Bernie Sanders cries foul over canceled town hall meeting in West Virginia

[underpants]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/02/12/bernie-sanders-cries-foul-over-canceled-town-hall-meeting-in-west-virginia/?utm_term=.5b5f54ec4247


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is raising questions about the surprise cancellation of a town hall meeting in West Virginia, which was scheduled for Monday morning and to be filmed from a MSNBC special. In a statement, Sanders said that a National Guard armory that had been booked for the town hall had canceled without explanation, and that the network was unable to find a new venue on short notice.

On Friday night, as first reported by the Charleston Gazette-Mail, MSNBC and Sanders learned that the armory would not be available for the town hall, which was to be moderated by host Chris Hayes. While the state National Guard and new Gov. Jim Justice (D-W.Va.) have not talked about the cancellation, people with knowledge of the event say it had been planned for weeks, and belatedly, they were told the venue could not host a political event.

Sanders said that “hundreds” of locals had signed up to attend the town hall.

“I want people to see, first hand, how poverty leads to terrible despair and that, in reality, how it is a death sentence for many,” he said. “In McDowell County, one of the poorest areas in one of our poorest states, people are now living shorter lives than their parents. Unemployment is sky high, drug addiction is at an epidemic rate and the schools lack adequate funding. It is high time that we, as a nation, heard from the people who are impacted by this crisis and determined the best ways forward.”

“I’m disappointed, but I hope we can make it work in the future,” said Hayes.

[guillaumeb]

1. And Trump won West Virginia.

Now that Trump will allow mining companies to dump toxic waste, the state will become even more polluted. All part of making America great again.

[NurseJackie]

2. Huh? Wha-wha-what?

“If anyone in West Virginia government thinks that I will be intimidated from going to McDowell County, West Virginia, to hold a town meeting, they are dead wrong,”

It's clear that Sanders believes this was an intentional personal snub that was intended to be aimed directly at him, or that he's being targeted to be "intimidated" ... but is there any proof?

[Talk Is Cheap]

3. Yes, how dare Sanders speaks up for democracy...

...And democratic causes...

Yes, We Demand Proof (of what I don't know)..

[choie]

4. Well said, Talk!

N/t

[SaschaHM]

5. Then maybe you should read the post more carefully...

before you give in to your knee jerk reaction to defend Sanders. NurseJackie is asking if there is any proof that this was an intentional snub as Bernie makes it out to be. That was clear in her post. Let's leave the conspiracy theories to Trump.

[Talk Is Cheap]

6. Why is degrading Sanders a priority?

At least somebody is speaking up (and yes there are others, but Sanders has never stopped).

[SaschaHM]

8. Why does asking a simple question devolve into degrading Sanders?

All they asked was whether there was any proof that this was intentional and not just a mishap.

[Talk Is Cheap]

9. Reading comprehension...

Its a good thing...

[SaschaHM]

13. Insults. Typical.

The only one that seems to be struggling with that here is the guy that assumed a simple question was an attack on Bernie and all that he does. Please go protest over this snub in the WV streets.

[George II]

29. Yes, it certainly is.

[NurseJackie]

10. Is it as he claims? Or is he exaggerating for effect? I'm inclined to believe ...

... that the reason it was cancelled is entirely legitimate and that Bernie is having difficulty in accepting it and in controlling his emotions.

Yes, how dare Sanders speaks up for democracy...

Is that what he's doing? Or is he making it about himself?

If there's some sort of conspiracy against him, then, yeah... I'd like to see some proof. Wouldn't you?

[Talk Is Cheap]

11. Sanders is not the person or thing you need to hate upon...

[NurseJackie]

15. Seriously? "Hate"?? You're cleverly calling me a "hater"... I see that. But I wonder...

...why ascribe any criticism toward Sanders as coming from a place of "hate"?

I guess if you characterize any criticism as being as "hate-based" then it's easier to be dismissive (or insulting). And being able to ignore reality is much easier than it would be to actually examine WHY it is that people feel that way, or see similar flaws.

