We want #BernieTrumpDebate. Sign this petition to help make it happen.https://t.co/gbe8Ypkh5O pic.twitter.com/ZQ021xSuHI
— Millennials 4 Bernie (@Bernlennials) May 26, 2016
Okay, yeah, this is almost certainly not gonna happen. (In any other election year, I’d bet on ‘certainly not’, but this is not like any other year.) But the mere suggestion has brought so much joy to media spokesmodels with a phobia for dead air, not to mention internet snarksters…
Sanders spox not treating Trump debate like a joke. “He takes Trump at his word… details to be worked out."
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) May 26, 2016
The professionals at the Washington Post, company paper for the town whose majority industry is politics, spell out the scam:
… Trump said in a press conference here that he would debate Sanders only if $10 million to $15 million went to a charity, perhaps one specializing in “women’s health issues.” It’s assumed that the bulk of that money would have to come from a television network. No network immediately stepped forward to claim interest on Thursday…
“We could have a lot of fun with it,” Trump said. “I would love to debate Bernie, actually. I mean the problem with debating Bernie is he’s going to lose [the nomination] because, honestly, his system is rigged just like our system is rigged.”
At an afternoon rally in Ventura, Calif., Sanders said he would “look forward” to challenging Trump on issues ranging from climate change to the Republican’s insults of Latinos, Muslims and women.
“I think we’re going to have to rent out the largest stadium you have here in California,” Sanders said of a theoretical debate. “I can’t wait for that, because we’re going to ask Mr. Trump why he thinks giving hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country is a good idea.”
In an interview with ABC News, Clinton said she had taken the whole suggestion — first made by Sanders earlier in the week — as a joke. The former secretary of state, who is expected to clinch the nomination in California, said she is looking ahead to her own debates with Trump in the fall…
But THEN, out of the YouTube’d heart of the internet, a new hope…
The Young Turks has reached out to @BernieSanders and @realDonaldTrump camps and offered to host a cross-partisan debate in California!
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 25, 2016
Politico loves that twist:
… “It would be among the most watched debates in the world,” touted Uygur. “It would be a clash of the titans in terms of ideology from the right and the left without the establishment in the middle.”
Uygur told POLITICO that The Young Turks, a left-leaning online video news channel that boasts more than 200 million views a month on YouTube, would be the perfect setting for such a meeting.
“They’re outsiders. We’re outsiders. They both complain about the establishment. We’re against the establishment,” he explained. “There is no better place for two anti-establishment figures on the right and the left to debate than The Young Turks. Our whole bread and butter is fighting against the establishment.”…
We're all in. @TheYoungTurks will give $1 million to charity if @realDonaldTrump and @BernieSanders debate on TYT before CA primary.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 26, 2016
It will come as a surprise to many observers if the Young Turks actually have a spare million dollars lying around, but hey, that’s what GoFundMe is for, right?
Deadbeat Donald, of course, has already made bank on free media from this stunt, even though in pure political terms he has less than no reason to share any of it with St. Bernie. And Sanders’ closest advisors are showing their usual gift for saying all the wrong things on camera…
Weaver on MSNBC says there are back-channel discussions w/ Trump campaign about debate but not w/ Clinton campaign about party unity.
— Chris Golden (@chrisgolden) May 26, 2016
Sanders begins Ventura rally by saying Trump has agreed to debate him. Still not joking! Even if Trump is!
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) May 26, 2016
Much more below the fold, for the evil-minded curious.
true detective season 3 looks weird https://t.co/CiwbzzTnKx
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) May 26, 2016
What this country really needs to get it on track is a debate by two old white guys about its future. (said no one ever)
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) May 26, 2016
I would encourage you to invite all national candidates including me & @GovGaryJohnson, @cenkuygur. @BernieSanders @realDonaldTrump
— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) May 25, 2016
“Hello, & welcome. I’m Howard Stern, & I will be moderating tonight’s debate between Donald Trump & Bernie Sanders…”
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) May 26, 2016
Maybe they could call it a… pageant? Donald likes those. The Mr. Universe – Berning Man Pageant. https://t.co/5PZORfsWL6
— Al Giordano (@AlGiordano) May 26, 2016
@AlGiordano @vivigold197 can't wait to get me some more mansplaining.
