Donna Brazile: 'We Democrats Don't Call Each Other Evil'

[baldguy]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/brazile-democrats-dont-call-other-162429510.html?nhp=1

The RW punditocracy is happy to push the RW talking points that Clinton is the epitome of evil (which Sanders is in full parrot mode for), but Ms. Brazile put them firmly in their place.

[bonemachine]

1. Shit, I must have missed it...

When did Sanders call Clinton evil?

[CrowCityDem]

2. Yesterday, unprompted, he brought up the 'lesser of two evils' line

[LoverOfLiberty]

4. Called Hilllary the"lesser of two evils"

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bernie-sanders-american-people-hillary-clinton-lesser-evils/story?id=39280278

[HooptieWagon]

5. He called her the lesser of two evils.

Which is nicer than what most people would call a corrupt corporatist DINO.

[asuhornets]

26. Sanders is just looking for some attention from Hillary..

She has not mentioned his name in public for a while now.

[Baobab]

48. You should know that she's really dishonest about really important things.

Things that Presidents should NEVER lie about.

Things that have killed a lot of poorer Americans.

[asuhornets]

55. Hillary is not responsible for the Iraq War--George W. Bush is..She gets blames for everything

[Exilednight]

64. She voted for it.

[asuhornets]

66. I voted for a number of things that I did not have anything to do with...eom

[tazkcmo]

68. Really?

How the hell does that work? In my world, if I vote for something it means I had something to do with it. In fact, it means I supported it.

[asuhornets]

70. not really...nt

[tazkcmo]

71. lol o.k.

Thanks for clearing that up!

[asuhornets]

73. it's call life and decision making

[tazkcmo]

75. Gee Wally

And here I thought we were talking about actual votes that then Sen Clinton cast, namely that authorizing the Iraq War.

As far as decisions go, this was pretty shitty one.

[asuhornets]

81. thankyou

[EffieBlack]

76. Bernie voted for the Crime Bill

But I've never heard him claim to be responsible for it or the damage he claims it caused.

Instead, he blames it on Hillary - who did not for it.

Go figure...

[Demsrule86]

9. On ABC yesterday

Bernie is a ....I can't think of a word bad enough.

[tazkcmo]

69. Sure you can.

You do yourself injustice.

[bonemachine]

10. Hmm...

I feel like there's a substantive rhetorical difference between saying that someone is "the lesser of two evils" and straight up identifying them as evil, but I recognize that that will sound suspiciously like splitting hairs to some folks.

[reddread]

28. choose your messengers carefully

there is another difference as well, when you couch the expression while describing the public perception of lesser (and presumably greater) evils as opposed to proclaiming them as such.

so if you prefer, you can take the ginned up pearl clutching as substantive, rather than imaginary.

but I think I can see the difference.

[Purveyor]

3. Whats this "we democrats" shit, Donna? Don't even begin to think you

speak for all the "we democrats" because you sure as hell don't.

[anotherproletariat]

21. You speak for me! Thanks Donna!! nt

[hrmjustin]

23. She speaks for me.

[dragonfly301]

83. I always think of Donna Brazile as the person who gave us

GWB for president - such a strategizer :/

[mmonk]

6. I guess us violent liberal white supremacists need to understand

we are divisive. Sorry, left out misogynists.

[seabeyond]

7. Sing it sister.... Nt

[timmymoff]

8. This coming from the brilliant campaign strategist of Al Gore

we all remember president Gore, don't we?

[Demsrule86]

11. Thanks to the Greens and that ...bas*** Nader

Nader was a spoiler...I hope Bernie won't be this years Nader...time will tell.

[timmymoff]

13. Yup remember how the Clinton's delivered Arkansas for Gore in 2000?

Either do I. Remember how well Gore did in Tennessee his home state? I do. remember how 250,000 Floridian democrats voted for Bush? I do. Accountability, get some.

[bettyellen]

32. Gore did not let Clinton campaign for him- his disloyalty to POTUS made him look like a pious prig.

Love it when people here just make up shit. Seriously, look stuff up first.

