Did CNN Stack the Audience Against Bernie Sanders at His Town Hall?

[PADemD]

There were a bunch of audience members who are far more active in politics than CNN disclosed. Watching the town hall live made it seem as if these were just folks from all walks of life, when in reality many of these supposedly innocuous questioners were political operatives in one way or another, as this thread revealed.

— CNN called Tara Ebersole a “former biology professor” when her LinkedIn page lists her current job description as “Chair, Baltimore County Democratic Party” since 2016. Further, her husband was part of Hillary Clinton's leadership council in Baltimore in 2016.

— Abena McAllister was labeled “an active Democrat,” which is far less descriptive than the Charles County Democratic Central Committee's description of her as their Chair.

— Yunjung Seo was simply called a “George Washington Student” by CNN, despite her LinkedIn page saying she also works for the Katz Watson Group, a fundraising and consulting outlet.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/02/did-cnn-stack-the-audience-for-bernies-town-hall-l.html

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Typical CNN... why no one watches them anymore.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[emulatorloo]

21. Like it or not, all our candidates will be asked difficult questions about policy and transparency

Which is as it should be. They will need to be prepared.

President is a tough job.

[BannonsLiver]

28. Hmm now where have I heard that kind of rhetoric before?

Hmmmm, I’m sure it’ll come to me.

[Amimnoch]

171. Careful my friend.

Totally agree with you, but will get hides for comments like that. I got 2x for making what seemed like such an obvious observation.

[jrthin]

34. Poor Bernie, always someone elses' fault why

he's unable to answer the tough questions that every other candidate has to answer. A cake walk 2020 will not be for him.

[NurseJackie]

37. LOL! What's next? Complaints about the "Failing New York Times"

Typical CNN... why no one watches them anymore.

LOL! What's next? Complaints about the "Failing New York Times"

[Amimnoch]

173. Right?

[workinclasszero]

47. CNN is such a joke anymore

They just hired a GOP shill to run their political coverage up to 2020.

And now planting democrats with an axe to grind in the audience to trip up/take out Bernie!

This underhanded garbage just plays right into the narrative about the news media and the major political parties trying to stop an outsider at all costs by rigging the game.

I wish we could just debate issues and leave it up to the voters but somebody always wants to put their thumb on the scale.

This is really stupid and will only fire up Bernie supporters even more. Oh well.

[BannonsLiver]

54. Bernie's getting vetted.

No free rides this time around. You might want to avert your eyes if it’s too hard to watch.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

114. OMG!!! Well that does it... it's over!! Return the record campaign contributions...

and tell the record number of volunteer campaign workers to pack up their things... it was fun while it lasted though.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[George II]

145. Are you re-fighting the 2016 primary?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

67. You're so right wcz!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hortensis]

150. CNN televised Sanders' forum. Just how much help

should the press give a single candidate in a democracy, InA?

Sanders has been a professional politician for 40 years. I didn't watch, but it really sounds like he didn't have good answers to questions he really should have. Blame him, not CNN.

It doesn't matter who asks valid questions. He needs to be able to address issues raised by informed citizens as well as by those who want to be assured healthcare will pay to scrape their bunions.

[redstateblues]

70. Yeah. Fake news!

[Progressive dog]

81. Apparently, CNN was willing to give Bernie a free forum

Maybe Bernie doesn't think no one watches CNN.

[radical noodle]

113. What goes around

... comes around. Do unto others. Karma.

He won't have an easy ride this time.

[George II]

143. I watch CNN for hours every night.

[Stand and Fight]

177. You're sounding a lot like the MAGA people...

Sometimes reality doesn't work out to our liking.

[ehrnst]

209. Can someone tell Bernie?

He agreed to go on.... I guess he doesn't know?

[PubliusEnigma]

2. What happened? Did Bernie not do well?

[Cha]

6. The questions too tough?

[Blue_true]

20. Maybe. But Bernie should expect to get vetted this time around. nt

[redstatebluegirl]

27. Yep...

[comradebillyboy]

32. He won't like that.

[Cha]

33. Yeah, this ain't softball no more.

[BannonsLiver]

52. Bernie stumbled badly and the ratings were bad.

Now his supporters believe it was all a conspiracy to make Bernie look bad and that everyone is out to get him. Stop me if you’ve heard this before...

[Nanjeanne]

130. Actually his ratings were better than Klobachur but less than Harris. His townhall aired 8 pm (5 pm

West Coast) while the others aired at the better time of 10 pm (7 pm on West Coast).

[Nanjeanne]

134. Sorry I don't speak GIFs.

[Nanjeanne]

136. I guess I don't speak Rudeness either. But I do speak Facts.

Harris was just under 2 million
Sanders was 1.4 million
Klobachur was 1.15 million
Schultz was 1.02

Sanders aired at 8 pm EST which is 5 PM on the West Coast
Others were 10 pm EST which is 7 pm on West Coast.

