind of loser: a sore one.

I agree, he is a bitter man making threats he can't cash anyway. Cut his committee assignments.

[baldguy]

18. He makes emotional knee-jerk decisions based upon incomplete or deliberately misleading information.

How is he different from Trump?

[Surya Gayatri]

19. As I observed in another thread:

Although of opposite political persuasions, he and the Talking Yam have disturbingly similar characters.

[brooklynite]

21. You know a candidate is really losing when staff start leaking how it's not their fault...

[Surya Gayatri]

23. "Passing the hot potato" as the house and stove are falling down around them.

Tad Devine may never live this debacle down.

I think he can pack up his "campaign play books" and head for forced retirement.

[wildeyed]

40. Casca, the social networking guy, threw him ALL the way under the bus.

They are attempting to exit the sinking ship with reputations intact, hoping to get jobs with another campaign. If Sanders goes to the convention after the losses last night, it makes them all look so bad. There is losing and there is losing ugly. Clinton was not pretty herself in 2008, but she dialed it back at the last moment. Not sure if Sanders has the self-discipline for that.

[Surya Gayatri]

66. ^^^This!^^^

Clinton was not pretty herself in 2008, but she dialed it back at the last moment. Not sure if Sanders has the self-discipline for that.

Nor, the intelligence, I might add.

[Stuckinthebush]

22. I was stunned

Political fights are normal. At the end usually all candidates come together for the greater good. I really thought he would do that last night. I have no words but...stunned.

As Salon points out, his belligerence is an "act of political narcissism".

[Surya Gayatri]

24. The sheer hubris and self-delusion on display were indeed stunning.

And, his wife very irresponsibly goaded him on in his lunacy. "They're still with you..."

[Stuckinthebush]

25. Yes, she's an interesting person

I think a lot of his belligerence starts with her

[Surya Gayatri]

28. She's one of those "let's you and him fight" sorts.

It gives her a sense of power to be able to influence him, especially to "stick it to the man".

I'm convinced that she's the real "power behind the throne", and is the truly ambitious one in the partnership.

He was pretty much a wanna-be until she helped him launch his state-wide political career.

Nasty in-fighter and back-stabber, from observing her in her surrogate role.

[Starry Messenger]

26. So much is clear now.

[obamanut2012]

42. +1

[MoonRiver]

27. He's a total disgrace,

and a very poor excuse for a "revolutionary."

[Surya Gayatri]

29. As they say in the gaming world: Major Fail.

[Alfresco]

32. K&R...The curtain has been pulled back on the Sanders campaign.

[Metric System]

33. It's a must-read article. I feel vindicated in my assessment of him.

[Surya Gayatri]

34. Me, too. I was practically fist-pumping the air as I read it.

As Hillary would say: "He is tempermentally UNFIT to be the Commander-in-Chief."

[livetohike]

38. As expected Surya! Negative "leader" results in failure.

[Surya Gayatri]

78. Or, as I observed somewhere else, and as the old adage goes: Character is destiny.

[brooklynite]

39. This part really says something...

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s call was part advice, part asking a favor, urging Sanders to use his now massive email list to help Democratic Senate candidates. Russ Feingold in Wisconsin was the most obvious prospect, and Reid wanted to make introductions to Iowa’s Patty Judge and North Carolina’s Deborah Ross—to help Democrats win the majority, but also to give Sanders allies in making himself the leader of the Senate progressives come next year.

Reid, according to people familiar with the conversation, ended the discussion thinking Sanders was on board. He backed Feingold. But that’s the last anyone heard.

Word got back to Reid’s team that Weaver had nixed the idea, ruling out backing anyone who hadn’t endorsed Sanders. Weaver says it’s because the Senate hopefuls had to get in line for Sanders’ support behind top backers like Gabbard and Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)—though neither has a competitive race this year.

Sanders never followed up himself.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/bernie-sanders-campaign-last-days-224041#ixzz4AzhTdnfv

[Renew Deal]

43. Sounds like Devine squealed.

He is quoted all over that article

[sufrommich]

55. That was my first thought too. I get the feeling he's

been frustrated with Sanders for awhile.

[robbedvoter]

60. I saw "Weaver" more than Devine (see the debate negotiation)

They both love the attention, so, a collaborative work

[Renew Deal]

72. I'm sure Devine isn't the only one.

The part about Sherrod Brown sounded like Weaver.

[Agnosticsherbet]

67. Tad Devine's career depends on him coming away from this campaign with his rep intact.

It may have been his way to get out a message that those bad decisions that hurt Sanders were Sanders own idea.

[Renew Deal]

73. Devine is very experienced at this level

So he knew what to do. Devine has still never had a high profile role on a winning presidential campaign.

[Trust Buster]

80. The part of the article that talked about Sherrod Brown did not appear in the OP.

That was the part that raised my eyebrows. Specifically, when Brown endorsed Hillary, Sanders decided to do all that he could do to prevent his fellow progressive and close ally in the Senate from being offered the V.P spot on a Clinton ticket.

[workinclasszero]

82. Outsider...vindictive...hates the democratic party...wants to settle scores

Sounds just like the creep Hillary will defeat in the general huh?

[Surya Gayatri]

88. Two peas in the proverbial pod. Brothers from a different mother...

[workinclasszero]

90. Agreed

Horseshoe theory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_theory

[MoonRiver]

94. Well, at least he and the family got a luxury trip to Rome.

[mhatrw]

99. Fuck Ezra "sore winner" Klein!

[pressbox69]

106. Sad

just so sad.

[hopemountain]

108. not bitter! pissed at the level of deception and

deceit. but other than that (!) most of us are fired up & ready to go to the contested convention to support bernie. see you there!

[Helga Scow Stern]

109. Hit piece. N/t