Bernie Sanders just disqualified himself as Commander in Chief

[RandySF]

Sandtown, the Baltimore neighborhood rocked by riots after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody earlier this year. But perhaps the most newsworthy comments came from Sanders and his press secretary, Symone Sanders (no relation), after the tour was complete.

After a closed-door meeting with a coalition of local pastors, Sanders was set to hold a press conference with the ministers. Shortly before the start of the presser, Symone Sanders urged news outlets gathered to keep their questions focused. "But again, questions about the meeting, questions about Baltimore, why he came," Sanders said, as live mics rolled. "If you want to ask about Chicago, we have a statement on Chicago that we put out a couple days ago. So you can definitely ask about Chicago. Don't ask about ISIS today. I mean, it's not on topic. If it comes up, and he wants to talk about it, the senator will let you know. But I'd appreciate it if y'all would stay on topic today."

At the end of the press conference, CNN's Dan Merica said to Sanders, "Your press secretary came in here and said not to ask about ISIS. Is there a reason that you do not want to talk about ISIS?"

Sanders responded with an irritated laugh: "Ha ha. All right, what about ISIS guys?" he asked, posing the question to the ministers. "How often are these people talking about the issues that we talked about today?" he continued, as the pastors nodded and said "yes" in agreement.

"Of course I'll talk about ISIS. But today what we're talking about is a community in which half of the people don't have jobs. We're talking about a community in which there are hundreds of buildings that are uninhabitable," he said. "We're talking about a community where kids are unable to go to schools that are decent. You wanna ask me about ISIS, we'll talk about ISIS. But what I said, and let me repeat — and you can agree with me or not — what I have said is that obviously ISIS and terrorism are a huge national issue that we've got to address. But so is poverty ... so is unemployment, so is education, so is health care. So is the need to protect working families.

"And I will, I will continue to talk about those issues. Thank you very much."

With that, Sanders left the podium.


http://www.npr.org/2015/12/08/458926818/sanders-campaign-to-reporters-dont-ask-about-isis

[marble falls]

15. Thats your take-away from the OP?

[morningfog]

2. Oh bullshit. The video speaks for itself.

[Kalidurga]

3. the video

send it to everyone you know

[Renew Deal]

9. The video makes him look worse

Erratic

[Kalidurga]

16. That is your opinion

nothing more. I love it. You can't change my mind. If you think it's so bad share it all over the place.

[Fawke Em]

45. Wow - you're so blinded by HRC that you can't see there's

absolutely NOTHING wrong with that video.

He's fine.

The press sounds unhinged.

[Ken Burch]

59. You're just mad because your candidate, having no concern about the poor OR about racism

wants everyone to talk only about ISIS.

[Renew Deal]

60. You assume a lot

[Ken Burch]

75. You didn't actually say I was wrong about anything, though. n/t.

[closeupready]

76. lol - you're not persuading anyone. This video is trademark Bernie.

Perhaps you think Bernie is an erratic personality (whatever that means)...?

At any rate, I'd urge you to share that video with anyone and everyone.

[Renew Deal]

79. I don't need to pursuade anyone

The video speaks for itself. There wouldn't be such an uproar if there wasn't something wrong with it.

[LWolf]

4. Nope.

I greatly appreciate him staying on point, and not allowing the fear of terrorism to take over the message, as it did when the nation legitimized the illegitimate Bush administration.

We don't need another vicious lurch further into fascism, regardless of what Trump thinks.

[Scuba]

63. Thank you.

[LWolf]

64. You're welcome.

[restorefreedom]

5. and the problem with his answer is........?

he doesn't let he press define his message. bfd neither does any other candidate

[Kalidurga]

6. Here is another good video

[ljm2002]

7. How many OPs today on this topic...

...trying to spin it as a negative for Bernie? 5? 10? I've lost count.

Absurd.

Well keep at it guys and gals. Keep drawing attention to the fact that, unlike a lot of the pretend-BLM-supporters here, Bernie really does care about the black community, and that his campaign respects his hosts enough to abide by their wishes for the meeting.

That video is a positive not a negative for Bernie. That is exactly why we have so very many OPs today trying to spin it as a negative.

Really, folks, you aren't being very subtle here. You should regroup and refine your tactics a bit.

Or not.

[Renew Deal]

10. There's no spin. It was a train wreck

And the attention it's getting should be a sign.

