Sanders supporters' courtship of Clinton superdelegates may be backfiring

[KitSileya]

BY LUCIANA LOPEZ

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-superdelegates-idUSMTZSAPEC2TAP0RGD

Backers of Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders have launched a campaign to win over some of his rival Hillary Clinton's most prized supporters - the superdelegates that can make the difference in a tight race for the party's nomination.

But some emails, phone messages, and petitions sent by the Sanders boosters have backfired, upsetting superdelegates with their aggressive tone and leading many to dig in their heels for Clinton, according to interviews conducted by Reuters.
...
Interviews with 10 of the 505 super delegates supporting Clinton Reuters has reached show that nine of them have been approached by people purporting to back Sanders, and nearly all were displeased by the tone of the outreach.
...
While it is unclear who is directing some of the calls and emails to Clinton's superdelegates, Seattle resident Justin Renquist has pushed for some of the outreach, although he stressed that such contacts needed to be civil. Renquist calls himself part of the “Superdelegate Task Force Army” that rallies Sanders supporters to reach superdelegates via Facebook, Twitter and other means.

So they're harassing other superdelegates now, not just Elizabeth Warren. As all of us here at the HRC Group can attest to, harassment really works to change people's minds...not! So much for a civil campaign.

[fun n serious]

1. Yes. I won't post names as to not get them harassed..

I noticed some verified Senator accounts talking about it today. They seemed disgusted.

[KitSileya]

2. Yeah, it really is harassment. If you go to their facebook accounts,

you'll find hundreds of posts saying the same things. And it's so hypocritical, too. They don't have a problem with Grayson, Grijalva, and Turner supporting Sanders, even though their districts went for Clinton. There's always a reason why the SDs that support Clinton should switch, but not those who support Sanders. Whenever it's pointed out that they're being hypocritical, they change their reason, and that's when they end up saying racist, sexist things.

[pandr32]

26. Thanks for making this point!

[SCantiGOP]

47. But he has a mystical bird on his podium

Some of those posts were very strange. One even linked him to another Jewish socialist from 2,000 years ago who was also loved by animals. Twilight Zone material.

[Firebrand Gary]

3. Sander's tone itself is the problem.

Some of his DU supporters, surrogates and boosters are taking their cue from the top. His message is increasingly sour towards Clinton. His recent negative firestorm against George and Amal Clooney were way out of step!

[fun n serious]

4. Especially since

She raised money for down ticket dems. Sanders has nt done that ever and won't.

[Firebrand Gary]

5. Yea, I agree.

He spouts this whole political revolution, says that he needs people to help him achieve it, then does nothing to assist them. That's not leadership, that's pandering.

[LiberalFighter]

30. Bernie is not interested in electing other Democrats.

Just using the Party for his own purpose.

[KitSileya]

6. Yes, it's quite clear that these people are getting their cues from Sanders himself.

He doesn't understand that it just makes him seem more teaparty-like. He has nothing substantive to say, only invented smears. And he's not even making up his own smears, he's just following Karl Rove and the rabid right!

[KittyWampus]

21. the TeaParty reference is what came to my mind as well.

Clinton AND her supporters have to be the adults in the room.

I trashed GDP for that reason. It's nearly impossible to have civil discourse there and it was too easy to get drawn into nonsense.

[BlueMTexpat]

34. Although I have always been a Hillary

supporter this time around, I was initially excited by Senator Sander's candidacy. Then I saw how it was sucking literally ALL the air from the campaign of my former governor, M'OM, who is every bit as "progressive" as Bernie, but who has actually "walked the walk" in so many ways that Bernie himself has not.

Still, I could understand the enthusiasm and appeal of someone pointing out what so many of us have known for a long time: how the system itself is rigged. But when I realized that was literally all he talks about and that his "plan" is for the people to rise up and "revolt" - which is not going to happen in any meaningful change-making way, it became clear that he really doesn't have a clue how to make things happen other than to draw huge crowds of people who are enthusiastic about his message. He also does not have meaningful support from his House and Senate colleagues, and he would need every bit of such support to accomplish anything at all.

Even those massive and enthusiastic crowds did not translate into actual popular support for the most part, with the exception of MI, which may have been an anomaly. I omit caucus states, even where Hillary won, because they are not as good an expression of popular support as primaries are. That is not only my opinion, btw.

But recently, it has become clear that Bernie is not at all displeased by the tone of his more radical supporters because he has done nothing to squelch their actions. In some ways, he has tacitly endorsed those actions.

My initial admiration has greatly diminished and I now view him as just another politician who has fallen in love with his own vision of himself. In the highly unlikely event that he does become the Dem candidate, I will certainly support him over any GOPer.

But both my head AND my heart wholeheartedly belong with Hillary and will stay there. The behavior and tone of some of his more radical supporters have ensured that beyond any doubt.