[timmymoff]

39. Oh I see

did I make up Gore's home state? or 250,000 dems leaving in Florida for bush... I love it when people overlook shit, that's why we have Hillary now.

[bettyellen]

40. Change the subject, eh? Hillary bagged the primary and all polls show her taking the general.

Sorry if you'd rather have Trump, but it ain't going to happen.

[timmymoff]

41. read my post you first responded to and tell me if i changed the subject

[bettyellen]

45. You blamed the Clintons for Gore's mistake. Of course you did.

[timmymoff]

50. I did? I said they didn't help him

I also pointed out how Donna Brazile failed in earlier posts. Reading comprehension may not be your strong suit. We all have weaknesses I guess. Your poutrage is noted, as is your lack of reading comprehension skills. Bernie's free education platform would probably work wonders for some, wouldn't you think?

[timmymoff]

46. Maybe you only read the title

could be a laziness, seems a bunch of Hillary supporters lack an intellectual curiosity.

[bettyellen]

47. I addressed the title because it was a lazy bullshit lie blaming a Clinton.

[timmymoff]

51. We all know the Clinton's are infallible

don't we.

[bettyellen]

54. Sorry to break it to you, but none of them are perfect. Poor SBS would be roast over a spit for

not being able to deliver more than 1/10 of what he has promised. Losing as he is, you'll still be able to look up to him and his untested ideals. So there is that.

[timmymoff]

56. I agree

won't it be great when the Clinton's make deals with the republicans to give us a "progressive agenda" We all know the gop loves the Clintons. She will probably get everything through first time without threat of veto they love her so much. You sound less and less intelligent with each post. We need more compromise towards the right, and Clinton will give us just that.. wooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[bettyellen]

59. The GOP hates the Clintons. Have since the 90's. Being photographed with people does not equal love,

it means you get around. Now you are being deliberately insulting, so good bye.

[timmymoff]

63. cya

[Fawke Em]

74. All the polls do not show that.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html

[reddread]

49. i would love some.

[fun n serious]

58. It was Gore who wanted to distance himself from Clinton.

Big MISTAKE imo

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. And the 300,000 conservadems who voted for BUSH

Yup.. and never forget the USSC, or Harris, or Jeb bush.

Yuo

[cherokeeprogressive]

60. Wow. I had no idea Nader won TENNESSEE. Those 11 electoral votes decided the election!

OH wait... Nader DIDN'T win Tennessee. Bush did. Al Gore couldn't even win his own fucking state. HAD he won his own fucking state, he would have won the fucking election HANDS DOWN.

[Mike Nelson]

12. If he's gonna...

...say support Hillary because she's the lesser of two evils, I think she should consider telling Bernie she doesn't accept his endorsement. Hillary would look better and less political.

[timmymoff]

14. Hillary can look less political? really? lol

[MFM008]

15. im very dissapointed

he continues along these lines. Fine say your not for her, say you don't like her policy but she is NOT on the level of evil as Trump and the republican party.

[Cobalt Violet]

16. Here in the real world I hear lots of people complain about the lesser of 2 evils.

We've been complaining for decades! And we are Democrates.

[BootinUp]

17. had to stop watching, the puke side was gonna make me sick, lol.

[bonemachine]

19. Here's the quote:

SANDERS: We need a campaign, an election coming up, which does not have two candidates who are really very, very strongly disliked. I don't want to see the American people voting for the lesser of two evils.

I want the American people to be voting for a vision of economic justice, of social justice, of environmental justice, of racial justice. That is the campaign we are running and that's why we are getting the support we are.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is that how you would describe Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump, the lesser of two evils?

SANDERS: Well, if you look at -- no, I wouldn't describe it, but that's what the American people are saying. If you look at the favorability ratings of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, both of them have very, very high unfavorables. You're not going to disagree with me on that...

STEPHANOPOULOS: There's no question about that.