[ljm2002]

12. The attention it's getting here...

...is for the reasons I stated. The Hillary camp really, really doesn't want Bernie to make inroads in the black vote, because so far that has been her best firewall.

Bernie acquitted himself admirably.

[workinclasszero]

43. Major ****up by Bernie

Shortly before Iowa too.

Oh well he got some ideas out there before the end.

I guess which is all he could realistically hope for.

[PatrickforO]

8. I've got a different take on that, Randy.

Some few people might feel as you do, particularly if Clinton surrogates and others in the establishment who do not want Bernie in there have their way, but here's how I feel:

I agree with Bernie wanting to keep on topic. When you are talking with a bunch of pastors about the blight in their community and what government can do to help the matter, and then some media jackass says, "Duh...what about ISIS???" basically what this is is an attempt by the mainstream to derail the conversation. They don't WANT to cover the poverty, inequality and blight caused by the neoliberal capitalist cancer; because neoliberal capitalist corporations OWN them. They have to get ratings, and often will put something that the rest of us think is newsworthy on the back page, or not report about it at all in favor of something more sensationalist. Like ISIS and terror.

Sure, we need to talk about that. But the guy was attempting to get the corporate owned media propaganda organs to actually report on what they SHOULD be focusing on with single minded intensity.

So, my friend, we will agree to disagree and see how it plays out...

[Juicy_Bellows]

25. My take as well. Well said. Nt.

[villager]

34. +1

[Fawke Em]

46. Bravo!

[BeyondGeography]

11. It was a childish display

He could have made exactly the same points without losing his cool. He has temperament issues.

[Fearless]

24. And I'm sure Barack Obama is an "angry Black man" too??

[BeyondGeography]

31. Inane

Obama could have handled this in his sleep. He would never have made it into the Illinois state legislature if he had Bernie's social skills.

[Cha]

54. Precisely.. thank you, BG.

[Fawke Em]

47. I get it now.

The mainstream media and the Hillarians are trying to get this to be his Dean Scream.

The difference now is that more people get their news from social media. They've seen the video and his temperament is just fine considering how rude the reporter was to the people living and suffering in that Baltimore neighborhood. ISIS is no where near the number one issue on their lists, I'm willing to bet.

The reporters writing these stories are taking a BIG HIT on social media from a lot of folks - many of whom I've never seen say one word about Bernie before.

The media was disrespectful and they're getting called out on it.

[Jarqui]

13. So far this year, in the worst case,

19 people have been killed in America by Muslim extremists

About 30,830 people without healthcare died because they didn't have it this year. More in poverty have died this year because of other poverty reasons.

I think Bernie has a better sense of priorities and wants to get our own house in order. He doesn't want to be distracted by ISIS and is proportioning his time accordingly.

[libdem4life]

74. This ^^^^^

[Cheese Sandwich]

14. Hillary Clinton just disqualified herself as Commander in Chief

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251885973

[Kalidurga]

18. Oh that's much better than the video I posted.

[Oilwellian]

44. Speaking of videos

For posterity's sake.

[KoKo]

69. ....!

[KoKo]

68. A must read!

Her hawkishness is why it is hard for many of us to support her.

[Vattel]

17. More stupidity. It is relentness.

[mythology]

19. This is silly

Sanders wanted to focus on a particular thing which gets too little attention. Finding time to talk about Daesh is easy.

Stop trying to make a mountain out of what isn't even a molehill.

[Agony]

20. Sanders is awesome! Standing UP for the disadvantaged and showing leadership. Taking command!

Sanders is the leader that ordinary people need right now.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. So you don't care about the people of Baltimore

[Truprogressive85]

26. Sad really

This what I'm getting from Hilly Clinton supporters that they care more about Deash than the people in Baltimore

[Jester Messiah]

29. The poor aren't topping Hillary's donor list.

Gotta sell those bombs to keep the donors pockets fat.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

32. yet she thinks that African Americans are hers

[Truprogressive85]

33. So true

?1

[stevenleser]

22. This is getting a lot of play in the media. Just do a google news search on Sanders ISIS

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&gl=us&authuser=0&tbm=nws&q=sanders+isis&oq=sanders+isis&gs_l=serp.3...9110.9673.0.9954.5.5.0.0.0.0.163.666.0j5.5.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..2.3.420.OwhY9EbKBCI

Almost all the coverage is negative

[LSK]

23. because the country is in almost full TERRA TERRA TERRA mode... AGAIN

Last time it was like this we invaded the wrong fucking country.

