Bernie campaign slams Warren as candidate of the elite

[George II]

By ALEX THOMPSON and HOLLY OTTERBEIN

01/11/2020 10:31 PM EST

DES MOINES, Iowa — The non-aggression pact between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is seriously fraying.

Sanders’ campaign has begun stealthily attacking Warren as a candidate of the upper crust who could not expand the Democratic base in a general election, according to talking points his campaign is using to persuade voters obtained by POLITICO.

The script instructs Sanders volunteers to tell voters leaning toward the Massachusetts senator that the “people who support her are highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what” and that “[s]he's bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party.”

“I like Elizabeth Warren. [optional]” the script begins. “In fact, she’s my second choice. But here’s my concern about her.” It then pivots to the criticisms of Warren.

The Sanders campaign did not challenge the authenticity of the script, but declined to comment. The Warren campaign also declined to comment.

It is not clear whether the script is being used for phone calls or door knocking or both, or in which locations.

The document also instructs to tell voters who are favorable toward Pete Buttigieg that he lacks support among African Americans and young people, and to tell voters sympathetic to former Vice President Joe Biden that “he doesn’t really have any volunteers” and that “no one is really excited about him.” All of the attacks relate to the electability of Sanders' top rivals.

The campaign script signals a break from the predominantly positive tone that the Warren and Sanders have adopted throughout the campaign. While Sanders has been critical of other Democratic rivals, particularly Biden, he and Warren, longtime personal friends, have largely abstained from attacking one another despite regular prodding from reporters.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/11/bernie-quietly-goes-negative-on-warren-097594

[highplainsdem]

1. I never expected their non-aggression pact to last, just as I've never believed there was

any chance they'd form a ticket, or that one would bow out in favor of the other soon after the voting starts, if not before, to avoid dividing the vote from the left wing of the party.

It was useful for both of them to have a non-aggression pact at first while they went after less left-wing rivals. But they both want to be president. Both think they're most qualified. And you don't shared the job, no matter how much supporters like Robert Reich might fantasize about some sort of combined warren/Sanders or Sanders/Warren presidency.

[Tom Rinaldo]

86. "Slammed" Warren? "Aggression"? Please. If they literally were a team they wouldn't be competing

against each other. Of course each wants votes that might otherwise go to the other. Both know that even in a best case scenario only one of them can win the nomination and they each want to be that person.

I realize that Politico chose the title but it is nonsense. One could just as easily have concluded that Bernie's volunteers were instructing people to caucus for Warren if there wasn't enough support inside their precinct for Sanders to clear the 15% threshold. That's a slam?

The word "elites" was a Politico fabrication. The script being discussed here said "well educated voters" etc. form Warren's base, which is pretty much what pollsters and talking heads in the media say all of the time. AND the direct point of the reference was to remind caucus goers that well educated voters are reliably Democratic in their political leanings so that they would likely support other Democratic candidates also if they become our nominee instead of Warren whereas Sanders appeals to some less reliably Democratic voters and thus can expand our potential electorate.

That argument is a good part of why I recently switched my preference here to Sanders after listing Warren for several months. It is a fair argument to make. Likewise it would be fair for Warren canvassers to admit that Sanders was their second choice except they were worried that his past use of the Democratic Socialist tag might repel some moderate voters who might otherwise vote against Trump.

They are still competing against each other, not cross endorsing. I'll accept that kind of "slamming" any day in a primary.

[UniteFightBack]

100. Sanders probably would be a lot of these voters second choice, but they are 'highly educated' and

'well informed' so they have heard and seen some of the tactics that are being employed and don't like it from Bernie and his surrogates.

There are also left overs from 2016 which had it's own cornucopia of complaints regarding Mr. Sanders.
So NO I can see how quite a bit of Warren voters would in fact not vote for Mr. Sanders and cast their lot with someone else.

[HerbChestnut]

123. This.

This whole situation has been blown way out of proportion.