I don’t personally care about ratings and don’t see comparing different time frames as important in how I choose a candidate. I watched them all except Schultz. But I live on East Coast so didn’t have to deal with work conflicts. But since you do care I thought I’d provide actual numbers for people who care about it.

https://deadline.com/2019/02/bernie-sanders-town-hall-ratings-kamala-harris-cnn-1202565389/

Thanks for the Pro tip though. I love the movie Gaslight.

[BannonsLiver]

137. The east-west time zone theory has been debunked

Significantly more people live in the eastern time zone than in the west so the opportunity for Bernie was there but he just couldn’t deliver. Maybe the appeal is wearing off?

But even accepting the goal post moving theory you are espousing, it’s funny to see a Sanders supporter trumpeting the besting of Klobuchar as some sort of feat, especially for the “most popular politician in America” (according to one of his more enthusiastic supporters here on DU.)

[Nanjeanne]

138. Sorry you really have some deep seated issues. I'm espousing nothing. I gave you some

facts with no comment.

The 8 or 10 pm issue is also a fact. 5 pm is a tough time for people to turn into television. 6 pm MT ain’t easy either. That’s common sense.

Whining? As I said it doesn’t affect my choices and I don’t care about ratings. You seem too.

I’m not even sure why I’m responding to your silliness. I guess I keep thinking rational thought counts for something. My mistake. I need to learn. Thanks for showing me that it’s kind of futile with some people. Appreciate it.

[George II]

147. Businesses and offices on the west coast operate differently than on the east coast. Many....

....have adjusted their day shift to conform with the east coast (i.e.,. 6AM - 3PM)

For 15+ years I worked on the east coast for a company headquartered in southern California. When out there I reported to work around 6AM, and the place closed at 3PM.

[George II]

146. There are three times as many people in the Eastern time zone than the Pacific time zone:

150 million vs. 53 million - close to half of ALL Americans live in the Eastern time zone, and 77% of all Americans live in the Eastern and Central time zones.

Many people in the Pacific time zone are already home by 5PM, many businesses and offices begin work at 6AM to extend their interaction with the majority of the people in the country.

The time frame isn't the reason the ratings were less than Harris'.

[honest.abe]

196. Im in bed by 10pm.

As many are on the east coast. How is that a better time than 8pm??

[Demsrule86]

142. This is why wish Sanders had not run...he will be the victim in in his supporters eyes...and

someone else will be blamed...like other candidates or the Party.

[NastyRiffraff]

217. He completely blew it

Hedged, stammered, at questions he should have anticipated. Most of them weren't even all that tough. After TWO YEARS he should have been able to easily answer a question about his tax returns, but his answer was pathetic.

[wasupaloopa]

3. What a Democrat asking a sometimes Democrat a question? Oh my stars and guarders!

Next it will be the DCC and the DNC and the DNA


Stand on your feet! This is politics!

[Cha]

8. Not friggin softball or bean bags.

[PupCamo]

26. it's garters

I think

[Cha]

4. So what? Activists can't ask questions?

Were the questions too tough?

[NastyRiffraff]

218. One was about his tax returns

After 2 years he should have been able to see that coming, and answer it easily. Instead he stammered pathetically and got angry.

[Cha]

221. Since he

"got angry".. that sounds like the whole tax thing isn't going so well for him.

If he had no problem getting his taxes out there.. why would he get angry?

[Wellstone ruled]

5. Just like their so called Focus Groups.

What a joke. Much like their CEO Zucker.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

115. Focus groups, yes... focused on destroying the candidate they want destroyed!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[betsuni]

121. "focused on destroying the candidate they want destroyed!"

This wins the ironic Oscar award. Congratulations!

[samnsara]

7. maybe those were the only folks who could pass the vetting

[lunamagica]

9. Were the questions relevant or not? Who cares who asked the questions? Were you expecting

only easy, softball questioning?

Again, Sanders was treated with kid gloves last time. Those days are over.

He should expect scrutiny from EVERYONE.

[Cha]

10. Yeah, sounds like they were expecting BS

to have softball questions.

[lunamagica]

12. I know Cha. It's like they expect an easy ride for him to the White House

Not happening!

This time he will be vetted as he should be!

[Cha]

16. The ability to answer questions about your record and ideas respectfully is a core competency for..

Link to tweet

[emulatorloo]

23. Well said.

[Cha]

36. It is.. right to the heart of the matter.

It's the toughest job in the world and we have to get rid of the Fascist Puppet in the WH.. who treats it like his personal playground.

No time for someone who can't answer the Tough Questions.

[lunamagica]

24. Seriously, how anyone could expect anything less? If dealing with these people

was too much for him, how could he handle being president?

[Cha]

39. Yeah, they need to think about

that.

[RandySF]

11. No

I mean, it IS possible to hold a day job and a party office, right? Was there something unduly tough about the questions? What happens if President Sanders faces an international crisis? He's after the toughest job in the world, so I am sure he's more than capable of handling a studio audience.

[itsrobert]

13. Bernie always the victim

Everytime he doesn't do so well, dirty tricks are alleged. How dare CNN have Democrats asks questions of a candidate running for the Democratic Party nomination.

