Sanders: 1972 rape essay was ‘dumb attempt’ at satire

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sought to distance himself Thursday from an essay he wrote in the 1970s that discusses rape fantasies.

Michael Briggs, a spokesman for the 2016 White House contender’s campaign, called the essay a "dumb attempt at dark satire in an alternative publication,” according to CNN.

Briggs added that the writing "in no way reflects his views or record on women,” saying it “was intended to attack gender stereotypes of the '70s.”

The essay, published by the Vermont Freeman in 1972, discussed violent sexual fantasies.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/243411-sanders-1972-rape-essay-was-dumb-attempt-at-satire

[DCBob]

1. Oh dear.. thats not going to go well.

Some nasty stuff in that essay.

[blm]

17. Ever hear of Michael O'Donoghue? Al Franken?

Terry Southern?

Guess no National Lampoon or SNL writer will EVER be allowed to run for office. Oh wait…..

[DCBob]

19. Sure, but the media will take the quotes out of context and many readers will be appalled.

There are some real nasty comments in there.. satire or not.

[blm]

21. Corpmedia takes Dem's most benign quotes to twist and appall the public ALL THE TIME

in their decades long effort to protect the GOP's fascist agenda.

You either counter the corpmedia's lies and distortions or you cower in fear of them.

[LanternWaste]

28. It's a non-issue except to the lowest common denominators.

It's a non-issue except to the lowest common denominators.

[DCBob]

32. Many of those "lowest common denominators" are unfortunately voters.

This will likely be an issue in the general if he somehow wins the nomination. You can count on the RW media for that.

[nxylas]

2. At least he didn't deny having written it

*cough*Ron Paul*cough*

[IronLionZion]

3. They're getting desperate

They must really see Bernie as a threat, and they can't find any real issues.

So wait for Fox News to tell us the only reason people support the socialist over Hillary is because of misogyny!

[TM99]

4. I read it.

It was obvious satire. It was also dated to its time and equally critical of men and women's 'sexual fantasies'.

He was young. It wasn't very good. (He is much better at speaking truth rather than writing fiction!) He honestly owns it.

So what's the problem?

[djean111]

11. This is all they got.

So they will ooze with it.

[PersonNumber503602]

44. Where'd you find the whole thing at?

I was able to find a few excerpts, but it wasn't nearly enough to get any sense of what it was all about.

[TM99]

45. This was a little while ago

when I was doing research on Sanders prior to announcement.

Let me see if I can located it again. I will either post here or via PM.

[PersonNumber503602]

46. Someone posted an image of the article in this thread.

Someone would have to be really stupid or really dishonest to take issue with what he wrote.

[TM99]

48. Oh Good!

Yes, that's the one I read.

Indeed on both counts!

[BeyondGeography]

5. American presidential candidacies are the awesomest

[blackspade]

6. Another shitty attempt by the M$M to gin up controversy

Pathetic.

[indivisibleman]

8. Gosh. 43 years ago.

He obviously wasn't thinking about the political fall-out when he wrote this. I can only imaging what quaint writings of my own exist from back then.

[bigworld]

9. The headline is more salacious than the article

People who just read the headline will think this Sanders fellow is some sort of pervert who cares nothing for women's rights. Anyone who reads the article and looks at his record will know that's not true at all.

The powers that be just want you to read the headline.

[Frank Cannon]

20. If they have to reach back 43 fucking years for dirt on Bernie...

Then I'd say that's a shining endorsement.

[Robbins]

10. I am sure

after he hit 15% in national poll had nothing to do with this being dragged up.

[magical thyme]

12. no he didn't try to "distance" himself. he owned it and explained it.

It's hard to believe how lazy "national level" writers have gotten. Or maybe they were always this lazy, writing in a string of cliches.

It was clear from the article itself what it was and it was clear from the article title from yesterday's post how it was being misrepresented as a smear job.

[davidpdx]

13. To quote President Obama

It is evidence of "silly season".

[fredamae]

14. Hey, "Hold it Newt"

This was 1972!
Emerging from the 1960's.
Experimentation, Wife Swapping, Free Love...
Public discussions.
Everybody talked about "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" be it satirically, seriously or on the shrinks couch.
Different times...keep perspective.