— Iris L (@IrisL49) May 26, 2016
Other competition segments of the Mr. DudeBroniverse Pageant: chair tossing, gaslighting and best voicemail threats. https://t.co/RBzQ9TPmLW
— Volguus Zildrohar (@eclecticbrotha) May 26, 2016
@eclecticbrotha "Ohhh, sorrry, points off for actually threatening to kill someone instead of just hoping someone is killed."
— Peg (@IowaPeg) May 26, 2016
Hey @realDonaldTrump & @BernieSanders, do you stand for America knowing all options? Include me & @GovGaryJohnson in the #BernieTrumpDebate
— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) May 26, 2016
It's going to be funny when this debate happens, Sanders walks on stage, and then Trump sends on Newt Gingrich as his surrogate.
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) May 26, 2016
Sanders is now sitting by the phone waiting for Trump to call, just like he did with the Pope. He's humiliating himself. Again.
— Al Giordano (@AlGiordano) May 26, 2016
@AlGiordano @LeChatNoire4 lol there will never be a debate.
— Armando (@armandodkos) May 26, 2016
That's what I'm saying. The making Bernie grovel to him and then not giving him the debate has more value for Trump. https://t.co/GGYWrjtCvf
— Al Giordano (@AlGiordano) May 26, 2016
seaboogie
To paraphrase our blogmaster, “Oh ‘fer fucking fuck’s sake!”
Also, I am starting to believe that Bernie has dementia. Not kidding.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
Sanders & Trump already had a debate.
It was freakin hilarious (video)
Damien
Dammit, why must our gracious Ms. Laurie put up threads guaranteed to generate nigh-unbearable levels of lulzy butthurt right when I’m going to bed??
I have a PR/Marketing meeting tomorrow morning for my coffee company, wish me luck!
Major Major Major Major
@Damien: Good night and good luck!
OzarkHillbilly
@Damien: You won’t miss much.
BillinGlendaleCA
Does Dr. Jill Stein, peace be upon her, realize that NO ONE is paying any attention to her?
BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly:
WTF! I’m here now.
Botsplainer, Cryptofascist Tool of the Oppressor Class
For America, the inescapable conclusion will be that no one with a heavy New York accent should ever be allowed close to the levers of power….
Jeff Spender
I called that Trump would pull this stunt from the beginning and was dogpiled by people who just knew better.
Why would Trump do that, they asked?
To play Bernie for a fool, I said. Credulous idiots.
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
@BillinGlendaleCA: Who?
hoodie
Starting to think that a cage match with Trump and Bernie would be great for HRC, especially if you could get the whole “cross partisan” schtick going and pressure them to include Stein and Johnson to make it like WWE Raw. So much derp in one place at one time might scare the hell out of everyone but the nuts. Which is why Trump won’t do it.
BillinGlendaleCA
There’s a Ford commercial airing here in LA with the tag line, “Make Your Driveway Great Again”; ugh.
Matt McIrvin
@BillinGlendaleCA: Stein is keeping her name in there as the logical general-election choice of disgruntled Bernie-or-Bust leftists, and she’ll probably get a significant number of them. In 2012 she got 0.36% of the popular vote; she might top 1% this time.
AnonPhenom
The HRC campaign needs to contact some of their Hollywood writer (comedy) friends and invent a twitter sockpuppet character … ‘Andy Ice Drumpf’ or something… and do nothing but rag on Trump and his small hands 24/7 for the next 5 months. All Dems should quote the tweets at every opportunity. Get deep inside this guys head.
kindness
I think Bernie debating Trump would be both entertaining and horrifying at the same time. Trump would spend his time going after Crooked Hillary & Bernie would….I’m not sure what Bernie would do. Trump wouldn’t give a straight answer no matter what.
Who else thought Trevor Noah went Fox on Hillary’s e-mail last night? That line between parody and soft core right wing news….I think they lost it.
TriassicSands
Bernie’s ego is making him really, really stupid.
cokane
Trump’s people will only debate if there’s money going to a women’s health charity? Let’s pick Planned Parenthood and get this done folks!
Ultraviolet Thunder
@kindness:
Bernie would just do his stump speech. It’s all he ever does. But I’d like to see Trump get him off balance.