[LovingA2andMI]

43. Exactly!!

Whining Bernie, Whining Yet Again. Typical....

[namahage]

14. Complaining about the refs again. Shades of 2016.

Does not bode well for 2020.

[mcar]

15. What!!11

People at a Town Hall asked knowledgeable questions about a candidate?

Zounds!

I call for a Congressional investigation. We should spare no expense!

BTW, Sen Sanders supporters on Twitter are doxxing some of those who were impertinent enough to ask the Senator questions last night. Looks like his request for them to be decent didn't take.

[Cha]

18. I've heard BS fans are doxing those who had questions.. so

so much for "playing nice".

Link to tweet

mcar

[melman]

29. Doxing people whose full names already appeared on TV?

How does that work?

[mcar]

30. I'm seeing same on Twitter, Cha

Link to tweet

?s=19

[Cha]

40. Sounds like they don't think their candidate

can handle the tough questions.

Thanks, mcar

[melman]

45. Yeah, that Ragnarok Lobster is a real gem

oh wait. he's actually not. he's a vile troll.

[mcar]

64. Do you believe that people who ask candidates questions

at a Town Hall should have their personal information posted on social media because of it?

Me, I think that's just another way of suppressing free and fair elections.

[melman]

65. They were already identified on CNN

It's a phony made up issue. You can't dox someone whose identity is already known.


So with that out of the way here's a question for you. What do you think of Ragnarok's tweets there? Do you find those acceptable?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

86. Dude's a scumbag.

[melman]

87. Yes

One of the very worst people on twitter. And that is saying something.

[George II]

160. Doxing goes far beyond simply knowing someone's identity:

Doxing is a technique of tracing someone or gather information about an individual using sources on the internet. Its name is derived from “Documents” or “Docx”. Doxing method is based purely on the ability of the hacker to recognize valuable information about his target and use this information to his benefit.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doxing&utm_source=search-action

[melman]

162. Wrong

Doxxing is revealing a person's identity. Urban Dictionary is not a real dictionary.

[George II]

163. Doxing isn't a real word, either.

[Cha]

198. Haaha.. doesn't believe the Definition

Doxxing 'cause it doesn't suit his AGENDA!

[namahage]

181. Will you take Merriam-Webster's definition, then?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dox

Definition of dox
slang : to publicly identify or publish private information about (someone) especially as a form of punishment or revenge
On general principles, I support Internet anonymity and look askance at people's efforts to “out” or “dox” anonymous Web commenters whose views they disagree with, much less for simple sport.
— Damon Poeter, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2012
This isn't the first time the LAPD has been doxxed. In 2011, a group affiliated with the online hackers Anonymous claimed responsibility for posting personal information of more than 40 officers, including their home addresses, campaign contributions, property records, and names of family members after they claimed the LAPD oppressed them by shutting down the Occupy L.A. Movement.
— Christine Pelisek, The Daily Beast, 13 Mar. 2013

[George II]

189. Thank you, pretty much the same basic definition as the one from urban dictionary.

[mcar]

68. Here's another

Link to tweet

?s=19

[Cha]

199. The Answer is In the Question!

[mcar]

69. And another

Link to tweet

?s=19

[Cha]

200. They Fucking DOXXED her.. I don't Care

how much a BS fan denies it.

[NastyRiffraff]

219. Yeah, I saw that, and reported it

I see it's still up

[mcar]

71. This Progressive Blacksmith seems like a real gem

Link to tweet

?s=19

[melman]

73. I've never even heard of Progressive Blacksmith

Much less posted their tweets here.

Meanwhile, you most definitely did share tweets from Ragnarok Lobster. See the difference?

[mcar]

77. I also shared tweets from others about the doxxing of town hall

questioners. Why not discuss the issue of Sanders supporters doxxing Town Hall questioners because they didn't like the questions? Are they upholding the Senator's own request for civility? Should the Senator be exempt from questions they don't like? If so, why?

[melman]

80. Again

You cannot dox someone whose identity is already known. It's a phony made up issue.



And you still haven't told me what you think of those two tweets. Are they acceptable or not? Simple question.

[mcar]

82. That is simply not true

You can publish personal information about people whose names are known in order to harass, harm or threaten them. Town Hall participants are not anonymous. But their privacy should be respected. Why would anyone speak at a Town Hall if they knew their family and work info would be plastered all over for certain factions to harass them?

How can you possibly think threatening people's lives, children and livelihood because they asked reasonable questions of a Democratic contender is OK? Why is the record of one of the many people posting it on Twitter more important to you than the sanctity of our election process? Why can you not call this hateful and dangerous behavior out?

I'm done here tonight. I wish you a pleasant night, melman. I'm tired of this already.

[melman]

84. Still no answer on those tweets?

It's such a simple question.



As for this:

"How can you possibly think threatening people's lives, children and livelihood because they asked reasonable questions of a Democratic contender is OK?"


I never said that I did think that. Please don't put words in my mouth.

