2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumSanders staffers make a mistake, so everybody is mad at Clinton?
From what I gather, the vendor NGP-VAN accidentally allowed all the campaigns to access each other's private data. According to this article in the NYT, this is critical data-- stuff the campaigns spend a lot of time and money gathering.
Sanders vs. Party: Why Voter Data Can Be So Important
When they realize this, they conduct an audit, and find that Sanders campaign staff have accessed Clinton's data. After initial reports that it was only one low-level staffer, it's revealed that it was actually four user accounts, including the campaign's national data director, issuing 25 queries in a short span. The since-fired data director claims he was only trying to understand the scope of the vulnerability. However, an audit of the queries shows that they looked for exactly the kinds of things you would want if you were hoping to get strategically useful information-- those voters most and least committed to Clinton in the early voting states.
Sanders Campaign Audit Sheet
I think any reasonable person would think here that at the least, some Sanders staffers saw a temptation and couldn't resist, and did things they weren't supposed to. Obviously the Sanders campaign thinks so too, because they fired one person.
Now, I admire Sanders a lot, and I'm willing to bet he had no idea that any of this happened. Campaigns are big organizations, and you can't be personally responsible for every person in them. (I also would bet that very few people would give Clinton any benefit of the doubt whatsoever in the reverse case.)
And yet the sharpest vitriol and outrage and anger I see online is directed at Clinton? I saw some comments on reddit about how this is the last straw, and they won't vote for her in the general because of this. I don't even know how she's related to this.
Human101948
(3,457 posts)Smells like somebody farted. This is a classic case of misdirection.
MeNMyVolt
(1,095 posts)Cut the cheese?
For crying out FN LOUD.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)I don't think he knew what was going on, but someone on his staff did, and these busy got caught. The did something wrong, they got fired, and now it's become Clintons fault. I agree how the hell anyone can com up with that conclusion is beyond me. I think Bernie has some people advising him that need to go. He should have gotten on top of this and held a press conference with an apology and a promise to help in any way in the investigation. This is not his fault, but the way his supporters and staff are trying to paint this as being some kind of Clinton conspiracy while come back to haunt him if he lets this continue. He can put a stop to it if he wants to.
LexVegas
(6,121 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Chitown Kev
(2,197 posts)"The scope of the vulnerablility" was none of the data director's business.
AT THAT POINT, he need to a) tell his superiors and b) the DNC needed to be informed.
Instead he chose to play "Scooby-Doo" and investigate.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)is not a valid defense.
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)"I wrecked you car to prove it could be wrecked."
"I killed the passenger to prove he could be killed."
"Now thank me properly or I'm callin' the cops."
99Forever
(14,524 posts)The classic eternal victim game. Oh po' po' Hillary.
Geebus, what a pile of hooey.
Empowerer
(3,900 posts)The campaign got caught doing something wrong, yet Sanders and many of his supporters insist that this is all Clinton's fault.
Yet, I have a sneaking suspicion that had the Clinton campaign was caught doing what the Sanders campaign did, Sanders' supporters would be screaming for Clinton's head and would reject any excuse, defense or explanation from her as further proof of her innate evil and corruption.
Bizarre.
Response to Empowerer (Reply #14)
99Forever This message was self-deleted by its author.
baldguy
(36,649 posts)The idea that the DNC cutting off access to people who have proven their untrustworthiness is some kind of "theft" is Republican-level ludicrousness.
Persondem
(1,936 posts)NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)it-it, the, fl- flames flames...
Empowerer
(3,900 posts)But many of his supporters seem to think it's a cult . . .
I can't remember when I've seen anything like this.
BlueCheese
(2,522 posts)Now the ads I'm seeing on DU are from his campaign, asking me to tell the DNC to level the playing field. Clicking the link leads to a direct reference to the data breach.
They got caught red-handed doing something wrong and unethical. I'm very confident that Bernie himself had nothing to do with this. But this scorched earth response is really weird. How can suing your own adoptive party and organizing petitions against them be a good thing?