Jack the Second
You know, the 4-4 split in the Supreme Court leaves us with an ideologically neutral branch of the government, used to adjudicating disputes.
I therefore propose a CSPAN Trump-Clinton debate moderated by the Supreme Court.
D58826
If Trump can play Bernie for a fool, then imagine what Putin would do to President Bernie.
Ultraviolet Thunder
Josh Marshall thinks a Trump/Sanders debate would be a bad idea.
Wilson Heath
When Hillary has the mathematical lock, we can start calling him Bonnie Prince Bernie. Such a dashing figure, galavanting in exile and waiting to return to his rightful throne by divine right, all while the rest of us have forgotten him except as the god-king of a handful of annoying dead enders.
D58826
@Ultraviolet Thunder: I’m not sure who will play off who or who will be reduced to mincemeat. But since Faux news and Megyn Kelly have made peace with the Donald I suspect the questions will all be tilted in the direction of ‘would you care to comment on what terrible Hillary said about this’? Trump will then go on to talk about whatever he pleases, just like always. And Bernie has a choice – he can answer the question as asked and make himself look like a tool of the GOP. Or he can defend Hillary and and raise the question of ‘why are you still running?’
Most of the democrats will cringe and the Bernie Bros will be convinced that The Donald has been reduced to ashes.
martian
Has anybody here seen the Bernie Sanders Univision interview? I’m seeing elsewhere that it was catastrophically bad, but it was a biased source, so Iooking for somewhat less biased view. He wouldn’t answer questions, I guess, and was asked about collapsing leftist governments in Central and South America.
NCSteve
Cenk Uygur lives in the same ecological niche in the left that Bill Kristol does in the right. He has been wrong about pretty much everything for years and years and years and yet never seems to suffer any career consequences.
nellcote
@martian:
Bernie Sanders acknowledges he should know more about Latin America
Univision anchor León Krauze sat down with Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders this week to talk about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy towards Latin America.
Sanders spoke about the drug war and immigration, but when pressed on the levels of violence in Central America caused by the U.S.’ deportation of hardened gang members, the Vermont Senator said “Look, you’re asking me questions about the impact on Central America, which honestly I should know more than I do know.”
Sanders balked again when asked about the situation in South America.
“You are asking me questions about Latin America that I am very interested in but right now I’m running for president of the United States,” Sanders said in response to a question about the implosion of left wing governments in Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil.
interview transcript
Robin G.
@nellcote: Outreach — this is not how you do it.
martian
@nellcote: Thanks, nellcote! Off to read links…
Marjowil
I used to like Cenk Uygur. No more. I did not know that Jimmy Kimmel asked Trump about the Bernie debate because BERNIE ASKED HIM TO ASK TRUMP. I thought Bernie was merely sucked into the vortex of a bad joke. Did not realize that Bernie sucked himself into making a fool of himself, a higher order of suckitude by far.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Sanders was on the radio in LA (right up the coast from me) this morning. Insisted he could still win this thing, the superdelegates are going to all flip for him. Said he’s the only one who can beat Trump. Said Hillary can’t.
Point blank refused to say if he would support Hillary. Said “we’ll see what happens next”.
Good going, whoever let this idiot run with the Democratic party’s blessing.
martian
@nellcote: The video won’t play for me, unfortunately, and the transcript link goes to an interview from last July (you only smoked marijuana a couple times when you were a kid, and it just made you cough? Seriously, Bernie? Don’t inhale! Worked for Bill…)
It looks like you have transcript quotes, but I’m not pulling it up using their search function – did you get those quotes from Univision?
chopper
well there’s your problem right there. what kind of buffoons are this guy’s campaign when they take fucking trump at his word?
Frankensteinbeck
I… am… going to strain every circuit and give Sanders the benefit of the doubt here. The best I can think is that he honestly believes he can wound Trump in such a debate. All signs have been that Sanders truly believes in a light form of Marxism. From that perspective he could believe that his ‘You are a bad person who sides with the rich’ attacks are exactly what will humiliate Trump nationally and destroy Trump’s support, because it’s the message The People are waiting for.
…That makes me wonder if all we’ve really been seeing is Sanders’ heartbreak finding out that his whole philosophy is false, and The People have not been waiting to rise up and dethrone the rich.