[lapucelle]

97. Do you have links to those tweets?

At least one seems like sarcasm.

After the creatively edited video last week, I like to see the context.

Have a donut.

[George II]

190. I wonder why anyone would maintain a cache of tweets from many years ago.

I don't think tweets that old are still accessible on twitter (not sure), but if so it must be time consuming and tedious wading through 350,000 tweets to find the "right" ones.

[lapucelle]

192. Who knows if they're even genuine. Wasn't a doctored video on twitter last week?

In case you don't have a dictionary, "doctored" has nothing to do with going to the doctor in this context*. It means:

to falsify, tamper with, manipulate, alter, change in order to deceive

*Context has already been defined here several times.

[lapucelle]

90. Technically, it was catfishing

Link to tweet

The catfishing blacksmith now has a protected twitter account...

[Cha]

100. Thanks for that "catfishing" tweet, lapucelle..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

This is from emulatorloo..''

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=8618

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

104. Always personal attacks, shooting the messenger.

Ridiculous.

[mcar]

144. Yep

It's never stopped.

[Cha]

197. What a GASLIT ASSOLE.

".. had her pegged.. "

The Fucking BULLSHIT METER is OFF the Charts with That one.

Thanks!

[betsuni]

98. That's sarcasm.

Obviously.

[melman]

108. It's clearly not

As you certainly know.

[betsuni]

111. Oh, melman.

[lapucelle]

123. Do you have links to the tweets? Anything to provide context for the out of context screenshots? N/T

[melman]

149. context!

What possible context could make shit like that okay? Please.

[lapucelle]

156. ...

(What possible) context could make (shit like) that okay (? Please).

context could make that OK.

[Cha]

201. I know Eclecticbrotha and

I'm sure it's sarcasm.

He cares about people and is a reality based Democrat.

So yes, "context" would be great.. but it wouldn't suit the poster's agenda.

[lapucelle]

169. I'll evaluate the actual context when you provide it. Do you have it? N/T

[melman]

172. No donut this time?

Now I'm hurt.

[George II]

193. It was posted at dinner time. Would you like a burger and fries?

[melman]

154. here you go

tweets are still 'live'

As you can see they are real and completely 'context' free.

Link to tweet

?lang=en

Link to tweet

btw. the coffee and donuts schtick is getting old. Just saying.

[lapucelle]

155. You failed to supply context.

That's reaction that came years later to the tweet in isolation from its context.

context
the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed

[melman]

157. "That's not context"

Yeah no kidding. That's because there is no context for these. It's just vile shit posted by a vile troll.



You thought I wouldn't be able to produce the tweets.


I did produce them. Now you still say there's no context. It's laughable.

[lapucelle]

168. You didn't produce the tweets. You produced reactions that occurred years later.

Reactions are not context.

context
1. the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

2. the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.

reaction
an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event.

It could possibly be the case that some people are confused by fancy two and three syllable words and truly do not understand what they mean. Sound advice would be to consult a dictionary.

[melman]

170. How absolutely ridiculous

The tweets are embedded right there as anyone can clearly see.


You can't defend them so you deny their existence and attempt to insult me.

[lapucelle]

174. ...

Asserting that an embedded portion of a time stamped discussion above a set of reactions that occurred years later somehow provides context is not going to work with people who know what the word "context" means.

A simpler definition from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary

context
the situation in which something happens : the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens

[melman]

175. lol

And trying to pretend there's some hidden/missing context won't work with anyone who knows how twitter works.

[lapucelle]

178. Perhaps someone who knows how twitter works can help you find the context. N/T

[melman]

179. There isn't anything to find

The whole thing is right there.

The reason there aren't any earlier comments or "reactions" is that Ragnarok Lobster was unknown at the time.

He hadn't yet found the right group of suckers to target for his grift.

[lapucelle]

222. Unknown to whom?

If reaction is part of a contemporaneous dialogue, it might provide context as part of the situation at hand. The assumption that something was said in total isolation when it is quite clear that there was a point of reference is dubious at best.

"lol And trying to pretend there's some hidden/missing context won't work..."

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=9136

And do not presume to tell me that I am "pretending" when I express my point of view. I find it offensive and entitled. I don't need what I "really" think 'splained to me by you.

[melman]

223. Quite clear to whom?

[George II]

205. I prefer cupcakes with my coffee. I like to dunk them until they're soggy with coffee. Mmm!

[radius777]

183. Clearly he's mocking sexist RW trolls

of the type who show up in twitter feeds, which can be brutal compared to moderated forum such as this.

I'm often amazed by the amount of people who can't detect (obvious) sarcasm.

[melman]

184. lol

No he's not.

[George II]

206. And you know that how? You post tweets from 5-7 years ago, no link and no other...

...tweets from the thread, and now today you know the motive of the tweeter?

[ehrnst]

210. IKR? (nt)

[George II]

187. Interesting that someone would have someone's tweets from 2012 and 2014.

[backabby-blue]

17. hahahahahaha

It's a conspiracy!

