October 7, 2015

Carson Would Beat Clinton, Biden, Sanders in Ohio, Pennsylvania: Poll

No president has won the general election since 1960 without carrying two out of those three swing states.
Arit John


October 7, 2015 — 6:00 AM EDT


Hillary Clinton is still leading the Democratic presidential primary in three key swing states—Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—but a new poll suggests she may have more to worry about than whether Vice President Joe Biden enters the race: Neurosurgeon Ben Carson could potentially pose a threat to the entire Democratic field.

If the election were held today and Carson were the Republican nominee, he would beat Clinton, Biden, and Senator Bernie Sanders in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania and also best Sanders, a Vermont independent, in Florida, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.1 No president has won the general election since 1960 without carrying two out of those three swing states.

In Ohio, Carson would defeat Biden by 4 percentage points (46 percent to 42 percent), Clinton by 9 points (49 percent to 40 percent) and Sanders by 12 points (48 percent to 36 percent), according to the poll. In Pennsylvania, the retired neurosurgeon would beat Clinton by 9 points (49 percent to 40 percent) and Sanders by 10 points (47 percent to 37 percent). While Biden, who was born in Pennsylvania, is often called the state's third senator, Carson would best him by 5 points there, 47 percent to 42 percent, according to the poll. In Florida, Carson would defeat Sanders 46 percent to 40 percent, but trails Biden by a margin of 45 percent to 42 percent, and Clinton by 45 to 42 percent.

The poll is the latest evidence that the political outsider is on an upswing, at least for now. Carson enjoyed a rise in the polls following the first Republican primary debate in August and raised $20 million during the third quarter. His primary numbers are not quite as encouraging. He still trails billionaire Donald Trump by a margin of 28 percent to 16 percent in Florida, by 23 percent to 18 percent in Ohio, and by 23 percent to 17 percent in Pennsylvania, but is the stronger of the two men against the top Democrats.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-10-07/ben-carson-would-beat-hillary-clinton-joe-biden-and-bernie-sanders-in-ohio-pennsylvania-poll-ifgmjeg1

As I have been posting for months, it is too early to take polls seriously. If we took them seriously a few weeks ago--and some DUers did--Trump would be preparing for inauguration. Now, it's Carson. Let me remind you that, at the beginning of the election year of 2012, polls showed Pres. Obama losing to every single Republican in the clown car and Mr. Generic Republican. And we are not even at the beginning of an election year yet.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and doing whatever you can think of to do to help Sanders. Donate, volunteer, help spread the word. Sanders has proven that he, too, will do his part and then some.

Meanwhile, I am confident that it will dawn on voters at some point that a brain surgeon does not have the experience, domestic or foreign, to run the country. Even Joe Scarborough was laughing (bitterly, but laughing) at the prospect of Carson's being President.

October 7, 2015

Progressive Presidential Forum this fall? Sanders met with DeBlasio

De Blasio’s secret meeting with Bernie Sanders

By Yoav Gonen

October 7, 2015 | 3:11am


Mayor de Blasio secretly met for lunch with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders in the city last month — and on Tuesday called him a “very impressive person” when asked about the sit-down.

“I got a request from Senator Sanders to meet with him. Of course I’m going to respect that request,” de Blasio said on CBS radio. “I think he’s a very impressive person, but I have made no decision on endorsement.”

A City Hall spokeswoman would not disclose the time or location of the meeting — which wasn’t on Hizzoner’s public schedule — but Sanders appeared at a rally of small-dollar donors at The Town Hall in Midtown on Sept. 18.

Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley have both said they’d likely participate in a progressive presidential forum that de Blasio is hosting in Iowa later this fall. Hillary Rodham Clinton has not said

http://nypost.com/2015/10/07/bill-de-blasio-secretly-meets-with-bernie-sanders/

October 7, 2015

D of J release re: Strong Cities Network

NOTE: This is from a government website and therefore not subject to copyright rules.

I wonder how this interfaces with the desire and efforts to de-militarize local police in the U.S.? Also, a bit of boondoggle seems inevitable.



Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 28, 2015
Launch of Strong Cities Network to Strengthen Community Resilience Against Violent Extremism

Cities are vital partners in international efforts to build social cohesion and resilience to violent extremism. Local communities and authorities are the most credible and persuasive voices to challenge violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations in their local contexts. While many cities and local authorities are developing innovative responses to address this challenge, no systematic efforts are in place to share experiences, pool resources and build a community of cities to inspire local action on a global scale.

