Dave Letterman Is Making Fun Of Bernie Sanders......

[global1]

I hate when he does this to good people. He's making fun of Bernie Sanders and is belittling him with these nightly bits.

These are subliminal messages to the People and they are sending out the message that Bernie is a joke.

A lot of American People don't yet know who Bernie Sanders is. And bits like Dave is pulling making fun of Bernie is knocking him out before he even gets started.

Dave needs to have Bernie Sanders on his program like he had Elizabeth Warren on. He needs to let Bernie state his beliefs and Dave needs to treat him with the respect he deserves. Dave needs to show the People that he is taking Bernie seriously and that Bernie is a serious candidate and should be considered Presidential.

I hope I'm not being too sensitive here - but this is the impression I'm getting from Dave's bits.

[Peregrine Took]

1. He's a punk.

Not worthy to tie Bernie's shoelaces.

[JI7]

2. isn't this good in that it shows bernie is getting national attention ? of course letterman is going

to make fun of whoever he brings up. that's his job.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Fasten your seatbelts. We're going to experience some turbulence.

Dave's bosses are part of it.

http://election.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1277&pid=6155

[JDPriestly]

14. The media is part of the crowning of Hillary Clinton.

After all, they owe Bill Clinton a lot since he signed the Telecommunications Act that allowed them to consolidate and that gave each of the big guys so much power.

[NYC_SKP]

38. It's all very devious.

Jimmy Carter went out to do great deeds like Habitat for Humanity.

The Clintons were very strategic, starting in Arkansas and then sending Hillary to NY state where she could best be positioned to climb the corporate connection ladder.

The Clinton Global Initiative is the ultimate in high stakes conflicts of interest.

I could always tell that the Clintons typified that "well we gotta be like them if we're gonna change them" attitude I've heard before from friends who used to really care and then sold out to become brokers, etc.

Now she is reported to have said that we have to topple the 1%. She is among the 1%, how's that for bullshit?

[el_bryanto]

45. Toppling the 1% is going to take some members of the 1% I would guess

They are the ones who have the power in our society. If at least some of them don't get on board with social justice, than there aren't many alternatives within the system for real change.

Bryant

[99Forever]

39. Exactly.

Corporate America has put it's seal of approval on the coronation.

[BreakfastClub]

4. I haven't watched Letterman in years. He used to be

funny, but that time has long past.

[lovemydog]

5. Yes, they should have Bernie on Dave's program.

Dennis Kucinich got a lot of that kind of ridicule & disdain too.

It seems they ridiculed for 'not being on everyone's radar' when in fact it's corporate media that doesn't put them on anyone's radar.

Having said that, I'm a big fan of Dave Letterman. I'd like to see the clip so I can judge it for myself.

[sabrina 1]

6. Letterman? Who is Letterman?

I thought he retired a long time ago?

[jakeXT]

8. He is going to retire in a month /nt

[sabrina 1]

9. I never watched him to be honest, but then I don't waste time on the Corporate Media.

So he's going into oblivion where I thought he was long ago.

GO BERNIE!

Seems he's scaring the shit out of them! THAT is a good sign!

[Cha]

7. Letterman is great advocate for Democratic Principles.. and, he should get Bernie on his show

instead of making fun of the Senator from Vermont who might be running for President.

[JDPriestly]

16. And who may well become our next president!

[pa28]

10. The last time I bothered to watch Letterman he seemed bored to death by his own show.

He should have retired a long time ago.

[2naSalit]

12. I tried to watch

a yootoob episode a couple weeks ago and that;s what I got from it, he was so bored with his own show. yes, he should have retired a long time ago... before he stopped being funny.

He'll be retiring up here in Montana when he's done with TeeVee but I'm sure he'll keep a winter residence in LA area somewhere too.

[xfundy]

11. OK, where's the video?

I can't criticize something 'til I've seen it.

