Hell freezes over, Penn Jillette likes Bernie's campaign video more than anyone else.

[joshcryer]

Penn Jillette: What shocked me about the campaign videos

All that being said -- if I had nothing to go on other than these announcements, Bernie would have my vote wrapped up. I'm shocked by that. I've always just dismissed him as not my kind of nut. But checking my heart, it seems I'd rather have ideas that I disagree with then no ideas at all. He doesn't look like he's selling peanut butter or douche. He doesn't sound like he's selling a Marvel comics movie. He seems like he wants to talk about how we should govern ourselves and he knows we can disagree without being evil.

If these candidates are my only choices (and they are not!), I would vote for Bernie if for no other reason than he didn't offer me hope, and he didn't make me feel that if I voted for him, I would win something. He made me feel like we should talk about government.

I have no idea how these videos will affect the people, but I was shocked by how they affected this one person.

Bernie? That's gotta change, right?

I'm gobsmacked.

Note: Penn is a hardcore libertarian. He's not typically a source for political commentary that anyone here (and on DU as a whole) would agree with. I just think it's great that he was inspired by Sanders' campaign video.

[TM99]

1. Excellent!

I have had just these types of conversation in the last week with hardcore libertarian friends. If Jillette is speaking like this, it will influence many to vote for Sanders. And thus a coalition is forming of we, the pissed off people, who demand more from our politicians than 'Hope and Change' and rainbow colored logos after finally waking up to civil rights for LGBT people. Empty rhetoric is just that...empty.

[joshcryer]

2. I think this bodes well for Sanders.

I think Rand Paul is two screws loose from being completely ostracized by libertarians. His pandering to conservatives has turned off libertarians. So if they can't get someone they can agree with on economy then they can go for someone they agree with on the MIC and spying. Sanders is a straight talker, and that also appeals to libertarians.

[TBF]

12. "pissed off people"

there are a lot of us. I welcome the libertarian votes.

[BrotherIvan]

3. I see a lot of libertarians on the reddit thread

He is good on drugs, good on war, good on spying and good on guns (their thing not mine). So the ten or so libertarians might go for him. I think a lot of people will take a look at Bernie if given a chance. I LOVE that he's doing all the tv he can while Clinton stays mum.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Back when Democrats represented the working class they had a lock on the entire country....

That's why Republicans started the stupid wedge issue crap.

They don't give a DAMN about things like abortion, they just use it to claim the "Demoncrats" are giving blood offerings to Satan. They're playing percentages hoping to get some sucker to vote for the same guy as their boss.

[joshcryer]

8. It cracks me up how Rand Paul is invoking the wedge issue crap.

Even Jeb isn't going there, because I suspect he knows it's a losing issue at this point. Hell, Jeb's immigration platform is basically Obama's in 2008. That's hilarious to me.

Sanders is far beyond any of the Democratic contenders, essentially ahead of the party on issues that matter.

[Enthusiast]

5. People are desperate for honesty. We have seen the alternative and what it does to the nation.

[MisterP]

6. he's a creepy Objectivist/corpo shill (but at least he has followers)

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Penn_and_Teller

[joshcryer]

7. Yeah, I only saw this in Google News feeds.

I'm not a fan but I respect him because he tries to be reasonable and kind (he lost 100lbs recently, and as someone with weight loss issues, going from 175 to 210 and back to 175, I respect that; it's a tough battle and I've been following his progress). But I was utterly shocked when I saw this in Google News and read his editorial. The last thing I expected was that Penn was most impressed by Sanders.

[joshcryer]

9. LOL, Reason.com even losing it:

http://reason.com/blog/2015/05/11/youll-never-guess-which-2016-candidate-p

Penn Jillette is kind of their hero. Hilarious.

[stillwaiting]

10. Poster screaming that Bernie would be horrible because:

" The only SC justices he'd be interested in would be the kind that let the New Deal happen. Do you think putting FDR back in charge would also be fantastic?"

Yeah, that would be just horrible. Fucking horrible.

Interestingly, many of us agree around here that Bernie would lead and govern as such, and that's why we love him.

[joshcryer]

11. In the past few hours I've seen a push back.

Because Penn is their god and they are disillusioned. (No offense to Penn, like I said, I can agree to disagree on issues.) It's pathetic.

I think the "libertarians" against this are just idiotic conservatives who don't care about MIC or social issues. They are just against the government.

[TBF]

13. I think you're correct ~

I'm fine with appealing to libertarians. As you say the gun nutters & the like who are just interested in no one telling them what to do (which is really what they mean) will likely move on. But we will get back the disillusioned liberals who may have strayed over to that camp because of pot, drones, citizens united, etc ...

[joshcryer]

16. It annoys me to no end, the "talking points."

Sanders is in this, and he's in this to win it, and he has a damn good chance. As I've said before, he's going to surprise a lot of people in Iowa.

Sanders appeals to more people than some want to admit. I'm not saying it's a shoe in, but I absolutely refuse to say it's not happening. The naysayers can fuck off/

[IronLionZion]

14. In that case, let's throw Bernie under DU's bus!

[RoccoR5955]

15. This is what I have been seeing as well

A lot of libertarians and conservatives like Bernie because he is genuine, and honest. Not something seen today.

[L0oniX]

17. So he'll attract the "honesty vote". I like that.

[smokey nj]

18. That's the reason my sister who was brainwashed by Rush Limbaugh

likes Bernie.