Remember folks, the person who calls for more debates is always the one who is losing

[Cali_Democrat]

Losing candidates always need something that will dramatically shift the narrative. A game-changer, so to speak. Debates don't usually shift a race dramatically, but it is possible.

The reason why Bernie is crying for more debates is because he's behind. He knows the math. He knows that Obama's largest pledged delegate lead over Clinton in 2008 was 115 delegates. That obviously proved to be insurmountable. Meanwhile Hillary is up by about 250 pledged delegates and she's leading in the polls in most of the large states that will be voting over the next month.

Bernie and his campaign managers have been trying to paint a rosy picture, but deep down they know they're pretty much screwed. That's why they're whining for more debates.

[senz]

1. Remember folks, the person who thinks debates are for losers is cluelessly undemocratic.

[roguevalley]

29. I would love to see the data that supports the OP's assertion.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

68. The most consistent facet of a Hillarian is

How they make shit up.

it must be genetic. Or computer implants that destroy their ability to tell the truth.

[senz]

99. You've hit upon a basic truth, ChairmanAgnostic.

Hill is bad enough, but her followers just rub it in how outstandingly bad she is.

There are indeed people who do not give a damn about honesty and, afaic, they can all go to hell. Damned if I'll let them anywhere near the Oval Office.

[CorporatistNation]

92. Nope! Sorry! Many Times It Is The Candidate Who Wants The People To Be Informed... And Who Is...

CATCHING UP!

[TheBlackAdder]

98. Losers could also be people who feel the need to spam messages boards 24x7 with endless OPs!

[senz]

100. I consider them operatives, especially when their OPs are content free

like this one.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. That's gettin' out ahead of it for sure.

[morningfog]

3. You are wrong. He isn't "crying l" for more debates. They each agreed

to more debates already. Remember?

Back when Hillary was crying for a NH debate, they reached an agreement with the DNC that there would be four more debates. The April and May debates remain, pursuant to the agreement.

Bernie is not attempting to add more debates. Your op is premised in your misunderstandings. You are just wrong.

[hobbit709]

5. Facts are irrelevant in Hillary World.

[morningfog]

7. Apparently. I just wonder if the ignorance is willful.

[upaloopa]

6. They never agreed on a NY debate so you are wrong

[morningfog]

10. Can you fucking read?

Where did I say they agreed to NY. Good god y'all are thick.

[dchill]

78. I think Brian Fallon just did on "All Due Respect."

But I'm not that fluent in Clintonspeak.

[hack89]

14. So they can debate in April after the NY primary. Not a big deal nt

[morningfog]

15. We'll see. I bet Bernie wins this round and they debate in NY

before April 19.

[hack89]

18. Why? Hillary has nothing to gain pumping Bernie's tires

if he wants exposure, let him buy some ads. She has a nomination to win, not extend his campaign a potential lifeline.

[morningfog]

24. Like I said, we'll see.

She may have nothing to gain but that doesn't mean she'll win this fight.

[hack89]

30. Bernie has no leverage on her

there is not going to be an out cry from her supporters for a debate. With her lead in the NY polls she knows she can ignore Bernie with impunity.

[dogman]

44. More Hillary arrogance then?

She should not have agreed to debates then when it suited her. I thought she was trying to build her credibility.

[hack89]

55. No - she is trying to beat Bernie, not help him.

I personally know the frustration of backing a losing candidate - I have been voting for decades. But don't personalize it and lose track of reality - this is a contested election and Hillary has no obligation to throw his campaign a potential lifeline.

[dogman]

57. So lying will accomplish that?

She agreed to a debate. Is this part of her outreach to Bernie supporters? I might add her spokesperson on tv this afternoon said there will be a debate.

[hack89]

63. And I am sure there will be an April debate

just not in NY and not before the primary. It's not complicated. The agreement was simply for a debate in April. It is still March.

[dogman]

66. I think the media and people of New York will determine that.

She can't afford to alienate New Yorkers at this time.

[hack89]

67. I doubt it

so all those people that are telling pollsters that they support her in overwhelming numbers are going to change their minds and vote for Bernie over this? Dream on.


New Yorkers understand bare knuckle politics.

