How Bernie Sanders's Endorsement Of An Ally Blew Up In His Face [View all]

[George II]

How Bernie Sanders’s Endorsement Of An Ally Blew Up In His Face
The Vermont senator withdrew his formal support for Cenk Uygur’s congressional bid, but as one California Democrat noted, “the bad publicity is already out there.”

When Bernie Sanders endorsed Cenk Uygur’s congressional bid in Southern California on Thursday, it was not altogether surprising. Uygur, a founder of the left-wing Young Turks network and outspoken critic of campaign finance corruption, is one of Sanders’s loudest and most prominent supporters in the media.

But the backlash, particularly among the Vermont senator’s allies on the left, was swift and overwhelming, triggered in part by Uygur’s history of sexist and otherwise offensive comments. By Friday, Uygur claimed he was no longer taking endorsements, and Sanders withdrew his blessing.

The net result was a negative two-day news cycle for a Democratic presidential hopeful who often lambastes media outlets for ignoring his candidacy. The campaign looked amateurish and had alienated some of its closest supporters in the process.

“In the big picture, it doesn’t mean a whole hell of a lot,” said Mike Mikus, a Pittsburgh-based Democratic strategist who has not endorsed any presidential candidate. “But it’s just one more thing added to the pile where people feel that [the Sanders campaign] doesn’t have their stuff together.”

This is a good read.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-withdraws-endorsement-cenk-uygur-blows-up-2020-democratic-presidential-primary_n_5df453d2e4b047e8889d61b7?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004