[still_one]

2. Sanders scorch and burn campaign is sad and disgusting

[ritapria]

11. Scorch and Burn ?

Are you aware of the back and forth between Hillary and Barack in 2008 ?..That was rough stuff .. This isn't even touch football .. Its called a Primary… …. Apparently Bernie is supposed to throw in the Towel .. Joe has a problem : His Senate record … What is wrong with pointing it out and contrasting that record with Bernard's record …...Then let the Voters decide …….Bernie is running an honorable , ethical campaign …...No personal attacks …..Sticking with the issues ….That's "dirty politics" ? Bernie has never run a Negative TV against an opponent in his long political career …...

[still_one]

24. You want to go there? Hillary paid a price for those attacks, especially when McCain was brought

Last edited Sun Jan 12, 2020, 12:15 PM - Edit history (1)

into the picture, and I suspect Sanders will pay a similar price, especially with Jill Stein supporter Briana Joy Gray, and Hillary hating David Sirota, part of the whole scorch and burn campaign

This isn’t about issues, this isn’t about issues, misrepresenting and distorting Elizabeth Warren

[ehrnst]

63. +1000.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

52. ...

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[RandySF]

54. I'm also aware that Bernie considered running against Obama in the 2012 primary.

[ehrnst]

62. Yes, it's scorch and burn, and it's different that HRC and BHO.

Using terms that one has used perjoratively as namecalling and smears are scorch and burn.

[George II]

102. "Bernie is running an honorable , ethical campaign"? You should look at what Briahna Gray....

....and Sirota tweet several times a day. FAR from honorable or ethical.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/03/sanders-promised-civility-hired-twitter-attack-dog/585259/

Bernie Sanders Just Hired His Twitter Attack Dog

David Sirota had been working unofficially for Sanders while savaging the other Democratic candidates on Twitter.


A lie about Biden wanting to "cut Social Security", which has been debunked here a couple of times. Nineteen seconds of a 3-4 minute talk, totally misrepresenting what Biden really said:

Link to tweet

Misrepresenting Biden's record (and Sanders', too!) with outright lies, to make him look like trump:

Link to tweet

Here he is bashing both Biden AND Kerry:

Link to tweet

Want more? Just go to @davidsirota.

Gray and Turner are almost as bad, too. Maybe you're right, BERNIE himself may be "running an honorable, ethical campaign", but he's hired a bunch of people who are doing the dishonorable and unethical campaigning.

[LakeArenal]

3. I have no words. So much for hope Bernie might work to defeat trump

Trump is the enemy. Not the other primary candidates.
Making it so hard to say vote for the candidate who ever it is.

[grantcart]

42. Wait until he loses and then watch the shade he throws

'I support the nominee but everyone knows they won't win because they won't listen to me".

[onetexan]

57. BS is running for himself, under the disguise of running for the country

[ehrnst]

64. Bingo.

"Us, not Me," not so much.

Anyone who doesn't walk lockstep with him is not considered part of "us."

[RandiFan1290]

81. Make sure you guys are VERY CLEAR about that

"Making it so hard to say vote for the candidate who ever it is."

[LakeArenal]

82. Not sure what you mean "clear"?

[Cha]

111. Make sure you do.

[RandySF]

4. Bernie can't win so long as Warren runs in the same lane.

[ehrnst]

69. +1000.

[UniteFightBack]

94. She needs to also stay in the race. nt

[blm]

106. Biden camp attacked Warren as elitist in Oct and Nov

and they got Warren’s numbers down which is what they wanted.

Biden and Sanders’ camp’s are lying about Warren. I don’t think either of those camps or their supporters care about being wrong in their attacks on Warren.

[Me.]

5. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda

I agree with Jennifer Rubin, he deserves his time in the barrel.

[JoeOtterbein]

6. Thanks for scooping me!

I was watching a "game." (clue; we both are from Baltimore (tears))

[BannonsLiver]

55. Hahaha

It was great to see the Ravens get their asses whipped.