[Talk Is Cheap]

17. Ok, you win...

[George II]

56. Isn't that a line from one of Snoop Dogg's songs?

[George II]

28. That's "hate"? How do you come to that conclusion? That post is asking very valid questions.

[George II]

58. For the record, the alert that got that post from Goblinmonger removed was NOT mine.

[Demit]

30. Jumping to conclusions is a bad idea as well.

For Bernie Sanders and for you.

[BainsBane]

22. Democracy is not defined

By one politicians TV appearances.

[SaschaHM]

7. No?

It seems like someone involved in the planning screwed this up or MSNBC didn't fully disclose the nature of the event.

[NurseJackie]

12. Sounds that way to me as well.

[George II]

24. He wasn't intimidated from going to McDowell County to hold a town meeting. No one...

...stopped him.

For some reason (probably logical) he wasn't permitted to hold the meeting at a government facility. We don't know the logistics or planning for the meeting, so we don't know if he was doing it in his official capacity as Senator from Vermont (wha?) or as a politician.

Strictly political events are not normally permitted to be held at government facilities.

[NurseJackie]

32. Am I mis-reading his words and intent? It seems as though Bernie is EAGER to create some paranoid...

... hysteria. I'm glad that he wants to talk about important issues and involve the community. But if he continues to behave like this, then HE ends up becoming the story rather than the issues he wanted to discuss. And what purpose would THAT serve?

As a rational person, I'm willing to accept the most reasonable explanation that the cancellation is because of a booking faux-pas, and that it's the network's fault for not making clear what the purpose of event would be.

[alarimer]

31. I think the powers that be are nervous of these town halls.

exposing the truth to too many people and having an honest dialog about what it really happening out there. Now, WVA has a new D governor, whom I know nothing about so I can't say if this is aimed at Sanders in particular or just at the sort of participatory democracy that these town halls represent. Just because the governor is a D doesn't mean he is a good guy. He could be a corporate piece of shit totally beholden to people who might not like these town halls.

[George II]

33. It's none of that. Quite simply government facilities cannot be used for an event like that.

It's not the "powers that be", it's not fear, it's not anything aimed at Sanders.

It was a poorly planned event in a venue that is prohibited from hosting an event like that. No ulterior motives, no "intimidation" (how can he say that?) and no foul.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. They Have Held Rallies At The NG Armory In My County

For years. The city held the party there when its super popular mayor won his 6th term and would serve more than 20 years.

Are you suggesting that all those events in our area were extralegal?

[George II]

37. We don't know the details of either event - the mayoral rally or the Sanders event.

But I would guess that the mayoral party wasn't considered a political event, he was in fact a public official in that town.

In Connecticut the Governor's inauguration ceremony is held in an armory in Hartford every four years. But those are not "political" events, they are public events held in the course of governing the state (as might be the party for the mayor)

Once again, we don't know the details of the event, how it was presented to the W Va officials, etc.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. The Obama Celebration Was There In 2009

Fairly blue area in 2008 and 2012. (Not this time though, much to my chagrin. Almost the whole county went red this year, except for the precincts in the highly hispanic areas, higher concentrations of black voters, or big apartment areas where the population is quite young.)

As i said to alarimer, your statement about not knowing the details is fair. You're correct that we do not.

[alarimer]

38. But it's been planned for a while.

It seems suspicious that they just now decided they couldn't do that.

[ProfessorGAC]

40. Fair Enough

I know that nearly any policy can be waived with the right paperwork. Either the city government has been violating the rule and the post commander has been ignoring an order, or there is a simple way around the rule.

[SaschaHM]

14. From the comments, the official response.

"U.S. Department of Defense policy does not permit the use of military facilities for political and election events and specifically includes town hall meetings as an example of such activities. The West Virginia State Armory Board has a similar policy.

Once the details of the proposed event were shared with the Adjutant General's office on Friday afternoon, it became apparent that it would run afoul of DOD and State Armory Board policy and the request could not be accommodated."


Someone involved in the planning screwed the pooch. Everyone can put their pitchforks down and go home.

