The US Senate passed the economic relief bill unanimously, 96-0, yesterday. It’s a product of a lot of negotiating between Republicans and Democrats, and Bernie Sanders is getting credit for arguing for the expansion of unemployment benefits. So, good for him for getting credit for that. It’s part of a larger push to embiggen Sanders because he’s still in the “race” for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Even as primaries are being postponed and even as the math has not worked in Sanders’ favor for a month, he’s still hellbent on staying in the race. Which is what I predicted.
Lacking a meaningful path to the Democratic nomination at a moment when the coronavirus crisis is gripping Washington and the country, Bernie Sanders stepped back from actively campaigning for president over the past week, leading some Democrats to wonder whether he would soon leave the race altogether. But Tuesday, Sanders appeared to signal anew that he is in the race for the long haul: His campaign announced a full organizing effort ahead of New York’s scheduled April 28 primary, and a spokesman said he would participate in a debate with former Vice President Joe Biden — if there is one.
“Bernie Sanders is still a candidate for the Democratic nomination,” senior adviser Jeff Weaver told NBC News on Tuesday in response to a question about the New York efforts. “One of the things that means is working to secure votes in future contests.”
Publicly, Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, has targeted his attention and comments to his work in the Senate as Congress readies a legislative response to the crisis. Advisers say he’s balanced his responsibilities, privately seeking input from supporters to “assess a path forward” for his presidential campaign — and his larger political movement.
“We are in a bizarre moment,” Sanders admitted Monday night in an interview on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” adding, “so what we are doing is transitioning our campaign to a virtual campaign… We’re kind of moving day by day.”
So, he’s not dropping out any time soon and he wants a debate in April, which will probably be as likely as all of the churches in America being full on Easter Sunday. Joe Biden has been appearing on various cable news shows via video link-ups and he was asked about the potential of debating Sanders one more time:
NEW: “My focus is just dealing with this crisis right now. I haven’t thought about any more debates,. I think we’ve had enough debates. I think we should get on with this,” Joe Biden says when asked if there should be more Democratic debates. https://t.co/cZA4ORLjNb pic.twitter.com/4fryw6GhTf
— ABC News (@ABC) March 25, 2020
“I think we should get on with this.” I do too. But the Bros and Broettes are still wallpapering comment sections and social media, arguing that…Biden is the one who needs to drop out. Let me give Biden a little piece of advice: he can play nice with Sanders and his supporters, but there is literally nothing he can say or do which will get them away from their ludicrous, myopic position. So I hope Biden does just get on with it.
Here’s Biden’s latest ad. He’s attacking Trump, not Sanders. That’s what should be happening now.
In times of crisis, American presidents have always stepped up to meet the moment. But all we've gotten from Donald Trump are lies, excuses, and scapegoats.
Trump has failed our country at a time when we need him most. pic.twitter.com/d2vxUHGiH0
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) March 26, 2020
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Bernie is pathetic
He is taking credit. He was not in DC during the negotiation & he isn’t the only senator concerned with the unemployed. He was in Vermont campaigning. He took credit for Actblue collecting money for victims of COVID19. His website did have a link but so did Biden’s & plenty of organizations who were campaigning for down ballot candidates. Here’s an interesting tidbit from the Congressional Record… Bernie Sanders has missed 61.6% of votes in the 116th Congress (2019-20). This makes him the most most absent member of the Senate.
I think there has been in the neighborhood of 15 Democratic debates. I’m tired of the shouting & pointing
Agree with all of this.
Biden’s response to our crisis is showing Bernie to be exactly as useless as ever. So he actually showed up on the floor. And spoke. After opting out of his job’s meetings bc ya know he might learn something. That’s no hero. That’s a boil on our butts.
I’m a registered Independent. Always have been, always will be. I vote the issues and the person running not the party. That said, Biden was not my first choice for the Democrats’ candidate but he now has the best chance of beating Trump and his record as VP under Obama is excellent. At the time, Obama stated that one of the reasons he chose Biden as his VP was that Biden was good at working across the aisle and coming up with workable legislative compromises. We need division not aggressive diversiveness more than ever. By dragging out his lost candidacy Bernie is only helping Trump at this point. Bernie’s ego needs to sit down (and I’d say the same thing to Biden if he was the one in Bernie’s current position).
I’m an Independent too who registered as a Democrat to vote for Biden. I’m sick of Bernie and his supporters. And yes, Joe would have dropped out if the shoe was on the other foot. He’s a decent man. It’s all about Bernie’s ego at this point.
I follow a youtuber who came out as a Bernie supporter.
It is crazy how out of touch with reality she was once she started to talk about Bernie.
