Chuck Toad admits "The Bernie Sanders phenomenon is very real."

[Fawke Em]

[libdem4life]

1. Very good...Chuck was respectful and Bernie was Bernie.

[Dustlawyer]

18. He was much better than normal, but did point out that Bernie himself was not apologizing to BLM.

Kind of glad he went back to it though because it gave Bernie a chance to explain where he was coming from better.
I still think he will try to jab Bernie throughout the campaign.

[JDPriestly]

25. Bernie liks the jabbing I think. It provides him with the opportunity to really put his good ideas

out there and show what an effective fighter he is.

I read a Mother Jones article on Bernie. Apparently when he was younger he tended to stay up all night arguing politics with this buddy or that. No doubt, those arguments prepared him to take on just about any politician, pundit or news commentator and hold his own.

I like to argue and was raised on it, so I love that about Bernie.

[Enthusiast]

33. Bernie flat out kicks ass!

[JDPriestly]

34. Sure does!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

50. Yes!

[Volaris]

69. The fact of the predicate requires the truth of the subject...

Chuck knows full well by now what kind of ass kicking will be delivered down upon him should he ever try to fuck around with ambushing someone of Sen Sanders political acumen.

[libdem4life]

70. Very true. And yesterday's takedown of the NYT reporter...yep, I think he

revels in their confusion. What to do?

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

2. Huh

I wonder who paid him, how much and why, to arrive at that conclusion.

[Fawke Em]

4. I think the media was genuinely stunned.

Many, many, many other reporters from a variety of media outlets have said that they couldn't believe the crowd.

[Ed Suspicious]

5. This just blows my mind; that the media, those whose job it is to understand the political landscape

with their finger on the pulse of the people, fail to notice Bernie's momentum until it's bashing them in the face, then they still don't quite see it clearly. I can only shake my head.

[Hydra]

8. They aren't paid to report reality to us anymore

Their job is to spoonfeed us the policies of the day and then keep us riled up about other things to keep our interest.

John Stewart was a far better Journalist than almost everyone the MSM gave us.

[SandersDem]

57. The job of all media

is to sell soap. This includes the news.

[Fawke Em]

35. Now THAT is what they're paid to do.

Not notice REAL grassroots momentum until it can no longer be ignored.

Remember how they covered the Tea Party? Ten guys in three-cornered hats and 20 Port-o-Potties and it was a news stories, but 28,000 people coming to hear a real populist message isn't worth the time when Trump's in the race.

They wanted, desperately, to stamp out Bernie's populism, but they can't, so now they pretend to notice.

[LiberalArkie]

23. Reporters like to get their information from the usual sources. They are golf buddies etc.

Their buddies have told them that the nation is very conservative and has said that since Reagan was elected. They get their information from each other. The echo inside the beltway bubble has to be intense. They started believing that the nation is moderately conservative pro business even more so during the Clinton era. Even the Clintons believe it. Once they learn that the nation really is more liberal than they think, heads are going to explode.

[Enthusiast]

36. It's amazing, what has taken place.

The Bernie nay sayers started out saying, "Bernie is too far to the left!

They had to abandon that nonsense in a hurry.

They thought they could just call him a socialist or a leftist and he would be eliminated from contention.

I think their heads are already exploding.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

58. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now or then...or a toad catches a fly in Chuck's case.

[imthevicar]

61. My Dad Used to say,

Even a broken clock's right twice a day!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

74. Yeah, but Chuck Todd's never been right twice in his life, let alone twice a day. hahaha

[hedda_foil]

49. Chuckie doesn't get out of Washington much, but apparently he's just spent a couple of days in Iowa

I think he may actually have been at least a bit impressed by seeing Bernie and the crowds in person. Who knows if it will last, but he was amazingly fair in this interview.

Of course, next time around, he may just ask about what Bernie wants to do with big media. Remember what happened after Tweety asked Howard Dean that question.

[appalachiablue]

65. If Dean told the truth T.'s head would have exploded, he's so territorial about his job/turf.

[ljm2002]

3. "The gambit of issues"...

...sounds like a brief description of Bernie's campaign strategy.

