Josh Marshall: Toxicity, acrimony, unrealism of Sanders' campaign comes from the top

[Rose Siding]

For months I'd thought and written that Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver was the key driver of toxicity in the the Democratic primary race. Weaver has been highly visible on television, far more than campaign managers tend to be. He's also been the one constantly upping the tension, pressing the acrimony and unrealism of the campaign as Sanders actual chances of winning dwindled.
...
Over the last several weeks I've had a series of conversations with multiple highly knowledgable, highly placed people. Perhaps it's coming from Weaver too. The two guys have been together for decades. But the 'burn it down' attitude, the upping the ante, everything we saw in that statement released today by the campaign seems to be coming from Sanders himself. Right from the top.

This should have been obvious to me. The tone and tenor of a campaign always come from the top. It wasn't obvious to me until now.

This might be because he's temperamentally like that. There's some evidence for that. It may also be that, like many other presidential contenders, once you get close it is simply impossible to let go. I don't know which it is. That would only be my speculation. But this is coming from Bernie Sanders. It's not Weaver. It's not driven by people around him. It's right from him. And what I understand from knowledgable sources is that in the last few weeks anyone who was trying to rein it in has basically stopped trying and just decided to let Bernie be Bernie.

Sanders speech tonight was right in line with his statement out this afternoon. He identified the Democratic party as an essentially corrupt, moribund institution which is now on notice that it must let 'the people' in. What about the coalitions Barack Obama built in 2008 and 2012, the biggest and most diverse presidential coalitions ever constructed?

Sanders narrative today has essentially been that he is political legitimacy.....

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/it-comes-from-the-very-top

emphasis is mine

[Cha]

1. Josh Marshall and I have been and are saying the same thing.

Mahalo, Rose~

[Iliyah]

2. Gosh, I already knew that.

[Rose Siding]

6. I haven't been reading TPM much lately so I was glad to see this

I felt early on that Josh was giving the same kind of latitude to his pro-Sanders readers and writers that admin does here. I guess he's come around. This is good, too-

Grandiosity As Addictive As Smack

With this new blow-up over whatever happened over the weekend in Nevada we see the pretty real and even dire consequences of lying to your supporters. The Sanders campaign, especially campaign manager Jeff Weaver, has been saying for weeks that Sanders can still win and that the system is 'rigged' against Sanders. But the situation in Nevada is really a microcosm of the dynamic I described last month: to the extent the system is 'rigged', it's mainly rigged in Sanders' favor.
.....
As I said in the lede, this is the problem with lying to your supporters. Losing is hard. If you pump people up with bogus arguments that they're losing because they got cheated and the system was rigged, you get people who are really angry, genuinely angry, even though they're upset that their efforts to reverse the result of the actual election didn't work.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/grandiosity-as-addictive-as-smack

[Gothmog]

3. Great analysis by Josh Marshall

Thanks for posting

[SunSeeker]

4. It is obvious to anyone paying attention, Josh. nt

[otohara]

5. Lefty Media Denial Syndrome

Whuuuuttt?

Bernie Sanders wouldn't do that would he?

For months and months this bullshit has been happening online But the media and especially the lefty media was downplaying the Bros - telling us we've been exaggerating or it comes from both sides.

[BootinUp]

7. Thanks Josh. This m'fer that "joined" our party can kiss my @ss. nt

[Cha]

8. Finally! It comes out so more can see what some of us having been saying for awhile now!

Sanders narrative today has essentially been that he is political legitimacy. The Democratic party needs to realize that. This, as I said earlier, is the problem with lying to your supporters. Sanders is telling his supporters that he can still win, which he can't. He's suggesting that the win is being stolen by a corrupt establishment, an impression which will be validated when his phony prediction turns out not to be true. Lying like this sets you up for stuff like happened over the weekend in Nevada.

As I said, it all comes from the very top

burnie thinks he can bully his way into the White House... not. gonna. happen.

[procon]

9. The last paragraph he writes is the money shot, but

unfortunately it was omitted. So this is what grabbed me, Sanders is lying to his followers:

Sanders narrative today has essentially been that he is political legitimacy. The Democratic party needs to realize that. This, as I said earlier, is the problem with lying to your supporters. Sanders is telling his supporters that he can still win, which he can't. He's suggesting that the win is being stolen by a corrupt establishment, an impression which will be validated when his phony prediction turns out not to be true. Lying like this sets you up for stuff like happened over the weekend in Nevada.