“The Strong Cities Network will serve as a vital tool to strengthen capacity-building and improve collaboration,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “As we continue to counter a range of domestic and global terror threats, this innovative platform will enable cities to learn from one another, to develop best practices and to build social cohesion and community resilience here at home and around the world.”

The Strong Cities Network (SCN) – which launches September 29th at the United Nations – will empower municipal bodies to fill this gap while working with civil society and safeguarding the rights of local citizens and communities.

The SCN will strengthen strategic planning and practices to address violent extremism in all its forms by fostering collaboration among cities, municipalities and other sub-national authorities.

“To counter violent extremism we need determined action at all levels of governance,” said Governing Mayor Stian Berger Røsland of Oslo while commenting on their participation in the SCN. “To succeed, we must coordinate our efforts and cooperate across borders. The Strong Cities Network will enable cities across the globe pool our resources, knowledge and best practices together and thus leave us standing stronger in the fight against one of the greatest threats to modern society.”

The SCN will connect cities, city-level practitioners and the communities they represent through a series of workshops, trainings and sustained city partnerships. Network participants will also contribute to and benefit from an online repository of municipal-level good practices and web-based training modules and will be eligible for grants supporting innovative, local initiatives and strategies that will contribute to building social cohesion and resilience to violent extremism.

The SCN will include an International Steering Committee of approximately 25 cities and other sub-national entities from different regions that will provide the SCN with its strategic direction. The SCN will also convene an International Advisory Board, which includes representatives from relevant city-focused networks, to help ensure SCN builds upon their work. It will be run by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a leading international “think-and-do” tank with a long-standing track record of working to prevent violent extremism:

“The SCN provides a unique new opportunity to apply our collective lessons in preventing violent extremism in support of local communities and authorities around the world”, said CEO Sasha Havlicek of ISD. “We look forward to developing this international platform for joint innovation to impact this pressing challenge.”

“It is with great conviction that Montréal has agreed to join the Strong Cities Network founders,” said the Honorable Mayor Denis Coderre of Montreal. “This global network is designed to build on community-based approaches to address violent extremism, promote openness and vigilance and expand upon local initiatives like Montréal’s Mayors’ International Observatory on Living Together. I am delighted that through the Strong Cities Network, the City of Montréal will more actively share information and best practices with a global network of leaders on critical issues facing our communities.”

The Strong Cities Network will launch on Sept. 29, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT, following the Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism. Welcoming remarks will be offered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, who will also introduce a Keynote address by U.S. Attorney General Lynch. Following this event, the Strong Cities International Steering Committee, consisting of approximately 25 mayors and other leaders from cities and other sub-national entities from around the globe, will hold its inaugural meeting on Sept. 30, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT.

For more information, please visit http://strongcitiesnetwork.org/ [external link] or contact Sabine Barton via email at: info@strongcitiesnetwork.org or telephone: +44 207 493 9333.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/launch-strong-cities-network-strengthen-community-resilience-against-violent-extremism

October 6, 2015

Jorge Ramos asks "Hillary or Trump" on Facebook... and everyone says "Bernie"

Tue Oct 06, 2015 at 11:58 AM PDT

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/06/1428447/-Jorge-Ramos-asks-Hillary-or-Trump-on-Facebook-and-everyone-says-Bernie

The facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jorgeramosnews/posts/465629640289794

October 6, 2015

I'm Voting for Bernie Sanders Because He Answers Questions. Clinton 'Breaks Her Silence' Often

H. A. Goodman
I'm Voting for Bernie Sanders Because He Answers Questions. Clinton 'Breaks Her Silence' Often (LOL!)
Posted: 10/05/2015 10:01 am EDT Updated: 10/05/2015 10:59 am EDT


In April, The Economist ran a cover with the words, "What does Hillary stand for?" Essentially, that's why Bernie Sanders will win the Democratic nomination; Democrats no longer want a moderate Republican on issues like war, trade, and Wall Street. After 9/11, when Hillary Clinton's "mistake" helped the Bush administration merge patriotism with counterinsurgency conflicts, Bernie Sanders voted against the Iraq War. Long before Clinton evolved on gay marriage "just in time" for the presidential elections (the former Secretary of State had the same views on gay marriage as Kim Davis until 2013), Sanders voted against Bill Clinton's Defense of Marriage Act and supported same-sex marriage. Sanders never had to wait until gay marriage was acceptable according to polls and never viewed his Iraq vote as a stepping stone to the presidency.

I'm voting for Bernie in large part because he is able to communicate his thoughts without consulting a team of advisers and without apologizing for his value system. Most importantly, Sanders never had to contradict himself because of political pressure, especially since the Vermont Senator has been on the right side of history.