[NurseJackie]

16. Drama. Always drama. Gotta have drama.

[sheshe2]

18. ;)

[George II]

25. Precisely - it's an armory, not an arena or auditorium.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. See My Note To George

They've been doing it here for decades and this isn't some isolated back water town. This is in the main city in a county of 800,000. Obviously, all one need do is get a waiver.

[onecaliberal]

19. So it's been planned for s long time and reserved for a political show but only now

Decide to cancel?

[Tatiana]

20. This was obviously cancelled by some wingnut using a legitimate reason.

Why would they book a National Guard armory anyway? Is there no other facility that could accommodate a substantial number of people? I hope they don't just give up!

I think this is a great idea (love Chris Hayes for teaming up and getting out there). We have to go where these people are and talk to them. Sometimes having the media as a sort of "buffer" helps.

Very sad what has happened to this community. They don't even have a Walmart:

http://weheartwv.com/2016/02/06/what-its-like-now-that-even-walmart-has-left-mcdowell-county/

[BainsBane]

21. If he wants to see how poverty has led to dispair

He can go to WV and talk to voters. Why does it need to be on television? I'm sure he could book any number of smaller venues.

[George II]

27. Poverty has also led to despair in Vermont, too.

[NastyRiffraff]

36. BINGO!

Nobody's stopping him from going into ANY county in WV and speaking to voters. Politicians do that all the time, without the need for TV coverage. Not as sexy, perhaps, as a packed town hall with TV cameras, but it can be effective.

Or, he could just find a legitimate, non-government, non-military venue if he insists on a town hall with teevee. Surely WV has some.

[Goblinmonger]

43. Um, I don't know, visibility?

Perhaps he wants to keep people focused on the economic issues that this country is facing? Apparently that makes him crazy.

[BainsBane]

44. I'm just gong based on his own comments in the article

Besides, poor people don't need TV shows to remind them of their difficulties. If this really is about them, TV coverage is irrelevant. Yet it appears Sanders won't go without the cameras.

[RadiationTherapy]

50. I love the intentional obtuseness..."What POSSIBLY could come of a TV broadcast??"

There are dozens of hours of Marshall McLuhan on youtube analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of TV if one is truly interested. McLuhan is a favorite pass time for me.

[George II]

57. Poverty is pretty visible in his own state of Vermont, too.

[JI7]

23. do they really not have other locations they can hold a town hall in ?

[The Great Escape]

26. Not In Welch...

or any where else in McDowell County other than the two high schools. I suppose those would be out of the question for the same reason.

[RadiationTherapy]

39. It's great to see a democratic leader out fighting for left-causes.

Logistics can be frustrating; it's all a part of being out and about and taking action on behalf of people. I am grateful for his energy and attitude.

[BainsBane]

45. How is television programming

a leftist cause? Don't you think Sanders would go to WV anyway if the point were to talk to those voters?

[RadiationTherapy]

47. Well, to be brief, television can overcome spacetime in order to include vast audiences

who cannot attend a live rally. So the nature of the medium in and of itself is a great boon to any ideology. As far as travelling to speak to voters, well, some people in their seventies don't have the energy. I appreciate what Sanders does. Some people younger than he don't even leave their homes.

[BainsBane]

48. He's been on TV many times in recent months

According to his own statements quoted in the article, the point was to see poverty in WV, which is better achieved out in the community than in a TV broadcast.

[RadiationTherapy]

49. I am not sure what your point is, so I will re-state mine: I am glad Bernie is active.

I think it is important for democratic leaders to be publicly pushing back against Trump and promoting left-ideologies. I am glad to see him out there.

[bonemachine]

46. amazing how many people here

are STILL ready to shit all over Sanders for fighting for the people.

[pangaia]

51. And it would seem the same folks as months ago...

Oh, well...

[Dem2]

53. I'm neutral

But your comment is not at all helpful.

[JudyM]

54. Ya think?

His pro-democracy/civil liberties/justice actions don't matter a bit, he's to be smeared for life.

[otohara]

55. How Many?

Looking through the responses there aren't that many responses and most seem positive.

You should take a trip over to Twitter and see how his people are still posting ugly shit and the same old fugly memes about her.

[msanthrope]

52. Always have Plan B, Bernie. Ask a woman about it. Nt