Interesting how many apparent Sanders supporters endorsed this obvious lie

[bigtree]

...in this thread promoting a Daily Kos post, the claim is made that O'Malley told his supporters in the town hall to support Bernie Sanders. In fact, he said nothing of the kind.

In response to a lousy question, which assumed he'd lost the caucus before it was actually held, O'Malley urged his followers to 'hold strong' and choose 'new leadership.' That's an obvious reference to his outsider campaign, not an endorsement of Sanders or anyone else.

The article is an extension of slick politics which seeks to depress any support O'Malley might have going into the caucus by claiming he's already thrown in the towel. Nothing could be further from the truth. He and his supporters are running strong into the first contest of the primary and intend to fight hard for delegates. Here's O'Malley's appeal:

Martin O'Malley ‏@MartinOMalley 22h22 hours ago
My message to O'Malley supporters across the state: Hold strong. America is looking for a new leader. #DemTownHall

Martin O'Malley told the crowd in Iowa: "'Old ideologies' and 'old names' won't move the country forward."

"America's scanning the horizon," he said. "We cannot be this fed up with our gridlocked, dysfunctional national politics and think that a resort to old ideologies or old names is going to move us forward. I know this is a tough fight, but I've always been drawn to a tough fight."

O'MALLEY: This sounds like a process question. Look, here's my suggestion to them.

What I - I have put together a terrific organization, or we have put together a terrific organization all across this state, Chris. And one of the reasons why the polls back east can never figure out how the caucuses work is because it's a very organic thing.

And so my message to the O'Malley supporters across this state is this. Hold strong at your caucus.

Hold strong at your caucus because America's looking for a new leader. America's scanning the horizon. We cannot be this fed up with our gridlocked, dysfunctional national politics and think that a resort to old ideologies or old names is going to move us forward. So I tell my people hold strong.

I know this is a tough fight. But I've always been drawn to a tough fight. I believe the toughness of the fight is the way the hidden god has of telling us we're actually fighting for something worth saving.

Our country's worth saving. The American dream is worth saving. This planet is worth saving. America needs new leadership. And I need the O'Malley supporters out there on caucus night to hold strong and move forward like Iowa does.

O'Malley is urging his supporters to #CommitToCaucus for HIM in the Iowa caucus and beyond. This cheap attempt to discourage his support is to be expected from political operatives, but shouldn't be a part of the politics here on our Democratic forum...but there it is, in the form of 65-plus recs for a thread which is obviously false.

Anyone supporting this route here needs to check their politics and ask themselves what kind of message it projects to O'Malley supporters here and beyond DU to seek to advance a rival campaign by supporting and furthering such a dishonest and subversive tactic.

[merrily]

1. I don't believe I "endorsed" that post. However, I thought the poster meant that, while

O'Malley was telling his supporters to caucus for him, the words he chose were a signal to his supporters not to go for Clinton if he did not make the cutoff.

I didn't not think the poster was claiming that O'Malley specifically said to go for Sanders if O'Malley did not make the cutoff.

I see that as the poster's interpretation of O'Malley's actual words. Whether the poster's interpretation was correct or not, I see no necessity to call it a lie and to claim that everyone who agreed with the poster "endorsed" a "lie. To the contrary, I think that is an unnecessarily ugly characterization, though perhaps not unusually gratuitously divisive for DU these days.

[bigtree]

2. just step outside of your own campaign, for ONE moment

...and stop making excuses for this cheap political tactic.

The title says,Martin O’Malley encourages his backers to support Bernie Sanders.

That is an outright lie.

[merrily]

3. How about you do the same and cease accusing people of lying when they state an interpretation?

What you bolded does not contradict anything I posted. That you see a contradiction is because your interpretation of "encourage."

[bigtree]

4. stop the bullshit

...what a despicable tactic.

[merrily]

6. Right back at you. "Encouragement" does have to be a particular set of words.

Or any words at all, for that matter. "Encourage" is consistent with the explanation I offered of the original post. Because your interpretation is different from mine, you throw more ugly words around, this time at me.

[bigtree]

12. you came on here defending a lie

...just an extension of this cheap political tactic.

It's not as if you can't find support here for your own candidate, you (and others 'endorsing' this lie) have to spend time discouraging O'Malley supporters. Despicable politics.

[merrily]

18. Not at all, but your OP and other posts on this thread do not seem designed for discussion.

Whatever your goal is, I will leave you to it.