I would say that this is a damn accurate assessment of how a huge portion of voters feel about a Clinton/Trump matchup, and a far cry from saying "Hillary Clinton is evil".

[baldguy]

20. "I don't want to see ... people voting for the lesser of two evils" is still saying she's evil.

Bernie Sanders has jumped the shark.

[Qutzupalotl]

22. In the very next answer, he says no, he wouldn't describe her as evil

but that the American people might see the election as a choice between two unfavorables.

[baldguy]

27. And people give Clinton shit for "triangulation".

Sanders wants to have it both ways: to be able say Clinton is evil, but without having to take responsibility for saying such an outrageous statement. What a weasel.

[Qutzupalotl]

29. Except he didn't

as I pointed out.

[baldguy]

34. Except that he did, weaselly hypocrite that he is.

When Trump contradicts himself within 30 sec of making a statement, he's correctly and resoundingly mocked. When Sanders does it, his fans defend his contradictory statements (as is being done in this very thread).

The fact is Sanders says Clinton is evil. If you have a problem with him saying that, then take it up with the people agreeing with him.

[bonemachine]

43. perhaps you have not heard Clinton voters use this line?

I guarantee you I can dig up a handful of examples, if it will make any difference in your rhetoric, but I suspect it will not.

It's a common idiom, and it's perfectly relevant.

And the reverse of it, which he also describes, is exactly the sort of energy that has been fueling his campaign.


So there's no doubt that he (along with millions of other Americans) is painfully frustrated to see a rare breath of actual optimism in American politics turning right back into the status quo of voting for which politician you think is going to lie to you and fuck over your interests the least...

[Eric J in MN]

30. +1 (NT)

NT

[seabeyond]

33. Tweedledee and dum. All he has to do, as a politician was to start pointing out the difference.

But, he could not be bothered. He feeds it.

[Vattel]

24. lol, illiteracy in the pundit class

[aikoaiko]

25. Its the endorsement HRC has been looking for.

[Eric J in MN]

31. The phrase 'lesser of two evils'

...doesn't mean that the candidates are evil.

It means that there would be terrible effects from either of them winning.

[Vattel]

82. Shhhhh. It's more fun if they think that in this usage "evil" means "morally evil" or "wicked."

[Chan790]

35. Perhaps it's time we start, Donna.

If we won't call out bad Democrats in our midst, that's how we end up the party of fungible values lead by weather-vanes.

[840high]

38. .+1

[AgingAmerican]

36. Crybabyism

From thin skinned Clinton surrogates

[Tom Rinaldo]

37. Good lord, everyone knows it is a common expression used to describe a non desirable choice

Sanders specifically said that he would not describe Clinton as a lesser evil, but noted the obvious. When strong majorities of voters have unfavorable opinions of both candidates they are being asked to choose between, the choice that they are forced to make (since they are unhappy with either one of them) is called "a lesser of two evils" choice.

Have we forgotten how to even use everyday speech around here, and is Donna playing dumb?

[bettyellen]

52. that is not how people her eon DU use the expression- love his weasel "other people say"

comeback. Seriously?

[sufrommich]

42. Good for her,it needed to be said.nt

[DCBob]

44. Bernie is berning bridges.

The man needs an intervention. He is becoming a danger to himself, to the party and to his cause.

[Yurovsky]

53. "We Democrats" don't sell out to Goldman Sachs either...

Donna is just a typical Clinton hack. She's cashed in, and damned if she'll let those pesky progressives derail her gravy train!

[Autumn]

57. Pay attention Donna, Bernie didn't call her evil, called her the lesser of two evils and he's right.

Grow up, the lesser of two evils is a term that has been used for years.

[Sky Masterson]

61. We Democrats Don't Call Each Other Evil

Except on DU,Facebook,Online.

[Sheepshank]

62. Yes, it's been hurled at Hillary By BSers frequently here

I find it interesting that this label,is not used against the RWers instead

[AgingAmerican]

78. It's a figure of speech

Figures of speech are not meant to be taken literally, but don't let that get in the way of your narrative.

