Bernie Sanders personally spearheaded campaign strategy to take on Joe Biden

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https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/02/politics/bernie-sanders-joe-biden-2020/index.html

Bernie Sanders personally spearheaded campaign strategy to take on Joe Biden
By Ryan Nobles and Gregory Krieg, CNN

Updated at 3:59 PM ET, Thu May 2, 2019

(CNN) — The decision by Bernie Sanders' campaign to immediately engage with Joe Biden -- in a series of public remarks, tweets and emails to supporters -- came from the top, campaign manager Faiz Shakir told CNN on Thursday.

"This was driven by Sen. Sanders himself," Shakir said in an interview. "He said, 'Why the heck should I wait to draw contrast between the two of us? That is what a primary is all about.'"

Since Biden entered the presidential primary last week, Sanders has repeatedly sought to highlight where he and the former vice president have split on big-ticket policy questions -- especially those centered on trade and other economic issues. Both candidates, despite their opposing records and differing views, are appealing now to the same base of voters: working class Democrats and independents in the Midwestern states President Donald Trump nearly swept in 2016.

Shakir conceded that Biden is the frontrunner -- polls have shown him building on his early lead since joining the contest last week -- and said Sanders and the campaign expected Biden to come out of the gates strong. But they were also determined to define Biden early on by shining a spotlight on the pieces of Biden's record that, though perhaps standard for Democrats at the time, might run against the party's more recent progressive shift.

Link to tweet

[msongs]

1. seems logical a candidate would determine his campaign strategy. doh nt

[Demsrule86]

11. I guess the pledge he signed is meaningless...so glad I was never a supporter...primary hell no...

General...yes. But he won't win. This sort of behavior will doom his primary campaign...good!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. Absolutely logical and there was no pledge not to contrast the records of the candidates.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BannonsLiver]

70. I think it's great

When Bernie loses again he won’t have anyone but himself to blame. There won’t be any finger pointing, like last time.

[NYMinute]

2. No surprise there

Sanders always thinks bashing Democrats is a winning strategy.

[Doitnow]

4. Oh, Come on! Describing how you differ from someone else is NOT

bashing. Isn't a primary a discussion of differences between candidates? How else is the public to know who to vote for? Wouldn't you want to know how they differ?

[NYMinute]

13. There were way more attacks on Biden

besides policy differences. Some were outright smears. Now that we know the orders came from Sanders, it makes the picture clear.

[Cha]

17. NYMinute is not wrong..

Link to tweet

[LisaM]

31. With their CANAPES? What's next, "Limousine Liberals"?

I am undecided, but if I had to hang out with one of the two of them, I think I'd go have wine and canapes with Biden.

[Cha]

33. Hehe.. We're "plotting" with

canapés!

[LisaM]

37. I swear, my mouth dropped open.

I'm going to laugh all night about this one. Canapés!

[Cha]

39. Oh the very

ridiculousness of it.

[Indygram]

46. I would laugh if a ton of canapes showed up in Sanders' office, lol

*semi-evil grin*

[Cha]

47. !

[LisaM]

49. I'm laughing thinking about it.

An artisanal cheese platter, maybe some elegant French finger food...

[Indygram]

50. I'm so sick of the divisiveness I would send

Store brand saltines and potted meat, lol.

[susanna]

86. Add a jar of bread and butter pickle chips

and it would be an absolutely mail-worthy canape

[Gothmog]

84. This is a great secret weapon

[sheshe2]

54. Sssh.

Grey Poupon is next.

[comradebillyboy]

59. Canapes, no, not canapes! The horror!!!

[Cha]

60. Canapes better get

a good PR firm stat!

[susanna]

62. OH CRAP, not canapes!

Because that tells us peasant voters everything about candidate policy. Those damn appetizers have foiled us again!

On edit: I originally said, '"OH SHIT" not canapes!' But I then realized people would freak out about it.

[Cha]

63. "CRAP" is

funnier! Curses foiled again!

[susanna]

64. LOL! I am trying to be sensible and measured and such,

but I am not very good at it, as I have made abundantly clear in the past. I rather like my potty mouth, it seems to suit me.

Thank you much, Cha!

[Cha]

65. Oh good.. I don't

feel bad about mine, then. I can be both. lol

Mahalo nui loa, susanna~

[nolabear]

71. 😂😂😂 canapes 😂😂😂 NOBODY should have those!

Appetizers are for corporatist elites! We common folk eat cans o’ peas! And we like ‘em!

As my people say, “I think his cheese has slipped off his cracker.”

[Cha]

79. lol@.. as your

people say!

[NastyRiffraff]

80. Yikes! There goes the plans for my party

Canapes bad? Who knew?

I know I'm late to this thread, but that is just too funny. Or would be if it didn't show Bernie's obsession to bash Democrats every chance he gets.

[Cha]

81. You're not too late, Riff.. the

still gonna on and there's plenty of canapés and cheap wine left!