[bigtree]

23. my goal, for the perpetually (and deliberately) obtuse

...make clear that O'Malley is still running strong for president in Iowa and elsewhere.

Make clear that he hasn't endorsed Sanders or anyone else.

Your goal on this thread is to obfuscate from that point.

[zappaman]

13. Yup.

That's an outright lie.
Can't say I'm shocked though...

[scscholar]

9. This

The mass media is using confusion again to mislead us.

[Andy823]

21. You don't "believe" you endorsed that post?

66 recs for a post that was a lie, and you don't think you endorsed it? The spin you are giving now to defend that lie is says it all.

[m-lekktor]

5. I am sure O'Malley will show his true colors and fall in line behind Hillary when the time comes

so i wouldn't worry too much BigTree.

[bigtree]

7. nice appeal

...for O'Malley voters.

'Your candidate is a shill for Hillary.'

Inspiring.

[merrily]

8. Again, not what the poster actually posted at all.

[mythology]

58. Actually that is exactly what the poster posted

There really isn't a lot of ambiguity in the post.

[merrily]

60. So, if O'Malley were to drop out and endorse Hillary after he drops out,

nothing would explain that, other his having been a shill for her all along?

The poster could not possibly be implying that O'Malley is not as populist as his campaign might have suggested? That indeed was something that was alleged about him early on in some articles.

I have supported O'Malley as my second choice all along. I have always believed he is sincere. Still, I can see more than one interpretation to the post. And, in my experience, that is often the case when a poster finds it necessary to re word a post in order to slam it and/or the poster who made it.

[merrily]

11. I hope you don't let anything big tree posts rile you.

[bigtree]

20. I don't want to 'rile' anyone

...I want the bullshit to end.

It's sad, knowing how overwhelming the support here is for Sanders, that anyone would even think about working to discourage the handful of O'Malley supporters. Are you really this insecure in your own choice?

[mcar]

45. No one can be for someone besides their guy

Because then we are bad and have to be told about the error of our ways.

I thought MOM did a great job in last night's town hall.

[Skwmom]

10. Where they really Bernie supporters or one of the O'Malley Supporters posing as a Bernie Supporter

or maybe a Biden supporter, Clinton supporter etc..... because we need people to play roles in these manipulative games and bring the actual Bernie supporters into the fold later on.

And people wonder why this country is so screwed...

[bigtree]

14. more prevarication

...what a campaign.

[Skwmom]

26. Only an idiot would believe all self proclaimed Bernie supporters

are in fact Bernie supporters.

[bigtree]

27. poor deflection

...but interesting projection.

[Andy823]

17. Go look for yourself

I agree that many of his so called supporters are phony as hell, but you be the judge.

[Andy823]

15. I agree.

66 recs so far. Sure says a lot about those who rec'd a pure out and out lie.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

16. As a neutral observer, I will have to say that Bernie's supporters went too far.

It was despicable on how they twisted Governor O'Malley's word. They tried to turn his best moment at the town hall into a false pitch for Bernie Sanders. Stay strong O'Malley supporters.

[merrily]

19. Neutral? LOL!

[ProudToBeLiberal]

22. When it comes to a fight between Bernie and O'Malley supporters I am an arbiter of neutrality. nt

[merrily]

24. No. You diss Bernie supporters whenever you can. The nature of the opportunity to do that

is not all that significant. Also, you seem to be misusing 'arbiter.' Neutrality has no use for an arbiter. An arbiter, however, has a need for neutrality, and, as discussed, you are far from neutral when it comes to Sanders' supporters.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

25. Well, I am a bit slow in the head, so I will take your word for it. Thanks for having my back :). nt

[Skwmom]

28. The post left off the question mark but the writer was clearly trying to read between the lines.

He used the word infer. Hard to imagine O'Malley would go on record bucking the establishment and siding with Sanders.

[bigtree]

30. the poster is furthering a lie

...deliberately.

O'Malley and Sanders have almost identical platforms; almost identical criticisms of Clinton policy and record.

Sanders IS the establishment, having been a D.C.political fixture for decades.

O'Malley is the true outsider in this race, with an extensive record of progressive ACCOMPLISHMENTS which far outstrips anything achieved by either of his rivals.

[Skwmom]

70. O'Malley has tried to mimic Sanders. O'Malley's check the box list of accomplishments in a

Democratic controlled MD. But on core issues, trade, etc. he has nothing but WORDS. No record. And his record, mass illegal arrests of Black Americans (including teachers, retirees, etc) and his crony capitalism, 148k speaking fee for a company that he gave a no bid contract to while gov, etc. shows he's just another politician.

