I like what Thom Hartman said on Lawrence O'Donnell's show

[redstateblues]

He said "I think Hillary's great, I just like Bernie better"- no animus, no trashing Hillary, no need to belittle any supporters for other candidates. He is committed to keeping a Democrat in the White House. It would be nice if that attitude prevailed on DU.

[99th_Monkey]

1. Thom has class, and so does Bernie.

I need to catch up on the Brunch With Bernie shows.

[elleng]

2. I didn't.

He didn't mention Martin O'Malley, which a serious discussion of this matter requires. Failing that DID belittle supporters of 'other' candidates.

[Raine1967]

3. Thom has been trying very hard to say that any candidate can come on his show…

I just feel like he is in the tank for Bernie.

And that is fine, but I know that he has a serious bias. I will just say it, Berne Sanders has a radio and television show host dedicated to promoting via Thom Hartmann.

Having said that, Bernie is in a bubble every friday with Brunch with Bernie. It's been a regular thing for many years, and I appreciate it.

No one is calling in to challenge Sanders.

Maybe that should happen.

[JDPriestly]

11. People call in and challenge Bernie all the time.

You just don't notice it because Bernie treats a challenge like a welcome greeting. Bernie is just excitable about injustice but not angry at people. It's a nice combination in a great personality.

[YOHABLO]

15. Perhaps his decision to run as a Dem was to not divide the Dem Party. That would be disastrous.

I tell you what, I will be voting for Hillary and so will Bernie if he does not get the nomination. We can not let another Bush in the White House. I won't go into the other 13 or so crazies we'd have to deal with. I think Sanders made the right decision. We really should not let Hillary nor Bernie over shadow O'Malley or Chafee. There's plenty of time to open our ears.

[Cleita]

16. I don't think you listen to Brunch with Bernie that much or you wouldn't say he changed his mind

about anything. He has been delivering the same populist, socialistic message for as long as I have been listening and that is over ten years. I have been listening so long that I sometimes even get bored because I know what he is going to say. He's that consistent and truthful. But beyond his message he has the facts, figures and sources to back up what he says. They always check out too. I doubt if Chris Hedges listens to him much either.

[Cleita]

25. You are entitled to your own opinion. You and Chris Hedges are not entitled to your own facts.

You seem to know nothing about Bernie except what you read over at Chris Hedges who is known to tailor his facts to suit his opinion. Suggestion. Why don't you mosey over to Bernie's websites. There are about three of them. Read what he has to say and then see if Chris is right. He's not. Oh and Bernie has said, he's in it to win, but you would know that if you followed Bernie. I think your criticism is more suitable for Trump and the rest of the Repub clown car.

[Scuba]

41. Really? You're suggesting there's no change in the media since '89 except "for the worse"?

Please think of all the new media that has exploded onto the scene since 1989. Yes, the old "mainstream media" is worse, but many (most?) Americans now avail themselves of the new media.

[AgingAmerican]

30. Wow, you haven't been listening long have you?

nt

[sabrina 1]

23. Bernie is challenged all the time. The problem for those who do so is he never backs away

from a question. He holds these town hall meetings, he's always been accessible to the people, and his question and answer periods are almost as long as his speech. He seems to LOVE the questions and has no problem answering them.

No prepared questions, just people who are trying to figure out who to vote for, and he allows them the time to ask him where he stands on issues.

Not sure where you got the idea that no one challenges on that show.

And kudos to him for doing it for so long. Others could have, but I guess the pay isn't great. Bernie loves talking to the people, even the ones who challenge him.

The reason why it's so easy for him to answer questions, is because he is right on the issues and is passionate about them as he has been for his entire political career, and even before that.

[patricia92243]

42. Is Brunch with Bernie a radio show or do people literally have brunch with him? If it is a radio

show, do you know where it is broadcast? I would love to hear it.

[Cleita]

43. He is interviewed most Fridays on The Thom Hartmann show's first hour, a radio show.

It airs on Free Speech TV. If your cable company or satellite doesn't carry it, you can stream in online.

https://www.freespeech.org/

[House of Roberts]

4. The questions Thom responded to were about

whether Elizabeth Warren should endorse Bernie or Hillary. He wasn't asked a question that pertained to O'malley.

[elleng]

6. then he should have RAISED it.

Blindly accepting an assumption that there are only 2 candidates is not doing his job.

[Cleita]

19. On somebody else's show. Sure.

I'm sure Lawrence would have loved that.

[bobbobbins01]

40. I don't think its his job to mention every candidate every time he is asked a question.

Maybe he didn't think O'Malley had a chance of getting the her endorsement so he didn't feel the need to bring it up. If someone asked me who was going to go to the superbowl this year, leaving a few teams out of my answer doesn't do those teams a disservice, it just means they weren't pertinent to the question because I didn't think they'd win.

[Raine1967]

5. When Thom starts having brunches with other candidates, I will take it seriously.

Also, I Want people to remember that Thom did vote for Nader. HE has said that many times on his show.