[shadowandblossom]

41. Your comment would make a great post on it's own.

I'm glad I ran across it. Thanks for sharing your evolution in perspective. For me the double standards with Clinton started grating on me right away and it sort of reminded me of ways structural sexism has played into my own experiences. Seeing some of these same forces playing out around her, though it is hard for me to articulate, has really galvanized my support for her. It isn't why I support her, it's just made my support stronger.

I was never really taken with Sanders, myself. He immediately had a credibility problem with me and I quickly came to dislike how he shouts all the time and makes faces and shakes his finger. I find his view too black and white, and overly simple... Maybe it's deeper outside of campaigning, but he failed to persuade me of that. I felt he was dismissive of things that fell outside of his passions and sort of too narrow in scope. I have problems with several of his votes, but instead of taking responsibility for their consequences he always has an excuse. One thing I do like about his platform is that single payer sounds like a nice, simpler, way of getting everyone access to healthcare, and parts of single-payer are attractive, but he also seems less credible and capable of forwarding that agenda toward universal coverage than she is. It doesn't have to be single-payer. It's fine with me if we manage it through other means. I think Germany uses an insurance based system that covers everyone and it seems that's the direction we're heading in.

I feel he's less able to work anything through congress. I don't like how every time someone doesn't wholeheartedly buy every ounce of what he's selling they're labeled as establishment. I don't watching so many people being labeled evil, incompetent, or sellouts for not falling into line. I feel like he is full of empty promises, and presents a false dichotomy between Clinton and himself. There are a lot of things that bother me... I've also been put off by the censorship and abusiveness coming from supporters and the way he seems to stoke their resentment rather encouraging people to hold to higher ideals. Some people won't, but it's stands out since so many of us have been so vocal about the problem that he continues to ignore. I would respect him far more if he did. As it is, even now, there are some things I respect about him, although he may bern that up. We'll see.

I don't know that he sees anything beyond the scope of his agenda... and there's a bigger picture out there. I remember seeing an interview where someone said she is running a campaign and he is running a crusade. I thought that was a good way of putting it.

[BlueMTexpat]

45. Your comment is the one that

would make an excellent OP on its own. You have described some of my sentiments exactly and I warrant that there are plenty of people who feel the same way. That certainly shows in the popular votes as well.

Thank you for articulating them so well.

[shadowandblossom]

46. aw thanks... :)

I just wanted to bring it up to that same level you were bringing to the board.

[Thinkingabout]

7. It just may start to have an opposite undesired result. The SD are current

Or past officials, they talk to each other, word gets around.

[KitSileya]

8. Yeah, BS supporters apparently think that harassment will change people to support BS

That doesn't seem very likely to me, but what do I know, I'm just a HRC supporter.

[LiberalFighter]

31. Nina Turner is very good at being abrasive.

[Cha]

9. Not just us.. ask anyone they've ever harassed if it brought them around to seeing it their way.

Thank you, Kit~

[Her Sister]

17. nah! opposite!

Made me double down and be SO READY FOR HER!!

[Treant]

25. Ditto.

I've doubled down so many times that I think I'm two hundred and fifty six-downing it at this point.

[BlueMTexpat]

35. Me too, LOL! eom

[Cha]

49. they actually lost supporters for BS with their harassing.

[Renew Deal]

10. The problem with this story is that it's believable

[KitSileya]

11. Um, huh? Despite the ardent protests of some here on DU

The harassment of Elizabeth Warren was done by BS supporters. The berniebros aren't Clinton operatives in disguise. Many of them are GamerGaters, and they are using the tactics they used to hound women in gaming on superdelegates and other HRC supporters. There's a bunch of ordinary BS supporters mixed in, people who don't bother to read the 600+ other messages to the SDs Facebook posts and think their voice will be the tipping point. They don't see that commenting on each and every post on their Facebook pages with veiled threats and berating admonitions is tantamount to harassment.

Based on the behavior of BS supporters both online and in real life, it is obvious that this story is more than believable.

[GusBob]

38. Yeah one knew this was happening without reading about it

They only talked to a few SD's. Its probably worse than reported here.

[Renew Deal]

39. I wonder if they talked to Al Franken

He's got a very similar story to tell...

[beachbum bob]

12. harrassing and threatening won't work with voters or superdelegates...

the zealotry of sanders supporters is becoming more "teaparty like" than any group in the democratic circle...and we longtime democrats just won't tolerate it and let our party be over run with it

[Trenzalore]

13. Super Delegate Task Force Army

What could go wrong telling your most ardent Kool-Aid drinking supporters to reach out to elected officials on social media?

[KitSileya]

14. Yeah, and it's not like they don't know how these berniebros behave.

No excuse whatsoever - even if they're not officially sanctioned, Bernie should tell them to lay off the harassment. And he has to be specific, because otherwise they'll think it's not meant for them. After all, all the horrible stuff is done by sooopersekrit Clinton operatives.