[bigtree]

73. you know zero about Maryland

Last edited Wed Jan 27, 2016, 10:55 AM - Edit history (1)

...if you're claiming those fights for achievements like marriage equality, gun safety legislation, increasing the minimum wage, providing educational benefits and drivers licenses for immigrants, or environmental policy were some kind of slam dunk. All of those issues faced a divided electorate and were hard-fought accomplishments.

No matter how you choose to belittle his progressive accomplishments, the fact remains that real people's lives were improved by his actions and those accomplishments are still reaping benefits for the residents of my state and influencing changes elsewhere.

It still stands that O'Malley has a sheaf of progressive accomplishments which his two rivals can only match with rhetoric and promises.


Ended death penalty in Maryland

Prevented fracking in Maryland and put regulations in the way to prevent next GOP Gov Hogan fom easily allowing fracking.

Reduced infant mortality to an all time low.

Provided meals to thousands of hungry children and moved toward a goal for eradicating childhood hunger.

NEA named O’Malley ‘America’s Greatest Education Governor’


O’Malley secured a freeze on tuition to Maryland institutions of higher learning, making higher education more affordable for Marylanders.

Some of O’Malley’s other accomplishments: reinvigorating Maryland’s Career and Technology Education and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs statewide, and launching the comprehensive Maryland STEM Innovation Network to promote the delivery of high quality STEM education at all levels throughout the state.

Enacted a $10.10 living wage and a $11. minimum wage for State workers.

Cut income taxes for 86% of Marylanders (raised taxes on the rich).

Reformed Maryland’s tax code to make it more progressive.

Enacted some of the nation’s most comprehensive reforms to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

In 2012, he signed a bill legalizing same sex marriage in Maryland, joining seven other states in enacting marriage equality. The law survived a statewide referendum held later that year, which marked the first time marriage rights in the U.S. were extended to same-sex couples by a popular vote.

Gov. O'Malley signed into law the Fairness for All Marylanders Act, extending housing, public accommodations, and employment protections to transgender citizens and visitors of the state.

As Mayor of Baltimore, O'Malley helped the City become the first jurisdiction in Maryland to prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals in 2002. In one of his first acts as Governor, he signed an Executive Order prohibiting discrimination against transgender state employees in 2007.

Mother Jones magazine called him the best candidate on environmental issues.
Article here:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/martin-omalley-longshot-presidential-candidate-and-real-climate-hawk

Martin O'Malley signed a 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act far ahead of most other states, & the EPA
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-taylormiesle/the-thing-we-should-be-ta_b_7545470.html?utm_hp_ref=climate-change/

Martin O'Malley boasts a strong record on environmental issues in his time as Governor, including doubling the state's renewable energy standard to 20 percent. Far ahead of most other states, and even the EPA, O'Malley signed Maryland's 2009 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act, which set a statewide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent below 2006 levels by 2020. By 2012, Maryland had driven down greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10 percent compared to 2006, and by 20 percent compared to "business as usual" projections.

In 2011, Maryland League of Conservation Voters gave Gov. O'Malley a B+ overall in their Governor's Report Card (and an A for climate change).

from the Environmental Defense Fund:

In addition to the 2008 Climate Action Plan and the new GGRA Plan, Gov. O’Malley’s key accomplishments include:

(2008) Amendment to the Maryland Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard doubled the existing standard to require that 20% of Maryland's energy be created by renewable resources by 2022, including 2% from solar energy;

(2008) EmPOWER Maryland Act set an energy efficiency target and peak demand reduction target of 15% by 2015;

(2008) Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program was created using revenues from the Northeast RGGI to offset ratepayers’ electricity bills and invest in energy efficiency programs;

(2009) Maryland Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act requires Maryland to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 2006 levels by 2020; and

(2013) Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 created a fund to build 200 megawatts of wind energy to construct one of the nation’s first offshore wind energy farms off the coast of Ocean City.

O’Malley received a “100 percent” rating from NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland

When it comes to birth control, O’Malley has increased access to contraception and pregnancy counseling, particularly among low-income women.

In 2012, O’Malley signed the Family Planning Works Act, which greatly expanded reproductive-health access by providing low-income women with free pregnancy counseling and Medicaid-funded contraception, STI testing and cancer screenings. According to RH Reality Check, the act would provide these subsidized medical services to an additional 33,000 women in the state.