But not as fun as watching Bernie not winning the nomination is going to be.

[JoeOtterbein]

7. More from the article:

...snip

“The truth is that Trump understands that we can beat him because in the last few days, if you have heard what he is saying, what the Republican Party is saying, they understand that we are their threat,” Sanders said at a coffee shop in North Liberty. “For once, they got it right! I gotta admit.”

The Sanders script also makes an electability argument with voters who may be concerned about his left-wing views.

“Status quo candidates lose,” the script reads. “Every candidate — both Democratic and Republican — who has run as the safe bet for the past two decades has lost.” It goes on to note that Al Gore, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, and John McCain all failed to win the White House. “Every single one.”

...end of article

[George II]

8. That was WAY toward the end of the script, after most voters had already been turned off to Warren..

Are you actually endorsing this kind of activity?

[mopinko]

9. apparently.

[JoeOtterbein]

10. If I really want to beat Trump, I should be fine with anyway we can...

...elect Bernie!!!!

(cause I know no one the USA thinks the 2020 General Election will be a bit "nicer" than our Dem Primary)

[George II]

13. The point is, Bernie "pledged" to not go negative, he's now gone negative against....

....all three of the other leading candidates.

[JoeOtterbein]

16. No. The point is, we need to...

...win in November!

[George II]

18. Bashing the leading Democrats isn't helping us to win in November.

[JoeOtterbein]

26. I would never "bash" the leading Dem, and right now that is Bernie so I know we will...

...win with Bernie in November!

[George II]

30. No he isn't. You should check the polls again.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/2020_democratic_presidential_nomination-6730.html

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-d/

[JoeOtterbein]

34. Bernie is leading our nation against Trump. Even Mike Lee is feeling the Bern on Iran. Also...

....the only poll that matters is in November!

The polls will follow our leader; Bernie!

[George II]

44. No he isn't....

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/National.html

Biden 48.5, trump 44.0, Biden +4.5
Sanders 47.8, trump 45.2, Sanders +2.6

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/

Biden 46.0, trump 41.0, Biden +5.0
Sanders 46.0, trump 42.0, Sanders +4.0

I don't know where you're getting your polls from, but at least I'm glad you're following our leader - BIDEN!

[MFM008]

50. I have democratic

Friends who are scared of Sanders and Warrens medical plans.
They are refusing to vote for either.
My goal is to beat the maggot.
Whoever can do that
Gets the vote.

[blm]

78. What scares them? Paying less?

Not being denied healthcare?

[MFM008]

118. unfortunatly

the "socialism" thing sticks.
You know it isn't
I know it isn't
but i don't trust people to be as informed as we are.

[blm]

119. "Warren is capitalism's best hope."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/11/04/elizabeth-warren-friend-capitalists-socialism-bernie-sanders-column/4108419002/

[ehrnst]

72. So you're going to evade the whole "not going negative" pledge?

Can't say I blame you.

[The Valley Below]

17. Sanders is marginalizing himself in the party whose primary he's running in.

Past is prologue.

[George II]

85. The convention runs from July 13 - 16. He'll be an "independent" again sometime between those dates.

[Bummfuzzle]

20. Trumpers use the same reasoning with the lies, and all the other vulgarities. Where is the line?

[JoeOtterbein]

27. Uh? ntn

[andym]

32. W was a status quo candidate

He proposed nothing new--basically a return to the policies of his dad. So Bernie is wrong.

[spooky3]

36. And Gore and Clinton won their elections, but for inappropriate

Intervention and cheating.

[ehrnst]

65. While smearing a progressive candidate as "not being for the people" for being 1/4 inch to the right

of him.

So much for "Us, not Me"

"Us" doesn't appear to include any progressive who disagrees with him in any way shape or form.

BTW - Al Gore didn't lose. SCOTUS handed the WH to GWB.

[Scurrilous]

12. Joe Biden: "...no one is really excited about him."

Says Mr. Excitement himself as he wags his finger and churns out the same stump speech over and over to a somnolent crowd.