Ali, do you mind if I ask which Youtuber it is? I wonder if it’s the same person I’ve been watching, and thinking about subscribing to but I just can’t support that and the way they talk about Biden. Another Youtuber I follow for his Dune and ASOIAF has also come out as a Bernie supporter, he hasn’t been pushy about it or I’d unsubscribe, but I just don’t get it.
Bernie is the flip side of Trump. Plain and simple: another raging narcissist in it for himself.
We HAVE had enough debates.
Politicians are duty bound to work together to find solutions to the virus situation.
Keep the supply lines open, find a way to minimize lives lost, etc.
Bernie needs to accept this new reality, stop talking/debating and get to work.
In 2016, I thought Bernie stayed in until the bitter end because he just couldn’t bring himself to concede to a woman. Turns out he is just an a-hole.
Lol but true
It’s like that line from Twister: “He really is in love with himself. I thought it was just a summing thing.”
Bernie is so focused on himself. He’s just as bad as Trump in that regard. Like 2016, he wants to keep focus on himself despite the damage that he will do to the actual candidate in November.
That’s a great commercial. Sanders needs to drop out. Nobody is paying attention any more. We’re trying to stay alive
It is a great commercial. I think the best thing Biden can do right now is focus on the race against Trump. Be the leader the country needs right now to highlight how inept Trump truly is.
Yes, yes, yes and yes. And I’ll add that I was beside myself with angst yesterday at all the tweets (including from both Trump and Don Effing Junior) trashing Biden as cognitively and/or morally unfit. It’s Hillary 2.0…and it seems to be working as Trump’s approval rating has infuriatingly improved. I’m feeling sick even as I type this.
Trump’s approval rating is not going to continue to rise much longer as more and more people are affected by the virus, not just the restrictions but the loss of money and its consequences, and, especially, by the loss of life.
I forgave Bernie Bros back in 2016, I will never forgive them if they get Trump re-elected…
I’d love to be able to get up in Bernie’s ego…sorry, in his face…and yell
“THAT’S ENOUGH, SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!”
Of course, in my fantasy I am important and he would listen to me. He needs to get it that we are dealing with life and death issues now. I don’t have the patience to even feign politeness with the Bernie Bros when I read about the virus victims and worry over the safety of the medical professionals.
I loathe Bernie. The minute I see that someone is a Berner, I block them on twitter. I don’t care what they say, just as I don’t care what MAGAts say. I snooze anyone I’m so-called “friends” with on Facebook if they spout their garbage about Saint Bernard. And so forth. There is no arguing with them and they sound just as crazy as the tRumpers.
He needs to go away. Now is not the time for me-me-me and wanting to shake up all the institutions (not that he would anyway, Mr. My-Vacation-Home-Is-Just-A-Cottage-And-Everyone-Has-One). We need some adults to come in and repair things.
That’s not going to be Bernie and the Bros.
I can’t do it either. You can’t say anything to them about anything. If you don’t fully 100% agree and support Sanders they get rabid. I made a joke in playful camaraderie that was totally benign, even saying I like Sanders and would vote for him if he was the nominee, and this person WENT OFF and did the sadly predictable Trump thing: “BERNIE 2020!!!!“ They can’t even see the parallels in behavior.
Thing is in 2016 I did like what he had to say and I supported him. But the moment he endorsed HRC at the DNC I respected his request for his supporters to vote for her. Many people did not. At the time it was very clear that his supporters were just as guilty of poor critical thinking skills as those who supported Trump.
But then he decided to run again. And for whatever reason I just can’t get behind him this time around. Some of that is due to the fact that his time has come and gone. I was not excited about Biden either, he certainly wasn’t even on my list, but this is what we are left with. And once again the Bros are our en force, and I like you had to unfollow friends who I actually quote like because they’ve become different people in this entire thing. For then it was only Bernie ever. They dismissed and degraded all other candidates for months. Blanket accusations thrown at anyone who supported anyone other than their choice. “You’re no better than Trump supporters,” “democrats are cowardly moderates and moderates are evil and secret republicans,” “Pete isn’t gay enough, Kamala is a cop and ACAB, Tulsi is a joke, Elizabeth is selfish for sticking around HOW DARE she take votes from Bernie.” I think my favorite was the Bro who literally posted something about Bernie Bros being a myth. But then proceeded to behave like a Bro in comments etc.
I do have hope that this time with the way Trump has so severely screwed up with COVID19 it’ll be what loses him the re-election. People can say what they want about Biden but since 2016 things have gone downhill and that has a lot to do with who is in the Oval Office. Biden will at least work hard to rebuild everything this talking satsuma has destroyed. It’s unfortunate though that it’ll take losing thousands if not millions of American lives to get Trump out.
Yikes wow. Sorry about all the autocorrect typos.
“talking satsuma” haha, that’s a new (and good) one!
