It looks like Senator Bernie Sanders will not have the blow out win he was expecting on Super Tuesday. Instead Joe Biden may squeak away with winning the most delegates.
Instead of letting Senator Sanders get away with his persecution complex as to why he did not prevail on Super Tuesday (3/3/2020) when voters in 14 states cast their ballots for presidential nominees, consider the following analysis.
I concur with the former South Bend, Indiana Mayor, Pete Buttigieg’s words delivered recently in Las Vegas. As per 2/22/2020 AP report published by Boston Globe:
“Pete Buttigieg is delivering a blistering attack against rival Bernie Sanders, who he accuses of leading a divisive movement that has furthered “the toxic tone of our politics.”
“Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, has performed strongly in early contests, giving him an early lead. But Buttigieg said the Vermont senator has proven to be ideologically inflexible, fails to police aggressive supporters and has alienated moderate voters who don’t support the wholesale political “revolution” Sanders advocates for.”
“He urged voters to “take a sober look at the consequences” of making Sanders the party’s nominee. Buttigieg said Sanders has a “vision of capitalism as the root of all evil.” And he added that Sanders’ political vision would “reorder the economy in ways most Democrats — let alone most Americans — don’t support.”
“Buttigieg called for a broad Democratic coalition. But he said Sanders’ army of online supporters – often referred to as “Bernie Bros” – threaten, intimate and harass the very same people needed to beat President Donald Trump.”
Frankly, for me it’s not a contest of progressive ideas vs. a more moderate stance. I could easily have supported Senator Elizabeth Warren to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate but I can’t say the same about Senator Bernie Sanders. They are NOT similar in key points. I truly believe that Senator Warren would be a positive force for unifying Democrats and she does not have surrogates who demonize those who don’t agree with her, or who are competitors, like Senator Bernie does.
While Senator Warren has delivered a realistic budget regarding the cost for her proposed “Medicare for All” program, Senator Sanders has consistently dodged this question. She has shown a willingness to be flexible as to the roll out for a “Medicare for All plan,” Senator Sanders thinks otherwise. She has consistently voted in favor of sensible gun reform legislation, whereas Senator Sanders, hasn’t. She has never been an apologist for totalitarian, repressive leaders of other countries, whereas, Senator Sanders has a history of doing this.
Senator Sanders has been refusing to be transparent by making public his medical records regarding his recent heart attack. When things don’t go his way, he’s a cry baby just like President Trump.
Besides I can’t help but be wary of any Democratic Party candidate whom both Presidents Trump and Putin openly support.
One of the casualties of the “Bernie Bros” attacks is the end of MSNBC’s Hardball, a 7:00 PM ET standard since 1997. On the evening of 3/2/2020, Chris Matthews announced his retirement. This move came after he had been berated with complaints from Senator Saunders’ surrogates. While Chris Matthews needed to apologize for comparing these surrogates to Nazis, Mr. Matthews’ forced retirement goes beyond the pale.
There’s no way Senator Bernie Sanders will be a unifying agent for the myriad groups with divergent interests within the Democratic Party.
Senator Bernie Sanders’ has developed a history for brutally attacking those who don’t support him and/ or who are viable rivals, to where he appears to be just a cleaned up version of the GOP leader, President Donald Trump. Even his over-the top promises mimic those made by President Trump where he can’t possibly deliver the goods but he can continuously represent himself as the angry warrior fighting on behalf of hard working Americans.
Here’s reality. As per Wikipedia, “While a member of Congress, Sanders (for over 30 years) sponsored 15 concurrent resolutions and 15 Senate resolutions. Of those he co-sponsored, 218 became law. While he has consistently advocated for progressive causes, Politico wrote that he has “rarely forged actual legislation or left a significant imprint on it.”
Here is the rest of the story…
On March 2, 2020, of the New York Times updated his 2/24 report with the following article by Michael M. Grynbaum, “Chris Matthews Apologizes to Bernie Sanders for Remarks on Nevada Win”
“An on-air comparison to Nazis angered Sanders aides, who privately complained to executives at MSNBC.”
Chris Matthews has stepped down at MSNBC.]
“The MSNBC star Chris Matthews issued an unusual apology to Senator Bernie Sanders on Monday night, a moment of humility for the veteran “Hardball” anchor after days of mounting criticism from allies of Mr. Sanders, the front-runner in the Democratic presidential race.”
“Mr. Matthews, who has a reputation for pugnacious commentary, drew fire from Sanders aides — and at least one network colleague — after he compared his victory in the Nevada caucuses to the Nazi takeover of France in World War II.”
