Alert! Three random supporters out of tens of millions doing something crazy

[Quixote1818]

Lets brand all the supporters as being just like these three nut jobs and create division and flamebate because we don't like that particular candidate.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Beakybird]

1. If there's a story about disruptive supporters, I know they're Sanders'.

Nasty, just like his Jill Stein supporting spokespeople.

[thesquanderer]

10. You'd think that we, as Dems, would know better than to ascribe to an entire group...

...the bad behavior of a few.

[tecelote]

14. +1!

[LawnKorn]

20. That is because the press ignores disruptive supporters of candidates they support.

The press prefers to report only negative things about candidates they dislike.

[Progressive2020]

2. Exactly Right

No campaign is directing low-level followers to do crazy things. Any large movement or campaign with many thousands of followers and volunteers will attract bad apples. These people might do and say things that are not sanctioned by a particular campaign of a particular candidate. It is a false argument to blame a candidate for unsanctioned bad behavior by a few rogue followers.

[W_HAMILTON]

4. It is when the campaign encourages it and refuses to forcefully denounce it.

If it's just a few followers, why not tell them to fuck off? Same goes for "it's just Republicans pretending to be Sanders supporters." Tell them that they and their behavior are not welcome in the campaign. How hard is that? Once again, if Sanders has some problem doing this, he can look at how Warren nipped this sort of behavior in the bud.

[Progressive2020]

8. Who

Who is encouraging it? How and when? I saw Sanders in an interview (I do not have a link, I think it might have been on CNN) where he basically said "we do not want those people" in his movement and campaign. I think a clip of that interview might have been posted here on DU. If you have any video of Sanders or any other candidate encouraging bad behavior by his supporters, I would be glad to see it.

[Autumn]

11. Yes Bernie said that. It doesn't matter though, Bernie denouncing them is not what they want.

[W_HAMILTON]

12. Everyone in their campaign, from the top down.

I can point to each of them trashing Democrats and the Democratic Party. Sanders, Joy Gray, Sirota, Turner, etc. When they model that sort of trash behavior for their followers, it's no wonder when their followers treat other Democratic candidates the same way.

[Progressive2020]

16. It Was On The PBS News Hour On Thursday

Judy Woodruff interviewed Bernie Sanders on Thursday and he said "we do not want those people" in our campaign. So, your original statement saying that Sanders does not discourage that sort of behavior from his followers is demonstrably false.

I do agree with you though that Sanders and many of his people are critical of what they seem to term "Establishment Democrats". So, that is not too surprising. Sanders is originally an Independent and a self-described Democratic Socialist who has caucused in the Congress for many years with the Democrats.

I do not think that Sanders loyalty is to the Democratic Party, but rather to a Progressive Movement on the Left and within the Party. I can understand more conventional Democrats being upset about that. I do not think that Sanders and his people are disguising the fact, though.

[W_HAMILTON]

18. Was that the same place where he pulled the """both sides""" card on other Democrats?

As for "conventional Democrats" being upset at him, I voted for Sanders in 2016. It is the only vote that I've ever cast in my life that I regret. Watching as he and his supporters trash the Democratic Party and help usher in a Trump presidency kinda leaves a sour taste in people's mouth. Like someone once said, Sanders alienates would-be allies. This is why he has accomplished nothing in his decades-long congressional career and why he is turning off more people than he is bringing into the fold.

[Progressive2020]

17. Trashing Democrats

You say that you can point to everyone in their campaign, from top down, having trashed Democrats and the Democratic Party. OK, I'm game. Show me video clips of them doing this, or documented journalism that shows them doing that. I am open to evidence.

I would note that people running against one another might occasionally go negative and speak badly about other candidates and their operations. Plenty of people have spoken negatively about Sanders and his campaign. Is he not allowed to do the same with his own competition?

So people can trash Bernie, but when he counter-punches, that is unfair somehow. It seems like a double standard to me. Politics is not soft ball. People are going to go after each other.

[W_HAMILTON]

19. People do the same for Sanders because he has been the one trashing everyone else...

...and lots of people are tired of his shit. A twist on the old saying, "do unto others as they have done unto you." If he doesn't want people attacking him or his campaign, he should lead by example. Instead, he has consistently gone after both Democrats and the Democratic Party and only now are the kid gloves starting to come off in regards to him.

And, oh lord, this constant victim complex and "counter punch" excuse, gee, that sounds familiar.

And if you aren't aware of Sanders ( "My own feeling is that the Democratic Party is ideologically bankrupt" ), Joy Gray ( "I voted for Jill Stein" ), Turner ( "I'm not backing anybody in this general election, let me clear that up right away" ), and Sirota (responsible for the deliberately false smears against Beto and Biden, among others), I don't know what to tell you. Open your eyes.

[rzemanfl]

5. But if Bloomberg's under assistant west coast promotion man hits on his secretary.....

(nod to the Stones on that one).

[Ligyron]

13. Oh, you're getting 2 hearts for remembering that one.

Had it on 45 and think it was the flip slide of Satisfaction, but not real sure.

"Sittin' here a thinkin' just how sharp I am."

[rzemanfl]

15. Well thank you so much! n/t

[oldsoftie]

3. WHat did I miss? Obviously someone did/said something.

[Autumn]

7. I haven't seen the pics but someone took coffins to a Biden rally. Insinuating his campaign is dead

and he has lost family members. Who knows. But Bernie hasn't fled the country, resigned or flogged whoever did it. So outrage is the logical choice.

On a positive note Bernie was protested by topless women and no one cares . Bernie made a statement

[oldsoftie]

9. Well now i have TWO things to search for

[beastie boy]

6. A few random supporters here, a few random supporters there...

Before you know it, we might have the Democratic Convention full of random supporters!