Ikr.. "obsession"!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

53. You're being WAY too logical... but, then it's Bernie we're talkin about...

so, apparently, different standards apply.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[njhoneybadger]

3. Why didn't Bernie just start a new political party if it's such a big revolution

I always get the feeling that he hates the Democratic Party.

[Doitnow]

5. Then you would have complained that he's starting another party and be therefore divisive.

[Demsrule86]

12. The handwriting on the wall is clear...Sanders is going nowhere. He should just get out.

If he made the general I would vote for him of course but he won't.

[NastyRiffraff]

87. Because he wants the party's $$$$ and resources

while he runs as a pretend Democrat. He'll revert back to I again after the primaries. He's happy to use the Democratic party when it suits him, and just as happy to bash it while doing it.

[PDittie]

6. ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287103035

[sheshe2]

8. ...

[WeekiWater]

7. The people around him aren't going rogue.

They are promoting his strategy. From continuing to bring up Clinton to the attacks on the Democratic Party. They are coming from the top.

[R B Garr]

10. Yes! It's a trifecta now...Clinton/Establishment/Biden

It’s really gotten old.

[R B Garr]

9. Maybe someone should call Sanders out for violating

the pledge he signed.

[dogman]

15. Go ahead, tell us the violation.

[R B Garr]

41. "the violation". Go ahead and read the pledge.

[Indygram]

48. Make the Primary Constructive

Make the primary constructive. I’ll respect the other candidates and make the primary election about inspiring voters with my vision for the future.

Rally behind the winner. I’ll support the ultimate Democratic nominee, whoever it is — period. No Monday morning quarterbacking. No third-party threats. Immediately after there’s a nominee, I’ll endorse.

Do the work to beat Trump. I will do everything in my power to make the Democratic Nominee the next President of the United States. As soon as there is a nominee, I will put myself at the disposal of the campaign.


I have underlined the violation.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/respect

Constructive means to only criticize in a RESPECTFUL and productive way.

[JI7]

14. I guess he didn't take into account the rise of mayor pete and Warren

[crazytown]

23. He feared Warren.

He tried to talk her into staying out.

[JI7]

24. I wouldn't mind if Warren won even though she isn't my top choice

[crazytown]

28. The plain spoken daughter of the plain

like Senator Sanders, is never afraid to say who the opponent of change are: The wealthy and their puppets. The difference between the two is that Warren does not see the Democratic Party as an obstacle, but an ally.

[highplainsdem]

40. He should fear her. I know people who've switched from Sanders to Warren, even though earlier this

year they thought they'd still vote for Sanders in the primary, as they did in 2016.

[Thekaspervote]

16. same as 2016... as I recall... it didn't work that time either.

He doesn’t seem to be getting the message

[Cha]

18. Sanders should worry less about catching Biden right now and more on falling behind Warren

Link to tweet

[crazytown]

26. And mayor Pete

and if Beto gets going, a triple whammy.

[mcar]

43. His name recognition isn't sustaining him

in the polls. We have so many good Democratic candidates, with so many great policies, it's hard to compete.

[Cha]

45. Right, it's doing

the opposite.. wonder why that is? Hmmm?

mcar

[Otto Lidenbrock]

19. If Bernie supporters on twitter were less abrasive.....

....Bernie would get a lot more goodwill.

The red rose brigade see people with a different point of view almost as if they're evil monsters. Many of them are so mean spirited.

I will vote for Bernie if he is the democratic nominee. There's no doubt in my mind about that. How many of them will vote for another candidate though?

It's not about being an ideologue. Elections have consequences. A democratic president no matter whether he/she is "neoliberal" will be better for progressives because at the least he or she will appoint liberal judges that will shape the rule of law for years to come.

[Doitnow]

27. As much as I support Bernie, I, for one, absolutely will vote for ANY Democrat

nominated. I wish more of the candidates would sign on to state the same. And I still want to hear how they all feel about the issues because, as far as I can tell, Bernie represents what what most Americans want. That's middle America, folks, not a crazy far left, as some would like to characterize it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

82. I see much more abrasiveness AGAINST Sanders and his supporters than other candidates

Sanders supporters have been having to deal with an ongoing assault ever since he dared to go against the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton in the last primaries. And it doubled after she "lost". As if just doing what a contending candidate should do.....explain the differences in policy and why theirs is better than the others, or where they see the other as not being adequate.....is some evil unforgivable attack. and now against Biden! He even used the word "canopies" against him! Unforgivable!



And Biden represents better than anyone else what Sanders sees as the opposite of what he wants to achieve for Americans, and as the stagnation of the party moving progressively forward. The paralysis in beholding the party to the whims of the corporate classes over the economy and even public policy. He represents the old status quo guard no matter how personable he is. Not FDR status quo, third way status quo.

Rightly so, Sanders sees him as his greatest threat. Why shouldn't he clearly position himself now. At least he's honest about where his priorities lie.