[dogman]

94. http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/03/29/sanders-clinton-set-for-ny-debate.html

[morningfog]

89. Too bad we didn't put money on it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511605935#post17

Bernie didn't need leverage, optics all but guaranteed Hillary would acquiesce.

[edgineered]

40. +1 n/t

[upaloopa]

4. So Bernie wants to stand in front of Wall Street and call out

the employees who contributed to Hillary and insinuate that she and they are corrupt?

[hobbit709]

8. No insinuation at all about the truth.

Where are the transcripts?

[upaloopa]

12. You will never get transcripts losers can't be choosers

[hobbit709]

16. You're the loser. I can still face myself in the mirror and know I didn't sell out to expediency.

[elias7]

62. Wow, never thought I'd read such a statement on DU

Have you become lost?

[Bluenorthwest]

32. Thousands of Americans have stood outside Wall St and protested their crimes. ACT UP had their first

AIDS action at Wall St, during the time of Reagan's Great Silence, when Hillary claims Reagan was being an AIDS hero, there were yearly protests at Wall St targeting the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Hundred were arrested. And of course the Yippees before and Occupy since make protesting Wall St something of a Democratic tradition.

[JudyM]

9. Ok, do you have a point besides rubbing our face in it?

[morningfog]

13. The OP is factual wrong.

And their snideness undounded.

[nc4bo]

104. OP may have had a point except in '07-'08 there were over 20 +/- compared to 6 in '16.

Sanders has every damn right to want more debates against Ms. Inevitable and poor Martin O'Malley never had a chance with the DNCs 6 scheduled for 2016 which was a damn shame.

How quickly Hillary and her supporters forget.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. The one who refuses has the most to lose.

[jg10003]

17. There's a big difference between 2008 and now

On this day in 2008 46 out of 56 primaries & caucuses had already been held, including CA, NY, NJ, and WI. None of those states have voted yet, and only 35 out of 57 contests have been held.

P.S; Clinton leads by 228 pledged delegates.

[Cali_Democrat]

19. Then Bernie's got it in the bag right?

Nothing to see here.

Move along.

[jg10003]

38. I didn't say that. But Bernie is in a much better position then HRC was on this day in 2008

[blueintelligentsia]

20. And the winning candidate always asks them to tone it down....n/t

[NWCorona]

21. That's just flat out wrong!

There's two more official debates scheduled.

He's not asking for more debates.

[Cali_Democrat]

23. What dates were they scheduled? nt

[NWCorona]

25. One in April and one in May

[Cali_Democrat]

28. Link to the dates and times please. nt

[NWCorona]

35. Here you go

NINTH DEBATE

Date: April 2016

Location: TBD



TENTH DEBATE

Date: May 2016

Location: TBD

https://www.democrats.org/more/the-2016-primary-debate-schedule

[Cali_Democrat]

39. That doesn't look to me like the debates were officially scheduled

No exact dates.

No exact times.

No exact locations.

[NWCorona]

52. I figured that would be your response.

They are on the official calendar so yes they are scheduled debates.

If my boss told me that we had an important meeting in July but it's TBD. I'd plan on having my calendar free.

[Cali_Democrat]

61. I wouldn't.

I'd tell my boss I can't make any commitments until I have an exact date.

[NWCorona]

64. Ok then

[Bluenorthwest]

22. Remember folks, the person trying to evade debates formerly said this about Presidential debates:

"Honestly, I mean, I just believe that this is the most important job in the world, it’s the toughest job in the world. You should be willing to campaign for every vote. You should be willing to debate anytime, anywhere. I think it’s an interesting juxtaposition, where we find ourselves. And, you know, I have been willing to do all of that, during the entire process, and people have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa.”

Anytime, anywhere, they've been trying to push me out since Iowa!!!!!!!


So she's had both views and presented them both with great certainty depending on which served herself in the moment. Exactly what Americans look for in a President.

[TheCowsCameHome]

26. What hypocrite said that?

[Bluenorthwest]

37. That was Hillary, but it was back in the olden times of 2008 when the Presidency was a very

important job and those standing for it could not expect to just stroll into the office.

[TheCowsCameHome]

42. Oh, Gawd, '08? That was waaaaay before my time.

That must've been a different Hillary Clinton.