For example, I analyzed Jeb Bush's bizarre claim that he'd still invade Iraq and subsequent reversal in viewpoint during one of my appearances on Ring of Fire. As for Dick Cheney and his role in destabilizing the Middle East, I explain in another Ring of Fire appearance that Cheney continues to defend his advocacy of the war even though he argued against invading Iraq during the Gulf War.

Unlike Jeb Bush and Dick Cheney, Bernie Sanders recently won the Congressional Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars because he's always defended our nation's veterans. In contrast, George W. Bush charged a veterans groups $100,000 for a speaking appearance.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/im-voting-for-bernie-sanders-because-he-answers-questions_b_8243068.html

Much much more at link. Long, but Sanders's fans will enjoy, I promise.

October 6, 2015

Sanders Outperforms Clinton in General Election Matchups in IA, NH

I apologize if this has already been posted. I did not see it.

Meet the Press
Oct 5 2015, 7:03 am ET
Sanders Outperforms Clinton in General Election Matchups in IA, NH

by Mark Murray Hillary Clinton has always been viewed as the Democrats' best general-election candidate. But new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls of Iowa and New Hampshire show that Bernie Sanders outperforms Clinton in those two general-election battleground states.

The NBC/WSJ/Marist polls of Iowa and New Hampshire were conducted Sept. 23-30. In Iowa, 1,061 registered voters were interviewed (margin of error +/- 3.0 percentage points), and in New Hampshire, 1,044 registered voters were tested (+/- 3.0 percentage points).

http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/sanders-outperforms-clinton-general-election-match-ups-ia-nh-n438491

Basically

Iowa


Sanders 44% v. Jeb! 46%
Sanders 48% v. Trump 43%
Sanders 45% v. Fiorina 42%

Clinton 40% v. Jeb! 50%
Clinton 41% v. Trump 48%
Clinton 38% v. Fiorina 52% (wtf)


New Hampshire


Sanders 46% v. Jeb! 46%
Sanders 52% v. Trump 42%
Sanders 47% v. Fiorina 45%

Clinton 42% v. Jeb! 49%
Clinton 48% v. Trump 45%
Clinton 42% v. Fiorina 50% (wtf)

October 6, 2015

Sen. Sanders: on fleek on every TV show, incl. Larry Wilmore's Nightly Show

http://www.cc.com/episodes/f7pabz/the-nightly-show-with-larry-wilmore-september-21--2015---bernie-sanders-interview-season-1-ep-01109

Also: the Nightly Show panel discusses Sanders

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_larry_wilmore_guests_explain_bernie_sanders_appeal_its_like_a_gratefu

October 6, 2015

Gunning for Bernie? Or, how many random coincidences can you see in this OP?

For as long as I've been reading at DU, I've read how being a one-issue voter or a "purist" is just too stupid and heinous for words. Didn't matter if the one issue was race, GLBT, public option, torture, GITMO, fourth amendment, drone killings, or whatever. Of course, during all that time, I never saw many posters claim to be one-issue voters. But, no matter which issue was being discussed, anyone upset about it was arbitrarily, and usually falsely, scolded for being a one-issue voter and a "purist."

Now, however, that same segment of DU seems to have become a group of almost one-issue posters. As I understand them, I am supposed to reject Bernie Sanders because of any one issue that people are trying to use against him at the moment. Not only that, but at the end of last week, even President Obama told us to become one issue voters, the one issue being.... guns.

It doesn't matter if a candidate is great on every other issue said the President. Guns is the only issue I am supposed to vote on. Not social safety nets, Medicare for all, wars, empire building, torture, equal human rights for all humans, the bill of rights, etc., but guns. I am not sure what specifically about guns I am supposed to look for from a candidate. I just know that my President just told me that something related to guns is supposed to be the only issue on which I vote. Astounding. However, he apparently is not going to take another pass at gun control legislation. More astounding?

Even before Hillary declared she was running, media were speculating about whether the White House and the Hillary campaign were already coordinating or would coordinate after she announced. I have no clue where the truth of that lies. However, at the end of last week, the President told us to become one issue voters, and, on Monday, Hillary gave a talk about guns and Andrea Mitchell ended her coverage of that talk by declaring falsely that the NRA has "of course" long supported Bernie Sanders. So, I posted about that.

Next thing I know, my inbox got trolled with a link and a different Hillary supporter invited himself or herself onto my thread to post the same link, this link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-nra-helped-put-bernie-sanders-in-congress/2015/07/19/ed1be26c-2bfe-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html

Also on the thread, posts about how MSNBC repeated that whopper throughout the day and evening yesterday.