[emulatorloo]

19. When you are President, you have to answer hard questions

And when you are running for President, you will get asked hard questions too.

Which is as it should be.

If Senator Sanders can’t handle being asked hard questions then his candidacy will not fare well.

[forklift]

22. I have no problem with this

A great candidate can shine in any environment.

Anyone can handle a group of friends and family. The real world has people with tough questions.

I think Bernie did reasonably well although I wish he had been more forthcoming on the tax issue.

Not releasing his tax returns is making even me wonder what is going on ... let alone people who are not Bernie supporters.
What concerns me is that he knew for two years that the tax returns would be required and he still has not prepared for it. I wish he had released them at the same time he made the announcement.

It would be a shame if his broadly popular economic message is swept away over the tax return issue.

[BeyondGeography]

31. The tax return thing is pretty mind numbing

I’m not a Bernie supporter but I’m glad he’s running because he adds a lot to the mix, not least his refusal to take the focus off of economic class issues. Note for instance that he hasn’t fallen into the reparations trap that Warren and Harris are going to have to climb their way out of if they ever make it to the GE. But Bernie won’t make it either if he doesn’t put this stupid issue behind him. He keeps saying the returns will be boring, then get on with it, ffs.

[BannonsLiver]

25. Annnnnd here we go with the conspiracies.

[vercetti2021]

35. Oh ffs

This is so stupid. If he didn't do well, move on with it. Sanders is far from perfect.

[comradebillyboy]

41. How dare Democrats question Bernie. He deserves an easy ride.

[yardwork]

125. We're supposed to anoint Bernie.

[still_one]

42. Gee, that was tougher than Hillary having to sit for over 12 hours before a hostile republican

Congress, or the Matt Lauer interview where trump was given a free pass, but everything but the kitchen sink was thrown at Hillary, and that occurred throughout 2016.

Wow, that town-hall was such a harrowing experience, I am not sure how Bernie endured it

[Cha]

44. Good point.. Hillary took the heat from repubs

getting grilled on Benghazi and she handled it like a pro!

[still_one]

58. piece of cake compared to that town hall. There were pitch forks and torches at cnn town hall

[Cha]

59. It was Outrageous!

Link to tweet

We're not messing around!

[still_one]

60. oh my. Look at the biceps on that girl. Poor Bernie. Ya know Cha, I think we could continue this

for some time, but probably shouldn't

[emulatorloo]

74. Oh, Walter Bragman's promoting this? He's the entitled author of "A Liberal Case For Donald Trump"

He’s full of defensive silly nonsense.

https://www.salon.com/2016/04/29/a_liberal_case_for_donald_trump_the_lesser_of_two_evils_is_not_at_all_clear_in_2016/

A liberal case for Donald Trump: The lesser of two evils is not at all clear in 2016
Is there one? A Trump presidency needn't be a nightmare for the left. On many issues, Clinton presidency might be

WALKER BRAGMAN
APRIL 29, 2016 2:00PM (UTC)

[Cha]

76. Walker Bragman is a fucking idiot and he

wrote the stupid book to prove it. jill stein and susan sarand0n ilk.

Thanks for the report on him, emulatorloo.

[mcar]

78. How dare people ask questions?

[Cha]

89. And, such pointed ones about

reality?!!

[redstatebluegirl]

153. I don't think he is ready for the hard questions related to reality Cha.

[Cha]

166. No.. and he's had all this time.

[R B Garr]

46. Back to this so soon?! Hunting people down who dare

ask something not on script. Thank goodness states are getting rid of caucuses so people don’t have to be subjected to this hostility just for questioning One Man.

[Garrett78]

48. Teh establishment!!1!

When Bernie once again gets his ass kicked among POC and non-millennial women, this sort of shit will be the reason given for his loss. The "DNC cheated Bernie" narrative is getting revved up.

[Ferrets are Cool]

49. Reality shows are all the buzz.

[Uncle Joe]

50. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread PADemD

[LongtimeAZDem]

152. Don't worry; your fellow supporters are on it:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/12878618

[Uncle Joe]

180. The fault was with CNN and they admitted being wrong, furthermore that lady wasn't the only case

(snip)

However, when Paste started digging into some of the other names of town hall participants scrolling across CNN, they found some interesting omissions.

(snip)

The back and forth continues, with people from the Sanders camp pointing out that you can’t really “dox” someone whose name has already been published on CNN by sharing that person’s public LinkedIn occupation.

In the end, CNN finally contacted Paste’s reporter and admitted that it could have been more forthcoming.

“Though we said at the beginning of the Town Hall that the audience was made up of Democrats and Independents, we should have more fully identified any political affiliations,” reads a CNN statement.


https://www.inquisitr.com/5317794/cnn-accused-of-stacking-audience-with-democratic-party-operatives-at-bernie-sanders-town-hall/

The controversy had nothing to do with the questions being asked but with a lack of disclosure on CNN's part.

My belief is that CNN as has been the habit with the corporate media conglomerates didn't want questions from ordinary citizens regarding policies which could adversely threaten their bottom line so much as political questions from political operatives.