[Eric J in MN]

49. Have you ever watched a Bernie rally? NT

NT

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

53. Apparently not!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[ehrnst]

67. Well, when loud crowds don't become more votes

then a candidate doesn't win the nomination.

Math.

[ehrnst]

66. Does that cheering translate into votes?

Last edited Sun Jan 12, 2020, 09:54 AM - Edit history (1)

Louder does not mean more numerous.

I think that sometimes people don't really understand that.

Math.

Ask Ralph Nader about that.

On Oct. 13, 2000, 15,000 zealous progressives packed Madison Square Garden for one of Ralph Nader’s super rallies. They paid $20 each for admission, evidence of their passion, since political rallies are almost always free. That year, many on the left were disappointed with the Democratic nominee for president. Al Gore was a wonky centrist and a stilted speaker who appeared to possess few core principles. For progressives, his association with Bill Clinton, icon of triangulation and political compromise, counted against him. At a time when the left was outraged over our corrupt campaign finance system, Gore was dogged by questions about money he’d received from sketchy donors with ties to foreign governments.

At best, Gore offered progressives a continuation of politics as usual. True, the Republican in the race seemed a right-wing buffoon, but Nader told his followers to vote their hopes, not their fears, and his message about citizens banding together to overturn entrenched, amoral corporate interests spoke to many people’s deepest aspirations. Bush and Gore, he said at Madison Square Garden, are “both for cracking down on street crime but ignoring corporate crime, which takes far more lives.” In response, the crowd erupted in chants of “Let Ralph debate!” Young people flocked to Nader, and hip musicians played his rallies: The lineup in New York included Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, and Ani DiFranco, whose ’90s cool had not yet evanesced.

Nader concluded his almost hourlong speech by calling the evening “the most memorable political rally of the year 2000.” Some who were there felt they were witnessing the flowering of an epochal social movement. “The protest movement that has been growing on a grassroots level, as evidenced by the World Trade Organization demonstrations in Seattle, reached its political coming-of-age last night,” the Village Voice wrote.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/09/ralph-nader-and-the-tragedy-of-voter-as-consumer-politics.html

[Demsrule86]

91. Yes took one of my kids when they still supported him...canned speech...same old same old...not even

the kid was that impressed.

[Scurrilous]

109. The Hill has been spamming Twitter w/ stump speech excerpts.

Look at the crowd, fighting off sleep, like at church during a sermon.

One of many examples:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Eric J in MN]

122. That was probably a small event.

This was a big event with AOC in Queens, NY:

[Blue_true]

121. The rallies were the same in 2016, actually bigger and more vocal. nt

[TomCADem]

14. NBC: Bernie Sanders can't be allowed to poison another Democratic primary with personal attacks

Bernie cannot win on his ideas, which is why his campaign has focused from the outset in attacks on Democrats and the Democratic party as noted in this article talking about his campaigns early efforts to disparage Democrats early on with negative campaigning:

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/bernie-sanders-fans-can-t-be-allowed-poison-another-democratic-ncna953976

And now, though the 2018 Democratic presidential primary has only just begun, those same long knives — mostly courtesy of supporters of Sanders' prospective candidacy — are out for outgoing Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, charging that he is not a true progressive.

The reason for these pre-emptive attacks (which has the markings of a coordinated effort) in a spate of news and opinion articles in a variety of publications, is obvious enough: After losing the Texas Senate race to incumbent Ted Cruz, O'Rourke nonetheless has shot to the top in Democratic primary polls since Election Day, overshadowing both Sanders and another left-wing favorite, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

* * *
Berniecrats seem determined to dust off the same destructive playbook this time around, even though the attacks against O'Rourke are flimsy and misleading. O'Rourke unseated a conservative Democrat in a primary and never tacked right in an election in deep red Texas. He has run in favor of federal legislation legalizing marijuana and the impeachment of President Trump, and although he fails their litmus test on free college tuition, their claims that his support is weak for Medicare-for-all don't match his record: As a Senate candidate, he said he would vote for it.