Gov of NY, Andrew Cuomo, is doing his job. He is demanding workable solutions, he is angry as hell about Trumps response to this crisis, and he is speaking the truth of the needs his state is facing. Utmost respect to him. This is what we need during this crisis!
If Gov Cuomo runs for POTUS at any point, he has my vote.
Sanders is tone deaf at this point.
The Governor of NY is going to save lives despite the federal government which is so sad because he’s also going to lose lives because of the federal government. NY is so lucky to have him right now.
No more debates.
You’ve echoed my thoughts exactly. While I’ve not agreed with Cuomo for some things (prior!), he IS being presidential now. While I doubt he’ll run, he’d sure as hell have my vote! His is the only presser I watch for real information.
Cuomo has really risen to the moment. Unfortunately, that will make Trump want to punish him for getting the praise and attention Trump so desperately craves.
Cuomo is handling this as best as possible in this situation. He’s a true leader.
I’m in NJ but in the NY media market, so I’m seeing all of his press briefings and what he’s doing, and everyone working there to fight this are heroes.
I have a Bernie Bro on my timeline that is apparently so threatened by Cuomo’s praise and calls for him for President during this time, he’s posted a YouTube videos of some random attacking some of Cuomo’s policies, and/or giving very biased, one-sided arguments and saying things like “don’t applaud Cuomo too hard yet”. I find it hilarious that some of these Berners are feeling so personally attacked by Andrew’s come-up. hahaha
Ugh, why?! It’s not like Cuomo can run this time around, what the hell is this person so threatened about!!
I supported Bernie in 2016 (but of course voted HRC in the general) and even ended up voting Bernie in this primary season as my first choice, Warren, had dropped out, but the over the topness of some Bernie supporters is a massive turn off. He’s just another human, not a saint, stop with the adulation!
I agree with no more debates. Appear on various talk shows and be interviewed. Bernie’s time has come and gone. I belong to a progressive group on FB, most of the Bernie supporters have been voracious in their posts finally quieted by Covid-19. Thinking once Joe is the nominee with a running mate I’ll start an Indie FB page in support.
I love Bernie but come on man! Nobody wants another debate. There have been so many and there is much more important stuff happening. This is a horrible look. I’m disappointed in him.
He is being a selfish old fool. He can’t win so why waste more time with debates nobody cares about right now? He needs to focus his energy on helping with the pandemic and defeating Individual One.
What could possibly happen in a debate to swing this to Bernie? Bernie to needs to check his massive ego and do what is right for a country…. hell a world that is in crisis.
I held off on saying it for a long time, but Bernie has basically created a cult around him. If you ever venture into a pro Bernie hashtag on twitter, it’s a mix of obvious trolls and true believers – and the true believers are a trip. Some of them legitimately view Bernie as some kind of Messianic figure who is the sole path towards a better country. I wonder if Bernie basically knows that there is no way he can concede or leave the race without causing his supporters to basically break down.
I agree with you. I described upthread many of the markers of a cult without outright saying it, but that’s exactly what it has become.
Maybe someone should tell the Scientologists that there’s a group of people who are going to need a new cult soon.
Bernie is such an asshole. He has zero path to the nomination. Biden should ignore him and his followers.
Bernie needs to give up NOW. He has no chance of winning the nomination and wanting to bring people together so he can debate Biden is selfish. Nobody needs to be getting together right now. Go home, Bernie. Do some work in the Senate and shut your trap.
This self absorbed prick is acting like a damn douche and double agent against the common good. Let it go!!!
We absolutely have had enough debates. I didn’t even watch OR read about the last one because debates are just too angry and tense to deal with right now. There is so much else going on. At this point, Biden is going to be our candidate. It’s time for Bernie to let it go and try to work with Biden rather than against him.
I don’t believe a debate would be in any way productive. What’s left to say? Given that Bernie is a sitting Senator, ideally he should end his campaign and go back to work (safely).
Biden’s ad is very good. I’ve seen a few other similar ones. Trump’s cult won’t listen, but I hope a lot of other people do, and I hope all this inspires people to VOTE.
I’m honestly all for drafting Andrew Cuomo as the Dem candidate right now, based on his extraordinary leadership… but I doubt he’d take the job.
Biden is obviously too old and Bernie is too old and too egotistical.
If Biden hadn’t promised a woman Veep, I’d say he should chose Cuomo and he’d be a shoe in probably. But as is, I think he’s gonna chose Klobacher. Which I think will be a super good thing now because her husband has COVID-19, so she can speak as someone directly impacted. That will help Biden’s campaign.
But more debates is certainly not needed now.
I thinking choosing Klobuchar, instead of one of the capable WOC, would strike the wrong note.
