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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcCaskill slams the media for their audacity covering Bernie as a legitimate challenge to Hillary
Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri said Thursday that the media is giving presidential candidate Bernie Sanders too much credit because of its hunger for a competitive primary race.
Any other candidate that had the numbers that Hillary Clinton had right now would be talked about as absolutely untouchable, McCaskill said on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Bernie is too liberal to gather enough votes in this country to become president.
But coverage of the race paints a different picture, McCaskill said: I think the media is giving Bernie a pass right now.
McCaskill, who backed President Barack Obama in 2008, was quick to throw her support behind Clinton this time around. She endorsed the pro-Clinton effort Ready for Hillary back in 2013, becoming the first lawmaker to support Clinton's then-prospective bid.
I think Bernie Sanders has a message that is touching people's frustration, and I totally get that, but so does Hillary Clinton, she said.
read: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-25/claire-mccaskill-tells-the-media-to-calm-down-about-bernie-sanders
...this is a nauseatingly arrogant assessment of Bernie Sander's chances in this election vs. Hillary Clinton's which just invites a challenge from Democratic voters. Let's see...Bernie's supposedly 'too liberal,' but Hillary's playing off of the public's frustrations. Is she sincerely as progressive as Bernie's candidacy is to those frustrations, or is it just a veneer atop of a centrist, much like McCaskill?
whathehell
(29,095 posts)so she can go slam herself.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)and she received an email from this constituent expressing their unhappiness with her decision to vote for the act. It appears she will be receiving another one very shortly as well.
whathehell
(29,095 posts)if I lived in Missouri.
As it happens, I live in Illinois and have Durbin, who did the right thing, but also Republican Mark Kirk who did not.
The only good news on Kirk is that he's being challenged by Democrat Tammy Duckworth in '16,
and stands a good chance of winning.
Cheese Sandwich
(9,086 posts)Bernie will appeal more with independents and conservatives than Hillary will.
That's what they are afraid of... that people might actually have a real choice and vote for the progressive.
People like the Clintons and McCaskill have built their whole political careers around the false idea that Democrats must serve the 1% to appeal to voters.
A guy like Bernie threatens to expose that whole thing as a fraud.
whathehell
(29,095 posts)and I agree with you regarding Bernie's chances with independents and conservatives.
I do hope we have a chance to vote out blue dogs like McCaskill.
Grilled Charlie
(57 posts)The Democratic Party. I hope it plays out in Bernie's favor.
riversedge
(70,310 posts)mantra that he is not electable in the Gen election. Let this primary season play itself out.
avebury
(10,952 posts)stream Democrats feel threatened by Bernie Sanders, the more they attack him.
Bernie may be a socialist but he is more in line with progressives then most Democrats.
A lot of people don't want a bought and paid for President, regardless of political affiliation. They want someone who will fight for them. Bernie Sanders is exactly what he appears to be and that scares them.
The Democrats risk pissing off a lot of people (particularly after passing TPP) and that might result in people staying home on election day.
karynnj
(59,504 posts)In fact, going just by memory, I think they actually gave Bradley, who was a more mainstream opponent than Bernie, more coverage than they give Bernie. In fact, the coverage has been pretty accurate that HRC is almost certainly the Democratic nominee.
One of the 99
(2,280 posts)They routinely misquoted him and misrepresented facts to attack Gore.
karynnj
(59,504 posts)The problem is that it is very rare that a non incumbent President is such a clear favorite in the limited time period - since about the 1960s - when the nomination was determined by the voters, not the party in smoke filled rooms.
In fact, here is each election:
1964 - incumbent President, with no real opponent
1968 - incumbent President, but McCarthy was given ample coverage - this is an example that directly contradicts Senator McCasskill.
1972 - open nomination - no favorite
1976 - open nomination - no favorite
1980 - incumbent President, Kennedy got substantial coverage when he challenged
1984- open nomination - Mondale was party favorite, but Hart got coverage at least as much as Bernie
1988 - open nomination - no favorite
1992- open nomination - no favorite
1996 - incumbent President, with no real challenger
2000 - Gore was party favorite, but Bradley did get coverage - and the media was WORSE to him than Gore at that point.
2004 - open nomination - no favorite
2008 - open nomination, BUT HRC was given intense media coverage as inevitable until Obama won Iowa.
2012 - incumbent President - with no real challenger
Note that there is NO year without an incumbent President where coverage was denied to challengers because the favorite was incredibly strong. In fact, as can be seen, when VPs, former VPs, and even Presidents get a challenger -- the challenge is covered.
It is ridiculous that the Senator is complaining that other candidates in the primary are getting coverage. It does so a lack of faith in her own candidate.
