Andrea Mitchell Desperately Tries to Make Bernie Criticize Hillary, Bernie Doesn't Take The Bait

[Cali_Democrat]

by Matt Wilstein | 2:37 pm, August 31st, 2015

<...>

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell spent much of her interview with Sanders on Monday trying to get him to criticize Clinton on something — anything. But Sanders managed to maintain the high ground, refusing to hit his rival on the email controversy or even a recent poll that uncovered “liar” as the word voters associate with her most.

On the Iowa numbers, Mitchell asked, “To what do you attribute this narrowing of the gap? Is this related to the email controversy and the trust factor?”

“I don’t think so, Andrea,” Sanders replied, bringing the discussion back to economic issues. “I think the American people want a government that represents all of us and not just Wall Street and a handful of very wealthy people.”

“Now, you have resisted attacking Hillary Clinton,” Mitchell observed. “Are you braced for the onslaught that could come your way from her?”

Again, Sanders steered her answer away from Clinton, instead saying, “We’re going to be attacked by Corporate America. When you take on the establishment, you anticipate those attacks.”

From there, Mitchell again brought up the email scandal, asking Sanders if he thinks Clinton “jeopardized national security.” Sanders would only say “there is a process going on now” to determine if that is the case or not. “But this campaign that I am running, let me reiterate, is not against Hillary Clinton or anybody else,” he said. “It is for an American people who are sick and tired of seeing the middle class disappear and huge numbers of people living in poverty.”

Finally, Mitchell brought up Quinnipiac poll that tied Clinton to the word “liar,” asking, “What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of Hillary Clinton?”

At this point, Sanders had clearly had it with this line of questioning.

“I have known Hillary Clinton for 25 years. And I know her to be a very hardworking, intelligent person, somebody I worked with in the Senate,” he said. “So I am sorry, I am not going to get into the media game, Andrea, of attacking, making personal attacks, against Hillary Clinton. I just am not going to do that. I don’t think that’s what the American people want. I think we have got to focus on the real issues. Why is the middle class disappearing and almost all new income and wealth going to the top 1 percent? Why don’t we have a trade policy that works for the American worker and not the CEOs of large corporations? Why do we have a system where families cannot afford to send their kids to college?”

“A lot of issues to talk about,” Sanders added. “You’ll forgive me but I’m not going to get into attacking Hillary Clinton personally.”

Mitchell did not bring up her name again..”

Read more with video:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/andrea-mitchell-desperately-tries-to-make-bernie-sanders-criticize-hillary/

[dhol82]

1. Wow.

One would wish that all the candidates were so gracious and just adhered to their points despite the drive by the interviewer to dig for the dirt.

Good for Bernie.

[arcane1]

2. I love that he not only refuses, but points out how utterly stupid it is to ask.

We always see that in the debates too: one candidate gets actual questions and the rest get questions about that candidate. I can't wait to see him on the debate stage

[ZX86]

10. I've noticed that as well.

Preferred candidates get soft ball questions and anti-establishment candidates get gotcha questions. The last time I checked debates consisted questions that can be asked and answered by any participant on the debate stage. The "news" media like to defend themselves by claiming they are asking "tough" questions of a candidate ignoring that there's a difference between tough questions, important questions, and appropriate questions.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. The guy stays on message like nobody else.

I love the way he handled that first question on ABC's This Week. Same kind of thing and he turned it around to talk about his campaign, not Hillary's.

[JoePhilly]

4. Bernie gets it.

He needs support from people who like Hillary.

Attacking her and her supporters would not help him.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. He's never, ever, gone negative in his career.

It's not about HRC.

[AtomicKitten]

14. Which begs the question,

Last edited Tue Sep 1, 2015, 03:23 AM - Edit history (1)

... do you think the Clinton drone attacks on Bernie and especially the attacks on his supporters here help her?

Answer: They don't. As far as I'm concerned, you and she are on your own.

[leftynyc]

17. So you blame Hillary for what her

supporters say and do? You think she has staffers posting here?

[rhett o rick]

5. Mitchell is a tool of the 1%. Good for Sanders. nm

[AtomicKitten]

6. Bernie's a mensch.

His decency resonates in the face of Clinton sending out her drones to try to frag him.

[Armstead]

7. He's practicing what they all preach

All politicians say "I want to run a positive issue oriented campaign."

Until it's time for the mud bucket to come out.

But I kind of doubt Bernie even owns a mud bucket....He's tough but polite and principled.

[Armstead]

8. P.S. Good of you to post that

....though it may be intended as an object lesson for us hot head supporters

[Faryn Balyncd]

9. K & R. This is something we can all learn from.

[bigwillq]

11. She's awful.

So is Andrea.

[Jamaal510]

12. He doesn't need to criticize her, anyway.

Not to take away from his wish to run a positive campaign, but the Republicans, the not-really-liberal media, and a sizable chunk of his supporters have already been busy at work criticizing the former SOS/Senator.

[Uncle Joe]

15. The corporate media continues in its attempts to take Bernie off his economic justice message.

Bernie to his credit is too wise to take the bait.

Thanks for the thread, Cali_Democrat.

[Cha]

16. He should see what some of his suporters come up with around here.. in his name.