[busterbrown]

15. If you Bernie Supporters think this was bad .

You could imagine what would happen if he won the Dem. Nomination..

I love Bernie but you guys that think he is a game changer, think again.. The Right wing hate machine would be in heaven thinking of how they could portray him.. Old, Marxist, tree hugger, socialist... thats just the beginning.. our low informed electorate would just suck it up..

[Art_from_Ark]

18. And how would the right-wing hate machine portray Hillary?

[Beartracks]

21. Well, she's already a survivor of such portrayal. Bernie is a relative unknown.

Yes, the RW media machine (cuz there's no vast right-wing conspiracy, right?) would portray her as they always have: every librul-sounding "smear" they can come up with whether true or not (environmentalist wacko, leftist, godless, commie-socialist-marxist-feminazi, etc.) -- which is basically the same bag-o-shit they throw on ANY Democrat running for ANY office at ANY level of public service. PLUS, they have their usual Hilary-specific stuff that will be dredged up from the past (man-hater, Foster, Whitewater, etc.) plus their shiny-new "-gates" like email-gate <groan> and BenghaziBenghaziBenghazi... AND YET she still powers along with popularity and respect. Like "Teflon Reagan." She's had a long career over which to rise above and leave behind all that RW crap and basically prove it wrong.

On the other hand, Bernie is not a household name and could probably, and unfortunately, be easily cast by the media in the role of 2016's "loony" candidate -- because the media always, always designates such a candidate from the left (NEVER from the RIGHT, good God NO, because it would have to brand ALL of them!).

NONE of this in any way is meant to imply Bernie shouldn't keep on keepin' on, or that we must resign ourselves to a Hillary candidacy as the only viable option, because Bernie's message DOES need to be heard, and, if nothing else, Americans NEED HIM to influence the debate in this country. But I would really like to see media personalities that I have always considered to be more "fair" and un-partisan -- like David Letterman -- NOT follow the media herd that's going to want to make Bernie the butt of 2016's jokes.

===================

[xfundy]

20. "you guys"

I like Bernie but don't think he could win because he's a socialist. Which is really a shame.

Now, kindly explain why you went into attack-dog mode and attributed so much bs to me.

I will vote for the nominee. Period.

[LondonReign2]

52. The right wing hate machine will do that no matter who we nominate

Jesus Christ would be ripped to shreds (socialist! hangs with prostitutes! wants to redistribute wealth!) if he were to run.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. He did the same thing to Kucinich.

[eridani]

17. Somebody famouse once said "They can write anything they want about me--

--as long as they spell my name right."

[Art_from_Ark]

19. Bette Davis, perhaps?

[merrily]

35. Someone in Pharoah's court probably said it first.

http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/3eras1x.html

[Art_from_Ark]

36. Then it would have been

"get the hieroglyphics right"

[merrily]

37. Ya got me. Make that Julius Caesar. You know how everyone loved to play Caesar's Palace.

[bvf]

22. I think you're being a mite sensitive, yes.

Letterman's job is to make jokes, for crying out loud.

Name a pol in the national news he hasn't taken a few pokes at.

[nxylas]

26. Yeah, I think Sanders can take it

I like Sanders too, but I think some gentle ribbing from late night talk show hosts is going to be the least of his worries if he becomes a serious contender for the nomination. And I'm sure he knows it.

[bvf]

28. I like Sanders

and I'm sure he's weighing all the variables seriously before deciding. Would love to see him in the race, if only for the debates.

Completely agreed.

[mucifer]

23. It will be interesting to see if Colbert does it, too.

[merrily]

34. Colbert mocked Kucinich. What he will do in a more mainstream job remains to be seen.

[bbgrunt]

24. Dave's integrity never gets in the way of piling on the snark. I always hoped for

more from him, especially since he's about to retire, but "old dog........and all that. What a shame for him.

[BainsBane]

25. It raises his profile

I don't think it's a bad thing. The more people hear about him the better. If he was obscure, there would be no jokes.