[valerief]

7. Bernie's been having brunch with Thom for about ten years.

[Raine1967]

9. I know. I have listened for a good portion of those years. It's good. It's great.

Bernie is now a candidate. That changes things.

As I said in this thread, Bernie has had a very safe platform via Hartmann. It's been safe for Forever, thing is, he is now running for president.

[House of Roberts]

8. He makes the offer of equal time to any candidate,

and has done so ever since Bernie declared.

Thom also voted for Nader in a state Bush had no chance to win, and he says that he wouldn't if there was any chance the Dem could lose.

[Raine1967]

10. I kinda said that here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=418940

My point is that Thom has been a bernie guy since forever. It's pretty cleat that he is not going to promote anyone else.

Key word: promote.

[Cleita]

18. He is for Bernie. He is allowed that. But he will let other candidates even Republicans on his show

if they want to. He has stated that repeatedly, but if you ever listened to his show, you would know that.

[Cleita]

17. Since Bernie announced, Thom has offered repeatedly for other candidates to come on his show and he

will give them equal time. To date none have accepted. Also, before you spread the Nader shit. Thom said he voted for Nader because in the state he was voting in, it was not a spoiler vote. The votes would overwhelmingly go for Gore. He did it so the Green Party could get cred as a legitimate party. But if you listened to his show regularly you would know that instead of making incorrect statements.

[chknltl]

21. Don't forget to add that there was a nominee lock when he did so.

I forget which state he says he voted in when he voted for Nader but he knew beforehand that the state was well locked on the Democratic nominee. He further stated that had there been any doubts he would have voted for the Dem which is exactly what his wife did. Please don't forget to remind folks about that or they might misinterpret that you think Thom's vote for Nader in any way hurt the Dem in that election.

Thom Hartmann is quite savvy on the topic of voting and voting with third party nominees in our 'flawed' system. Here he explains some of those flaws, how and why they were created and even goes after Nader for misrepresenting the third party in America issue:

http://www.thomhartmann.com/articles/2004/08/ralph-nader-let-voter-beware

[sabrina 1]

24. They are free to go on his show. Why won't they? You're blaming him because politicians don't

want to waste their time talking about issues on a radio show? How is that his fault?

I'll take other politicians seriously when they GO on his show.

[Cleita]

26. Me too.

[AgingAmerican]

31. Then don't take it seriously

Do you actually believe Hillary would go on a show and answer questions? Especially from the public?

[proud patriot]

13. that's exactly how I feel

[sadoldgirl]

14. Thom is the host of his show, and like

all hosts will show his preferences. I think that his belief in
Bernie as a second FDR is quite a bit over the top.

On the other hand if the O'Malley supporters would call
in to ask him to give their candidate a voice, I believe
that he would agree. However, Bernie has given up his
time to spend one hour a week to answer the questions
of listeners for years (without the idea of a POTUS election), and these will know and remember Bernie's
efforts to answer. That creates a loyalty, you may not expect
to shift easily to another candidate.
edit: Perhaps what I meant to say is that O'Malley did not try
to get onto the show until he decided to run. In that sense
he is a "Johnny come lately", no matter whether the situation
has changed.

[sabrina 1]

28. He has invited them. They can always to on the show. Bernie likes to be in touch with

the people, other candidates not so much. Bernie has no fear of questions, because he has convictions, strongly held for decades and he has been right on so many of them, see Marriage Equality, eg, when everyone else was against it, except for a few, he was for it. And he was right. So he has no fear of the people.

Politicians for the most part don't like going on shows unless they are scripted like the Corporate Media where no uncomfortable questions will be asked.

I doubt anyone will take Thom up on his offer, though it really is a lost opportunity for them.

[AgingAmerican]

32. Of course he would

But I bet Hillary would just happen to have a 'previous engagement' or something. There is no way she would ever take questions from the general public. No freaking way.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. I know,...all of those Bernie supporters telling everyone to wake up and face reality....

Then accusing others of being disloyal and saying only Bernie can win against a Republican.

<BFEG>

[Cleita]

27. That doesn't even make sense and I don't know anybody who says that. eom

[Spitfire of ATJ]

35. See post #34

[sabrina 1]

29. I thought it was the other way around. We've been told for nearly two years now that no one

but Hillary has a chance, that no one else was 'viable' or 'electable' etc. She was the presumed winner. When Bernie first announced, he was dismissed by Hillary supporters, we were told he would be forgotten in a week.

Hey, I expect that, it's politics so I don't whine about it, especially since people are going to do it. Not all supporters of candidates do, though they ALL get the blame when a few do it.

I would much rather hear about issues, where do they stand, not how people feel about who is saying what about their candidate. That is thoroughly boring frankly.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

36. No kidding. It's like a broken record from 08.

[AgingAmerican]

33. YOu are projecting

That is what Hillary supporters have been saying for months.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

34. Look up BFEG.

Or...

[NBachers]

37. I pretty much feel the same, and avoid any thread about either Hillary or Bernie

"I just haven't the need for the pain"