[Sheepshank]

90. "figure of speech" is a poor excuse for acting boorish and assuming to get away with it

It's exactly that type of argument Trump uses when trying to avoid speaking with any decency and political correctness.

We have lots of figures of speech that are abhorrent and are finally starting to fade away
"Jew them down"
"Thugs", a dog whistle for PoC
"boy", demeaning title used for PoC

so you can take you excuses and shove it.

[Bluenorthwest]

91. And yet Camp Clinton offers up excuses for this crap:

"It may be hard for your viewers to remember how difficult it was for people to talk about HIV/AIDS back in the 1980s and because of both president and Mrs. Reagan — in particular Mrs. Reagan — we started a national conversation, when before nobody would talk about it, nobody wanted to do anything about it, and that too is something I really appreciate with her very effective low-key advocacy. It penetrated the public conscience and people began to say, hey, we have to do something about this too."

What she does there is lie about the gay community's courageous and enormous political actions in response to AIDS and claims we did nothing until Reagan, the actual villain of the AIDS crisis, bravely lead the way. It's bigoted, horrific lies told in order to praise a Republican for doing the very things he did not do, which he criminally did not do.

It's not even a dog whistle, it's like a giant billboard touting the Glory of Reagan.

What excuses will you offer for that one today? Hillary sought out cameras to say that, no one asked her. She offered it. What's the excuse of the say? Too many cocktails with W?

[bonemachine]

95. Why would we use it against right wingers?

Aren't they the greater of two evils?

[Sheepshank]

96. I suppose you couldn't figure out, my intent was not to use it against any Dem....

but exclusively at Republicans.

That you continue to claim there is a lesser Dem evil is pathetic.

[bonemachine]

97. And the idea that you think Democrats are blameless

is nonsense on it's face.

Is the Democratic party more aligned with my worldview? Sure! Are they better than Republicans? Without a doubt.

Are they immune from criticism just because they have a D after their name? Hell no!


Shit - intentionally or no, you are the one implying that sometimes a Republican could be the lesser evil.

[Exilednight]

65. Who is Donna Brazille and why does her opinion matter?

[AgerolanAmerican]

77. DNC Vice Chairman and old time Clintonite hack

She is speaking as a Clinton partisan here, don't be fooled into thinking she is somehow neutral on the matter.

I say that not calling evil by its name is how we got into this mess in the first place. Sanders' comments are a breath of fresh air.

[QC]

88. A terrible campaign manager who for some reason

is treated as an expert on politics.

[tazkcmo]

67. But we do

We do reserve Special Places In Hell for some.

[TheKentuckian]

72. Yeah we do and we do it all the time. There is no magic in checking the little box and throwing a

circle D next to your name that transforms bad policy to good and erases sellouts or makes dangerous warmongering into peace.

Don't want to be "lesser evil" then serve the needs of the people rather than selling out to, reaching out, and assimilating the positions of our enemies over and over again.

[AgingAmerican]

79. Take a figure of speech literally! Hillspeak 101!

[hobbit709]

80. Evil is evil no matter what letter you put behind the name.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

84. we don't?

[aikoaiko]

85. Donna doesn't really know the wide variety of Democrats out there.

[dubyadiprecession]

86. That's ok donna, bs isn't a democrat...

That is why he isn't going to be our nominee.

[Bluenorthwest]

87. In 2008 Donna opposed outreach to LGBT to serve as delegates and resisted every initiative to

increase LGBT participation in the Democratic Party. I liked her prior to seeing her act like a smug bigot. She flips off her fellow Democrats and says we don't need you. She is hateful.

[NorthCarolina]

89. The evil ones we do. -nt-

[Ron Green]

92. You want EVIL? Every person in that video clip is as evil as

as anybody running around loose, and yet they pose on TV as people who shape public opinion. THAT is evil.

[Orsino]

93. Some Democrats deny the evils committed in their name. n/t

[Hiraeth]

94. I call out evil where ever I see it. You can't fight it if you can't name it.