[captainarizona]

27. all publicity is good publicity

Just make sure david get his name right.

[leftofcool]

29. Oh good grief!

Poor Bernie! Letterman has been making fun of politicians for the last 30 years. He does it to all of them.

[Tanuki]

30. Letterman makes fun of everyone. Here's a recent poke at HRC:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/04/20/david-letterman-made-hillary-clintons-campaign-announcement-video-into-a-scientology-ad/
Bernie can stand the heat, I'm sure. He's been in the kitchen a long time.

[kentuck]

31. He's lucky someone is not making fun of him.

The old codger should enjoy his Social Security and get off my television.

Letterman, that is.

[Joe Worker]

32. People still watch

Letterman? Perhaps he is just another Bob Shrum or Ed Reindell slanting the table for Clinton and sees him as a potential threat to her run.

[merrily]

33. MSM is pro-Republican, or pro-establishment Democrat. Is this news to anyone?

[NightWatcher]

40. Did he make more fun of Mitt or Bernie?

He's a comedian.

[FSogol]

41. Too many people mix up the roles of comedians and journalists these days.

Sanders can handle a little ribbing. Whether he can win a State besides Vermont is the better question.

[Godhumor]

43. In a primary, I doubt he'd even win Vermont n/t

[JonLP24]

48. An David Letterman making fun of someone the vast majority of the audience hasn't heard of

doesn't help so it hurts him when you ask the better question. His odds went down.

[NCTraveler]

42. Letterman makes jokes about all prominent politicians.

This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Letterman wouldn't give him the time of day unless he thought his audience knew who he was. Can't figure out why this is bad. A couple of people upthread try to make this about Hillary. They must have no clue in life. He has made a career off of telling Clinton and Bush jokes. Welcome to the show Bernie. It truly is a positive.

[JonLP24]

47. It really isn't the same thing

Bernie Sanders receives very limited national exposure, very limited. The top news media go to Iowa and ask him questions about Hillary because belittle his candidacy do. His only exposure on a show probably more watched than the news is jokes.

Not the same thing. I don't really know how to explain it really but I did expect it & so did Bernie probably.

[NCTraveler]

51. Bernie is on the national stage.

"Bernie Sanders receives very limited national exposure"

I don't believe that to be true and his national exposure is only going to increase. He also promotes himself on a national level. We all know that. This is what happens. Literally thousands of links can be posted showing he is on the national stage and that even he supports that recognition. He has worked to increase his exposure. It is working. Why run from it and act like it isn't true. Bernie sure isn't. He is having success at the national level.

It is exactly the same thing. It is just new for him as his exposure increases.

If what you say is true, it would mean Bernie has been a complete failure at promoting his view on a national level. I don't believe that for a second. He has been slowly gaining recognition and has been working for a while to do so.

[JonLP24]

53. You over estimate how much the average person pays attention

They watch shows like Letterman or anything else but the cable news or political links or this or that.

I'm just saying that he makes jokes of Clinton or Bush numerous times when they have massive exposure, treated as credible most of the time when the national media belittles or asks him questions about Hillary when they mention him or ask him stupid "Is it true you have Eugene Debs (pin or something like that)"? questions.

Right now Sanders is holding a solid third place behind Clinton & Biden. You know why? Because they are nationally known. Most people that are polled say they never heard of/don't know enough

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/04/20/cnnorc2016poll04202015.pdf

Letterman has every right to expect this & most supporters & Bernie Sanders expected this. I'm just not arguing it isn't the same thing as he is treated as some fringe extreme the limited times he is exposed which even now is being dwarfed by the Clinton exposure.

[NCTraveler]

55. I don't think the average/most people pay any attention to politics.

I never made such an assumption.

I do get your point, I am just not in full agreement. I do get the belittlement position of your point. But Bernie is on the national stage. He has worked to get himself there. He is doing a great job with it. This is completely expected from Letterman and is a positive.

