The Favorite

[Uncle Joe]

Last edited Sun Apr 7, 2019, 11:39 PM - Edit history (1)

(snip)

This was not a Bernie Sanders I had ever seen before, and one that his friends, allies, and staff, who speak of getting Bernie to talk about himself as among the hardest feats known to mankind, have worked for years to reveal. There he was connecting his personal story to his political beliefs and comforting a room of people shaken not just by the recent New Zealand shooter’s targeting of Muslims but by the political climate in Donald Trump’s America. His communications director, who insisted to me that the remarks were unprepared, was pleased to see it. This was Bernie looking, well, presidential.

Amid all the prevailing narratives surrounding the early days of the 2020 race—that Beto O’Rourke could either upend, or completely underwhelm, the field; that Elizabeth Warren is struggling to find her footing; that Kamala Harris has had a strong rollout and may have the most room to grow; that Pete Buttigieg has skyrocketed into a contender overnight; and that Joe Biden might be out of his mind to get into this race—there’s one central thread that, somehow, isn’t getting the attention it deserves: Bernie Sanders is starting in a great position to win the nomination. He has the name recognition, the resources, and the base of support. He and Biden have consistently outpaced the field in early polling.

But numerous past and present staff and advisers I spoke to—some of whom remain on speaking terms with the candidate, some of whom don’t—question Sanders’ ability to develop beyond the itinerant preacher spreading the gospel of revolution that got him far, but not far enough, last time. They portray a candidate whose strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same persona. Sanders’ domestic and foreign policy positions have been bold and consistent for decades. As you might have heard, he has a quirky, gruff, cut-to-the-chase authenticity that appeals to voters, especially younger ones, who are sick of the usual bullshit. The flip side, though, is that he can be stubborn, resistant to counsel, and unwilling to evolve as a candidate. Sanders has gone from extreme underdog to legitimate front-runner in a matter of four years. Now the question is whether he can act like one.

In late 2014, Sanders met with Tad Devine, a veteran political consultant with whom he’d worked on past House and Senate races, and told him he was thinking about running for president. Devine was surprised but intrigued. Over the course of the next several months, Sanders, Devine, and a few other close confidants met repeatedly, often at the house of Democratic commentator Bill Press, to explore the possibility. Devine’s consulting partners, Mark Longabaugh and Julian Mulvey, were eager to get on board.

(snip)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/bernie-sanders-2020-presidential-race.html

I believe this to be a sound in-depth analysis both critical and credit.

[msongs]

1. oh I thought this would about joe biden, the actual favorite though unannounced lol nt

[Gothmog]

3. Same here

[BlueFlorida]

2. Tad Devine

Manafort's partner in Ukraine?

[Uncle Joe]

4. Tad Devine

Thomas A. "Tad" Devine (born June 11, 1955)[1] is an American political consultant. Devine was a senior adviser in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaigns.[2] He was also the chief strategist for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.[3] He has worked on eleven winning campaigns for President and Prime Minister in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as seventeen winning U.S. Senate races.[4] Devine is currently the president of Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, a Washington D.C.-based media consulting firm. In October 2010, he was recognized as one of "the nation's most respected media consultants" by USA Today.[5]

(snip)

On August 31, Devine was the first witness for the federal prosecution of Paul Manafort in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. PAUL J. MANAFORT, JR., CASE NO. 1:18-CR-83-TSE.[35] [36]

At trial, Devine was questioned by prosecutors about his work with Manafort as media consultant for the 2010 presidential campaign of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Devine reportedly stopped working for Yanukovych after his government’s arrest of Yulia Tymoshenko in 2011. However, in 2014, he continued to negotiate with Manafort and Rick Gates to return as a consultant to Yanukovych.[37]

(snip)

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

[BlueFlorida]

5. That's what I said

a man with Russian connections.

[MrsCoffee]

6. That's an understatement.

Devine and Manafort came up with the “Orange Revolution” campaign for Putin’s puppet in Ukraine, which included chanting “Lock her up” against his opponent.

Coincidence?

One of the biggest reasons I’m suspicious of Our Revolution who doesn’t disclose its donors to the FEC. https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C90017005