Republicans are trying to help Bernie Sanders win, and it's not because they like his message

[applegrove]

Republicans are trying to help Bernie Sanders win, and it's not because they like his message

by David Nir at the Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/1/21/1471660/-Republicans-are-trying-to-help-Bernie-Sanders-win-and-it-s-not-because-they-like-his-message

"SNIP.............


Sen. Claire McCaskill, facing difficult re-election prospects in 2012 as a Democrat running in Missouri, made a daring gamble: She bought millions in TV and radio ads designed to push Republican primary voters toward the least-electable candidate in the field, Rep. Todd Akin. The high-risk maneuver worked, as Akin won the GOP primary, then went on to run a disastrous general election campaign made immortal by his remarks about “legitimate rape.” A Senate seat that looked set to turn red instead stayed blue, and McCaskill earned credit from campaign operatives everywhere for her savvy interference with the GOP’s nominating process—an age-old tradition sometimes known more colorfully as “ratfucking.”

Now we’re seeing some ratfucking once again, only this time, it’s coming from Republicans, who are trying to meddle in the Democratic primary for president. During Sunday night’s Democratic debate, the Republican National Committee issued several blast emails to reporters defending Bernie Sanders against Hillary Clinton. As Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur put it, “one could be forgiven for thinking the RNC communiques came from the Sanders campaign.” They certainly looked that way:


One RNC e-mail, which was titled “Clinton’s Misleading Health Care Attack,” defended the Vermont senator from what it described as “the Clinton campaign’s inaccurate remarks on Sanders’ single-payer plan,” and quoted news articles that featured rebuttals of her arguments. A second message countered Clinton’s attacks on Sanders over gun control by pointing out her gun-friendly statements in the past. Two other e-mails sought to bolster Sanders’ case that Clinton is too close to Wall Street and the drug industry.

But Republicans are doing much more than just sending out debate-night emails that happen to be friendly to Sanders’ cause. American Crossroads, the GOP dark money group founded by Karl Rove, is running ads in Iowa depicting Clinton as a tool of Wall Street.



..............SNIP"

[SunSeeker]

1. K & R

[randys1]

2. There is no question this is happening. I did a thread here about it, but I was told by

almost every single Bernie supporter (other than myself, as I am one) that Rove was either dumb, or incapable etc.

Hey, I hate Karl Rove, he is a pig, but he aint dumb and he knows what he is doing.

Now he may be wrong about this, too, but what is it he has in store for Bernie that makes him so confident?

[Maedhros]

3. So the fuck what? [n/t]

[ejbr]

4. I'll take

any help we can get to have Bernie elected president. I mean Clinton does have hundred of endorsements from celebrities, Super Pacs, name recognition, and so on...Of course, we shouldn't ask for their help, but what can we do, right? And when the Repig faces Bernie in the General (should it come to that), they will get a very unpleasant surprise.

[Perogie]

5. Maybe they just hate HRC so much they'd rather deal with a Socialist

It's just another attack on Clinton, they will use anything they can.

[Old Codger]

6. Good

She is a tool of wall street and the insurance conglomerates so they are the truth about some of it anyway in this case at least...

[Skwmom]

7. When Bloomberg reported email sources & the Rove ad would it help Clinton's electability argument?

Answer: Yes. So it was intended to help Clinton.

Stop with the lies - you might feel better about yourself.

[Quixote1818]

8. We heard the same stuff about Obama last time around. Who will vote for a black guy with a

Muslim name that sounds like Osama? Evidently enough people to give Obama a decisive win.

[Gothmog]

9. Clinton Camp: GOP Attacks On Hillary Show They'd Rather Face Bernie In Fall

Why is Karl Rove running an ad making this same claim? http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-karl-rove-attack

The Hillary Clinton campaign on Tuesday said that recent attacks from conservatives show that Republicans are hoping Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will win the Democratic nomination because they believe he would be easier to beat in the general election.

In a Tuesday evening statement, the Clinton campaign's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, mentioned an ad from the Rove-aligned super PAC American Crossroads, which accused Clinton of being in Wall Street's pocket. Palmieri said the ad suggests that Republicans want to face Sanders in the general election.

"While Senator Sanders tries to make a case on electability based on meaningless polls, Republicans and their super PACs have made clear the candidate they’re actually afraid to face. The Sanders argument falls apart when the GOP spokesman is trying to help him and the Republicans run ads trying to stop Hillary Clinton in the primary," she said in the statement.