O’Malley has also promoted increased support for new mothers (and fathers) by signing the Maryland Parental Leave Act in 2014. The law expands parental leave for working parents, requiring Maryland small businesses to provide at least six weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of an employee’s child. Prior to the law, small businesses were exempted from providing unpaid family leave.

Maryland, under Martin O'Malley, tied for having the lowest wage gap between our working men and women of any state in the nation...Maryland currently has the third-lowest poverty rate for women in the nation.

Maryland is the No. 1 state in the nation for women-owned businesses -- one-third of Maryland businesses are women-owned. Maryland also ranks third in the nation in percentage of managerial jobs held by women at 42.4 percent.

here's the report, well worth the read-thru: https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/StateOfWomenReport.pdf

[Fumesucker]

29. Is lying then despicable or only certain lies by certain people?

[bigtree]

33. wow

...another weak deflection.

Not very 'encouraging,' Sanders folks.

[Fumesucker]

37. I never even saw the thread being discussed

I'm asking if lies are despicable?

Do you have an answer for that question or not?

[FSogol]

34. Do you find O'Malley supporters here on DU or DailyKos telling lies?

[Fumesucker]

39. I'm asking if lies are despicable

Is that a difficult question?

[FSogol]

40. Nah, you are making excuses. I haven't lied. I am disappointed

that so many on DU would support that lie.

[Fumesucker]

41. I'm asking a general question on lying, is it despicable or not?

I don't even know what the controversy is since I haven't read the thread in question.

[FSogol]

46. Sorry, I'm not your ethics teacher. n/t

[Fumesucker]

48. Oh please, it's a simple question and I'm asking your personal opinion

You don't want to answer because you know where I'm going with it.

[FSogol]

50. Clearly, lies are wrong, except in certain cases where they can protect someone, save a

life, etc. Now your game will be to pretend that I am somehow responsible for not speaking up about about some other lie (which I may or may not have seen) that somehow got under your craw.

Did I guess right?

[Fumesucker]

51. Some of one candidates supporters appear to be supporting a lie

On the other hand one of the candidates is a proven liar.

Which is worse?

[FSogol]

54. Are you one of the guys who thinks O'Malley supporters are secret HRC supporters

thanks to some bizarre conspiracy that unifies the whole world into us vs them?

And isn't what you are circuitously alluding to be considered an exaggeration rather than a lie?

[Fumesucker]

65. No, I'm interested in whether lying is despicable or not

If you condemn lying as "despicable" when practiced by the supporters of a candidate should you also not similarly condemn the candidate who is a proven liar?

I really don't get this whole "the supporters have to be more pure than the candidates" thing.

I don't care about O'Malley either way, he's sure saying a lot of the right things, he's JFK handsome, a fairly decent musician even but I think he's a stone cold authoritarian at heart, his stint as mayor of Baltimore revealed those chops, he had zero problem employing unConstitutional searches and what amounted to mass arrests. It doesn't matter if "that's what the constituents demanded" a politician is supposed to be more aware of the Constitutional limits of state power than the average citizen, not less.

[FSogol]

67. I don't care if a candidate's supporters are pure or not, but the intellectual

dishonesty on display is astounding. It proves to me that people are just playing games and don't really care about the issues they profess to care about.

As for Baltimore, you couldn't be more wrong. The modus operandi for everyone before and after O'Malley was to save police resources to protect the lily white neighborhoods and let the drug gangs control the black neighborhoods. O'Malley tackled crime in black neighborhoods and made Baltimore livable in those places again. Would an authoritarian work on reducing recidivism? Would an authoritarian double the funds going to drug treatment, decriminalize marijuana, and ban the box? Would an authoritarian create a civilian review board over the police, remove dirty cops, and reduce police shootings? Your suppositions doesn't square with his actions. You pick the worst framing and ignore the good he did, the lives he saved, and cut a huge pass for the people who ran Baltimore for the 8 years since he left.

[Fumesucker]

68. Why is dishonesty astounding?

As I already pointed out we have a candidate who is unquestionably a liar and that doesn't seem to even register on those who are pitching hissy fits over what the Berniebros might be doing.

Someone I met a couple of years ago is entangled in the parole and probation system, probably for life at this point. It got me interested in it and I've been doing some research, the entire P/P system has become a cruel joke designed to extract the maximum amount of money from people who will never have a decent job.