[GeorgeGist]

35. Shallow minds think alike.

[MaggieD]

40. Oooo, that is bad

Worse than I thought it would be. Ouch.

[Cha]

48. Good, it should. "Don't ask about ISIS".

[Fawke Em]

52. And if you read the comments, you can see the people are onto it.

They think the media is being disrespectful of the people of Baltimore.

[immoderate]

80. Well, they are the establishment. Hillary is their candidate. Bernie, OTH, represents the people.

--imm

[Jester Messiah]

27. Drivel.

You know, it's usually Republicans who think the President's job is to be bomber-in-chief and nothing else. I guess the neocon rot has spread more than previously thought.

[cantbeserious]

28. Your Opinion Only - Others See The World Differently

eom

[WillyT]

30. Wow...

[bowens43]

36. Your subject line makes no sense. youre getting more and more desperate every day!!! I love it!!

[leftofcool]

41. It makes a great deal of sense.

If you can't multi-task with the media, you can't be president.

[thucythucy]

37. This is silly.

The man has and will talk about terrorism and national security issues, but this was an event specifically designed to focus attention on inner city issues that hardly ever get talked about in a serious way.

This really seems to me to be grasping at straws. In any case, I'm sure ISIL will get plenty of air time between now and November 2016. There's still a long way to go in this campaign.

[DemocraticWing]

38. Why do you guys love endless war so much?

This is really sad on a Democratic message board. No wonder Democrats can't get people to vote, our party is full of sadistic warmongers who can do nothing but saber-rattle instead of helping our suffering people.

[kacekwl]

39. Isn't that the plan,

ISIS and Trump 24-7 meanwhile all other issues get shoved aside. There is more going on than ISIS and Trump. Apparently that won't sell commercials but will take eyes off TPP etc.

[leftofcool]

42. I agree. Not ready for prime time.

[cui bono]

49. What a great response he had!

I'm so proud to support him and cannot wait to call him President Sanders. Enough with the bullshit fear mongering. It's in the MSM's interest to keep us in fear so we can be in perpetual war. God forbid someone doesn't play along.

FEEL THE BERN!!!





Oh, and btw... NPR is corporate sponsored 'news', so don't expect them to have any desire for Bernie to win.

.

[Motown_Johnny]

50. Another dishonest post from a Clinton supporter. Why am I not shocked?

Face it, ISIS is not much of a threat to people in low income communities. Unemployment, health care, education and police protection are far more important than any threat of a terrorist attack.


Bernie has it right. You and your neocon candidate have it completely wrong.

[closeupready]

77. Because for many of them, it's Standard Operating Procedure!

[Ed Suspicious]

51. Just brilliant.

[Cha]

53. "Part of the president’s job is to deal with more than one thing at once. In my mind it’s more

important than ever.”

Then Senator Obama: 2008

RSF http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=885920

[NurseJackie]

61. Precisely! It's very telling that he chose to respond ...

... in the way he did. He was covering for not knowing what to say. A candidate who's actually ready to be president could have given a response, and then pivoted back to the topic du jour.

A prepared candidate wouldn't have needed to put out instructions that ISIS questions were not allowed (thus signaling to the press what his weakness is, and daring them to ask.)

A qualified candidate can think on his or her feet and speak extemporaneously, and is comfortable in speaking on all topics beyond that for which he or she has prepared comments.

A skilled candidate doesn't shy away from left-field questions and knows how to redirect and guide the "conversation" without appearing to be abrupt, gruff, testy, peeved, or annoyed.

He demonstrated that he can't easily handle the unexpected, or things outside his comfort zone ... and that will come back to haunt him.

[John Poet]

55. You just disqualified yourself as anyone

who should be taken seriously.

[Perogie]

56. you really don't have any real world clue.

Republicans aren't the only ones living in bubbles.

[KingCharlemagne]

57. By her vote to invade Iraq, your candidate disqualified

herself as a member of the human race.

You are supporting a monster. Maybe you are a monster too.

[Ken Burch]

58. Why? There was no good reason to discuss ISIS today.

Nothing ISIS does will ever affect poor people. ISIS is totally irrelevant to anyone struggling to survive under American capitalism.

Asking questions about ISIS in that neighborhood means not caring about that neighborhood. Taking t hem would havve meant poverty and racism never being discussed in that exchange

The press asked those questions because the press doesn't want to cover poverty and institutional racism, an wanted only to beat the drums for war.