Hal
So Jill Stein figures if she had more publicity she would be a viable candidate? How many times has she run for President now?
MaryRC
@chopper: “He takes Trump at his word” is the funniest takeaway of this whole situation. Hasn’t Bernie been paying attention?
CONGRATULATIONS!
@Frankensteinbeck: It’s not that his philosophy is false – it’s one I actually agree with to a large extent. However, as you state:
It’s even worse than that. The vast majority of Americans are totally fine with capitalist exploitation, as they feel that they have a shot, however small, at becoming one of the exploiters. That’s the core of the American dream, always has been, and Sanders honestly has no idea. I think he’s going to go to his grave denying that’s what it’s always been about for his fellow countrymen. Far to painful to believe or admit.
NR
@CONGRATULATIONS!:
Well, he’s right about that.
Frankensteinbeck
@Jeff Spender:
Which commenters dog piled you? The way this has gone, that’s an important question.
Soylent Green
Poor people are temporarily embarrassed millionaires.
Paul in KY
@CONGRATULATIONS!: Mr. Smith said basically the same thing 245 years ago (paraphrasing):
‘The vast majority of men much prefer to believe they will be wealthy some day rather than accept the reality that they are poor & will stay poor’.
Cacti
Sequel to NYDN epic fail?
Bernie bombs interview on Latin American issues with Univision.
Admits he doesn’t know much about Central American issues, excuses it because he’s so terribly busy running for POTUS. Couldn’t change the subject fast enough when asked his opinion on the failure of Venezuela’s current leftist regime.
Not ready for prime time.
Grumpy Code Monkey
I’m afraid I lost my patience with a Berner in another forum; they were complaining about how, for most primaries, you had to register “weeks in advance”, so Bernie supporters were left out in the cold.
I pointed out that Bernie announced his candidacy in April 2015, was on the same debate stage with Clinton and O’Malley in October, and that he was generating serious buzz by November. For most people in most states with closed primaries (New York, Kentucky, and Connecticut being obvious exceptions), if that primary was after March, you really didn’t have an excuse.
The response to that was most people weren’t aware Bernie was even running until he campaigned in their state, which usually wasn’t until the week before the primary, after it was too late to register.
I’m afraid I lost it after that and went Cole on this person, liberally sprinkling the word “fuck” into my response, along the lines of “how can you not be fucking aware of who’s running for fucking President of the fucking United States”. It’s on the news, it’s in the papers, it’s all over Facebook for crap’s sake…how can you not know who’s running for President?
And with that, I am done with the Berners. I’m done with the bullshit excuses. The truth is these people can’t be bothered to pay the slightest bit attention to what’s happening in the world, and they bitch when their lack of attention bites them in the ass. You don’t have to be a political junkie to be aware that there’s an election going on. If you honestly didn’t know that Bernie was running to be the Democratic nominee for President until the week before your primary, you are the problem, not the process.
nellcote
@martian:
sorry about the wrong transcript. this partial one is from Newsbusters (yeah, I know but it matches the video):
UNIVISION
NOTICIERO UNIVISION: EDICION NOCTURNA
5/23/16
11:36:03 PM – 11:38:35 PM EST | 2 MIN 31 SEC
ARANTXA LOIZAGA, ANCHOR, UNIVISION: For Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, winning the California primary is vital in order to remain in the contest for the White House, because according to him, that could perhaps make the superdelegates that support Hillary Clinton change their minds and support him at the Democratic National Convention, which he warned tonight could be quite conflictive, according to the Senator. Our colleague León Krauze of Univision Los Angeles conversed with Sanders this afternoon, and among other topics, Krauze asked him if there was any situation in which he would consider not backing Secretary Clinton. This is how he answered.
BERNIE SANDERS: If we do not win, I will spend all of my energy…
BERNIE SANDERS: [From translated remarks on Univision] If for any reason we do not win, I will invest all my energy to prevent Donald Trump from becoming President.
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: You’ve said that the War on Drugs has been a failure. Does that include Mexico? Does that include the war against drugs the Mexican government started more than ten years ago?
BERNIE SANDERS: The drug cartels in Mexico have accumulated incredible amounts of money. It is incredible the amount of violence they generate. The Mexican cartels have bribed politicians that now are in situations that are very hard.