Bernie supporters have made questionable claims about contributions to O'Rourke from the oil and gas industry, as well as his support for certain Republican-sponsored House bills — but neglect to mention that the oil and gas money came mostly from low-level industry employees (hundreds of thousands of Texans are employed by the industry), and that O'Rourke broke ranks with his party less than the average Democrat.

[George II]

15. Hmph, so O'Rourke isn't a "true progressive" (I don't agree but...) at least he's true DEMOCRAT!

[crazytown]

29. The campaign against Beto was deceptive, unfair and pervasive from the outset.

Led by David Sirota, who said he had no current connection to Bernie, even though he was auditioning for the role of speechwriter, before the Sanders even formed his campaign.

Delegates will vote against Sanders at the Convention, just to keep Sirota well away from the next Adminstration.

[TexasTowelie]

37. +1,000,000

[blm]

108. Beto was treated horribly. Especially by press.

[crazytown]

19. Holly gets the Scoop again!

Her Dad's ferrets would be proud

[JoeOtterbein]

28. They all are!!!!

(even though Polar Bear maybe a bit embarrassed because lost his tail)!

[crazytown]

31. A ferret without a tail is a bit like

Rahm Emanuel without a middle finger

[George II]

21. .

Link to tweet

[OilemFirchen]

22. One of the first lessons new salespeople tend, too often, to forget:

Sell yourself. Never attack your competition.

If it has any effect on your potential customer, it's most likely to be suspicion - of you.

Good luck, Senator Sanders! I think I'll continue to shop around. Probably go to your competitor and ask if what you've just said is true...

[George II]

23. Great point - that's one of the first things I was told. Be positive about your product....

....not negative about the competitors' product.

If all you've got is bashing the other guy, you probably have little to sell yourself.

[OilemFirchen]

33. Absolutely.

And nothing's worse than offering criticism without being asked. That's what's happening here, and it's remarkable that after so many years of campaigning he would make such a rookie mistake.

OTOH, it is a revolution. C'est la guerre I guess.

[Cha]

110. BS Never learned that.

[NYMinute]

25. Scorched earth policy

Typical Bernie

[crazytown]

35. Plays real well at caucuses,

and even better at Conventions.

[NYMinute]

39. How so?

[crazytown]

40. "Scorched earth" - burning bridges with competitors.

If you have alienated and embittered competing campaigns, it makes it difficult to persuade their supporters into your corner when the times comes.

[betsuni]

38. "But what struck me as we lapsed into another silence was the word he had used to convert

his guilt into accusation: elite. I'd never heard him use this word before, not even once. And yet it had leapt from his mouth reflexively, a little belch of punditry. Elite had become a kind of code word ... deployed to ward off the horrors of having to discuss policy." -- Steve Almond.

When you don't want to discuss policy, go after character.

[blm]

80. Biden camp has been calling Warren an elitist since fall.

[Demsrule86]

92. She said he should run in a different primary, he said that was an elitist thing to believe...that

if one didn't agree with her they weren't Democrats...it was an exchange. He didn't use her name even...Sanders is using this to destroy Warren and it may work. I don't like his tactics and I don't like him ....although I would vote for him in a general. I would of course vote for your candidate as well.

[dana_b]

41. Politico has some bad info

As a volunteer, I've never heard this and lots of others are saying the same thing.

[ehrnst]

70. "The Sanders campaign did not challenge the authenticity of the script, but declined to comment."

Perhaps it was a draft of one that was to be sent out.

[KPN]

43. Yawn. The headline doesn't even come close to fitting the story ... or the facts. But hey,

some folks just gotta slam Sanders every chance they get, whether with facts or not.

Meh.

[George II]

45. The article was co-authored by a writer who comes with high recommendations here....

And the article isn't about slamming Sanders, it's about him slamming Warren (and Buttigieg)

[KPN]

46. LOL. "Bernie Slams ..." when there was no "slam" isn't a slam on Bernie? Right.

Get real.