Clearly Karl Rove wants the weaker candidate to be the nominee

[Gothmog]

10. The media is noticing that the GOP and Rove are supporting Sanders

[hifiguy]

11. Which is why Bernie is doing better than HRH in polls against tRump and Cruz.

This makes no sense.

[Gothmog]

12. Anti-Sanders attack ad isn’t quite what it seems to be

Another republican is running an ad designed to help Sanders in the primary process. This ad uses the same trick that Claire McCaskill used in 2012 to select Todd Akin as her opponent because Akin would be the weakest possible general election candidate http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/anti-sanders-attack-ad-isnt-quite-what-it-seems-be

Republicans have made no secret of the fact that they’d prefer to run against Bernie Sanders in the general election. Whether or not their assumptions are correct is a separate question, but GOP officials, convinced that the senator would be easy to defeat, have gone out of their way to help Sanders in the Democratic race.....

At first blush, the move may seem encouraging to Sanders supporters. After all, if Republicans have gone from defending Sanders to attacking him, maybe it means GOP insiders are getting scared of the Vermont independent?

It’s a nice idea, but that’s not what’s going on here. In fact, far from an attack ad, this commercial, backed by a prominent Republican mega-donor, is the latest evidence of the GOP trying to help Sanders, not hurt him.

Indeed, in this case, it’s hardly even subtle. This commercial touts Sanders’ support for tuition-free college, single-payer health care, and higher taxes on the “super-rich.” It concludes that the senator is “too liberal,” which isn’t much of an insult in an ad directed towards liberal voters in Iowa.

In other words, we’re talking about a Republican mega-donor investing in a faux attack ad to help Sanders win because he sees Sanders as easy to beat in November.

It’s the mirror image of the tactic Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) used in the 2012 U.S. Senate race in Missouri, when she invested in ads intended to boost then-Rep. Todd Akin (R) in his primary race, with commercials touting his far-right positions and calling him “too conservative.” The point was to make Akin look better in the eyes of Missouri Republicans so he’d win the primary, making it easier for the incumbent Democrat to defeat him on Election Day.

This ad is just another example of the GOP trying to help Sanders become the nominee because the GOP knows that Sanders is the weaker candidate.

[NurseJackie]

13. Of course they are! They're afraid of Hillary and they know Bernie will be easy to defeat.

[libdem4life]

14. Oh my, are we at the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" status now? Sounds like the ME.

And look who's buying it...see multiple examples upthread.

It's Oligarchy vs. Reform ... simple as that, really.

Being told what to think vs. thinking for oneself.

Corporatists vs. Individualists

Big Money vs. Little Money

[baldguy]

16. Berniestas seem to get most of their talking points from their friends on the Right.

Not much independent thinking there.

[libdem4life]

19. Oligarch is the only "Bernie word" The rest is common sense. It's called No Middle Class

Now if that's a Republican Talking Point...duh. I've never heard anyone, yeah anyone on the right so much as touch those contrasts with a stick. Please, enlighten me about the RTPs. I'm fresh out of ideas or clues, for that matter.

You have a problem with the 1%-99%? The RTP is "I've got mine, sucks to be you." Any other thoughts...and I stress...thoughts?

[AgingAmerican]

15. Its a conspiracy!

[Matariki]

17. That's fine

Let them think he's an easy to defeat opponent. They'll be in for a big surprise.

[Motown_Johnny]

18. These people also thought JEB was inevitable

They are always wrong. If they want Bernie I say we do it.

[Le Taz Hot]

20. Ooh!

Then we better support Shillary then!

<flush>

[libdem4life]

21. Hey, I'm not proud. A vote is a vote. They're desperate, that's what I think.

You never hear a winning team wanting to match up their opponent with someone. Ergo, they are not winning in their own little minds. Works for me. Heck, many of their people are dumb enough to do it. If it's a close race, could put Bernie over the top. LOL

[DesertRat]

22. k&r

[restorefreedom]

23. just because claire mccaskill has no ethics,

doesn't mean we have to pay any attention to the same gop tactics or talking points. they are trying to screw with us. people can get information for themselves and decide who to vote for.

they think they can pick their opponent since they have no message themselves. if they pick bernie, they will regret it in their embarassing loss.

but in any event, the gop needs to be ignored..and anyone who chooses to be educated by gop talking points would never vote for any dem anyway.