Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Bernie Sanders GET OUT!

One of many texts (and voicemail) received by
Nevada Democratic chairwoman Roberta Lange
This is the end.

It is time for Bernie Sanders to drop out.

Listen to the abusive/threatening messages received by Nevada Democratic Party — and its chairwoman, Roberta Lange

This is why long election cycles are a good thing. At first Sanders seemed like a cool guy. Now we see his true character.
Krugman had a good reaction to Sanders response to the Nevada mayhem:

Like a lot of people, I was shocked by the statement Bernie Sanders put out about Nevada. No hint of apology for his supporters’ behavior, lots of accusations about a “rigged” process when the issue in Nevada was whether Clinton should get more delegates in a state where she won the vote. And the general implication that the nomination is somehow being stolen when the reality is that Clinton won because a large majority of voters chose to support her. 
But maybe we shouldn’t have been shocked. It has been obvious for quite a while that Sanders — not just his supporters, not even just his surrogates, but the candidate himself — has a problem both in facing reality and in admitting mistakes. The business with claiming that Clinton only won conservative states in the deep South told you that; and even before, there were strong indications that he would not accept defeat gracefully or even rationally.

But one thing I found really interesting is what looks to me like a Sanders dogwhistle. In his prepared response to the Nevada incidents he says:
“... Our campaign of course believes in non-violent change and it goes without saying that I condemn any and all forms of violence, including the personal harassment of individuals. But, when we speak of violence, I should add here that months ago, during the Nevada campaign, shots were fired into my campaign office in Nevada and apartment housing complex my campaign staff lived in was broken into and ransacked."


Now what does shots fired and office ransacked "months ago" have to do with what happened in Nevada this weekend? Nothing, at first glance. So why does Sanders mention the shots/ransacking right after condemning the recent violence?

The only thing I can think of is because Sanders believes, or at least wants his followers to believe, that there is a connection and the violence that occurred this weekend was an understandable response to - perhaps even payback for - the DNC and/or Clinton perpetrating violence against the Sanders campaign.

I looked up the shooting incident. According to the Las Vegas Sun:
A bullet hole was discovered in a storefront window at the Bernie Sanders campaign headquarters in northwest Las Vegas on Thursday morning, the same day the Democratic presidential candidate was on site, Metro Police said today.
Officers responded just before noon to the campaign office at 815 South Rainbow Blvd., near Alta Drive, authorities said. Police said it appears a bullet went through the window but declined to comment on whether a shot had been fired.

So actually there's no evidence even one shot was made, let alone "shots" - a bullet hole was "discovered" - there's no evidence there was a shooting while the office was Sanders campaign headquarters.

And I could find no news reports at all about the alleged "ransacking." It appears to me that Sanders is either grossly exaggerating both claims or possibly even lying about the ransacking part.

And lest you scoff at the idea of Sanders getting his followers to believe that HRC is trying to murder Sanders, you need to know that the Right was pushing the idea she murdered Vince Foster for years, and in the comments under the Las Vegas Sun story,  one of Sanders supporters implies that HRC likely would kill Sanders.


I think the Sanders campaign is getting desperate and they're willing to try Richard Mellon Scaife style smears.

If Sanders' followers trash the Democratic convention I will hold him personally responsible for the Trump Presidency.