[quickesst]

51. I am absolutely 100% positive

.... That Bernie's supporters will say yes.

[proud patriot]

53. stuff like this will only

empower/enrage Bernie and his most devout ..

[LongtimeAZDem]

126. Already happaining:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/12878618

[Takket]

55. if they were going to stack the audience against him, wouldn't they have....

used a bunch of rethugs, instead of liberals?

[LuvLoogie]

56. Listing Democrats as members of an audience stacked against a candidate for the Democratic

presidential nomination--who doesn't consider himself a Democrat unless he is running for political money and access, and who won't, BTW, share his mailing list with Democrats while expecting Democratic voter data to be shared with him--is just so ironic.

[bigtree]

57. this Bernie as a victim thing

...again.

[David__77]

61. I think he handled it great and the questions were fine.

It’s great to get questions from different viewpoints.

[Cha]

62. Not this one he didn't..

Link to tweet

[lapucelle]

92. No wonder they're so busy spinning. N/T

[Cha]

96. Yeah, deflection deflection

deflection.

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

105. It's like how Democrats are accused of being corporate puppets because workers employed

by corporations donate money to campaigns, but all other politicians are immune to this "corruption." Remember, Democrats are the opposition! Republicans are fine!

[Cha]

107. Exactly, betsuni..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[betsuni]

110. Thank you, as always, for posting Tweets.

I guess not all people are The People. Revolution is invitation only.

[Cha]

112. You're Welcome! That's their

"our revolution"..

We have our own Revolution going on and it's Reality Based. We ask legitimate questions of pols at Town Halls no matter where we work.

Sorry.. not sorry, if the very real question was uncomfortable for the politician.

[shanny]

63. well I'm shocked, Shocked!

Media doin' its corporate masters bidding. What a surprise.

[emulatorloo]

72. Presidents get asked difficult questions. So do Presidential candidates.

Bernie seems like a tough guy to me.

Not so sure why you and OP and Paste Magazine seem to think he’s too fragile to handle difficult questions.

[redstateblues]

66. Victim mentality is back. Thanks Bernie, I've missed it!

[Orangepeel]

75. Who but political activists would attend a town hall over a year before the first primary?

Of course it was full of political people.

[Scurrilous]

79. ...

[GoodTimes146]

83. In defense (the little I will give CNN)

they were in a place filled with people that work for or work in other capacities within the government which generally means within the democratic party (based on the crowd at a Bernie townhall lol). They weren't equal questions to other candidates but I think Bernie handled it very well. The thing I like about Bernie is that he sticks to the same core problems we face and it's true. Healthcare costs are way too high. Wages are way too low. Taxes aren't fair and there is a giant wealth gap and shrinking middle class. All of those issues need to be handled immediately or we're gonna be facing some serious consequences. By the way, this is my first post ever on this website. Thank you.

[PDittie]

141. Welcome to DU!

[Starry Messenger]

88. Just wait until someone asks him about the rape essays

[lapucelle]

91. Or his vote on the Crime Bill. N/T

[Cha]

99. Lol.. I was just about to

throw a bunch of tweets at you. lol

[betsuni]

94. RIGGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TomCADem]

95. So A Democratic Primary Candidate Complaining That...

...that the audience is filled with...Democrats? The horror!

This really reflects poorly on Bernie if the complaint is that registered Democrats dare ask him questions.

[TCJ70]

128. Is the complaint from Bernie? Or is the complaint from the author...

...of this article. The article is dumb as I said in my reply to it.

[KitSileya]

101. He is out of practice answering questions he hasn't pre-vetted

Vermont's largest newspaper, Seven Days, hasn't interviewed the senator in 1400+ days because he insists on setting stringent conditions on the interview, including on the questions they may ask. They refuse to treat any elected official with such kid gloves, so no interview for over three years.

In addition, we've seen the Senator literally tear off his mike and leave the interview when he got questions he didn't like. I don't see that as very presidential, but YMMV.

https://m.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/01/29/sanders-backs-out-of-interview-after-failing-to-dictate-conditions

[betsuni]

106. +1

[honest.abe]

195. Is sevendaysvt considered to be a tabloid?

Its website doesnt appear to be.

[KitSileya]

204. Seven Days is not a tabloid.

It is an independent newspaper in Vermont. In fact, Senator Sanders has a habit of refusing to speak to local Vermont news media, ever since he launched his Presidential bid the first time.

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/the-media-bern-sanders-keeps-vermont-press-at-arms-length/Content?oid=4715938

"Bernie has a history of being quite available to us," says Dave Gram, who spent more than 31 years covering Vermont for the Associated Press before departing in January. "You went from that to almost a cold shutdown during his presidential campaign. I expected that, once the campaign was over, you'd see a reopening with the Vermont media."

Hasn't happened yet.

...

We often call on our congressional delegation. Frequently we score an interview with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) or Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). At the very least, we get a thorough response from their spokespeople. In my two and a half months in this job, I've interviewed Welch three times, Leahy twice and Sanders not at all. More often than not, I don't even get a response from the junior senator's staff.