I had an OP up about it at the time.

"It's easier to make it inside than outside"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023699965

[bigtree]

71. the record shows that most detained for petty crimes were not charged

...that was one of the suppositions in the lawsuit. That makes all of the claims about some long-term effect absurd and false.

[FSogol]

72. Translation: You don't like HRC and it's all FSogol's fault.

PS, that was a good OP, thanks for pointing it out to me. curious how O'Malley is the only candidate thinking about parolees and advocating banning the box.





Here's the relevant portion of his Crimminal Justice plan. The entire plan can be found here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12813600#post10

Reduce Recidivism Through Investments in Reentry

Up to 60 percent of individuals released from jail or prison return within three years. Programs that help people in prison or jail transition into society are saving taxpayer dollars that might otherwise be wasted on re-arrest or re-incarceration. Successful reentry options also give motivated individuals the tools and support they need to leave the criminal justice system for good, compete for a job, find stable housing, support their families, and contribute to their communities.

As president, Governor O’Malley will:

Invest in Job-Training Programs That Work. Roughly 9 million people return home from jail, and 650,000 from prison, every year. Getting and keeping a job is crucial to their ability to reenter their communities—and thus to reducing recidivism, and incarceration costs, overall. O’Malley will build on successful programs in Maryland and other states to train, place, and support those exiting the criminal justice system so they can secure employment. As president, he will work with Congress to secure additional funding for—and legislation that expands—community-based job training programs.

Support Reentry Programming. Since 2008, the bipartisan Second Chance Act has funded critical community services that help people return to their families from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. O’Malley will work with Congress to reauthorize and expand funding for Second Chance Act programs, and other important services that ease the transition back to the outside world. Such services include referrals for housing and benefits, substance abuse treatment, mentoring, education, and job training.

Expand Good Time Credits. O’Malley will support legislation to allow people in federal prison to earn sentence-reduction credits by completing education and reentry programs. More broadly, he will support evidence-based, cost-effective reforms that allow people in prisons or jails to earn more good time credit for greater sentence reductions than federal law currently allows.

Support Access to Higher Education in Prison. O’Malley will use existing funds and work with Congress to support multi-year educational and vocational training programs in correctional facilities, including providing funding for professional teachers and staff. He will also support legislation and take executive action to restore eligibility for Pell Grants for people in state and federal prison, which was eliminated in the 1994 crime bill. These investments will increase individuals’ chances of finding jobs once they’ve done their time, and decrease their chances of cycling back into prison later in life.

Dramatically Reduce the Use of Solitary Confinement and Ban Solitary for Juveniles.
Research shows that prisoners subjected to prolonged isolation may experience depression, rage, claustrophobia, hallucinations, and severe psychosis that can lead to random violence or suicide. Federal judges have called the long-term lack of interaction, mental stimulus, and exposure to nature “beyond what most humans can psychologically tolerate”. As president, O’Malley will reverse the runaway growth of solitary confinement, limiting its use to the most serious in-prison offenders. He will also fight to pass legislation banning the federal use of solitary confinement for juveniles nationally.

Provide Pathways to Full Restoration of Rights and Benefits

Nearly one in three Americans has a criminal record that, because of employer biases and state laws, could prevent them from even being considered for good-paying jobs. Moreover, nearly six million Americans are denied the fundamental right to vote because of regressive state laws that target people with felony convictions. This results in one out of every 13 African Americans being unable to vote.

As President, Governor O’Malley will:

Ban the Box. O’Malley will use existing federal dollars to encourage states to adopt “fair chance” policies, which direct employers to delay criminal record inquiries and individually assess job applicants based on their qualifications. He will make the federal government a model employer by adopting fair chance hiring policies for all federal contractors and agencies.

Expunge or Seal Criminal Records. O’Malley will also support legislation that provides paths to recourse for people with criminal records. This includes automatically expunging or sealing juvenile records, so young people have a fair chance to turn around their lives; allowing some categories of formerly incarcerated people to petition a court to seal their records; and expunging the records of arrests that did not lead to formal charges.

Restore Voting Rights to People with Felony Records. All those who served time and reentered society should be allowed to vote. O’Malley will call for and strongly support legislation restoring voting rights to individuals with felony records. He will explore and take advantage of every opportunity to use federal funds and administrative solutions to encourage states to restore voting rights.

