Jane Sanders, on elections: "Iranians show the world how it's done."

[pnwmom]

Last edited Wed May 24, 2017, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Does she realize that Iranian citizens lack freedom of speech and assembly? And that an ultra-right cleric, the Supreme Leader, decides who can run and who can't?

Link to tweet

[brush]

1. Something's not right with that. Is that from Bernie's wife or another Jane Sanders?

[pnwmom]

2. That is the verified twitter account of Bernie's wife, Jane O'Meara Sanders. n/t

[Cha]

3. No, mrs sanders.. Iran does Not show the

world how it's done.

70% is good but not having freedom of speech and right to assemble is not so good.

John Nichols should know that, too.

[virtualobserver]

14. she was talking about the voter turnout - the people, not the government

It is hard to find a country that doesn't put us to shame in that category.

[brooklynite]

26. Pretty poor outcome compared to North Korea...

[virtualobserver]

36. well, they set the standard to which we all aspire ....

plus they have so little light pollution.

[AngryAmish]

82. They really care about astronomy.

It is awful how we science shame.

[NurseJackie]

83. LOL!

[Initech]

4. Voter suppression + no right to free speech or protest is how it's done?

[Snotcicles]

5. They just elected a moderate for the first time in how many decades. Whats wrong with that? nt

[pnwmom]

6. They just re-elected him. And he doesn't have the real power -- it's with

the Supreme Leader, a cleric who is appointed for life.

And there are many other ways Iran doesn't "show the world how it's done."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/middleeast/iran-election-beginners-guide/

Is Iran really a democracy?

Yes and no. Iran's president and parliament are democratically-elected, but the country's highest authority is the Supreme Leader, who is appointed for life and has the final say on all matter of foreign and domestic policy.

The Supreme Leader -- currently an ultra-conservative cleric named Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- helps appoint the Guardian Council, an unelected panel of conservatives that decides who gets to run for president (and who doesn't). Many popular reformist candidates have been disqualified from running in recent elections.

[comradebillyboy]

12. He was re-elected

And nobody gets to even be a candidate without the consent of the supreme religious authority. Iran is an Islamic theocracy, and that one man, the Supreme Leader, exerts ideological and political control over a system dominated by clerics who shadow every major function of the state. At the top of Iran's power structure is the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who wasn't the fellow just elected president.

[emulatorloo]

31. Thanks for putting the facts in this thread.

[frazzled]

15. It's not the first time

He just won re-election. He was first elected in 2013. Thanks, Obama.

Still, Iran is not exactly our model of democracy. It's a theocracy, where the Supreme Leader (Khameini) is the real head of state, based on religious law, and all the candidates for the presidency must be approved by him. So Rouhani, yay, but it's not that great. The only good thing is that Khameini will not be in power soon, and so perhaps a more moderate Supreme Ruler will be installed. But no election there: a council appoints him.

[QC]

49. She is associated with Bernie, therefore she must be attacked,

and this provides a pretext. Sure, it's a weak one, but when was that ever a problem.

[Snotcicles]

53. Disgusting isn't it? nt

[QC]

65. Yes, not to mention creepy and a bit sad. n/t

[Nanjeanne]

74. Ding ding ding.

[NurseJackie]

81. More like "She is associated with Bernie, therefore she must be excused." (LOL)

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. At the very least tone deaf

Not everyone masters public politics, and some good ones still blow it from time to time.

[Snotcicles]

19. She was referencing the 70% turnout. nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. The tone deaf part is not recognizing how it can be perceived

The tone deaf part is not recognizing how it can perceived. Political spouses rarely have the nuanced political chops of their mates - it rarely was their calling and they don't get nearly as much practice. Michelle Obama is the exception.

[Snotcicles]

23. I get it. She's only human. nt

[BeyondGeography]

8. I agree with her

The good guy won. You should be happy.

[pnwmom]

11. How many better guys were prevented from running

by the Supreme Leader, an ultra-right cleric?


http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/middleeast/iran-election-beginners-guide/

Is Iran really a democracy?

Yes and no. Iran's president and parliament are democratically-elected, but the country's highest authority is the Supreme Leader, who is appointed for life and has the final say on all matter of foreign and domestic policy.

The Supreme Leader -- currently an ultra-conservative cleric named Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- helps appoint the Guardian Council, an unelected panel of conservatives that decides who gets to run for president (and who doesn't). Many popular reformist candidates have been disqualified from running in recent elections

[BeyondGeography]

17. It's a result they will have to respect nonetheless

Iran's people sent the hardliners a message that they will only ignore at their peril. They want less adventurism and more focus on the economy. Their guy won. Khameini doesn't need any lessons about the power of the street.

Given the paucity of true democracy in the region, your complaints about Iran are pretty comical.

[pnwmom]

59. She said Iranians set an example for the WORLD, not the Middle East. n/t

[Cha]

24. What you're pointing out about Iran

is not funny at all.

It's good to know.. that tweet of hers leaves out important information about Iran.. especially for the low information people out there in America.