[NastyRiffraff]

22. AND calling it an Army!

The Kook-Aid brigade is already edging towards violence.

[cosmicone]

15. I hope some overzealous people don't start kidnapping superdelegates' children

for ransom

[KitSileya]

16. LOL I doubt they'll take it that far.

Plenty of comments online, mail at home, even some ambushing when they are out. But not kidnapping.

[dlwickham]

28. don't give them ideas

who knows how far some bern bros would go for their messiah

[Her Sister]

18. Let others do your dirty work for you

Sanders, who knew LaPierre and the NRA were waiting in the wings, told an aide to let others “‘do our dirty work for us.’”

http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2016/3/3/bernie-sanders-phony-revolution-sellout


READY FOR HER!

[stopbush]

19. The most-dangerous aspect of Bernie's messiah complex

is that he has convinced himself that his revolution is sitting there waiting for him, percolating just beneath the surface. All it needs is his magic touch to erupt like a volcano, bathing the political world in lava and ash.

He truly believes that these D super delegates are people who only support Hillary because they have been beaten into line by an evil political system deivsed and controlled by "the billionaires." Just like the general public, these pols are waiting for their messiah to arrive. They await the person who will free them and allow them to finally cast the pure and honrable vote they have been afraid to cast their entire political lives. How fortunate they are that the messiah HAS arrived, and arrived not only in the lifetimes, but during an election year!

All worship then to Bernie Sanders, savior of mankind!

[DemonGoddess]

24. there's a post on one of the SD's FB page that shows

the messiah complex and its fruit

It's hard to get excited about the Hillary victory in AZ. When she beats the Republican in the general election, that will be something to celebrate, because it means we get to keep functioning as a country. But beating Bernie in the primary? It's like she beat Jesus. yay.
1 · March 23 at 12:07pm

4th comment down
[link:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153727301948005&set=a.44903623004.56945.531998004&type=3&theater|

[Stand and Fight]

40. Insanity. These people are nuts.

Even if I was a supporter and someone said that, I -- even as a liberal Christian -- consider such talk blasphemy at worst and teetering on madness at best.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

44. Wow

As I said on another thread that's since been hidden, I don't remember Obama's supporters (and I count myself as one) acting this way in 2008. This is some creepy stuff.

[Her Sister]

20. yuck! eek!

On the voice mail, heard by Reuters, the anonymous male caller says: “I think it’s crap that you get to vote whichever way you want... I’ll be watching your vote.”

“I’m not easily frightened,” Framer told Reuters. “I’m not going to change a vote over threats.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-superdelegates-idUSMTZSAPEC2TAP0RGD

HRC GROUP HERE!!

[book_worm]

23. Why should Super Delegates jump ship anyway

Bernie has proved he can win caucuses in lily white states where relatively few have turned out while Hillary has won most primaries and in states with diverse populations. She has won such states that are considered swing states like Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa and Missouri.

It's just the way the calendar was drawn that Bernie gets several victories in a row in a bunch of caucuses. Now the calendar will swing and HRC should get several victories in upcoming primaries.

[Trenzalore]

27. One thing that is telling

He has no friends in DC after 30 years. Not one senator will go out on a limb for him.

[KitSileya]

48. And less than half of the reps that have endorsed him,

Last edited Tue Mar 29, 2016, 01:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Served with him in the House. Only Kaptur, Grijalva, and Peterson were in office at the same time as him, while Grayson (2009), Ellison (2011), Welch (2007), and Gabbard (2013) haven't worked with him as a peer.


Edited to remove Jared Polis (D-CO) from the list, as he was mistakenly attributed as a Sanders SD in the wikipedia list. He is now correctly credited as a Clinton endorser.

[Treant]

29. That's not helpful

Harassing the supers just means they'll dig deeper, and won't even consider a Bernie vote even if he's slightly in the lead in terms of pledged delegates AND number of votes received.

At this point, I'd say he has to be ahead in both for them to even start moving to him...and I'd expect the most annoyed supers to abstain instead of voting for him.

[LiberalFighter]

33. The way I see it.

They don't see him as a Democrat or part of the Democratic Party.

It wasn't until this election that he is now one of the superdelegates. He wasn't in 2008 or 2012 even though he was a Senator. He has declared himself as a Democrat in the Senate even now.

[Treant]

37. I agree.

He attracts no loyalty due to his party--since he's not a D. They're disinclined to support that, so they probably won't unless they absolutely have to.

[Basic LA]

32. When Berners "reach out" to you...

...you feel like you've been mugged.

[MSMITH33156]

36. This whole thing is hilarious

from chastising superdelegates as the evil in this system to now threatening them if they don't support the minority vote getting candidate.

They don't want democracy or a fair process. Situational ethics.

[DemonGoddess]

43. nope

they want a theocracy