> “Bernie Sanders is getting credit for arguing for the expansion of unemployment benefits. So, good for him for getting credit for that. It’s part of a larger push to embiggen Sanders because he’s still in the “race” for the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.”
I like the way you wrote this. Not enough news outlets acknowledge that Bernie did not help write the unemployment benefits…Michael Bennet did, but Bernie’s lackeys immediately claimed credit for that and so some mainstream outlets are already running with that story. Thank you for making it clear that Bernie is “getting credit”, without conflating it with “doing the work”.
At this point, people know who they’re going to vote for, IMO. It’s the actual election that should be the thing we’re worried about. If I was a conspiracy theorist, I’d feel as though Trump and crew were purposefully mishandling this crisis just to extend it into November and limit voting.
Yesterday, I had a serious conversation with my friends/family about what exactly we need to consider doing if Trump gets reelected or if they advantage the crisis to throw a coup. I’ve been slamming down money on what debt I can and seeing what’s in my savings and 401Ks that’s available (if I absolutely had to pull it, mind). I’m in a privileged position of not having lost my job and do not have children, but as a woman who is LGBT+, I’m scared. It would take $10-15K minimum to do a move to another country, even some place like Canada, and I’ve only got a fraction of that put away in my savings. I told them we need to seriously consider what’s going to be our breaking point to flee the country if we descend into fascism.
He needs to drop out. He has no path to the nomination. But no…that would mean he had to give up his dream of the presidency and his ego can’t take the rejection. The base of the party (me…black folk) have chosen the man who we feel will best take on Trump and right this country.
Thank you. Trump needs to be the target now.
To be honest, the Democrats have shown that they are ready to sacrifice American citizens to save corporations, so I don’t really care anymore. This was a perfect time to start arguing for what we really need and instead, they caved. That’s the kind of leadership we are guaranteed with Biden. At this point, I don’t see much difference with Bernie because it’s not just him in control. Moderates have lost this game of tug of war. They are conservatives in everything but name.
I don’t want another debate. No one does. We want action. And we’re not going to get it.
Bernie is somewhat flailing. A man who keeps losing states needs to step away from the race so TRUMP can be the main focus for the Democratic Party. What if we just ignore Bernie.
This ad for some reason reminds me of LBJ’s 1964 Daisy Presidential ad.
Read the room, Bernie. That’s what leaders do.
Biden is right, enough of the debates! Honestly if people don’t know who they’re voting for by now after over a year of this then no one can help them. Quite frankly we all have other things to worry about for the time being.Biden was certainly not my first or second (or third) choice but I will take and support him over Individual 1 and Sanders.
Bernie needs to give it up and tell his fans to give Biden their votes. Let’s not have a repeat of 2016. Trump needs to go at all costs.
Churches full on Easter Sunday is not Trump’s goal, of course. He wants his Hotels full on that Specific day. Bringing in loads of money.
I watched debates to see Warren in action. I am not interested in them anymore. As far as BS. Didn’t he drag he feet in 2016 hoping to win the Nomination? Honestly I can’t recall. Personally I think Hillary has his number.
As far as BS supporters on Twitter, I have met a couple who seemed nice and conversed pleasantly enough. They pledged to Vote Blue. Now as I said I supported Warren and voted for her in my CA Primary, knowing she would not win. She has dropped out, of course, and is still fighting in the Senate. I have found most BS supporters uncommonly nasty, insulting and ended up blocked many many of them.
What with the COVID19 worrying and stressing Americans, the daily horror show of Trump destroying our Country, there is another worry that is sadly plaguing me: the Bernie people on Twitter are sworn to vote Green or will write in Sanders on their November ballots. So, my point, does this mean that we will end up with Trump being re-elected???
Is anyone else frightened by these thoughts or is it just me?
I have read an article on this topic on 538 which seemed rather inconclusive.
Just thought I would share my nightmares with you all. Sorry.
as long as it’s only MAGA supporters going out to the churches and Trump businesses, and other people can avoid being around those folks. Perhaps, we should let them win their Darwin awards
The actions of Sanders’ supporters like Susan Sarandon, that helped ensure a Trump win, have the blood of AMericans injured by this pandemic on their hands. Clinton would have done what she could to shut this down and have asked for manufacturers of medical supplies to ramp up manufacturing of equipment before a pandemic had knocked down the doors to our homes
I was not a Biden fan at all. But he’s the clear front runner and we all need to get behind him NOW. Stupid selfish Bernie and his stupid stans are wasting valuable time right now. The Dems need to unify under one candidate ASAP. Bernie has zero chance to win the nomination and he’s just delaying the inevitable. Every day we are not unified is a huge loss.
Jesus, Bernie! You’re both chasing 80, and you just had a heart attack! STAY THE FUCK HOME!!!