2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders GETS The Fight He Wanted
"..Sanders intends to bring up such criticisms on Saturday, aides explained, seeking to paint them as just another example of Democratic grandees backing the former secretary of state similar to campaign manager Jeff Weavers Friday claim that he saw a pattern of actions suggesting the committee has been working to support Clinton. Or, in the words of one angry Sanders staffer on Friday afternoon: This notion that Wasserman Schultz and the DNC are arbitrarily going to shut down the Sanders campaign, well, its just not going to sit well with members of the Democratic Party..."
Bernie Sanders has turned months of private grumbling into public accusations that the party establishment is doing everything in its power to elect Hillary Clinton president. Hes not the first to level that charge. In fact, hes late to that party. But by twisting his breach of Clintons voter files into an indictment of the Democratic Party for temporarily cutting him off from his own data, the underdog has the fight his team has been eager to wage.
Indeed, his campaign says as much.
Sanders will carry that embattled outsider message onto the stage tonight, and argue, as Clintons even lower-polling challengers have for months, that the Democratic National Committee and its chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, have been in the tank for the Democratic front-runner all along. Martin OMalley, for one, has accused the DNC of planning too few debates, and scheduling them on weekends, so that Clintons opponents wouldnt get the national viewership theyd need to rise in the polls. And Jim Webb, who dropped out of the race after the first debate, citing a break from the party, tweeted as Sanders fought over the voter data on Friday: Good for Bernie. The DNC is nothing more than an arm for the Clinton campaign."
According to people familiar with his plans, Sanders' central theme tonight will be about his disagreement with the Democratic infrastructure neatly crystalized on Friday by the DNCs decision to block Sanders from critical voter data, threatening to cripple his campaign, before it was resolved around midnight. Its a point Sanders camp sees as especially potent among his supporters, who rally around the idea of a populist political revolution. It also comes at a useful moment. Sanders has appeared to plateau in recent weeks, failing to gain ground on Clinton in Iowa or national polling while maintaining a slim lead in New Hampshire. By homing in on Wasserman Schultz, a party leader whose tense relationship with the White House has already claimed headlines and who is perceived as closer with Clinton than any other candidate, his team thinks it can rekindle the spark.
Its a strategy that hinges on the public perception of Clintons and Wasserman Schultzs personal relationship, which in reality is not particularly warm. However, it is closer than the one between Wasserman Schultz and Sanders, an independent senator who caucuses with Democrats. Even as the DNC reversed course early Saturday, a decision Sanders characterized as a capitulation, his aides saw the 24-hour drama as an effective tool to motivate left-leaning Democrats. The campaign blasted a fundraising email to current supporters, pegging the ask to the DNCs freeze on Sanders access to his own data. And his aides touted support for Sanders in the fight with the DNC from two organizations who share his core supporters progressive ideology Democracy For America and MoveOn.org. Howard Deans 2004 campaign manager, Joe Trippi, says its an obvious play to make.
cont'
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/sanders-gets-the-fight-he-wanted-216965
DURHAM D
(32,619 posts)earthside
(6,960 posts)Americans love an underdog, especially one that is fighting for their interests against the established, big-monied corporate powers ... you know, like Hillary Clinton and DWS.
Obama has been fine, but Democrats, liberals, progressives who are working folks know we absolutely have to have some change in this country -- we want someone who will take it to the millionaires and billionaires (you know, like Hillary Clinton) and battle against the extreme income inequality in this nation.
DURHAM D
(32,619 posts)You really think that is a winner?
JRLeft
(7,010 posts)brooklynite
(95,082 posts)JRLeft
(7,010 posts)Whether Hillary or Trump wins it won't impact me. I will do better financially with a Republican, and better with Hillary than Bernie, but I care about the less fortunate.
brooklynite
(95,082 posts)JRLeft
(7,010 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,600 posts)Thanks for the thread, Segami.
Thanks Segami!
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Segami
(14,923 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)My guess is that this "strategy" to attack DWS will work as well as when the RW claimed Obama had a troubling relationship with Jeramia Wright, and Bill Ayers.
Segami
(14,923 posts)The dynamics, time and mindset are different.
Segami
(14,923 posts)azmom
(5,208 posts)OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)Nothing says "progressive" better than intellectual theft.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)That's exactly the dumb shit a flailing campaign has to say to keep their fans in line. Don't fall for it.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)Segami
(14,923 posts)You're just embarrassing yourself anymore. Take a break and come back.
randome
(34,845 posts)Learn something new every day.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]
Andy823
(11,495 posts)Taking on the DNC and trying to pass the blame for what his staffers did on them, or Hillary is really a terrible idea. I think this Jeff Weaver guy is giving him some really bad advice. Starting a war with the party after only being a member for a couple of months, also not a good idea.
LuvLoogie
(7,083 posts)Phoning it in to the choir for the last ten years ain't getting it done? The coattails of discontent not long enough?
Well most Hail Mary plays end in interceptions. Time to work the refs I guess.
okasha
(11,573 posts)the very people whose support his campaign needs. This absolutely will not end well for Sanders.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)that works around their bullshit. You are missing the entire point here. When the nom is his, they have to play ball. Until then, we are the ones, the individuals out there that are making them backpedal that matter.
Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)With friends like the DNC, who needs enemies?
Absolutely sickening what DWS and DNC (and HRC) did to Sanders. Thuggish and brutal are much too kind of words for how they acted.
Ino
(3,366 posts)Andy823
(11,495 posts)This Jeff Weaver seems to be the one doing all the talking instead of Bernie. Weaver is the one trying to downplay what the staffers did, and is probably behind the whole "Hillary is to blame" meme going on. Bernie should think twice before taking this advice, because if the investigation shows there was more to this breach that has already come out, Bernie is in trouble. This was not some low level staffer Weaver claimed, and there were 3 others involved. It could get worse. Trying to turn the debate into an attack on the DNC instead of addressing the question from the debate moderators is not a good idea.
If he was smart he would apologize right off for what happened, make it clear anyone involved will be fired, and say that he will help in any way he can to get the facts out. If he tries to make him and his staffers out as the "innocent" party and Clinton as the aggressor it won't work. I might work with the die hard loyalist supporters here on DU, but in the real world it will fail.
polichick
(37,152 posts)peacebird
(14,195 posts)dogman
(6,073 posts)Only if it is brought up by another.Then he might say that he would rather discuss issues. It seems any thing else would be uncharacteristic.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)And is now fighting against things. The last two week or so has completely transformed his campaign. Last ditch effort.
artislife
(9,497 posts)Duval
(4,280 posts)when they were first introduced.
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)My heart and should are going to be with Bernie tonight! And I think Martin O'Malley may have a few thoughts too.
Guess it's "we're betting the whole wad" time and I can only add a few chips of my own!"