[Hekate]

10. Sickening

If I say any more just now my post will get hidden

[Number23]

11. Kicked and fucking rec'd. That man has trashed his credibility and legitimacy along with his chances

of EVER being president of this country.

Like the author, I did the "why doesn't Sanders say anything about his idiotic/unhinged supporters? He's a good man. Why does he say/do nothing while his supporters slime and trash black people? Women? Feminist and human rights organizations that had the unmitigated gall to support someone other than him?"

And then his campaign actually raised money off of trying to illegally/improperly access Hillary Clinton's data and I said "oh good Lord. His campaign is run by incompetent jackals. Sanders is a good man. He doesn't deserve this."

And then after losing damn near the ENTIRE South, he went to Michigan or somewhere and said "I know my chances are better here because you guys are smart" and I said, "okay, that was a fucked up thing to say. It must be the heat of the moment. He's a good man."

And now his statement came out today where he, like his unhinged, manic supporters, has blamed EVERYONE UNDER THE SUN for his abysmal level of support from the Dem base and for the incredible insanity at the Nevada convention. And much like his desperate supporters who have -- predictably and stupidly -- screamed that Nevada was "orchestrated" by the Clinton campaign or chemtrails, Sanders has blamed the Democratic establishment, the Nevada Dem party, Conspiracies R Us, and everyone on earth but the people who are actually guilty of acting like lunatics. It was a statement every bit as craven and irresponsible as anything I've ever seen. And all I want is for him to slither back where he came from and just be gone.

[Cha]

13. Hear Hear, 23!

It was Minnesota.. after he lost the South he went there with his incredibly ignorant statement..

Why Black Voters Aren't ‘Feeling the Bern’

When Sanders appeared at the Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia (and was mocked by The New York Times and the Washington Post for failing to get much applause) he showed up late for the lunch after the service.

After losing big to Hillary, who put on a serious ground game in South Carolina and other Southern states, Sanders seemed dismissive of the black voters who didn’t show up for him, heading back North to Vermont and Minnesota where the “smart” voters are, as he put it in a speech.

Bernie talks about his campaign being a “revolution.” No. Cuba had a revolution. Haiti had a revolution. Sanders is not succeeding at building a lasting movement because he is not bringing people of diverse backgrounds together like Jesse Jackson did with the Rainbow Coalition. This is a campaign run by some white guys in D.C. and Vermont with some Black Lives Matter talking points as soundbites thrown in. That just doesn’t cut it

.
-See more at: http://www.progressive.org/news/2016/03/188591/why-black-voters-arent-%E2%80%98feeling-bern%E2%80%99#sthash.2DUI5by8.dpuf

[grossproffit]

14. Excellent post. My husband knew from the beginning. My blinders came off at "she's unqualified."

I felt sickened when I finally saw him for who he is. I can't even stand to look at him now.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. So well said, Number 23. You've encapsulated my own evolving reaction to Sanders.

[BobbyDrake]

17. It amazes me that he just openly had no problem with his supporters trying to overturn

the results of Nevada's voting! This man is a US Senator, how can he have such blazen contempt for the democratic process?? Maybe because he hasn't faced serious competition in years from within Vermont, something which needs to be rectified immediately. Democrats need to primary Bernie Sanders, hopefully nudge him back towards reality maybe.

And I think that if Democrats do retake the Senate, Bernie Sanders shouldn't receive any committee chairmanships. Those should be assigned to solid Democrats, so that our platform isn't undermined by a failed presidential candidate trying to recapture his lost moment in the spotlight.

[wisteria]

33. +++1

[Hekate]

35. I'm still so angry I can hardly speak, 12 hours after I first KnRd the OP. He's a bitter old man...

...who just wants to burn it all down, drunk on the euphoria of the psychological projections emanating from a million adoring cult members. He's playing a damn dangerous game.

[betsuni]

12. K&R

[Surya Gayatri]

15. Excellent analysis by Josh Marshall...if only somebody on the Sanders team would read it.

"What about the coalitions Barack Obama built in 2008 and 2012, the biggest and most diverse presidential coalitions ever constructed?"

Indeed. As somebody down thread said:

"Grandiosity Is As Addictive As Smack"

[Koinos]

18. This is getting very scary. Sanders has been totally consumed by hatred and delusion.

We are dealing with a mentally ill individual who intends to commit political suicide in order to destroy the Democratic party. He is too old to care what happens to himself after that. And he is going to take many rabid followers over the edge with him. Filled with hate and delusion, he is the political equivalent of a suicide bomber. Frankly, I foresee the possibility of his having a complete mental breakdown and being committed to psychiatric care before this is over. I hope Democratic party leaders understand what they are dealing with at this point.