Of course Chuck Todd meant to say "the gamut of issues". Maybe he just had a momentary lapse. At least he said he looks forward to conducting an interview on the issues, and I think that is a good thing.

[yodermon]

62. No, he's just a moron. :)

(chuck, that is).

[erronis]

6. What gets me about Bernie is that he can think intelligently and talk at the same time

While Bernie does have some key issues that he wants to address, over and over, he is also capable of moving beyond the "talking points" that are given the other candidates by their staff and handlers.

I'm in my 60's now. I just hope I can be as alive, alert, and caring as he is now.

[JDPriestly]

28. Bernie is a brilliant debater. That is why the Hillary crowd at the DNC only wants six

debates. It's not enough, and the Democratic Partyis going to regret it.

[L0oniX]

7. Toad ...in hot water ...and all that.

[PatrickforO]

21. At the end, both Chuck and the female pundit he had on used a very interesting choice

of words; they said 'they were afraid' the people were very angry. I think Chuck actually said, 'That's what I'm afraid of...'

[JDPriestly]

29. I don't get out a lot, but in the past couple of weeks, I have talked to maybe three or four

people of working age who are afraid of losing their jobs and scared about how they will survive.

The MSM is working in a bubble. They do not see the fear and anxiety out there.

It used to be that you got a job and were needed and appreciated and felt pretty certain you would still be able to have that job next year or at least next week.

But now, employers just criticize and are angry and demand more and more and good people lose their jobs. As one woman who had lost two jobs in the past few years told me, when that happens, you don't get another job.

The basic issue for white people is economic security.

The basic issue for black people is fearing for their lives in our horrible justice system.

Write a bad check and you risk going to jail.

Write a bad mortgage and you make lots of money and get a bonus. The more bad mortgages you write, the more money you make, the less likely you will go to jail.

And then Obama and his friends want to foist the TPP on us and it is likely to make our jobs and our lives even more insecure.

Work is survival. Work is life. Because without work you cannot pay the bills that allow you to exist and live.

No candidate is speaking to this basic anxiety about jobs and survival as clearly as Bernie.

[Enthusiast]

37. That post or similar should be an OP.

There is no economic security now and yet a Democratic President is pushing for a new trade deal. A trade deal, I might add, where they freely admit there will be job losses.

It is no surprise to me that the people are supporting Bernie. If the people were to find out about Bernie he will win in a landslide.

[RiverLover]

54. Great post. You nailed my current position.

I've worked the past 7 years for a large corporation that has laid off many many good employees to "maximize efficiencies" and are continually reminding those of left in subtle ways that we are replaceable. But in the meantime we have to hustle to show our commitment & loyalty to the corp, while they show us none.

"Work is survival".

yep.

[Faux pas]

9. Kicketty Kickin'

[Old Crow]

10. HELL YES!

It's so awesome to see Bernie's message getting out through Meet the Press. Maybe there is hope after all.

[valerief]

11. Bernie is a master at not being tripped up by talking heads' questions. nt

[Duppers]

12. +100

[Mnemosyne]

47. It's easy because he just simply tells the truth. nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

51. He is experienced and a natural

He's not like George Bush who needed to be wired up to someone who told him what to say.

[senz]

78. Yeah, GWBush spoke in 3 to 5 word phrases with huge pauses in between.

Many of us wondered if he were listening from the next phrase from a little hidden speaker on his body.
Just remembering that time makes me so thankful it's over. It's almost like a mild touch of ptsd, remembering that time. Obama may not be perfect, but he's a thousand times better than Bush.

And Bernie's brain is many, many times more complex, orderly, and logical than Bush's. Damn those Republicans for foisting that on us.

[rocktivity]

13. Nonsense, Chuck

It's no less real than Obama's phenomenon was!


rocktivity

[cantbeserious]

14. Great News - I Will No Longer Vote For The Lesser Of Two Corporate Evils - Go Bernie Go

eom

[question everything]

15. And yet, Bernie missed a question of comparing himself and Trump supporters

no, not Trump, but his supporters.

Instead, like most politicians, he just recited his stand about income inequality, lack of single payer health provider, etc.

The difference is that Trump supporters want a small government, or none at all, while Sanders, like all of us, Democrats, believe in the good that government can do.