[Bluenorthwest]

51. Super long time ago, historic materials. Back then being President was very important and debates

mattered. Can you imagine such a quaint world as that? Antiquity!

[Jackie Wilson Said]

36. Politicians who are ahead, dont debate, this applies to all of them.

Reverse the names and you and other Bernie supporters would be criticizing X and the Hillary people would be criticizing Y, etc.

Boring...

Different day, same crap.

Cant wait for this to be over and get to the headliner, regardless which one of them wins.

[Bluenorthwest]

47. Hillary said anyone standing for that office should be willing to debate anytime, anywhere. Now she

ways otherwise. This is not about me, nor about Bernie. It's about the fact that she takes the reverse position after claiming her initial position was the only righteous one to hold.

Then she stated that this was her belief: "I just believe that this is the most important job in the world, it’s the toughest job in the world. You should be willing to campaign for every vote. You should be willing to debate anytime, anywhere."

Now she no longer thinks the job is that important, not so tough that a person should be willing to debate anywhere and anytime. She used to believe that, apparently she no longer does. Not sure what it is she believes this year instead, but clearly it's not that.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

54. She must have said that when she was behind.

You are obviously intelligent and have been around, you know the game they all play.

Would Bernie now not want to debate if he was ahead? Who knows, he is a unique duck, for sure.

But comparing Hillary to him is ridiculous when Bernie is one of a kind when compared to ALL other politicians.

That is what is so untenable about the Bernie or Bust idea, to hold the Bernie ideal up makes no sense when ALL (just about all anyway) others are typical politicians.

Which is why I support Bernie but will support Hillary if I have to.

Makes perfect sense, if you are able to admit it.

[Bluenorthwest]

87. She is doing the debate. So pointing out her hypocrisy seems to have been effective.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511605935#post34

[emulatorloo]

84. She was losing to Obama then

[Karmadillo]

27. So what? The people shouldn't get to hear candidates debating the issues b/c Hillary is afraid of

losing her lead? Democracy at its finest!

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

31. Wasn't it Hillary Clinton who begged Bernie for more debates...

Which is why we now have the 4 additional debates.

[NanceGreggs]

81. Uh, nope.

https://go.berniesanders.com/page/s/more-debates

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

82. How you Hillarians love to rewrite history, explains how you can ignore all her flip flops...

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/01/27/bernie-sanders-agree-nh-debate-hillary-clinton-commits-3-debates.html

[NanceGreggs]

85. Rewriting history?

You're the one who said that "Hillary Clinton begged Bernie for more debates, which is why we now have the 4 additional debates."

If Hillary was the one "begging for more debates", why did Bernie start a petition asking for more?

"Sign my petition and tell Secretary Clinton to encourage the Democratic National Committee to schedule more debates before the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire primary in February and to allow important constituencies within the Democratic Party to host their own debates."

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

88. I guess numbers ain't too good...

She agreed to the pre-NY debate

[NanceGreggs]

97. What numbers would those be?

The numbers the rest of us are looking at put HRC clearly in the lead.

Oh, and would this be another one of those debates that "Hillary begged for"?

[daleanime]

33. And the person who tries to weasel out of their commitments?

[virtualobserver]

41. I think that they call that running scared

If one poll shows Bernie dramatically closing the gap......Hillary will declare Bernie's "tone" sufficiently changed.

[TheCowsCameHome]

45. Roy Orbison made a hit tune out of that

Did he know Hillary, I wonder?

[Nye Bevan]

43. Politics 101. If Bernie had Hillary's lead he wouldn't be asking for extra debates,

and Hillary supporters would be calling him "chicken". The disingenuous outrage is quite amusing.

[dogman]

46. If he agreed to a debate, I believe he would do it.

He has integrity.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

70. Precisely. And she has none.

And that is speaking from personal experience.

[Vinca]

49. If her lead is so overwhelming, what's she afraid of?

Given the Internet eruption over this - turning her into a joke - it would seem she would probably be better off debating him, tone or no tone. If she can't stand up to Bernie, how's she going to stand up to Vlad?

[Nye Bevan]

58. Almost nobody knows, or cares, about the primary debate schedule.

At this point Hillary's campaign's calculations obviously are that the risk of Bernie coming up with a game-changing performance or one-liner in an extra debate is more than the risk of her appearing to be afraid. And that is probably correct as I'm not seeing much outrage about the lack of debates out there in the real world as opposed to among Bernie supporters on the internet.