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: Your campaign has invited to today’s event Alejandro Solalinde, a Mexican activist whose life mission is to protect Central American migrants that cross Mexico under very difficult conditions. What’s your opinion about the way Mexico treats those migrants?
BERNIE SANDERS: There are people that come from Honduras, Guatemala, and other countries through Mexico to the United States, and they force them to return to Honduras and other countries in Central America. Even running the risk of being killed by the drug cartels or organized crime when they go back.
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: Do you think the deportation of gang members that learned everything in U.S. prisons is damaging Central American nations?
BERNIE SANDERS: You are asking me questions about the impact to Central America, and honestly I wouldn’t be able to say anything new other than what we already know now. All I can say is that we need to cut all connections with drug kingpins. In this country we have an epidemic with heroin and that has to end.
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure that you know about this topic: various leftist governments, especially the populists, are in serious trouble in Latin America. The socialist model in Venezuela has the country near collapse. Argentina, also Brazil, how do you explain that failure?
BERNIE SANDERS: You are asking me questions…
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: I am sure you’re interested in that.
BERNIE SANDERS: I am very interested, but right now I’m running for President of the United States.
LEÓN KRAUZE, UNIVISION: So you don’t have an opinion about the crisis in Venezuela?
BERNIE SANDERS: Of course I have an opinion, but as I said, I’m focused on my campaign.
Paul in KY
@Cacti: I’m wondering if that was just his clumsy way of not talking about stuff (bad things happening to Leftist regimes) that he doesn’t want to talk about.
Cacti
@Paul in KY:
Good thing the GOP wouldn’t press him about things like that in the GE, because he polls well and is just so darned electable.
smh
Barbara
@BillinGlendaleCA: When I was in college, I had two roommates — one tall, blond, conventionally pretty, and the other short, dark haired and not conventionally pretty — I’ll leave it at that — and the latter used to follow the former around to bars and such in the hope that she would get at least some of the leftovers from the many males who circled around the blonde one (and I mean, it was crazy how much male attention she generated). At one point, while they were both at a bar, the short one stood up on a table and said, loudly, “why doesn’t anyone pay attention to me?” I still can’t think of a better example of delusion and self-humiliating conduct rolled into one incident. But that’s what Dr. Stein’s tweets remind me of.
kd bart
@CONGRATULATIONS!: “Poor man wants to be rich, rich man wants to be king and the king ain’t satisfy till he rules everything.”-“Badlands”-Bruce Springsteen
Matt McIrvin
@Grumpy Code Monkey: I’m actually very much in favor of late registration deadlines or even same-day registration; it’s a thing that would make elections better in general. But this whole idea that closed primaries somehow amount to rigging the elections for Hillary Clinton is just bizarre; they’ve spun into the Twilight Zone. The biggest changes they could make to make primaries more democratic–getting rid of caucuses, and even getting rid of superdelegates–would not have helped Bernie Sanders.
Soylent Green
@Paul in KY: i think it means he isn’t up to speed on these issues and is honest enough to admit it. Unfortunately he isn’t up to speed on most issues.
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
Jill Stein: Open up the California Green Party’s primary to all voters, would ya? Or do you really hate democracy so much that it’s got to be closed to all but Green Party registrants?
Cacti
@nellcote:
I see you beat me to it.
It’s not getting a lot of play on mainstream media so far because the interview was with Spanish-language media.
But I imagine the large Spanish-speaking population in California might have an opinion about it. Boy was it a face plant.
LanceThruster
Seems like Hillary’s Brinks trucks full of cash might not be enough to forestall a monumental crash and Bern.
The Republic is saved!!
Ruckus
@Frankensteinbeck:
…That makes me wonder if all we’ve really been seeing is Sanders’ heartbreak finding out that his whole philosophy is false, and The People have not been waiting to rise up and dethrone the rich.
He hasn’t realized that people don’t care to dethrone the rich, they want to be rich. That’s one of drumpf’s attractions, people who believe he’s rich/successful want to be like him and if that means being an insufferable asshole, so much the better.
martian
@nellcote: Thanks, nellcote! That answer on Venezuela – Bernie either is covering for not being informed or, taking him at his word that he has an opinion, he doesn’t want to share it. Too inflammatory?
