Pro-Bernie Trolls on Why They Harassed Nevada's Democratic Chair [View all]
Here's what several men had to say for themselves after threatening Roberta Lange and calling her a "b-tch"
Democrats have been in a froth this week in the aftermath of Saturday's contentious, and at times violent, Nevada state convention. As Rolling Stone reported Tuesday, Bernie Sanders supporters, incensed by the party's handling of the proceedings and the fact that Sanders failed to hold on to two pledged delegates he unexpectedly gained at the Clark County convention clashed with Clinton supporters, who in turn called for the Sanders supporters' arrest.
Pissed off Sanders supporters, watching the events unfold online from around the country, began circulating the personal contact information for state party chair Roberta Lange. As a result, Lange became the target of a barrage of harassment, including death threats and threats of violence sent via voicemail and text message. On Monday, the party shared many of those messages notably, and perhaps regrettably, without redacting some of the senders' phone numbers.
Rolling Stone spoke to several of the men who sent Lange angry, menacing text messages to find out what was going through their heads as they pelted a stranger with epithets and threats, both veiled or explicit, to her and her family's safety, and to find out if as some diehard Sanders supporters have suggested they were actually Clinton campaign operatives out to smear Bernie.
They were not. All of the men we spoke to were genuine Sanders supporters, most with well-documented histories online of feeling the Bern. (Although only their first names are used below and their phone numbers have been redacted, we verified all of their identities.)
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/pro-bernie-trolls-on-why-they-harassed-nevadas-democratic-chair-20160518