[INdemo]

15. they fear him

[jtuck004]

18. No, they aren't afraid at all. They just hate, with a virulent, oozing hatred. Don't be fooled.. n/t

[INdemo]

34. Well when they try to smear a candidate,

any candidate, that would indicate to me that they fear that candidate.
Lets go back to 2008 and recall how the Republicans (and it may have been Bill Clinton's people working behind the scenes in 2008)
tried to make the Rev Wright deal an issue?
At the time they had nothing to use but smear tactics

[jtuck004]

35. If someone really _fears_ something, they leave. They don't stand around and taunt it, spit on it,

call it vile names and wait for it to strike out. That is deep within the central part of the brain, and there is very little one can do about it.

There is a significant segment driving the bulk of my opponents, some of whom are very likely yours, who are not afraid at all. Don't need to be. Look at how little they have to do to stop progress. They don't even have to get elected.

Like any terrorist they hate me and the people I stand with, and most likely ALWAYS will (easier to think otherwise when one is younger - just wait and see how many people change, and how). You either figure out the security and learn to live with them, or kill them, because they will never stop trying to hurt you and your neighbors. They don't even have to win that much. All they have to do is stop progress, like they have been doing since the original Presidential Terrorist, R. Reagan.

Your viewpoint is different, and I appreciate that. Good luck.

[INdemo]

39. OK THEN...

They fear the competition. Bernie Sanders is speaking the truth.So as one member stated that if they have to go back 43 years ad try to dig up something, than it is the other candidates or other political parties that do not want to debate the real issues.
Politics for years now has been smear tactics. Issues are put aside and smear tactics are used .Ronald Reagan won with smear tactics and hostage deals Iran made behind the scenes.
John Kerry had a very strong sizable lead on Bush Jr. John Kerry lost because of the smear tactics and Karl Rove and company were able to steal Ohio.

[phleshdef]

58. Actually yes, in politics they do in fact stand around, taunt it and spit on it.

[Zight]

22. Mother Jones fears him?

Didn't Mother Jones discover this?

[blm]

16. Now we're supposed to hate National Lampoon and SNL writers and wannabe writers?

The Republican shills at the The Hill never heard of Phoebe Zeitgeist.

[Sgt Preston]

23. Here's the essay. Read it for yourself.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/young-bernie-sanders-liberty-union-vermont

The point, as I understand it, is that socially imposed gender roles have created sick sexual fantasies.

[yardwork]

25. This article is very much of it's time.

In 1972 the U.S. was undergoing a rapid transformation in women's roles. It's probably unimaginable to people born since then. A thirty year old dropped into 1972 would probably feel that they had been dropped into Saudi Arabia. People questioned whether women should drive. Mothers who worked outside the home were looked down on - people were certain that their children would become juvenile delinquents.

This essay is looking at gender stereotypes and how ingrained gender roles are reflected in sexual fantasies. Sanders wasn't saying that he agreed with rape.

[former9thward]

33. I was around in 1972.

Nobody questioned whether women should drive. And women who worked outside the home were no more looked down on than they are now. I don't know what country you were in...

[PersonNumber503602]

47. I'm really not seeing what's people are supposed to be outraged over

I don't know if it's because my comprehension skills are not up to snuff, or if it's because other people have poor comprehension skills.

[treestar]

63. It is very small

Hard to read, I can't judge.

[GoneFishin]

24. He should bring this up himself every jokingly light-hearted opportunity to get out in front of it.

[Sgt Preston]

26. No. Read the essay.

There is nothing "light hearted" about it, and it should not be treated that way. It's a critique of gender stereotypes and their effect on our sexuality.

[GoneFishin]

36. I am not speaking about my attitude, my point is that the more he acknowledges it,the less the right

wingers on Fox can pretend that it's a dirty secret that they exposed.

[geek tragedy]

49. Given the subject matter, no. nt

[GoneFishin]

50. Thank you for your opinion.

[Novara]

27. It seems people didn't read the whole thing.

And they didn't get the point of the article. It's not about sex; it's about gender stereotypes.

[blm]

30. Exacty - and parody is a good way to share information

when you are targeting a wider demographic.

[GoneFishin]

38. I admit that I did not completely read the article. I trust Bernie implicitly and don't need to in

order to know there is nothing malicious in it. That is a different point than discussing how right wingers will twist it to make it something which it is not.

[treestar]

54. So it's OK to trust a politician implicitly

There are a lot of posters who should logically jump on you for saying that. Where are they?

[GoneFishin]

56. Yeah. Funny how that trust thing happens when someone is consistent, honest, and works for

best interests of all the voters, not just the connected ones.