Ensure Access to Temporary Support. O’Malley will call for and strongly support legislation that would end the drug felon ban on access to SNAP and TANF assistance. Formerly incarcerated people and their families should have access to crucial support to help them get on their feet after serving their time.



Work to Eliminate For-Profit Prisons

There are approximately 130 private prisons in the United States. They house nearly half of all immigrant detainees, in addition to six percent of the state and 16 percent of the federal prison population. These facilities earn the private prison industry $3.3 billion in annual revenue, backed by nearly $25 million in lobbying over the past 25 years. This includes industry lobbying to protect perverse incentives, the strict enforcement of sentencing and immigration laws, and contracts that require correctional facilities and immigration detention centers to remain full even when crime is falling.

As president, Governor O’Malley will:

Phase Out Federal For-Profit Prisons. This includes closing for-profit immigration detention centers, while using alternatives to detention in the immigration context whenever possible.

3. Reinvest To Ensure Justice

As a nation, our divestment in education, job creation, and healthcare has resulted in some communities turning to law enforcement as a first and last resort—from providing student discipline to addressing addiction and mental illness. Reversing this trend by reinvesting in these areas will relieve our overburdened justice system, and ensure that law enforcement is able to focus on the most violent crimes.

[FSogol]

31. K&R. n/t

[Vattel]

32. It's interesting how easily you assume the worst in others.

Was O'Malley intentionally endorsing Sanders? Of course not. Was he inadvertently providing reasons to vote for Sanders? Yes. There are many possible reasons why a given person might have recced that thread. Maybe they didn't read it closely. Maybe they though that O'Malley was inadvertently giving a good reason to vote for Sanders over Clinton. Maybe they really did think that O'Malley was subtly suggesting, "If not me, then Sanders." That would be a mistake in my opinion, but no need to suggest anyone was deliberately taking part in some sort of sleazy attempt to divert O'Malley support to Sanders.

[bigtree]

35. I'm not a naive as you appear

...and there's no reason for O'Malley supporters to view this as anything other than a cheap political manipulation and work to put down the lie..

[Vattel]

49. I don't mind pointing out that O'Malley obviously wasn't recommending supporting

Sanders instead of himself (except that it's almost too obvious to need pointing out). But ascribing malicious intent to DUers who recced the thread seems uncharitable to me.

[FSogol]

38. C'mon, It takes a lot of intellectual dishonesty to watch O'Malley's appeal

for support and to think it is somehow an appeal to support sanders.

[Peacetrain]

36. Not good

That was such a tacky thing Cuomo did.. and O'Malley came back with solid support for his supporters in Iowa.. and to use a tactic of trying to turn O'Mallys call of support for his supporters is a pissy thing to do..

[bigtree]

42. thanks for the support, Peacetrain

...heading off to work now (late, as usual, hanging out at DU!).

[Peacetrain]

43. I am headed to bed myself

Have a good night at work bigtree

[Metric System]

44. I don't know what's worse, Cuomo's question or Sanders supporters' misrepresentation.

[stevenleser]

47. Far too many of them have gone off the deep end and done many things like this

I think the only reason O'Malley and his supporters haven't seen more of this is that Sanders supporters don't see him as a threat. If they did you would see crap like this 24x7.

Welcome to the world of the Hillary supporters on DU, if only for a moment.

[JonLeibowitz]

52. "if only for a moment" -- You're going back to anti-Clinton?

Can't say I am surprised.

[FSogol]

55. No hablo ingles?

[stevenleser]

56. Yeah, I didn't think what I wrote was hard to understand. Then again...

... I don't have a whole lot of respect for the cognitive abilities of the folks who did or recced what bigtree wrote about in the OP.

[elleng]

53. Sure is, bigtree.

and darn right, Anyone supporting this route here needs to check their politics and ask themselves what kind of message it projects to O'Malley supporters here and beyond DU to seek to advance a rival campaign by supporting and furthering such a dishonest and subversive tactic.

[stevenleser]

57. Good luck with that. You're right but still, good luck with that.

You're addressing folks who think they get ahead by attacking everyone else and distorting everything about what their opponents say and do. They demand such an orthodoxy that many have started their own website despite the fact they are 80% of DU and have a stranglehold on the jury system.

Yes we Hillary supporters have our own website, because we are vastly outnumbered here and Sanders fans do the kinds of things you commented about and the OP wrote about to Hillary and anyone who dares support her all the time.

