Why Martin O'Malley is attacking Bernie Sanders — and not Hillary Clinton

[Playinghardball]

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is trailing Hillary Clinton by an average of 50 points in the polls for the Democratic presidential nomination. So last Thursday, his super PAC released an attack ad against...

Bernie Sanders?

Paid for by O’Malley’s super PAC, Generation Forward, the ad said the Vermont senator “was no progressive when it comes to guns.”

The Sanders campaign poked back on Twitter with a couple of sub-tweets:

Bernie Sanders
✔ ‎@BernieSanders
As someone who has never run a negative political ad in his life, my campaign will be driven by issues and serious debate.

11:57 AM - 25 Jun 2015

Bernie Sanders
✔ ‎@BernieSanders
I will not have a super PAC. That’s why I need you to join me in an unprecedented grass-roots effort. http://bernie.to/no-superpac

2:17 PM - 25 Jun 2015

O’Malley is focusing on Sanders because, for the time being, the Vermont senator has edged him out as the leftier alternative to Clinton.

A June 25 WMUR/CNN poll showed Sanders down just 8 percentage points to Clinton in New Hampshire, while a June 16 Suffolk University poll showed him at 31 percent to Clinton’s 41 percent in the state.

As of Monday, Sanders trailed Clinton nationally by an average of 15.5 percent, according to Real Clear Politics, compared to the 50-point hole he was in just one month ago.

O’Malley, meanwhile, hasn’t cracked the 3 percent mark in those polls.

Of course it’s still very, very early.

“Sanders’s popularity has grown so far, so fast that O’Malley is an afterthought right now,” Dante Scala, political science professor at the University of New Hampshire, told Boston.com. “O’Malley is just not part of the storyline right now.”

Sanders, meanwhile, has been regularly attracting the largest crowds of any presidential candidate, including an estimated 5,000 people in Denver and 3,000 in Minneapolis.

David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University’s Political Research Center, pointed out that Sanders actually beat Clinton among men and tied among self-identified liberals in the June 16 poll, factors that could sustain the Vermont democratic socialist in other states.

More here: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/2015/06/30/why-martin-malley-attacking-bernie-sanders-and-not-hillary-clinton/mcojkWhrxSZXbgIqdpHf0J/story.html

[newfie11]

1. Maybe he feels that he has a chance as VP with Hillary

But Bernies going to win.

[elleng]

2. This is a Super Pac, over which Governor O'Malley has no control.

Governor O'Malley is not attacking anyone.

This 'swiftboating' malarkey meme has been discussed and debunked thoroughly elsewhere.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=416663

[djean111]

4. I find it hard to believe that if a PAC that was supporting Bernie did something similar, there

would not be anger against Bernie. For fuck's sake, Bernie seems to be held responsible, by some, for anything his supporters say.
Those posts that say oh, I won't vote for Bernie because of his supporters BS. I seem to recall a thread that discussed sending links to posts by Bernie supporters right to Bernie, as if he were responsible.

Like it or not, any attack ad that comes from a PAC that is connected to a candidate - will be connected to that candidate. "I have no control" does not sound very leader-ish, and does not come close to sounding sincere. It will be that way for all the candidates.

[elleng]

5. Sorry, it's the LAW.

According to FEC advisories, Super PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates or political parties. This restriction is intended to prevent them from operating campaigns that complement or parallel those of the candidates they support or engaging in negotiations that could result in quid pro quo bargaining between donors to the PAC and the candidate or officeholder. However, it is legal for candidates and Super PAC managers to discuss campaign strategy and tactics through the media.[24][25]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_action_committee

[FSogol]

6. While Sanders is disavowing Super Pacs, there are at least 3 operating in his name.

Sooner or later, they will produce an attack ad and we can revisit this issue.

Also, you are conflating DU with the real world. Your statement of

Bernie seems to be held responsible, by some, for anything his supporters say.
Those posts that say oh, I won't vote for Bernie because of his supporters BS. I seem to recall a thread that discussed sending links to posts by Bernie supporters right to Bernie, as if he were responsible.

is exactly what you are doing now to O'Malley. You are blaming O'Malley for the actions of a supporter (a super pac in this case). My advice, don't worry about those people. Anyone that allows their vote to be changed by gripping on a web forum isn't much of a supporter anyway.

We are lucky to have excellent candidates and any of them will make a better president than the clowns, grifters, and frauds on the right.

[smokey nj]

8. This is the Sanders group we are allowed to discuss these things in here.

[FSogol]

12. Nowhere did I imply you couldn't discuss whatever you want. n/t

[smokey nj]

13. Why are YOU posting in this group? If you want to complain, take it to your own group.

[FSogol]

14. I don't think I complained about anything, but it is your group. Ciao. n/t

[smokey nj]

7. That link doesn't debunk anything and as far as I know, O'Malley hasn't distanced himself from it.

Also, THIS is the Sanders group and we are allowed to discuss these things here.

[elleng]

10. You can discuss whatever you want, no doubt.

While Sanders is disavowing Super Pacs, there are at least 3 operating in his name.

Sooner or later, they will produce an attack ad and we can revisit this issue.

[smokey nj]

11. Has O'Malley disavowed or distanced himself from the ad?

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. I really don't see more in O'Malley than a potential veep on a Clinton ticket.

She she can say that she's "reaching out" to the left of the party.

It's a lot of political double talk but it explains OP.


This is "hatchet man" stuff; what Agnew did for Nixon before Watergate.

And this is the OTHER Half of it:

“Sanders’s popularity has grown so far, so fast that O’Malley is an afterthought right now,” Dante Scala, political science professor at the University of New Hampshire, told Boston.com. “O’Malley is just not part of the storyline right now.”


Getting to be part of the storyline is crucial right now. If you're O'Malley.

[BrotherIvan]

9. Wanna guess who the donors to that pac are?

Wanna guess whose donors overlap?

[Phlem]

15. Well there goes any respect I had for Martin O

Time to move on.