(Of course, all of these teabaggers want their paychecks and help when they are in need..)

[valerief]

16. Yes, isn't he brilliant? Imagine not answering a STUPID question. Imagine

focusing SOLELY on the issues. Imagine a candidate worth voting for!

Go Bernie!!!

[musiclawyer]

26. Bernie is smarter than any MSM "journalist" /pundit

And they know it know. Bernie is like Colbert but real and deadly serious about the issues , hence no pundit will go on air with Bernie any longer and try to be most clever. It's futile. Yet the MSM can't ignore him any longer. With each day of exposure Bernie gets stronger.

The white liberal meme is already failing. Progressives come in all colors and the demographic of a Bernie's constituency is irrelevant .

Bernie's character is impeachable.

His record is deep and wide

He's incorruptible.

Soon the minority community will realize in critical mass that HRC is a friend of Wall Street and Wall Street is the enemy of minority America. At that point it's game over.

I'm honestly concerned with Bernie's safety. I think he should request Secret service protection now.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

63. I think you meant UNimpeachable, right?

[erronis]

40. +1 - Ask tyrumpus if he's stopped beating his wife

This type of question is practiced in grade school. Most real journalists don't need to devolve to their pre-adolescence, Chuckie.

[Old Crow]

17. Watching this again, I have to say...

... Bernie Sanders--regardless of whether he ever gets into the White House or not--is doing this entire nation a HUGE favor. He's an eloquent spokesman for progressive causes. He radiates sincerity, compassion, and intelligence. For many Americans, seeing him will be their first exposure to ideas that are to the left of the status quo, and I don't think we could have asked for a better representative.

Go, Bernie!

[pa28]

19. Bernie is thriving on the campaign and getting better with each appearance.

Hell must have frozen over because what I saw here was Chuck treating him respectfully, asking reasonable questions and allowing him space to talk about his message.

Bernie is looking and sounding like a winner.

[JDPriestly]

30. Yes!

[Enthusiast]

38. Can you imagine how much shit Chuck got for the disrespect last interview?

He made a lot of Bernie fans angry.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

64. The more condescending a reporter is, the sorer their asshole will become.

[PatrickforO]

20. I watched the whole show, and Toad had some female pundit on.

She said that this time around people are very angry, nearly out of control angry, so what's happening this August might be what happens in February and March.

Of course, they were talking about Trump, but should he be the front runner, Bernie will eat him alive in a debate.

[SoapBox]

22. Hey Toady...

Duh!

Looks like Iowa in particular has shocked the impotent MSM.

[JDPriestly]

24. K&R. Fair questions.

I would like to point out that Medicare includes policies with private insurance companies.

It would be good to have a public option for medical care, but Medicare for All does not necessarily preclude private insurance although it would probably necessitate or result in non-profit or less profitable insurance coverage and could lead to health insurance that was almost fully funded from income and other tax revenue.

I have lived in four countries that had single payer insurance. The organization was different in each country. Single payer can mean that you can choose to have a more expensive policy that covers more treatments (spas and private rooms in Europe for instance) or it can be pretty much one insurance covers pretty much everyone. So single payer or Medicare for all is a flexible concept butt it does mean that no one goes without health insurance. I note that Bernie limited the coverage to citizens this time. Don't know what he meant. Seems fair.

[oldandhappy]

27. wow An amazing observation. Giggle.

The media have been so snowed with Trump and so buried in their own pre-conceptions -- I'll let you finish this!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

31. Chuck really tried to get a "Bernie is against Obamacare" gotcha moment but failed.

[Enthusiast]

39. Yup.

[DrBulldog]

32. Wotta change in attitude by Chuck Todd!

Maybe it was the massive email and twitter barrage of criticism by many thousands of ordinary people to Todd after the last Sanders interview that had something to do with it. And did you notice the incredible invite offered to Sanders at the end? Wow!

[JEB]

41. Chuck Toad phenomenon is real as dog shit.

[DirkGently]

42. Interesting admission from an establishment figure. n/t

[RoccoR5955]

43. I managed to watch to the very end of the program.

and so far, Upchuck Toad was the ONLY one who ate the corn dog. I gotta get a still of that one!
He probably upchucked after he ate all that greasy food too!