The story is about a single endorsement of Bernie Sanders by the NRA when Sanders first ran for Congress in 1990, 25 years ago, to represent a district in the largely rural and sparsely-populated State of Vermont. In that now long ago campaign, Sanders said only that it should be up to states to decide about a waiting period to buy a gun (all states not being alike, I assume). The story claims that made the NRA a--wait for it--tacit (unspoken) ally of Sanders. (Guess how much good an alleged ally who is silent does a politician? And, if one is a silent ally of a politician, how does a WAPO writer know one is an ally at all.) No mention that, through his years in the House and Senate, the NRA has rated Sanders D- to F. "With friends like that, who needs enemas?" (Apologies to The Road to Wellville.)

Now, if someone sent that link with a cleverly-worded cover letter to a Hillary supporter who is not all that clever, I can see how he or she might conclude that the NRA has been supporting Sanders for the past 25 years and say something like, "Bernie Sanders, of course, long supported by the NRA."

In addition to the NRA stuff, the story repeatedly refers to Democratic Socialist Sanders as a socialist, much as Hillary's campaign surrogates have been doing. Coming from WAPO, a rightist publication, I understand the dumbass red-baiting. But why is a rightist publication going after Sanders on guns?

Some choice quotes from the WAPO story:

That campaign also marked the beginning of Sanders’s complicated relationship with the ­issue of gun rights — the one area where Sanders’s Democratic presidential rivals have been able to attack him from the left.

“In every single race that I have run, with the exception of one, the NRA and the gun lobbies and the people who are most interested in guns supported my opponent,” he (Sanders) told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos this year.

But now, Cutler (current President of Gun Owners of Vermont) said, when he calls Sanders’s office to ask for a meeting, he never gets one. “I regret that it happened,” he said, “because, realistically, we have no input with him.”

No thank you. Mr. President and some on DU, I will not become a single issue voter on guns just because that is the ONE issue on which Sanders arguably can be attacked from the left; and I would not do that even if DUers had not been posting for years that I should not be a purist or single issue voter. However, since they have been doing that for years, I point out their unprincipled hypocrisy.

Okay, beloveds. How many odd coincidences did you see in my post

October 5, 2015

Andrea Mitchell just told a whopper about Bernie:

Wrapping up a story about Hillary's statement on guns, Mitchell gratuitously added, "Bernie Sanders, of course, long supported by the NRA."

The NRA has long rated Bernie either F or D-. That is NOT support.

Please, people, let Mitchell and MSNBC know how you feel.

October 5, 2015

What Bernie Sanders’ newfound money has just bought him, and us (astounding admission!)

Opinions
What Bernie Sanders’ newfound money has just bought him, and us


Coverage. What ever-growing crowds and poll numbers failed to deliver, money has: coverage. Bernie Sanders nearly matched Hillary’s fundraising in the third quarter and all of a sudden the media takes notice that he’s out there.

We are supposed to keep up the pretense that a campaign is about ideas, but we don’t practice it. What we practice is poll-driven coverage, fake-controversy coverage, and worst of all, strategy coverage. Everyone is an armchair general pushing little plastic candidates around a tabletop map of the US. Great fun, no meaning. What really buys you credibility in the world of coverage is the same thing that buys you groceries at the supermarket: money. Money is the reason Jeb! Or Jeb; or Jeb? still is secretly considered the frontrunner. $100,000,000 buys you a lot of considering.

And so now it’s Heeeeere’s Bernie! I’m not sure whether the intent of this story was to play to the expected narrative that Bernie is a wild-eyed radical crank, but the lead paragraphs certainly suggest that. But I suspect the result will be different. It appears readers have been waiting for some bigger Bernie coverage, judging by the number of responses in the comments thread.

But here’s what coverage of Bernie is going to yield. Finally, the range of acceptable political discourse is going to broaden, to the left. It’s about time, you say? I’d say. What have long been considered taboo topics about income redistribution are in fact no more extreme than positions taken by EVERY SINGLE GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE. They are ALL proposing vastly MORE tax cuts to the already obscenely wealthy, and MORE regulation-cuts of the sort that led to our recent economic collapse, all tied up in a ribbon of gigantic deficits. (Deficits are only reported as crazed when proposed by the left). Oh, and lest we forget, a continuation of the extravagantly irresponsible anti-science anti-planet climate position that they are STILL taking, thanks in part to the decades of respectful reporting they’ve received on the subject.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2015/10/04/what-bernie-sanders-newfound-money-has-just-bought-him-and-us/