Is it just me or does Bernie tend towards non responsive and somewhat word salad answers? Maybe I’m being unfair. It’s probably very difficult to sound completely coherent on the fly while you are simultaneously parsing out consequences and reactions to your responses to interview questions. People don’t normally speak in essay form.
Barbara
@nellcote:
Do we have diplomatic ties to drug kingpins? I will be blunt — Sanders turned the subject away from the impact of U.S. policy on Central America to the impact of heroin in the U.S. Of course, he knows a lot about it, I hope, because his state is one of the epicenters, but still, he appears to see Central America mostly through the lens of domestic American policy. I think Latino outreach should mean more than explaining to the viewers of Univision the terrible impact of heroin on citizens living in Vermont.
Ruckus
@MaryRC:
No.
SATSQ
I thought that was obvious.
burnspbesq
@CONGRATULATIONS!:
Arrrgggh. But if he wasn’t on with Piolin, it doesn’t really matter. Only 17 people listen to English-language radio in LA.
japa21
@NR: Bernie would lose the general by a pretty big margin. He would almost guarantee GOP gains in the House and a continued GOP hold on the Senate.
daves09
@nellcote: Having a conversation with Bernie would be torture, and probably against some Geneva convention or other. He doesn’t seem to know anything about anything except income equality, and not very much about that when you get down to details.
His attitude seems to be that he’ll have plenty of time to find out how the world works after he elected president.
‘Let me see now-you say your name is Putin but who are you exactly and how’d you get my phone numbah?’
Cacti
@martian:
His answer on not knowing much about Central America was honest, even if fairly embarrassing.
He was being slippery about Venezuela and it showed.
Robert M.
@Matt McIrvin: Right. This is what’s getting my goat about the whole DNC-stole-the-primary narrative I see emerging from the diehard Sanders camp: these are rules that are not substantially different from four years ago or eight years ago, and there have been no changes at all since the primaries began. Admittedly the rules are complex and dense and not always fair, but they’re not hidden from the Sanders campaign and haven’t been.
So what, exactly, is the problem? Did the campaign know the rules, but fail to take advantage of them? That’s a serious campaign issue. Did the campaign fail to know the rules at all? Again, that’s a pretty huge admission to make about the quality of the campaign.
Complaining that the deck is stacked against their guy and oh, woe is me reflects badly on the Sanders campaign, not on Clinton.
karen marie
@BillinGlendaleCA: For some unknown reason, people I follow retweet her, so I was forced to block her. There is only so much holier-than-thou I can take in a day.
burnspbesq
@martian:
Venezuela is a problem for Bernie. What he’d like to say–that eebil Tio Sam and Big Oil conspired to destroy the Glorious Chavista Revolucion–would make him look transcendently stupid. Since he doesn’t do nuance, it would be hard to come up with anything close to a useful answer.
And there are no good answers to the real question, which is what (if anything) we can or should do to help.
karen marie
@NCSteve: Oh, I don’t know – he has less of a presence than Kristol. Who but morons watches TYT?
Miss Bianca
@Cacti: Yeah, but I have a big problem with someone running for President who is apparently either so cagy or so completely fucking uninformed and intellectually incurious that he *wouldn’t* have an answer for a question on Central America for a Hispanic audience. If I wanted that, I’d be voting Republican. Congratulations, Sen. Sanders – you’ve found a *brand-new* way to be Republican Lite!
Grumpy Code Monkey
@Matt McIrvin: Yeah, I’m all for anything that makes it easier to vote in the primaries and the general, I was just kind of gobsmacked that the excuse was that people didn’t know Bernie was even running for President until a week before their primary. What kind of hermit lifestyle do you have to be living to be that unaware of what’s happening?
I mean, I can understand if people have never heard of Jill Stein or any other third party candidate because they get no mention on the news, but Bernie’s running as a goddamned Democrat, it’s not like this has been some big secret nobody knows about.
daves09
@Barbara: What Bernie knows about the heroin epidemic in Vermont is what he heard on the radio. Talk about your low information bigmouth-no wonder the bernie buddies loves them some bern.
nellcote
@martian:
I think it’s insulting to go on Univision (again!) and not do your basic homework.
