OMG. The Sanders Vatican trip is a giant, giant fiasco. (Hillary Group) [View all]

[geek tragedy]

(crossposted in Gee-Dee-Pee btw)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511684289

He's not going for an audience with the pope. He's going for an academic conference to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a papal publication.

It will consist of speakers presenting papers on economics and Catholic theology.

Conference programme:

http://www.pass.va/content/dam/scienzesociali/booklet/centesimus_annus.pdf

Given that the Vatican is (a) 6 hours ahead of the US and (b) a 9 hour plane ride from the US, if he heads straight to JFK from the Thursday debate, he'll land at FCO airport around 3:00 PM local time on the 15th. FCO is not anywhere close to Rome, so he's looking at least one hour to get from the airport to the Vatican itself, providing traffic isn't too bad, in Rome, ha ha. So let's say 90 minutes to deplane and then negotiate traffic and security at the Vatican. That puts his arrival at the conference around 4:30 PM.

He will arrive just in time to hear a response by Professor Hsin-Chi Kuan to an academic paper delivered by President Correa of Ecuador about the fall of the USSR. Then a couple of hours of discussion before the evening's dinner.

Why on God's Green Earth would he take off right before the do-or-die primary in New York to sit in on the last 1/4 of the first day of an academic conference on Catholic theology and economics?

At best, after the dinner, he'd be back in the US around 1:00 in the morning of the 16th, having completely pissed away one of his 4 remaining days before the New York Primary. And that's assuming he doesn't stay for the riveting discussions on Day 2.

Who thought this was a good idea?

My bet is that he bails on this "due to tightening poll numbers" or whatever excuse he has.

Professional malpractice on his campaign's part.