[ehrnst]

73. Politico "just gotta slam Sanders every chance they get?"

https://www.politico.com/search?q=Bernie+Sanders



But whatever helps one to avoid bad news.

[KPN]

87. Could be I meant Politico, could be not. Not.

[ehrnst]

113. Backpedaling?

[KPN]

115. Backpedaling?

About what? What for?

[ehrnst]

124. Yes. That's exactly what happened there

Could be I meant Politico, could be not. Not.

[KPN]

126. That's entertaining.

Thanks for the laughs.

[ehrnst]

127. Glad to be of help. It seems that you might benefit from smiling a little.

[KPN]

128. We all benefit from smiling. You can too!

[ehrnst]

129. I get smiles from watching people think that they're putting one over

on people.

Like backpedaling then trying to misdirect anyone pointing it out.

[KPN]

134. Me too.

[ehrnst]

135. "I know you are but what am I?"

That's always good for a smile, if not getting one's backpedaling attempts taken seriously.

[KPN]

136. Grow up.

[ehrnst]

137. Pot, meet kettle.

[stopdiggin]

47. came fully expecting to be disappointed in Sanders. nope. more Politico BS

What this article describes could be rendered bashing only by the most fervent of believers.

Talking points laying out differences (and perceived weaknesses) .. in very respectful language. Horrors!!

[ehrnst]

74. So Politico publishes "BS" on Sanders?

https://www.politico.com/search?q=Bernie+Sanders

Any idea why the Sanders campaign is declining comment, if it's not bad optics?

[stopdiggin]

104. anything coming out of Politico

is if not certifiable BS .. then at least suspect. Politico makes a habit of writing crap about everybody. I am not a Sanders supporter (as if that should make any difference when calling BS, but anyway ..), but in this case my post explains (quite adequately) why this is a big nothingburger. I read the article, and there is no there there. Typical "gin up some controversy" Politico crap.
-- -- --

[ehrnst]

112. Even the pieces that praise Bernie?

[stopdiggin]

133. stating again for the record

I am not a Sanders (or at this point any other) supporter. It follows then that my opinion about THIS article is not at all influenced by other prior articles. I think it was clearly misleading .. and intended to be that way. Politico doesn't really care one way or the other. Clickbait factories often play both sides of the fence (called stirring the pot). It does not make them reputable, or accurate, purveyors of news. And several prior "positive" pieces on Sanders .. does not make this one a good, or truthful, one.

[Eric J in MN]

48. The article needs to start with words such as

...”elite” and “upper crust” to make this a story. Words not in the script.

If it started with “highly-educated, more affluent people” which is what the script actually says, then readers would say, “So what?”

[UniteFightBack]

97. Well it's implying 'things' when you use adjectives like that now doesn't it. Does Bernie fit in

those categories?

[Skittles]

51. that pony needs to learn a new trick

seriously

[betsuni]

56. They lost because they were "safe"? Al Gore was the global warming environmentalist liberal who

lost because the economy was fine, Republicans cheated, there was a third party candidate, media bullshit (they apologized years later), eight years after a Democratic administration, was so close that the Supreme Court decided.

Kerry lost because Bush was a war president, Republican cheating, media bullshit about filp-flopping and swift boating.

John McCain lost because the Bush administration had destroyed the economy after eight years and everyone was sick of war and unemployed, housing bubble burst. McCain refused to fight dirty, plus Sarah Palin was a disaster.

In 2008 there were about the same number of white people in the Democratic and Republican parties but by 2016 far more low education white people identified as Republicans. Hillary Clinton was the first woman presidential candidate of a major party with a long history of working for children, working and middle class people running on the most progressive platform in history. All erased. The election was about racial identity and lies, thanks to Trump and propaganda and media bullshit.

Nothing to do with "safe."

