Sanders and Kennedy at Liberty University, 32 Years Apart

[merrily]

Sanders and Kennedy at Liberty, 32 Years Apart

When Bernie Sanders stepped to the podium on Monday at Liberty University, he was not the most famous liberal to speak at the well-known bastion of Christian conservatism.

That title still belongs to the late Ted Kennedy, who delivered an address there on religious tolerance 32 years ago at the invitation of the Reverend Jerry Falwell, the founder of both Liberty Baptist College (as it was then known) and the nation’s ascendant “moral majority.” Kennedy’s appearance in Lynchburg was even more surprising at the time; while he was the bête noire of conservatives during the Reagan era, he was three years removed from his presidential run and had already decided not to seek the White House in 1984.

Despite their reputations as Democratic partisans, both politicians were received warmly by the student crowd. Kennedy broke the ice by opening with a series of jokes about the unlikely invitation from Falwell. (He invited Falwell to deliver the invocation at the inauguration “of the next Democratic president” in 1985, and he quipped that in exchange for Falwell allowing the Liberty students “an extra hour before curfew on Saturday night,” he had agreed to watch the reverend’s “gospel hour” on Sunday morning.)

Much, much more at http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/bernie-sanders-ted-kennedy-liberty-university/40



I simply don't understand saying that speaking to those who are not our normal constituencies is a bad thing. At least one student persuaded by Sanders' speech and that student went on to post positively about Bernie and Democratic values on reddit. I believe he also posted at DU. I guess Ted Kennedy may not have understood it, either.

[TM99]

1. There is no logic to the smears and distortions.

They are emotionally based and rank with hypocrisy and rife with irony.

Never mind that Clinton 'legitimized' the Family or Kissinger because that is, of course, naturally different.

[merrily]

3. Thanks. I could not agree more.

[HerbChestnut]

2. There's nothing wrong with speaking at Liberty U.

Just some people want to paint Bernie in a negative light no matter what he does. It's sad and cynical.

[merrily]

5. I see nothing wrong with spreading the good word anywhere.

I see a lot wrong with attempts to silence people and/or to shame them for spreading the good word.

[Politicalboi]

4. This is why Bernie is our best bet

He can maybe get through to these students where Hillary can't.

[merrily]

7. I understand that many Republicans just hate every Democratic politician. However, I think quite a

few "rank and file" Republicans are especially hardened toward Hillary.

[Autumn]

6. Bernie did a superb job speaking at Liberty University.

It's hilarious that it was dug up today and attempted to turn it into a negative.

[merrily]

8. Agree. One wonders what the point is. It's not as though one can turn back the clock.

It's amusing. Sometimes Sanders is berated (wrongly) because he supposedly will not be able to work with Republicans. And sometimes he is berated because he can work with them (and has) and even because some Republicans have indicated they might vote for him.

[rhett o rick]

9. And we should of course point out that the 1%'ers that are Republicon have made it

clear that they support HRC. Many rank and file moderate Republicans have shown interest in Sen Sanders message.

[merrily]

10. About 25% of Vermont's registered Republicans have been voting for Bernie.

[MaggieD]

11. Liberty wasn't vile back then

Sorry, no sale.

[merrily]

14. You pulled that straight out of your ear.

[seabeyond]

12. Kennedy was mocking them. Sanders was sincerely asking them to put aside SJ issues, asking for vote.

[merrily]

13. I disagree that Kennedy was mocking them. He always joked, yes, but he was not the kind of person

to go to a venue to speak to mock an audience. If you think otherwise, you have no earthly clue who Kennedy was as a human being.

Also, in my opinion, absolutely nothing is wrong with any politician plainly and sincerely asking people for their votes.

See also, Reply 1 and consider Hillary's relationship with The Family. Once again, people are twisting and spinning, only to prove Sanders is better than Hillary. http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=74854 Hillary's supporters should probably consider doing that a lot less often.

[beam me up scottie]

15. And what's wrong with trying to reach young people?

Do you realize how many ex-fundies post here?

They were brought up in that kind of environment and realized at a young age that they weren't like their parents. If they can go on to become liberal Democrats so can some of those kids.

And ZOMG what if they actually vote for a Dem next year?

That would be just AWFUL wouldn't it?



It's not like Bernie was a member of the Family or pandered to Rick Warren or anything.

And who was it that tried to find "common ground" with anti-abortion groups again?

Hint: she also supported a ban on late term abortions

Reaching across the aisle for votes is not evil because Bernie is doing it, criticizing him for doing so is either naive or dishonest.