“The general calls up Churchill and says, ‘It’s over,’” Mr. Matthews said during a Saturday broadcast, as he tried to describe Democrats’ surprise at Mr. Sanders’s command of the party primary. “Churchill says: ‘How can it be? You got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?’ He said, ‘It’s over.’”
“Mr. Sanders was so upset about Mr. Matthews’s remarks that his top aides, including his campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, privately expressed their displeasure to MSNBC officials, according to a campaign aide.”
“Mr. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, routinely complains about his coverage in what he deems the “corporate media,” and his supporters seized on Mr. Matthews’s wartime metaphor as evidence of bias.”
“Never thought part of my job would be pleading with a national news network to stop likening the campaign of a Jewish presidential candidate whose family was wiped out by the Nazis to the Third Reich,” Mr. Sanders’s communications director, Mike Casca, wrote on Twitter.
“MSNBC didn’t respond to the uproar until Monday (3/2/2020), when Mr. Matthews began his “Hardball” program by telling viewers, “I want to say something quite important and personal.”
“Senator Sanders, I’m sorry for comparing anything from that tragic era in which so many suffered, especially the Jewish people, to an electoral result of which you were the well-deserved winner,” Mr. Matthews said soberly into the camera.”
“This is going to be a hard-fought, heated campaign of ideas,” the anchor added. “In the days and weeks and months ahead, I will strive to do a better job myself of elevating the political discussion.” Mr. Matthews concluded by congratulating Mr. Sanders on his Nevada victory.”
“MSNBC’s commentators are influential with the Democratic base, and they convey a variety of left-leaning views. Their mixed opinions about Mr. Sanders have mirrored some of the divisions within the party itself as he has jumped to the lead of the nominating race.”
“Perhaps because of the channel’s popularity with Democrats, Mr. Sanders’s campaign has singled out MSNBC for criticism, complaining about Mr. Matthews and the political anchor Chuck Todd, who recently read on his program a column by a conservative writer that referred to Mr. Sanders’s aggressive online supporters as “brownshirts.”
“The NY Post reported that Mr. Sanders had personally complained to MSNBC and NBC News executives about the network’s coverage during a debate walk-through last week in Las Vegas.”
Link: Continue reading →
Remember how right after the January 14, 2020 debate, Senator Warren approached Senator Sanders where she declined to shake his hand. The two then engaged in an animated tete-a-tete that was captured and later played repeatedly on cable television and social media.
Senator Warren blurted out, “I think you called me a liar on national TV.”
Senator Sanders responded, “You called me a liar.” “You told me … all right, let’s not do it now.”
“In the aftermath of Tuesday’s debate (1/14/2020), where the two largely muted their disagreement, the candidates’ brusque encounter was striking.”
“Sanders supporters immediately flooded Twitter with images likening Warren to a snake. Warren defenders hurled back charges of misogyny, an accusation that plagued Sanders’ 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton.”
“Critics have cited Warren’s description of herself as a “capitalist to my bones,” her past registration as a Republican and the relative affluence of her supporters compared to Sanders.”
Gronda Morin 
Good post, Gronda. I have mixed feelings about Bernie … I like his fire, his passion, and his ideas. Does he sometimes take them too far? Yes. Is he temperamental? Yes. But, what I don’t like is the hatchet job the Democratic Party is trying to do on him. Let We the People decide … the Party ought not to be pushing Bernie out, as they are attempting to do. Sigh. Gonna be a long few months.
Hugs!!!
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Dear Jill,
I’m appreciative of Senator Bernie Sanders’ ideas but I would be much more at ease voting for Senator Elizabeth Warren. It’s the way Senator Sanders conducts his political business that bothers me.
You are righteous in saying that the Democratic Party establishment folks should let the voters make their decisions.
Reality is that Senator Sanders needed to garner more of the votes by our Black brothers and sisters. With Rep. Clyburn of SC backing VP Biden, the die was caste. Behind the scenes, even President Obama is giving his support to VP Biden. On Super Tuesday, it was VP Biden who was broke. He didn’t have an infrastructure in most of the 14 states. VP Biden won based on having trust of our Black brothers and sisters plus others, name recognition and his past reputation for decency. He was not lifted up by corporate America as Senator Bernie alleges. Senator Bernie had the monies plus the infrastructure in states like NC, where he lost big-time. It was many of the working stiffs in places like Virginia that Senator Bernie claims to champion who voted for VP Biden. Senator Sanders has already lost Florida for the Dems because of his need to praise Castro. He needs to be more nuanced when he blames others for his woes, like the Democratic Party establishment, corporate America, the establishment media, Sen. Warren when it’s the voters who sent him a message.