[ehrnst]

71. +1000. Also, SCOTUS stole the election from Gore.

[empedocles]

58. ' . . . and so it goes . . . ' - Vonnegut

[Kurt V.]

59. Hiccup

[betsuni]

60. What does that mean?

[ehrnst]

61. Because of course he did. He has always implied anyone who is 1/4 inch to the right of him

is "corporatist."

All or nothing, my way or the highway thinking makes for a very dynamic protest, but doesn't accomplish much in the way of progress.

[ehrnst]

68. I'm curious how that script got to Politico

Last edited Sun Jan 12, 2020, 10:03 AM - Edit history (1)

Perhaps the Sanders campaign isn't vetting staffers or volunteers as thoroughly as they should.

Again.

[comradebillyboy]

75. I feel bad for the Warren supporters who mistakenly thought

Bernie was a friend and an ally.

[rzemanfl]

79. Bookmarking. n/t

[George II]

83. "Fool me once....."

[Demsrule86]

93. He wants to use her to get a brokered convention where she and her supporters will be

'allowed' to make him the nominee. You can bet his scenario doesn't include Warren being the nominee.

[comradebillyboy]

98. No kidding.

[apnu]

130. Not me. I expected this.

I remember 2016, I remember Sanders supporters turning on the party and Hillary. I knew Bernie would turn on Warren eventually, its in his nature. If anybody remembers 2016 and Sander's activity post primary 2016, should not be surprised here.

But on top of that, Sanders tactically has to turn on Warren. Between the two they are splitting the progressive and left wing vote, which is net positive for Biden and any other moderates. If Sanders doesn't burn Warren down now, he never will.

Conversely, the moderates need to burn Biden down right now or suffer starvation.

But, Warren has a key advantage over Sanders: she's been in this party for a long time and has paid her dues to the party. Party members respect that. If Warren falls to Biden, she'll go back to her patch, and do everything she can to help Biden (or whomever) beat Trump. I think that's helping her in the party now. She's both progressive and a solid party member, this counts for quite a lot in party politics.

We all share space in this party, most of the candidates get that, I don't think Bernie does.

[comradebillyboy]

131. You expected Bernie to turn on Warren and so did I. The only one

surprised by this seems to be Warren. Like you I see Warren as vastly more accomplished and qualified than Sanders. If she can put Bernie away and take his supporters then she would have a good chance of challenging Joe for the nomination.

[apnu]

132. Its surprising when allies turn on you.

And hurtful. Instead of debating the issues and letting voters decide, things go negative and personal. They always go negative and personal, this is the last refuge of those who have no further arguments.

You are right. Just as Bernie needs to burn Warren down to survive, so does Warren need to burn Sanders. Or out last him, but that's a tough sell. A war of attrition is bad for both of them.

Best get it over with fast.

I hope Warren can pull it off, the time of old white men is over. Bernie, and Biden, in my opinion is a step backwards.

But either will have my support in the GE, should Warren fall.

[MH1]

76. "bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party" - so basically,

they're (BS campaign) ADMITTING that a lot of their supporters are FUCKWADS who would sit home and give Trump another term, rather than support someone not good enough for their pure little hearts.

Fuck 'em.

And Bernie has no credible path to the nomination so he should get behind someone who does, and stop hurting our chances to dump Trump. (He won't win outright and has "Berned" too many bridges to win a brokered convention.)

[samnsara]

77. why do ppl keep throwing that word around..its so subjective..

..and has never made a lick of sense to me..

[R B Garr]

84. Yet another rerun of The Bernie Show.

We’ve seen this episode already. It’s so predictable.

[nini]

88. Warren isn't my choice but that is ridiculous.

Sanders is such a fake it annoys me his cult has fallen for his crap, and willingly help destroy the Democrats who actually are Democrats.

There seems to be no bottom to how low his campaign will go. Sirota is a pos.

[Demsrule86]

95. Agree...

[lark]

89. SSDY (same shit different year)

Is there anyone at all surprised about this?