Bernie was defending the poor(a group you can't possibly care about if you think it's more important to talk about ISIS than poverty and police violence) in taking the stand he did.

They should only have asked that question if Bernie was in a wealthy area.

[99Forever]

62. Randy, Randy, Randy...

... your desperation is showing.

Keep digging tho.

[Bluenorthwest]

65. So you are saying we must not speak of our communities but only of war, terrorism and defense?

A full time war footing in the electoral rhetoric is the only thing that will please you? We can't even take a day to speak of the important challenges facing so many Americans every moment of the day? Those Americans must shut up, stop whining and contribute to the war effort?
You seem to be saying if it is not about rolling out the big guns to fight, it's not suitable for discussion. You must have loved GW Bush! Terra Terra Terra, Code Orange!!!!

[Bluenorthwest]

66. Just to highlight how low DU has sunk, here is RandySF in June of this very year:

"I'm standing up for Bernie on civil rights
Regardless of whom we support for POTUS, there should be no doubting his commitment to equality for all."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251464258

Those were the days. What can one think of a poster whose views range from 'standing with' to 'smearing randomly'?

[dsc]

67. I have no real problem with a temporary refusal to talk about ISIS

but his press secretary really messed up when she said don't ask about ISIS. What did she think the response to that would be except to ask why don't you want to talk about ISIS?

[TM99]

70. *cough cough*

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026775414

Seems Clinton supporters didn't have a problem with Hillary controlling the press and limiting it to NO questions whatsoever. Obviously she doesn't always answer questions no matter what.

But you see, that is shrewdness, that is presidential behavior, that is....oh fuck, it is just a double standard from the usual folks who love to find anything they can to yammer on about with Sanders and his campaign.

First it is not good enough Sanders with PoC and now when he says, let's focus on PoC in this country for a moment instead of ISIL yet again today, its is not good enough Sanders.

If it wasn't so fucking ridiculous, it would be quite funny!

[dsc]

71. I have no problems with controlling what the press asks your candidate

and said so, but one should do so competently. This was incompetent. I will say that objectively ISIS is more important than emails.

[TM99]

73. Nice spin there!

It is so hard to take y'all seriously.

[NurseJackie]

72. It's too bad he didn't handle it better.

Of course candidates have no obligation to answer any question that's "off-topic". How it's handled when such things do happen (and they will) reveal much about a candidate. The abrupt character traits that "play-well" with his established base aren't necessarily the ones that help a candidate to extend his reach, or to convince people that he has the overall demeanor and sharp-thinking or quick-witted abilities that a successful candidate needs when unexpected questions come at him out of left field. Bluster is not a substitute for experience and being able to effectively regain control and guide the discussion where he'd have liked it to go.

[SmittynMo]

81. Misguided sig line

Your sig line indicates you've upper your standards. Due to this action, I congratulated you last week for changing your sig line to upping your standards. What this meant to me was that you saw the light and are now supporting Bernie. Sanders standards are far higher than HRC's. I'm guessing I was wrong in my interpretation.

However, I found a post that you might be very interested in viewing. Maybe this will change your mind?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251887987

Maybe then, you'll feel the Bern, and up your standards.

[NurseJackie]

82. The fascination with trying to figure out and interpret my sig line is interesting. I wonder why.

Do you dislike it? Does it bother you?

[SmittynMo]

83. Dislike? Bother? Not at all

You seem like an intelligent person. I will never understand why intelligent people are going to vote against their best interests.
IE: Free healthcare? Tuition free college? Do you like the income inequality situation in this country? Don't you like the feeling when you can actually trust your candidate? I can go on and on.

Don't get me wrong. I am a true dem, and I will unfortunately vote for her if Bernie does not make it. We cannot afford another republicant in the White House.

[NurseJackie]

84. I'll never understand why intelligent people (such as yourself, no doubt) flatter themselves into…

... believing that they know what MY best interests are. Isn't that rather up to me?

And, like you, I will "unfortunately" vote for him if Hillary does not make it. (See? I can do that too.)

[SmittynMo]

85. But do you really mean it?

I do.

And of course,I'm messin wif ya.

[NurseJackie]

86. :-)

[Beartracks]

78. Because he showed irritation w/ the press? LOL

Well, if THAT's all it takes to disqualify a candidate...


==============

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

87. I guess Sanders isn't buying into the more popular "EEEEEK! ISIS!!" response.