And, look, I don't care if I ever speak with Sanders — as long as he talks to somebody around here. It's not about me; it's about communicating with his constituents through the established conduit of local media. If all he does is national interviews, then when does he address questions that uniquely concern his home state?

I guess the local media knows him best, and knows best the questions to ask - and the Senator seems to want to avoid that.

[honest.abe]

207. Its odd Bernie kept referring to the reporter as a "gossip columnist "

This does not look good for Bernie.

[KitSileya]

211. It isn't a good look at all.

Senator Sanders called the journalist a gossip columnist because he wanted to ask questions about Burlington College and the allegations that the Senator was involved in procuring the loan that Ms. Sanders organized, the loan that ultimately bankrupted the college. At the time, all the details weren't known, and the journalists were doing their job in trying to find out whether the Senator representing the state had used his influence in an improper manner. The Senator felt that any questions into the matter was gossip and an attack on his family. While he was right in that the Republicans were using the matter to attack him (the Toensings, among other Republican operatives, were involved) the matter itself was problematic, in that the college went bankrupt because of improper financial dealings, and hundreds of students were suddenly thrown into a very difficult situation. A journalist local to Vermont wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't investigate it, and part of such an investigation would necessitate asking questions of Senator Sanders. And after all, the Senator ran under a banner of transparency, so expecting him to answer questions was not unreasonable.

[honest.abe]

213. Not presidential for sure.

This sounds like something a person hiding something would do.

[whathehell]

102. I wouldn't be overly surprised if they did.

Corporate media.

[lunamagica]

103. Right. How dare they question Sanders. Shame on them!

[Cha]

109. I know.. if he can't answer questions why does he

go to Town Halls? Buck up. BS..

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[whathehell]

118. Lol..

Nice try, but no cigar. Just sayin'.

[betsuni]

119. Suddenly, holding feet to the fire is bad. Details, bad. Questions, bad.

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

[ucrdem]

116. Oh good grief.

Already the conspiracy theories.

[radius777]

117. Bernie culture is thin skinned,

and there is an element that is vicious and vindictive, especially online - that Bernie vowed to address but clearly it still exists.

I call for Bernie to immediately denounce any attempted doxxing or harassing of these people who merely asked him legitimate questions.

Life isn't fair and any candidate should be able to "take a punch": Hillary/Bill was pounded for 25 years; Obama had to deal with the Rev. Wright, the Tea Party and Birtherism; Joe Biden has dealt with all types of attacks including on his family, etc.

Bernie had it easy last time. Hillary, despite being cast as a villain by the right (and some on the left) was always a reasonable person who knew Bernie had no real path to the nomination because he could not win over key Dem base demographics (PoC, metro areas, etc) and thus could not win any of the delegate rich populous states. So she kept the gloves on hoping he would drop out after March 8th so she/they could move to unite the party.

This time it's not going to be easy for Bernie, the gloves will be off, and he should be prepared for that, and to get it from all angles since there are many candidates running.

[Maru Kitteh]

120. Oh Jeebus. DID ANYONE ASK WHERE HIS TAX RETURNS ARE?

Then NO. If anything it was stacked with softballs.

[TCJ70]

122. This is dumb...

...people ask questions, politicians answer. This garbage is on the same level as posters here going on and on about being persecuted for their anti-Sanders conspiracies.

[SidDithers]

124. Unskew the polls!!!...nt

Sid

[samnsara]

129. honestly im not buying this... all those participants are ppl who are really interested..

...they just happened to be higher educated and motivated...either pro or against. Perhaps they had to be vetted in some way to be admitted. It was a choice audience but not necessarily a chosen one.

[themaguffin]

132. Yawn.

[LongtimeAZDem]

133. Don't like the outcome, so attack CNN. That seems awfully familiar.

[WeekiWater]

139. This article does exactly what it is claiming CNN did.

Why not mention that Tara Ebersole is also currently Illustrator for Little Honey's Little Adventures. CNN was accurate as is the article. Both omit what they determine helps their narrative.

[Trumpocalypse]

140. To quote John McCain

Sorry, meant John McClane.

[George II]

148. I didn't watch, but judging by some of the comments in this discussion apparently...

....it didn't go well. Is this 2020's version of "rigged"?

[brooklynite]

151. Yawn...lazy conspircacy theory

[disillusioned73]

159. K&R..

shameful.. bot surprised though - I just hope that the debates are handled better than last time..

[honest.abe]

161. This is how it starts... Bernie people pissed about not getting a fair shake.

After several months of this they begin to hate most everyone, the media, the DNC, any Democrat who doesnt endorse and love Bernie, etc, etc, etc. By the time the convention rolls around they are so pissed they boo John Lewis.

We cannot afford a repeat of 2016. That is why I had desperately hoped Bernie didn't run. His presence attracts turmoil and anger. Our best hope is that he drops out early.