[jberryhill]

57. Probably less than are prevented from running for president in our ally, Saudi Arabia

[pnwmom]

61. That's true. Compared to Saudi Arabia, that makes sense. But she was

saying that Iranians set an example for the world -- not the middle east.

[Aristus]

9. It's a step in the right direction. Iran is just like the US right now.

Becoming gradually more and more progressive all the time, due to the clear-eyed idealism of its young people, but ruled over by a gang of crazed, ultra-conservative men who pay lip service, at least, to the prevailing religious strictures that allow them to garner all power to themselves. All the while operating in the shadow of a clownish, cartoonishly provocative figurehead leader.

[pnwmom]

13. No, Iran is not just like the US right now; although it may represent the US

vision of the future, for rightwing conservatives. We are in a battle right now to prevent that from happening.


http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/middleeast/iran-election-beginners-guide/

Is Iran really a democracy?

Yes and no. Iran's president and parliament are democratically-elected, but the country's highest authority is the Supreme Leader, who is appointed for life and has the final say on all matter of foreign and domestic policy.

The Supreme Leader -- currently an ultra-conservative cleric named Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- helps appoint the Guardian Council, an unelected panel of conservatives that decides who gets to run for president (and who doesn't). Many popular reformist candidates have been disqualified from running in recent elections

[Aristus]

16. Close enough to be indistinguishable.

Trump and the repukes don't have the balls to do this, but the next Democratic President should definitely visit Iran, and re-open relations with them, a' la Nixon with China.

Iran would be an indispensible ally to have in that part of the world. We were aware of that fact at one time, but went about keeping Iran's loyaly in absolutely the worst way possible (the Shah).

[pnwmom]

21. Give me a break. That's like saying that the Dems and the Rethugs are indistinguishable. nt

[uponit7771]

18. No way they're similar, we don't have a "supreme leader" with all say and power, lets stick to facts

[StevieM]

58. No. We had James Comey instead, blatantly seeking to get the Republican elected.

And we have an electorate who thinks that because Comey did his job investigating Trump--while making sure he got elected--that he must not have been that bad.

What does Comey care if Trump is impeached and removed? The Republicans took back the White House, Hillary was humiliated and Gorsuch is on the Supreme Court.

At least the Iranian people, for the most part, understand that the theocrats control the system. The American people don't seem to understand just how evil and undemocratic the conduct of the FBI was.

[uponit7771]

68. OK summarily you can make that argument but that's not by design, we can work to perfect the country

... with a base document and standards vs Iran is toe up from the flow up with their "supreme leader"

[StevieM]

70. For the most part that is a fair point.

But I suspect that an increasingly conservative--and activist--Supreme Court will make that more and more difficult.

[uponit7771]

71. Me too ... because of gerrymandering, voter suppression and now state local boards being hacked we

... don't have a representative democracy to perfect... fuck 3 steps forward 3 steps back.

[StevieM]

52. You are assuming that the United States is guaranteed to remain a democracy.

I no longer make that assumption.

Forget about Donald Trump. We have a Republican majority on the Supreme Court, which will be even more conservative if Kennedy retires, and they are more than happy to help with voter suppression and letting money flood into the system. They are also more than capable of reaching a point where they declare anything too liberal to be unconstitutional.

We also have an FBI that sees itself as being responsible for destroying the reputation of Democratic candidates and helping to elect Republicans. Whether or not they like Donald Trump is besides the point.

People say that President Trump is scary. Well how committed do you think President Scott Walker would be to the principles of democracy?

[Aristus]

56. Actually, I wasn't making that assumption at all.

It was a hopeful outlook, but right now, I'm as pessimistic about our future as you.

[StevieM]

60. Point taken.

Ironically, what scares me the most is that everyone is acting like Trump is the only problem.

[GulfCoast66]

86. You forgot the sarcasm thingy

Because my wife went out with shorts, tee shirt and no bra today. And no religious police or even offended neighbors said a word.
And no religious nut job vetted all of our candidates for the election. And I am free to say whatever I want about any political or religious leader I want, either out loud, on line or in print. Other than that and like a million other things, I guess we are just like the Iranians.

But hey, if it makes you feel better in these dark times to feel as victimized as the Iranian citizens, knock yourself out. It is totally your right and I support it. Just do not expect many Americans, even very liberal Americans to agree.

[marylandblue]

10. I think they reelected him

Iran is actually one of the most democratic countries in the Middle East, they just don't have a lot of competition in that part of the world.

[pnwmom]

22. That's not saying much, since they have a Supreme Leader, a cleric,

who is calling the shots, and they don't have freedom of speech and assembly.

[StevieM]

47. Ironically, the guy who lost may be the next Supreme Leader after Khameini dies. (eom)

[leftstreet]

25. You're misrepresenting the tweet(s)

Link to tweet

John Nichols‏ @NicholsUprising

Voter turnout in Iran was 70%.
High participation among the young. The worldly & moderate candidate prevailed with ease.
Lesson for the US!


Jane O'Meara Sanders
@janeosanders

Iranians show the world how it's done.