[Uncle Joe]

44. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Fawke Em.

[leftofcool]

45. Chuckie must be back in DU's good graces.

[Fawke Em]

46. No.

I even put the "jaw-drop" smilie in my OP because it's so out of character.

I think we realize that occasionally someone in the media establishment gets it right, even if they just happened to trip over it.

[restorefreedom]

48. not in my book.

that this one time he treated bernie with respect and is actually acknowledging his popularity gets him one point.

but it is what people in the news are supposed to do.

and it doesn't make up for the thousands of points he has racked up distorting the truth, attacking dems and shilling for the gop.

[sabrina 1]

52. They are always late to what the PEOPLE are thinking and doing. However Chuck has given

Bernie a chance to speak to the people several times now, so he gets credit for that. I am actually surprised.

[billhicks76]

53. Fawke Em!!!!!

Best name ever!!!!

[Fawke Em]

67. Thanks!

[customerserviceguy]

55. I think he's trying to goad Hillary into an appearance on his show

He'd love to go one-on-one with her in a live interview.

[George II]

56. The Northern Lights are a phenomenon, too...the shine for a short period of time then fade away.

[Fawke Em]

68. Well, the Northern Lights keep returning, but

there are a lot of stars that simply implode.

[BeanMusical]

73. Lol!

[lonestarnot]

59. Since I can't stand to look at you chuckie toad, I'll take your word for it.

[ladjf]

60. I watched the interview and felt that Todd was fair and positive. nt

[appalachiablue]

66. K & R. Good post, thanks. Chuckie see The Light, finally?

[libdem4life]

71. I think he "felt the Bern".

[question everything]

72. He also asked him about not being a Democrat

for which Sanders gave the same response - also on these pages - that in Vermont he could not. Yet Patrick Leahy is a Democratic Senator from Vermont. Or does Vermont prohibit two senators from one party?

Another questions was that, since Sanders supports a single payer, whether he would repeal the ACA if elected president. Here, too, Sanders did not provide a direct reply, only that he would install Medicare for all.

[TheKentuckian]

75. Single payer does not in any practically substantive way build onto the current system

It would be obsolete by definition, yet is there much upside in stirring the "repeal Obummer care" muck? Probably not.

He gave as a good an answer as is needed but if pressed there is plenty more smoke to blow but the reality is ACA is as predicted mostly a few pay to play embellishments acting as the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine of making the insurance cartel a too big too fail and propping them up as the state sanctioned gatekeeper in perpetuity go down/the sandpaper for the roughest excesses of the cartel not really even acting as shell operating system on the existing order but more of an amendment.

The question is strictly designed to instigate a pie fight over "attacking the President's legacy" type nonsense and divide reformers where little division exists.

[arcane1]

76. The question is strictly designed to instigate a pie fight over "attacking the President's legacy"

Exactly! Too much pie flying around these days

[senz]

79. Exactly. Half of the questions are sheer headline-seeking manipulation.

Of course, all the Sanders administration would have to do is offer (w/congressional approval, of course) "medicare for all" as an option under the ACA. In a few short years, it would take over.

[NanceGreggs]

77. Yeah, there's a lot of that going around RW circles lately.

I wouldn't want to think that the GOP - known for their sincerity and honesty - are touting the candidacy of the "Dem" they think they can win against, as opposed to HRC - who they know they can't.

I'd watch for a LOT more of the "Bernie is the real deal" commentary coming from the RW media over the next few months.

I can't believe (actually, on DU these days, yes I can) that people here actually believe that the Republicans would be shoring-up the candidacy of the person they believe to be the most difficult to beat, as opposed to the candidate they believe easier to beat, i.e. HRC.

Instead of acknowledging the tried-and-true RW tactic of of encouraging the opposition to rally around the most vulnerable candidate in a general election, there are those here who would rather believe that the Republicans are in awe of BS's awesomeness, and want Dems to know that they've decided to extol the virtues of the "real deal".

Really, folks - how naive do you have to be to fall for this? Answer: Extremely naive. To the max.