One of the 99
(2,280 posts)Grilled Charlie
(57 posts)but to everyone.
I know I see the world very differently from 2000 Gore/Bush.
Don't you?
Remember? People evolve-
or is that only applicable to some?
The more People who hear Bernie, the larger his movement will grow. He has a long time to get that message out. It's going to be a great year.
karynnj
(59,504 posts)I don't know that I see the world that differently. I was not a big fan of Gore's - or Clinton's. I supported Tsongus or Brown in 1992 and Clinton, with his bad environmental record and the entire unpleasantness of his trying to distort his way out of both the Genefer Flowers and draft issues, was probably my last choice. When he chose Gore, my memory was of his obnoxious 1988 campaign. I was from NJ and I supported my Senator as the better choice. It is clear the party as a whole felt that Gore was owed the nomination for standing with Clinton through everything. That and the fact that he did an excellent job on many things that Clinton tasked him with as VP. When he won, I had no trouble supporting him.
I Like Bernie - I live in Burlington, VT (just for the last 2 years) and I benefit from decisions that he made when he was mayor. I hope that one theme of the campaign - trying to address what he would try to do as President - is for people to look at what he did as mayor. Now, the country is not Vermont ... or more specifically Burlington, VT. However, if you look at things he did -- they are rockbed all American, inclusive, town hall democracy. (In fact, where we could use what - say Scott Walker did to Wisconsin (lots of bad things) -- you can't do that with Burlington, a town that has made lists as among the most livable towns in years right after he was mayor.
I am completely aware that he is not your typical candidate -- and I realize that he faces a veritable powerhouse in Hillary Clinton. Oddly, his strength - his authenticity and the fact that he is not a machine politician are also why he never would have been pushed by the party to run for any office, much less the Presidency. HRC on the other hand is an insiders' insider and has been since 1992. (Even before then, in a NYT magazine profile in 1990 on Bill Clinton, she was seen as a potential powerhouse herself in the "paper of record".)
So - 99% vs 1% .... insider vs outsider --- This could be interesting in a time of some discontent where many think the country is going in the wrong direction. (Yet the direction the Republicans represent is even less approved of!) Remember 2008 when change was wanted -- and McCain tried to distance himself from Bush and declared himself a change candidate (and a maverick) to try to compete. It didn't work. It just might be that Bernie could surprise everyone. If he does, think of what it means to the limitations of money in politics! That alone would be a victory.
However, the more likely scenario will be an easy win of the nomination by HRC and then a narrow victory by her in the general election. This because few want what the Republicans are selling and if they have a personable candidate in their list of about 20 -- I haven't seen him or her.
Grilled Charlie
(57 posts)I never paid attention to politics until the whole world turned upside down in 2000 and the again after 9/11 when we were lied into war. I remember watching fox (at the time I didn't know what fox was, I assumed that news channels reported the news) I remember seeing Bill O'Reilly screaming at me from the TV talking about traitors who were against the war. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had never seen anything like that in my life. This gut gut feeling that something wrong and ugly is happening in this country. That's when I started paying attention. This and everything that has happened since-- Abu Ghraib, the tea party, the financial heist of 2008, the change that didn't bring us any change etc. Makes me hope people would be more open to someone like Bernie than ever before.
I agree with you that if Bernie -with his limited fund and name recognition- manages to win over Hillary in the primaries, it will be an amazing feat. I also believe it will be a testament to how ready this country is for a more progressive government. One that I don't think Hillary is capable of delivering.
TM99
(8,352 posts)That right there folks is what is wrong the Democratic Party.
Hillary touching people's frustration?! OMFG, stop, please, I can't stop laughing.
virtualobserver
(8,760 posts)I'm not that kind of Democrat.
nc4bo
(17,651 posts)still_one
(92,422 posts)reason why McCaskill is way off base is because how else are people going to get to know the candidates if they are not covered
City Lights
(25,171 posts)mmonk
(52,589 posts)corkhead
(6,119 posts)kath
(10,565 posts)gah, I hate all the ThirdWay scum who have infiltrated the party.
HappyMe
(20,277 posts)Omaha Steve
(99,741 posts)She was pro-animal rights before she became a US Senator. That and keeping control of the senate were the reasons. After this and TPP she is off the list, like the rest if the TPP Dem's.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)I sent a small donation in the past, but she has shown she is no friend of the working people of this state and this country.
Robbins
(5,066 posts)I have voted for her in her staeride races and donated to her 2012 reelection campagin.No more after TPP.This is just more reasons not to.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)Clinton vs Bush. They think it will make a better show.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Probably has a few socks. It is always so amusing to watch some "DUers" slam liberals and progressives on a progressive website. They are such interesting usernames to be sure.