Sanders is saying 70% turnout is how it's done.

But you already know that

[brooklynite]

27. I guess East Germany shows us how it was done as well?

[leftstreet]

29. Did Ms Sanders comment on East Germany also?

I wasn't aware of that

[brooklynite]

39. This was in response here to those trying to explain that what she was "really saying" was...

...that Iran's turnout was so much better than ours.

In the 1963 East German election, 99.25% voted. Liberty!
IN the 2014 North Korea election, 99.97% voted. Freedom!

[leftstreet]

46. Voting isn't mandatory in Iran

It is in North Korea

Can't remember if it was in East Germany

[BeyondGeography]

32. 70% turnout for an election the OP calls meaningless

All the more reason to give the Iranians credit for showing up, one would think. But when the starting point is to make fun of Mrs. Bernie you don't do your best thinking.

[leftstreet]

40. I didn't at first realize Jane Sanders was Mrs. Bernie

LOL makes sense now

[brooklynite]

44. The point isn't to "make fun" of Jane Sanders...

...it's to point out how a comment like that will be responded to in the political arena.

[BeyondGeography]

51. So this is a public service thread?

Touching.

[QC]

69. Your concern is an inspiration to us all. n/t

[QC]

50. Bingo. n/t

[Trial_By_Fire]

38. Thanks for posting what John Nichols tweeted...This is what J.Sanders was referring to.

I totally agree with what Nichols and J.Sanders wrote.

But to some, it's back to a 'dog with a bone'.

[JI7]

28. i think she means the people that voted for the moderate

Not the govt itself.

But I'm sure it helps this is one of the few ways their voices can be heard.

[Else You Are Mad]

30. You misinterpreted her tweet.

She was praising the fact that 70% of the voting population voted. She made no statement as to the regime.

[pnwmom]

34. She chose to tweet something that sounds uninformed. n/t

[Snotcicles]

37. lol. nt

[Else You Are Mad]

41. It was poorly worded.

But that does not mean the sentiment is invalid.

[Trial_By_Fire]

43. Isn't that in the eyes of the beholder...

I am sure most people went to Nichols' tweet first...

[emulatorloo]

42. Odd thing to leave out, huh?

Jane's human, just like me, you, and Bernie.

Humans make mistakes. I know I've posted something dumb. No doubt I will again.

Jane is tough, I doubt she needs you to twist yourself into a knot to defend her.

[Else You Are Mad]

45. I wasn't defending anyone.

I was pointing out a different interpretation of the tweet than the OP.

ETA: the tweet Jane links too does state such.

[emulatorloo]

48. Ok

[NastyRiffraff]

67. Then she should have SAID that

As it sits, the tweet is stupid to say the least. She said, in total: "Iranians show the world how it's done." Not a word about a turnout. At best, she's as dumb as dirt about Twitter.

[Else You Are Mad]

72. She did if you read the tweet she linked to. Nt.

[NastyRiffraff]

73. Fine but any idiot would know

that the tweet would be shown by itself. She had plenty of characters left to make it clear. As I said, dumb as dirt.

[melman]

79. Most idiots would know

the difference between 'Iran' and 'Iranians'

[melman]

75. Of course it's misrepresented

And quite deliberately.

And this from a poster that spends a lot of time aggressively promoting and defending a right-wing blogger.

Curious.

[NurseJackie]

85. Who promotes and defends a right-wing blogger?

Curious.

[hrmjustin]

33. To be fair I think she was praising the people, not the government.

[tazkcmo]

35. That's it!

I'm never voting for her again!

[DefenseLawyer]

54. You're never going to let it go, are you?

Godspeed

[NurseJackie]

77. Never going to let what go? What does this mean?

[Tiggeroshii]

55. If you read her link, you would see she is praising the people, not the government

[MyNameGoesHere]

62. How does she have time to tweet?

I thought she was still working on those tax returns so they can be released.

[juxtaposed]

63. another vile post of alternative truths

[Me.]

64. Why Don't These 2 Just Stop Talking?

[NurseJackie]

76. From your keyboard to their lips.

[Me.]

84. Cute

If only it were so

[elfin]

66. I was and still am crazy for Bernie, but Jane was a problem for me

I do not know why, but she rubbed me the wrong way on interviews. A subjective observation to be sure, but she never improved in her faintly superior-acting demeanor. Plus the college finance stuff and her reason for leaving that post bothered me.

If Bernie had achieved the nomination, I think she would have been a distraction, once the media sunk its teeth into her.

[Calista241]

78. I guess, provided your candidates pass the clerics muster.

The their President is nothing but a puppet of Ali Khamenei who's lead the country since 1989.

The ignorance of Jane O'Meara Sanders is profound.

[melman]

80. Why do you deliberately leave out the original tweet?

I mean, I know why...but wow. Pretty low.

[pnwmom]

88. This is her tweet. Anyone can click on the link and find what you consider

the original tweet.

[GulfCoast66]

87. I guess we now know what it takes

to get progressives to defend the wonderful Democracy they have going on over there in Iran.

This liberal is having none of it.