[LongtimeAZDem]

165. Exactly. It really has nothing to do with the message, or the platform, at all.

[MineralMan]

164. County Democratic Party organizations are not actually

all that big a deal. That someone is the chair of some county's Democratic Party organization doesn't really describe that person very well. It does mean that the person is an active Democrat who has been active long enough to get elected to chair that local party organization.

But, it's not really all that important a position. It's also not that influential a position, all things considered.

I'm not seeing the problem here. Democrats asking questions of a Democratic candidate for the presidential primaries. I would hope that people active in the Democratic Party at the local organizational level would participate in such events. They are our party representatives if we live in that local area.

[Adrahil]

167. Yes... yes... It's ALWAYS a conspiracy against Bernie.

If ya can't stand the heat, blah blah.

[Stand and Fight]

176. Oh, good grief...

[Orangepeel]

182. More than a year before the first primary? Of course the audience is politically involved

Who else would be there?

[Hortensis]

188. This.

[jcgoldie]

185. They stacked the audience...

...with DEMOCRATS?!? Bernie is getting screwed again!

[Amimnoch]

186. Rofl! Really!

How dare Democratic Party Candidates be asked questions by Democratic Party Members..

Major pearl grasping.

[Cha]

202. Did they want repubs?!!

[MustLoveBeagles]

194. I don't understand the outrage

The audience was there to ask questions and the candidate was there to answer them. I thought that was the purpose of these town-hall's.

[namahage]

203. As if Kamala Harris didn't have tough questions during her town hall.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1901/28/se.01.html

See how she deals with this question from a Berniebro:

QUESTION: Your position -- you positioned yourself as in line with the progressive movement to make criminal justice less punitive and racist, yet your record as a prosecutor shows that you embrace the "tough on crime" mentality. You've defended California's death penalty, and as California's attorney general, your office opposed the release of non-violent prisoners and violated the constitutional rights of various drug defendants. How do you reconcile your contradictory past with what you claim to support today?

HARRIS: I've been consistent my whole career. My career has been based on an understanding, one, that as a prosecutor, my duty was to seek and make sure that the most vulnerable and voiceless among us are protected, and that is why I have personally prosecuted violent crimes that includes rape, child molestation, and homicide.

And I have also worked my entire career to reform the criminal justice system, understanding to your point that it is deeply flawed and in need of repair, which is why, as attorney general, for example, I led the Department of Justice, which is the largest state department of justice in any state, in California, and implemented the first of its kind in the nation implicit bias and procedural justice training for police officers.

...

We have a real problem in this country about disproportionate application of the law based on who is charged with a crime, what kind of bail is set for them, what kind of sentencing they receive based on race. And there is a lot of work to do.

That's the work that I've been doing also in the Senate, of focusing on that, such as a bill that I have that would seek to reform the bail system in the United States and ultimately get rid of the cash bail system, understanding that is disproportionately applied in a way that causes people who do not have $20,000 in their back pocket to have to sit in jail for what could be weeks, months, and years awaiting trial versus the people who have money get out while they're awaiting trial. It's an economic justice issue as well as a criminal justice issue.

But I appreciate your point. It is a flawed system, deeply flawed, and we have got to reform it, and everyone has to be onboard. And we can't accept false choices, because I think we all realize it's a deeply flawed system, but we also want to make sure that when a woman is raped, a child is molested, one human being is killed by another human being, we also want to make sure there's going to be consequence and serious consequence for those crimes. So I appreciate your question.

Funnily enough, there was no doxxing or claiming the town hall was rigged from Harris or her supporters.

[Amimnoch]

208. Nope. Not at all. They didn't.

Unless you consider Democratic Party supporters asking questions to a Democratic Party Candidate "stacking".

[Blue_Tires]

214. Really? Is this the road y'all really want to go down?

Naturally the Intercept has been screaming the same accusation after St. Bern's lackluster performance. If Hillary ever accused a crowd of being stacked against her, folks would have lost their goddamn minds!

FFS three years later and the Berners haven't learned shit Just fast-forward to the part where they say the primary system is "rigged" again...

[TeamPooka]

215. Paste Magazine? Known for their "New on Redbox this month" & "The 30 Best Breakup Albums" articles?

okay then.
dive deep baby.
You'll find what you need down towards the bottom.

[NastyRiffraff]

216. The fact is, Bernie blew it

He's terrible at one-on-one questioning, which is why he loves his rallies. It's not CNN's fault that he stammered and tried unsuccessfully to pivot when asked questions he should have known were coming; if not at that town hall, eventually. I was actually embarrassed for him, he was so bad.

(I'll probably get an alert, but okay whatever)

[Blue_Tires]

220. So from now on we won't have any townhalls

without full 100% disclosure of everyone asking a question? Because that's what we're talking about, right??


There's a much bigger unaddressed issue at play here, and that is St. Bern and his inner circle are 100% incapable of accepting responsibility for anything. Whenever something goes wrong, they're ALWAYS pointing fingers or creating imaginary bad guys and grand conspiracies about how the fates just don't want him to win...