I don’t want him to push Senator Warren out of the race. Her voters would split between Senator Bernie Sanders and VP Biden. A lot of her supporters aren’t happy with the way Senator Sanders has treated her.
As it turns out, Sen. Warren is withdrawing from the presidential race on 3/5/2020, but she isn’t choosing to endorse anyone at this time.
Thanks a million for the reblog.
Hugs, Gronda
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I was saddened by Warren’s withdrawal, though it was inevitable. I hear that both Joe & Bernie spoke to her about an endorsement. I wonder if she will endorse either eventually? I wish one would choose her as a running mate, but I don’t expect it to happen. Sigh. Hugs!
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[…] may be good reasons that Bernie is not the ‘best man for the job’, as our friend Gronda notes in her post this morning. But, it should not be up to the Democratic Party to decide, nor the media. It […]
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Politics, isn’t it grand. Sorry but it’s me, me, me, across the board. Both parties. I’m still going to my part and vote Libertarian. Gotta get a third party in this mix, somehow. But I digress, I have seen this scenario floated about in the media. If Bernie’s people think he has been screwed over by the DNC, again. They will: 1) not go vote 2) vote Trump to try to give him a landslide victory. All to prove that the Biden view on the Democrat Party is not what is need at this time. The platform needs to be further left. There are some pretty smart people who follow this blog. What is your opinion on that scenario? I’m not a Democrat so I really can’t get a gauge on it. Thanks and keep up the great work. Don’t necessarily agree on some of these posts, but they have given me pause to think on a few.
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Dear Jerry Roll,
This is an election that’s too important to win to salvage our US democracy, our leadership in the world, reestablish the impartiality of the “rule of law” and our judicial system; heal and unite the disparate factions in our country; fix our immigration programs; take steps to seriously address climate change, sensible gun control measures, combating the huge US income inequality, delivery of high quality, comprehensive, healthcare which is affordable and accessible to all, making college and vocational schools more affordable, available; etc. etc.
The voters will decide this one and I’m betting they will pick VP Biden.
Thanks for your input.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, thanks for writing this. I have a few comments. I would hate to run for office or have a public persons as I would have to defend ever stupid thing I said or did. I try to be a good person, but have fallen short on occasion. We should also remember there has been only one perfect person on earth and we killed him.
Getting back to the election, I will vote for Bernie if he is the nominee, but I hope Joe Biden wins. He has a long history of collaboration and more good will than any candidate running. A good window into Biden is to watch him console Meghan McCain on The View as her father was near death.
The other key is Biden has more global experience than any candidate including the president. Right now, the US is less trusted because our president is untrustworthy. He also is overtly self-dealing and corrupt, he is a national security risk. We need a decent president with integrity. Biden or Sanders fit that bill. The incumbent does not. Keith
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Dear Keith,
Here’s my problem with Bernie. He’s a sore loser, a crybaby and a wiener. Whenever he loses he blames Democratic Party machine, the media, Senator Elizabeth Warren etc. I don’t like the way his attack dogs go after his rivals or whoever criticizes him. Senator Sanders’ attack dogs were the catalyst for forcing the resignation of Chris Matthews of Hardball on MSNBC.
He has been promising his followers just about everything which will be impossible to get done. He has one of the worst records in the US Senate for getting legislation passed. He turns off moderate to more conservative voters which is the majority in middle America. We need those votes to turn the US Senate over to a Democratic Party majority to make real progress regarding issues like climate change;sensible gun control measures; creating path for displaced workers to be retrained for the good paying jobs that exist today; making sure quality, affordable healthcare is easily accessible to all; bringing down costs for college education for our young people; increasing legal immigration while passing immigration reform legislation; passing additional judicial reform measures; turning back the clock on the mess Trump has left behind, etc., etc.
There’s a reason why there’s a need for a unifying agent which Senator Bernie isn’t. There’s too much work that needs to get done.
Of course, if Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic Party’s nomination to be its presidential nominee, I’ll vote for him through gritted teeth. He’s better than the current occupant of the White House.
Like you said, VP Biden can immediately get to work to reinstate the USA as a leader who works well with other heads of state, around the world. He has enough experience to hit the ground, running.
VP Biden is not the perfect candidate, but he’s what we need now, at this time in our US history.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, to your last point, there are no perfect candidates, but Biden will help us heal some internally and externally. As we saw in India, the PM knows to get your way with the less-informed Trump is to stroke his ego. Our allies cannot be honest with us because of Trump’s fragile ego, his untrustworthiness and being largely uninformed.
As for Sanders, he is too aspirational in the store, but forgets there is a cash register to check out. We should not forget that the only eight year terms by Democrats in the last fifty years have been two moderates. Keith
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