We wouldn't need our own website if we were 80% of DU. If that's not hearing what you want to hear enough of the time you need some self examination. Which brings us back to what you wrote about. It's spot on, but don't hold your breath.

[elleng]

59. Not holding my breath,

don't need them, I do have a life, tho 'harmony' would be nice. However, I DO keep grudges.

[Number23]

64. Bigtree mentioned upthread about the insecurities of certain supporters of Sanders

The non-stop attacks, the endless hostility. Practically every damn day someone writes a new article about it but this does nothing but feed the persecution complex and actually INCREASE the non-stop screaming and attacking.

So really, it's pretty crystal clear that "insecurity" is exactly what we're dealing with.

[lunamagica]

61. Such dishonesty from the integrity, honesty, holier-than-thou crowd.

Last edited Wed Jan 27, 2016, 04:10 AM - Edit history (1)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

62. Stand tall, O'Malley supporters, stand tall !!!/nt

[restorefreedom]

63. i haven't seen the thread in question

but its important to remember imo that the corporate clinton loving media have taken every opportunity to ignore mom, and dws as an arm of the clinton campaign has rigged the debate schedule to stifle all opposing the chosen one. i have seen several media hacks basically ask when mom is going to drop out, including in a shittiy clinton ass kissing performance by cuomo last night.

its not bernie who is trying to stifle martin's voice. bernie has treated all his competitors with respect. too bad another campaign has not treated anyone with respect.

[AtomicKitten]

66. I don't think that's what O'M meant.

However, I took the post in question from Daily Kos to be an interpretation of what the author thought he meant (or might have meant,). Lots of navel-gazing going on these days. Your antipathy toward Bernie and his supporters is fueling your anger at what was really an innocuous post. The OP of that thread made the simple mistake of eliminating the question mark in the title.

[bigtree]

69. maybe folks should reflect on how potentially destructive that kind of speculation can be

...imagine your own candidate as the subject.

The 'simple mistake' has yet to be corrected.

By the way, I don't have 'antipathy' for Sanders supporters. I have antipathy for those who practice petty politics like this; especially those who bring those kinds of tactics here. I've participated in seven presidential elections in my lifetime and have been a political watcher since nursery school (I cried when Johnson said he wouldn't run, and Nixon became a favorite for the win. I wore a big Humphrey button the size of my small head that election).

I'm a lifelong Democrat who has little tolerance for people bent on disrupting our party politics. Depressing the vote and discouraging voters isn't new. It happens every election, and this is as blatant an example as any tactic.

It's not an innocuous post and the op isn't making any of the excuses offered here. I'm not buying any of them, and I'm not going to stand flat-footed while my choice in this primary is dismissed and pushed aside before one vote has been cast.

Twisting what O'Malley said into an endorsement of Sanders is the lowest of lows in a campaign of cheap shots all around. It doesn't take antipathy or anger to recognize that, or, to defend against the complacency or discouragement generated by the lie.

[Tanuki]

76. Right on, bigtree. Don't let anyone try to minimize that post or the intentions behind it. eom

[Bobbie Jo]

74. They don't care

Now we're seeing RW sources like "Townhall" touted as legitimate right here on page one.

We used to have standards here.

[NCTraveler]

75. That piece brought here from KOS...

Was painful to read on every level. I think it was nothing more that a display of our failed education system. It's not only that they didn't comprehend that which they heard and read, I felt as if I was reading a poor middle school paper.

[Zen Democrat]

77. Facts are that O'Malley caucusers will be forced to go with another candidate

because no way does he have enough percentage of the vote going in to make the cut in Iowa. Thems the caucus rules. O'Malley supporters will caucus for him, and supposing that his numbers remain where they are, his supporters will be forced into the camps of either Hillary or Bernie on the following vote. There's nothing controversial here.

[bigtree]

78. he's expecting to do well in some precincts

...and hasn't conceded anything.

We don't elect based on polls and punditry. O'Malley and his supporters are still competing for EVERY vote. It's still conceivable that he can achieve the 15% threshold in some precincts. No one knows what will happen in Iowa until the actual caucusing begins. That's been true in most elections I've lived through and observed.

[MoonRiver]

80. That doesn't mean it's OK to LIE about what O'M said.

He passionately urged his supporters to stand strong for him at their caucuses, NOT to fold and choose another candidate. I heard the entire town hall, and O'Malley's intent was obvious. The twisting of facts that Bernie supporters attempted here was extremely shady and underhanded. This reflects poorly on Bernie, and could just backfire.