[lpbk2713]

44. It's a rite of passage for a candidate who wants to be seriously considered.

The late nite comics wouldn't waste their time with a candidate who they thought was insignificant.

[JonLP24]

46. I expected this

It is unfortunate because he is correct on all the issues. It isn't like he is some nutbag, not even close

[One of the 99]

49. Dave's a comedian

and is doing a comedy show. All he needs to do is be funny.

And you are being too sensitive here.

[geek tragedy]

50. Comedians either ignore or make fun of politicians.

Much better for Bernie to be the latter rather than the former.

It's part of public life.

[Bluenorthwest]

54. You are being too sensitive. I see people in this thread saying he's in the tank for Hillary....

[betterdemsonly]

56. Rahm Emanuel brother Ari and Hiam Saban

are centrists dems and they can make or break careers in the entertainment industry. These people will not step outside and support anything other than a corporate dem. You will have to live with it.

[Jim Lane]

57. Bernie's Senate website has a link to the video, so evidently he's not horrified by it

On the "News April 22" page on www.sanders.senate.gov is this link to a site that has a clip of the "Meet Bernie Sanders" segment. The summary on Bernie's website:

Meet Bernie Sanders “Late Night” host David Letterman introduced a new segment he called “Meet Bernie Sanders.” Letterman said “nobody knows anything about Bernie Sanders.” He showed a video saying the political independent serving his second term as the junior senator from Vermont also stars on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as Larry David.

It was a short segment and that was the whole joke -- comparing Bernie Sanders to the Larry David character. Not all that funny, IMO, but not nearly as nasty as Letterman's numerous jokes about Chris Christie's weight.

[global1]

58. It Was The Second Night That Letterman Ran This Bit That Was....

a bit mean. They made Bernie look silly. I don't know if he'd post that segment on his website. I admit the first night when he invoked Larry David was funny and not belittling.

[Jim Lane]

59. Thanks, I didn't know that. What was the gist of the second bit? (n/t)

[onenote]

60. Boo-hoo.

Really. You're upset that a comedian makes fun of a politician?

Here's a partial list of the politicians (and related public figures) that Letterman has made jokes at the expense of over the past 33 years:

Ronald Reagan
Nancy Reagan
George HW Bush
Dan Quayle
George W Bush
Dick Cheney
Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Al Gore
John McCain
Sarah Palin
Barack Obama
Joe Biden
Rick Santorum
Chris Christie
Mitt Romney

Bernie probably got a bigger boost in name recognition from being mentioned by Letterman than any one thing he's done during his campaign. And Martin O'Malley probably is praying that he finally gets to the point where he's considered viable material for a Letterman joke.

[Corey_Baker08]

61. David Letterman Constantly Rips Republicans On A Nightly Basis...

So he makes a few lighthearted jokes about Bernie Sanders. The fact is David Letterman has been an asset to Democratic Candidates.

Remember 'Great Moments In Presidential Speeches'? Where he would constantly rip Bush?

Did you catch the joke last night about how Scott Walker looks like a high school shop teacher?

Or the hypocrite of the week segment where he shows a clip of Marco Rubio making an anti- immigration speech then Dave went on to say this comes from a man whose dad immigrated from Germany and whose mom immigrated from Cuba.

There have been countless factual jokes Dave Letterman has said about the 2016 Republican Candidates and many more he has made in past elections.

So look at the bigger picture before you look down on him for making a joke about someone you like.

He's made email jokes about Hillary, hell he had Republicans calling on him to be fired over a joke he made about Sarah Palin.

The fact is it was a joke a humorous joke, not a factual joke he makes about Republicans. I am sure Bernie Sanders has a sense of humor & perhaps you should lighten up, David Letterman is a Democrat & he's on our side 9 times out of 10 when making political jokes/statements...

[bigwillq]

62. Oh, boo hoo.

Letterman rags on EVERY politician. That's part of Letterman's job.