[Bummfuzzle]

90. Didn't Biden start the "elitist" attack?

[Demsrule86]

99. No, Warren said Biden should be in the other (GOP) party if he wasn't for M4A

He said that it was elitist for her to think that unless a Democrat agrees with her, they weren't Democrats...neither used the other's name and no one used it in attack ads or fund raising...this is an out and out attack on Warren...unprovoked I might add. Bernie must have decided he can't win if she stays in so the team approach is out...time to force her out with this sort of thing...don't like it...one of the reasons I could never support Sanders in a primary...general sure but not a primary.

[Bummfuzzle]

103. Why yes, he is the first to call her an elitist. However you want to justify it.

“If you don’t agree with Elizabeth Warren, you must somehow be not a Democrat. You must somehow be corrupt. You must somehow not be as smart as she is,” Biden said on SiriusXM’s Urban View. “It’s just something we don’t do in our party. It’s not who we are.”

Story Continued Below

“She has things in her plan that are just not realistic, but if you question it, she says you don’t understand or you’re talking like a Republican,” Biden said on continued. “It’s just an elitist attitude that it’s either my way or the highway.”

Calling Warren “elitist” is an attempt by Biden to paint Warren as too extreme for the Democratic electorate. He's looking to stoke resentment among working class voters by casting Warren as a snooty, liberal Harvard professor and not the person she portends to be on the campaign trail: a scrappy Oklahoman taking on Washington corruption.

It comes as Biden is looking to blunt Warren’s momentum as she overtakes him in early state polling.

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/06/joe-biden-calls-warren-elitist-066637

[blm]

105. Yes. Biden camp spent October and November attacking Warren

and called her elitist a number of times.

Any Dem campaign using that GOP standard attack is stupid and wrong.

[Bummfuzzle]

107. I agree. I had forgotten about that, then it dawned on me. Wait, Sanders was not the first.

[UniteFightBack]

96. Listen, the vote is getting close and Bernie and Company need to pull out all the stops here.

Ain't gonna work dough.

[Demsrule86]

101. If it is a scripts being used, then it is for both door knocking and phone calls.

I have never seen this done before...I have worked with scripts during GOTV in many different campaigns, but we have never gone after an opposing candidate while going door to door or making phone calls during a primary or even a general for that matter...we merely highlight our candidates bona fides. I find this disgraceful. I am not a Warren supporter, but she deserves better. I guess he has decided he doesn't need her anymore based on the most recent Iowa polls or that a team effort and a brokered convention won't hand him the nomination. Not a good look.

[betsuni]

114. To those who think Biden started the elite thing. NO. Have you never heard/read Bernie?

He's always calling the Democratic Party one of wealthy out of touch corrupt elites.

"I don't want to offend anybody, but the Democratic Party cannot continue to be just the party of the liberal elite and people who have money "

"Last time we ran, we made the financial elite pay a price for their attacks on our progressive agenda."

"The political, financial and media elite of this country will stop at nothing to defeat us."

"Certainly there are some people in the Democratic Party who want to maintain the status quo. They would rather go down with the Titanic so long as they have first-class seats."

"We need a Democratic Party that is not a liberal elite but of the working class of this country ... ."

"Democrats have focused too much with a liberal elite. That is, raising incredible sums of money from wealthy people."

"It is not good enough to have a liberal elite."

"Over the last 30 or 40 years the Democratic Party has transformed itself from the party of the working class ... to a party significantly controlled by a liberal elite ... ."

ALL THE TIME.

[George II]

116. Quite an "elite" collection of direct quotes. Thanks!

[betsuni]

117. You're welcome! There needs to be a "Bernie says elites" video collection.

There's one for "billionaires" tho:

[ehrnst]

125. Used to be "millionaire and billionaire class." Not so much directed at "millionaires" anymore.

Can't imagine why.

[blm]

120. True Sanders does that, what Biden camp did was directed at Warren

throughout the fall.