[Kingofalldems]

29. As a Hillary supporter I think the debate should be on the issues.

Not smear jobs.

[awoke_in_2003]

40. it should...

but the media will never allow it. That is why they keep dredging up Hillary's past. Paula Jones did not magically re-appear on the scene all by herself. Of course, unlike a particular puke falls out of favor, their past is rarely brought up. The shit is disgusting. We live in a fucking circus.

[juajen]

60. I agree

He was attacking the time he lived in and the deterioration of respect for women. I read it all. It's an essay. I found it an interesting reflection of the time, and I was neither repealed nor surprised at the essay. It certainly was a reflection of the standards at the time. It was a difficult , but enlightening time. They would be foolish to attack Bernie, and it will backfire if they do.

[angrychair]

31. thanks!

I could give a shit what Bernie Sanders or anyone else for that matter, wrote when I was 2 years old. I judge people by their actions and Sanders is a stand-up person with a solid, verifiable, public record. I'm good with my choice.

[Politicub]

37. Cheap shot

It's clearly satire, but I realize that's a mighty big concept for the mouth breather Faux news crowd (and the DU disruptors, sadly).

This is like digging up some dark poem written by a college freshman after reading the Bell Jar. It shouldn't be used to smear someone's character for the rest of their life.

[silenttigersong]

41. Here we go

This is the start of the smear Bernie campaign.Must be gaining popularity numbers.This is coinciding with Clintons equal pay outrage at Gop.I am guessing this is like what the proffesionals call a trial ballon ,for numbers ect.This is directed at a certain demographic.

[RebelOne]

42. Rush was all excited about this on his radio show this morning. n/t

[Bucky]

43. Only boring, unimaginative people who've never explored edgy idea should run for office

Well, them plus the people who have the power, money, and means to cover up anything stupid they've ever done or said.

I mean, some of the same DUers who dismiss this 40 year old tasteless satire as 40 year old tasteless satire will still get their jockeys in a wad over reports of what Jeb Bush did as a high school student.

[bluestateguy]

51. This is a non-issue for me

And I am a Hillary supporter.

[Cha]

52. What if Hillary or Pres Obama had written something like this?

I'm sure everyone would be just as dismissive. right?

And, I'm not saying I think he should be scorned for it.. but, I've seen some around trying to smear President Obama with less. And, Hillary, too. "Goldwater girl"!!11

Anyway, Bernie said it "dumb" so that's it.

[treestar]

53. Yep Can't believe they are defending it!

Especially going on about it being 43 years ago, well, so was the Goldwater Girl thing, so anyone minimizing this needs to shut up about that! President Obama would never have written any such thing at any time.

[Cha]

55. On another Bernie and his "dumb writing" thread..

"I say it's interesting because I remember being struck a couple of years ago when Barack Obama's young writings were published--from his early 20s: letters to two different girlfriends, a letter to a friend/former roommate describing his first impressions upon moving to Chicago. They were philosophical disquisitions of great clarity and elegance. They sounded exactly like the speeches he writes now. Which is sort of Obama's hallmark to me, biographically speaking: he is the most freakishly consistent person, across time, I've ever seen. He was a remarkable writer at age 20, and it remains one of his strong suits now.

frazzled http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6744318

treestar~

[phleshdef]

59. There was nothing wrong with what Bernie wrote and theres nothing relevant about HRC's politics...

...when she was basically still a kid finding her way.

Its petty bullshit on both fronts.

[Raine1967]

57. I agree. And, sadly — here is the thing

the RW loons are eventually going to run with this.

It's good to get ahead of it, and make sure people who are undecided understand that this was a product of the time. The Mother Jones link posted above is an excellent start.

It's not an issue to me.

The RW, they are gonna make hay of this. They ALWAYS go after crap like this.

[NobodyHere]

61. I wonder how DU would treat this

if it was a Republican that wrote it.

[treestar]

64. exactly. It is so amazing the hypocrisy

Suddenly Bernie is a saint who can do no wrong. Simply because he is not Hillary.

[treestar]

62. ...

The essay, published by the Vermont Freeman in 1972, discussed violent sexual fantasies.

In it, Sanders wrote that a man’s “typical fantasy” is “a woman tied up, a woman abused,” and that a woman “fantasizes being raped by 3 men simultaneously.”

Do you know why the newspapers with articles like 'Girl, 12, raped by 14 men' sell so well? To what in us are they appealing?" the essay asks.