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
I imagine Sanders showing up to debate, but Trump isn’t there. Atop Trump’s lectern, there is nothing but a concrete block. Cenk Uygur asks Sanders a question on income inequality to which Sanders gives one of his pat answers.
Then Uygur turns to the concrete block and repeats the question. In the split screen, we see Sanders purse his lips, attempt to get a word in edgewise, and, when that fails, we see him muttering to himself under his breath while shaking his head.
Repeat this for two hours, and it becomes really funny.
burnspbesq
@karen marie:
Morons are allowed to vote.
martian
@Cacti: Bernie came off as very parochially concerned with American interests in this interview, imo. But I am actually very interested in his opinion on Venzuela. He has a strong tendency to hand wave away issues with leftist regimes, but at least he gets outside the typical American politician’s straight jacket on foreign affairs. Or used to, before his ambitions changed.
nellcote
@Grumpy Code Monkey:
what frosts my cupcakes is all the whining about access to the vote and then not voting for downticket candidates.
martian
@burnspbesq: I actually don’t doubt that there was the Venezuelan equivalent of a vast right ring conspiracy. How that plays into what has happened along with the fact that Chavez and his movement were thoroughly corrupted is something I’m interested in hearing someone more informed than I am opine on. So, yes, nuance is what I’m on a scavenger hunt for. Bernie leaves me wanting.
Sorry to post and ghost, but I have kiddies to pick up. Will check back in later when it’s safe to ignore the offspring.
FMBJO
@cokane: My first thought. Planned Parenthood or NOTHING!
Ruckus
Let’s all face it.
Sanders is in over his head. Way the hell over his head. He shouldn’t be this bad, either giving lame no answer answers or twisting the question around to his one answer, income inequality because he is a sitting US senator and has been with his hands on the national levers of power for 25 yrs. Is he past his prime due to his age? And yes I went there, I’m old, I get it and I’m allowed. Is he just not all that and never has been? Don’t really know. But he is a one note candidate, running for a job that requires an understanding of the entire orchestra. It’s at the base what’s really wrong with drumpf as well, bullshit in place of competence. The stench of the bullshit may be different but the results are the same.
West of the Cascades
@Robin G.: Presidenting … this is not how you do it. Someone who wants to be the U.S. President has to be able to talk intelligently about our relations with the other countries of the Americas. Bernie failed this. I hope this gets more media attention before the California primary, so that vote (and New Jersey’s) put him out of his (and our) misery.
BruceFromOhio
FTFY, there, Cenkster.
(and FTFY for good measure!)
Cleos
“It would be a clash of the titans in terms of ideology from the right and the left without the establishment in the middle.”
My guess is it would be a contest to see who loses his temper first, which means Trump would win. You lose your temper, you lose the debate. Not much titanic about either of those two except their egos.
Tom Q
@kindness: No one else responded to you, and maybe it’s too many hours later for you to see this, but…I actually turned The Daily Show off after about five minutes when I saw it was going to be “create the worst Hillary caricature possible and then pile on”. This is the thing Stewart would occasionally do that infuriated a lot of us (as when he bought into the ACORN or Solyndra stories). I think Hillary supporters — who are numerous but less aggressive than the Trump or Sanders people; a new sort of silent majority — are getting really annoyed at the media assumptions about Clinton’s candidacy, which assume the worst about her and cherry-pick polls to proclaim her doom.
The Lodger
@Jack the Second: Justice Thomas, next question.
Justice Thomas.
Justice Thomas.
Paul in KY
@Cacti: Good thing!
Paul in KY
@Soylent Green: Your take is probably correct.
Paul in KY
@Ruckus: Being his age never helps you in mentally/physically challenging endeavors.
NR
@japa21:
You say, with absolutely nothing to back it up.
J R in WV
@Jack the Second:
A 90 minute debate would take two weeks, moderated by the supreme court…. just sayin’ !!
I think it’s a great idea, just not practical.
J R in WV
@NR:
Nothing except the experience of the entire universe over the past year.
Nothing but that.
Nothing?
ETA: My first experiment with embedded block quotes, how about that?!?
BruceFromOhio
@J R in WV:
Yeah, how about that!
ETA: I’d he afraid to take it further, you might get a Time Tunnel-collapsing vortex-blackhole thingy.