[BannonsLiver]

88. Revisionist nonsense and whataboutism

“Sanders supporters have been having to deal with an ongoing assault ever since he dared to go against the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton in the last primaries”

Oh FFS...

Yeah, you’re really “undecided”.

[aikoaiko]

20. Its good to vet candidates. Thank you Bernie Sanders.

[Gothmog]

21. From the Hoarse Whisperer

Link to tweet

[Cha]

30. The Hoarse Whisperer

Nails It!

Thanks, Goth

[watoos]

22. Another Bernie bashing thread,

Is the purpose to suppress the vote in the general?
If Biden can’t handle Bernie wait until the Trump goons hit him.
Bernie did release his taxes right? How many useless threads were there here over that?
Bernie was the 1st one to sign the indivisible pledge to immediately throw his support behind whoever our nominee is.

[Cha]

29. Here's BS being divisive against The

Democratic Party..

Link to tweet

Do you ever have anything to say about that.. or just when BS gets called out?

[Me.]

36. Guess BS Is The ONe Getting Nervous

Wonder if HRC is watching


aloha and happy Merrie Monarch to you

[Cha]

38. I'm sure she is..

Mahalo for the Merrie Monarch Good Wishes, Me!

[mcar]

44. Wait. Pointing out something Bernie actually did is bashing?

How does that work, exactly?

[MrsCoffee]

55. No one believes anything Bernie pledges except his last few die hard supporters.

He is sinking fast.

[kcr]

66. If it were the other way around

His supporters would be responding with huge giant, flashing canape gifs before sticking them in their sig line.

[TomSlick]

25. This discussion can go no where. Sanders supports will support Sanders no matter what he does.

I tend to agree with most of Sen. Sander's position. (Extending voting rights to incarcerated felons being the only example that comes to mind.) I still haven't decided who to support in the primary but attacking other Democrats will not get any candidate my vote.

Democrats should only compare their positions to Trump's.

[Kurt V.]

32. good. maybe they will take each other out.

(apologies to each candidates supporters) but its what's best for America. imo

[Me.]

35. Wait...What...Sweet, Kind, BS Is Up To His Old Tricks?

Bashing trump? No..wait..again..he mainly does it to Dems

[mcar]

42. So much for the pledge

[Irishxs]

52. I saw some of these "cranky" personality traits in 2016. I mentioned

it to some Bernie workers one time and they exploded. I ended up saying “We’re all tired. That’s probably it.” But I wonder.

[MrsCoffee]

56. Scorched Earth.

All day long.

[customerserviceguy]

57. It's shaping up

to be a nasty war on the way to the convention. I just hope that the time we have between the end of that convention and Election Day is enough to bind the wounds that will surely be opened.

[melman]

58. How scandalous

[RandySF]

61. Smart

Let Warren pass you by while you drive up your own negatives.

[KitSileya]

67. The comparison might not be as flattering as the Senator thinks it might be.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[McCamy Taylor]

68. Trying to make this a two man race?

[Irishxs]

69. No, just wondering if this is his true personality.

[nolabear]

72. Im going to start calling him Squatter Joe.

He is living rent free in more peoples’ heads Than anyone except Hillary than I’ve ever seen!

[Blue_Tires]

73. Of course he did...

Biden represents the sane, quiet professional excellence of the Obama era and Sanders has never even tried to hide his utter contempt of Obama.

[ehrnst]

74. It certainly did look coordinated across many, many groups,

and many RW sources picked up on it, too.

Not a good look.

[ehrnst]

75. I have heard that he is a micromanager - even down to approving the text of emails.

So this is unsurprising.

And yet he "didn't know" about a $30,000 settlement paid out by his campaign for harassment, as has been recently revealed, and one of the staffers that was involved in the harrasment reports got a sterling enough recommendation to get a job as chief of staff for congressman Chuy Garcia in January, so what he does and doesn't know about his campaign isn't really clear.

[still_one]

76. So far that approach doesn't see to be working too well for him

[Thomas Hurt]

77. Attack Trump, promote, explain your policies, otherwise STFU

[PDittie]

78. Excellent!

Glad this wasn't something his "surrogates" could be entirely "blamed" for.

(Please try to keep in mind that facts are NOT attacks)

[NYMinute]

83. Recent polls show it was a misguided and stupid strategy

We need better decisions from our candidates.

[Gothmog]

85. According to Nate Silver, sanders will not be successful in these attacks on Biden

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[LongtimeAZDem]

89. For nearly every aspect of Biden's career that Sanders picks on, he himself has more

disturbing examples. It's a fallacious argument, but it's true.

Biden voted against busing in the early '70s? Sanders was a deadbeat dad at the time. Biden voted to authorize war? Sanders lauded communist dictators. Biden made women uncomfortable? Sanders ran a campaign with a predatory culture of sexual harassment.

There are tons of examples. Yes, Bernie can attack Joe, but only by making himself look worse.

[Cha]

90. How's that working out for him?