[grossproffit]

22. I believe we're finally seeing him for who he is. He will never concede, nor endorse Hillary.

I just hope no one ends up getting killed.

[Koinos]

24. The good news is that some Sanders followers are waking up.

They are as repelled by all this as we are. Saner minds will prevail.

I think that violence within the convention walls will be preempted by heavy Secret Service, FBI, and police presence. There will be so many important Democratic party leaders there, including the president, that even the hint of a possible disturbance will be dealt with immediately and quietly. Unruly delegates will be escorted out before things can get out of hand. The major problem will be if Sanders goes off the rails during his scheduled speech. If he deviates from his prepared speech and does something extemporaneous, stupid, and inflammatory, I'm not sure what would happen.

Outside the convention halls, there likely will be protesting and maybe even some skirmishes and arrests, but I believe that the Philadelphia police are going to be very prepared for that eventuality.

[grossproffit]

27. You're right. I've noticed a difference. Some are already moving to Hillary and the GE

[Walk away]

19. Sanders' speech last night was ridiculous. He should be ashamed of himself and his followers....

need to take a few lessons in critical thinking before they get their "Free College"!

[Koinos]

25. Coverage of his angry and delusional speech probably turned off even more California voters.

Bernie is speaking to a smaller and smaller choir these days. People are waking up to what he is really trying to do.

[mcar]

20. I trust Marshall's judgment

Thanks for this Rose!

[SharonClark]

21. How is this different from the angry Teaparty members who were lied to by the repugs?

"If you pump people up with bogus arguments that they're losing because they got cheated and the system was rigged, you get people who are really angry, genuinely angry".

[Pika78]

23. Electing our first black president

was a revolution - and one in which the DNC was instrumental. As our chairwoman has said, ""We've had the same rules in place that elected Barack Obama. These rules were adopted for state parties all across the country in 2014."

Bernie and his followers have no reason to gripe other than the obvious: they've lost. Obama's rise to the highest office in the land was so inspiring and (generally) positive - WTF has happened since then? Why all the anger? He proved that WITH THE RIGHT MESSAGE, SMARTS AND CHARACTER, anything is possible! What's with all the simmering resentment of "the system"? The system didn't stand in Obama's way (and if there truly were a conspiracy to keep "the people" from being heard, don't ya think it would have kept Obama out of the WH?), and now the system isn't standing in our future first female president's way either (again, if it really were rigged, why would it favor a woman?).

I don't think it's revolution Bernie and co want: they just want to have their way. And now, like spoiled 2-year-olds, they're throwing ugly tantrums because they can't stand being given a firm "NO."

The DNC should put the lot of them on time out - and no cookies or candy for a week!

[CrowCityDem]

26. CNN was reporting Supers are PISSED, and will never flip to him, not that they ever would.

[Starry Messenger]

28. k&r

[beachbum bob]

29. no argument that sanders EGO is in firm control and his true colors are being revealed.....

he may just be an angry old white socialist willing to destroy america by allowing Trump to be our next president.....bernie could indeed be THAT MAN


make no mistake how serious this is.....we know he is weak in addressing his out of control supporters.....we know he can't take responsibility for his own short comings in this primary season.....we know that he would be clobbered if he was our nominee....

once sanders gets past his angry socialist Schick...he has NO SUBSTANCE....no policy that can actually be legislated or works


he is just an angry old socialist

[riversedge]

30. He is spot on.

[DesertRat]

31. k&r

[eastwestdem]

32. My bet is that it actually comes from Jane. In interviews she seems very evil and calculating.

It's funny that she tries so hard to come across as likeable, but it really doesn't work. And she makes my baby cry, so that's all the evidence I need!

Bernie has that hunched over, brow-beaten look. My guess is that Jane is running things both in the family and the campaign.

[NastyRiffraff]

34. I'm glad more people are waking up

to the fact that Sanders isn't your kindly grandpa; he's more like the crazy uncle everybody dreads at the Thanksgiving dinner. I've read multiple articles from ex-staffers that Bernie is a control freak who listens to NOBODY (except maybe Jane). That horrid statement about Nevada was his alone; maybe he had help writing it, but the ideas behind it were his alone.