[winter is coming]

86. He's not asking for extra debates. These "extra debates" were agreed to by

both campaigns back when Hillary wanted to add a debate before New Hampshire. She got what she wanted, and now she's trying to weasel out of the commitment she made.

[Metric System]

48. This is very true. I remember Hillary wanted more debates in 2008 and Team Obama was like NOPE!

[4ricksren]

50. Why is Hillary afraid to debate a candidate who just won five landslide victories against her? nt

[revbones]

53. So the Democratic party base is losing?

Because it was pretty much a lot of the base calling for more debates for a long time.

I think most people wanted more debates.

[choie]

56. And the ones that don't

Are feeling threatened. It amazes me that you Clinton supporters want to refuse the right of the populace to see more debates. It says everything about you and your candidate.

[Dem2]

59. Of course

this is politics 101 and common sense.

I'm sure very few of the exclusive supporters for one side agreed with you, even in principal.

[grntuscarora]

60. Well, sure. Like Hillary was losing NH and requested a debate.

And her opponents graciously agreed.

Really, the smug arrogance and selective memory of the HRC campaign is more than a little irritating.

[elias7]

65. "Crying" and "whining"... You guys are out "bro"-ing the bros

It's the HRC supporters that are all about the snark at this point. Take a look in the mirror.

[DetroitSocialist83]

69. Debate-Ducking Hillary Clinton in ’08: Candidates Should Be Tough Enough to Debate “Anytime, Anywher

Debate-Ducking Hillary Clinton in ’08: Candidates Should Be Tough Enough to Debate “Anytime, Anywhere”

[Cali_Democrat]

71. ....and you just proved the point of my OP.

She was losing in 2008 when she wanted more debates.

Bernie is losing now so he wants more debates.

Politics 101.

[AzDar]

72. El.Oh.El. $Hillary AGREED to more debates when she was begging for more from Bernie...

[Cali_Democrat]

73. Now she's telling Bernie to go pound sand...

[AzDar]

74. Most politicians at LEAST wait until they get elected to break promises... not Hillary.

[Dawson Leery]

77. As she should.

I too am telling Bernie to "go pound sand".

[whatchamacallit]

75. She's an empty pantsuit

hoping to coast into the White House on her establishment advantages.

[Dawson Leery]

76. Usually. In Berns case he is certainly behind.

He may get something small out of Wisconsin or not, then he falls further behind in late April

[amborin]

79. false; the person who wants debates is the person who wants democracy; they want the public

involved in the process

[Warren DeMontague]

80. That time again?

[rock]

83. I didn't have to be told

The winning one does not need a debate. It can't help, only hurt. One needs a pretty good reason to want to upset a situation where you have the political upper hand. Harsh and rude perhaps but why would anyone have trouble understanding it?

[Bluenorthwest]

93. Your comment and many others is very interesting in light of Hillary's agreeing to do the debate....

Not so much hand in those internals?

[ibegurpard]

90. Is this more Hillary math?

[Tarc]

91. Sanders is spending money as fast as it comes in

All another debate serves at this point is free advertising.

[dogman]

95. For both of them, that's why she is doing it too.

Why would you let Rump and the GOP get the free media? I should hope he is spending it, only a crook would leave with a stash of cash on hand.

[beedle]

96. The person who calls for more debates

is the voter that wants to hear the candidates clarify their policies.

I hope Hillary refuses ... that's as much as admitting that you don't care about the voters.


Which is basically the difference between the Sanders & Clinton campaigns.

Sanders wants to talk to the voters, Clinton wants to protect her lead and political career,

[AgerolanAmerican]

101. Calling for debates correlates with corporate media censorship

of course candidates who are typically shunned by the corporate media are going to want more debates

whereas candidates who are loved by corporate media aren't going to want them at all

the question is really, do YOU want to hear it straight from the horses's mouth, or are you content to let the corporate media filter your information for you?

[redstateblues]

102. Why would you debate someone who has lied about going negative?

[Silver_Witch]

103. ha ha ha ha

That is funny. Oh you weren't kidding. Oppps my bad!