With Malice Aforethought

[NanceGreggs]

It is now beyond obvious that Bernie Sanders will not be the Democratic nominee. (And if he has failed to recognize that fact, he is far too delusional to have been a viable candidate for the presidency in the first place.)

What Bernie is doing now – through his own words, actions, and the conduct of his campaign – is a deliberate attempt to undermine the man who IS the presumptive Democratic nominee. And one can only wonder what he hopes to gain by doing so.

The party’s coalescence behind Biden was Bernie’s golden opportunity to be true to his word that defeating Trump in November was his ultimate goal. This was Bernie’s chance to shine – by getting behind Joe, and encouraging his own supporters to do the same, in order to accomplish exactly that. He could have been the hero who ensured that the Democratic candidate had everyone behind him, including those disappointed that their candidate-of-choice didn’t make the final cut.

Instead, Bernie has chosen to spew the most outrageous lies about our chosen nominee – and is doing so knowing that he is discouraging voters from getting behind that nominee.

“Feel the Bern” has now become “burn it all to the ground if I’m not the nominee”. The only role Bernie is playing right now is that of the woman who encouraged Solomon to cut a live baby in half to settle a dispute between herself and another woman who claimed to be the child’s mother – in other words, “if I can’t have the nomination, no one should have it.”

I do not question for a moment the good intentions of most Bernie supporters. They are passionate about the ideas that Bernie has promoted.

But there comes a time when defeating Trump in November is far more important than massaging Bernie Sanders’ ego. There comes a time when those who support him have to ask themselves whether standing behind their candidate-of-choice is detrimental to the goal of trouncing Trump in the GE. And NOW is that time.

Excusing Bernie’s current behaviour is no different than excusing Trump’s behaviour. The lies, the spread of self-serving misinformation and the anti-Democratic rhetoric is nothing more than ego-driven bullshit meant to drive voters away from supporting the Democratic nominee.

The truth is that Bernie Sanders would rather see Trump re-elected than see anyone other than himself defeat him. And his continuing bashing of Biden – all the while knowing that Joe IS the Democratic nominee – is the proof thereof.

[emmaverybo]

1. +1000

[The Magistrate]

2. Hear Hear, Ma'am!

"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[Aquaria]

3. It's the same sour grapes

"If I can't have it, you can't either," mentality that he pulled in 2016.

[2naSalit]

4. K&R

[showblue22]

5. 100%! agree with you.

If not him, no one. and he projects that sentiment to his supporters.

[Turin_C3PO]

6. Great post!

I wonder if a democratic challenger in the senate primaries could beat him? I wonder how deep his support is in Vermont.

[Cha]

7. Excellent analysis.. it's all happening right before us.. we see that

BS doesn't really mean this.. because if bowing out gracefully would help defeat trump.. he's not going to do it. Even with a Global Pandemic Lethal Virus enveloping the World.

Donald Trump must be defeated,” Bernie Sanders insists, “and I will do everything in my power to make that happen.”

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1287673175

Now he's doing everything in his power to bring down Joe Biden when BS doesn't have a chance to win the nom.

It's now more in evidence than ever why he hired Sirota, bjg, and turner.

StaySafe, Nance

[MR. ELECTABLE]

8. Bernie Slanders

N/t

[comradebillyboy]

9. Amen...

[sheshe2]

10. Me! nt

[MarianJack]

11. I will never forget nor forgive the aptly initialed BS...

...for the way he sat in the stands at OUR 2016 convention with a look on his face like he was smelling the shit that was in his depends.

Back Bench Bernie is all about HIM. While he has an oft expressed disdain for the Democratic Party, if he really were a patriot he would take his collection of $27 checks and shuffle his crusty & wrinkled old ass off to Vermont o that ex VP Joe could turn his focus to Dolt45.

RESIST

[betsuni]

12. K&R

[calimary]

13. Thank you, Nance.

A voice of truth!

[NBachers]

14. It's time to contact the DNC and tell them: ENOUGH! He sabotaged Clinton; he's sabotaging Biden.

As posted in another thread, here's my comment to the DNC. We need to bombard them and force them to take action.

"The Bernie Sanders campaign is circulating rape and abuse stories about Joe Biden. They have been going too far in sabotaging Biden and broadcasting lies about him for this entire campaign.

I am imploring the DNC to contact Sanders and his campaign surrogates and, in no uncertain terms, tell them to back off and start supporting Joe Biden for President.

We don't need another four years of Trump because a sore loser tried to bring the house down on his way out. We've already been through that, and the devastation we are living with today is the result."

It's time to flood the DNC and let them know they've got to put a stop to this, now.

https://democrats.org/contact-us/

[Hekate]

15. Preach it, Nance!

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. They know it's over, and have decided to go full on scorched earth, and that should be reason....

for expulsion. BS knew full well the kind of people he was hiring, and I have no doubt, it was by design.

[Cha]

32. Yeah, 'cause their previous

scorched earth Backfired!

[NurseJackie]

17. "The truth is that Sanders would rather see Trump re-elected than see anyone other than himself..."

The truth is that Bernie Sanders would rather see Trump re-elected than see anyone other than himself defeat him. And his continuing bashing of Biden – all the while knowing that Joe IS the Democratic nominee – is the proof thereof.

That's is the God's honest truth. And I hate him for it. It serves absolutely no good purpose and it just confirms all that I've been saying for the past eight years. Specifically, that he has nothing but contempt for the Democratic party and Democratic leadership. I knew it the moment he said it would be a good idea to primary President Obama. The "scorched earth" and "burn it down" and "destroy to rebuild" philosophy of BS and his Jill-Stein-voting top campaign staffers, and the disgusting lies and smears from his surrogates... it's all truly disgusting.

This will be his legacy. History books will not be kind to Bernie and Jane Sanders.

[COLGATE4]

18. Marvelous, Nance. You have a gift for hitting the

nail on the head but you've outdone yourself this time. It's brilliant!

[William769]

19. Kick & highly recommended.

[musette_sf]

20. Brava!

At this unique juncture in American history, it seems that if Sen Sanders dropped out of the race NOW, and initiated a full-throated and robust support of VP Biden and the Democratic Party, that THIS would be what Rump and the Rumpers MOST fear for this electoral cycle.

But the facts remain that day by day, he steadfastly refuses to do so, and that day by day, his surrogates engage further in bashing the presumptive candidate.

It therefore seems clearer every day that one could have good reason to think that Sen Sanders is not interested in helping the party, that he so blithely appropriates for his personal gain and aggrandization, defeat the most clear and present menace to our country and our world.

[mcar]

21. Kick

[nolabear]

22. Cold, hard truth. Thanks Nance.

[dalton99a]

23. If I Can't Have it, Neither Can You.

The true character of the great man

[Demsrule86]

24. Great post!

K&R

[Peacetrain]

25. Truth is truth.. great post Nancy!!

[MineralMan]

26. You are exactly correct.

Précisément!

If Bernie cannot be Quarterback, he will take his balls and go home.

[TwilightZone]

27. Part of me wonders if he's still holding out hope that something will happen to Biden.

What he doesn't seem to understand is that the delegates would then align behind someone else, not behind Sanders.

[dlk]

28. Bernie is doing to Biden the same thing he did to Hillary

We can’t forget, Bernie is not a Democrat by choice and his behavior has been detrimental to the Democratic Party.

[Cha]

29. KICK!

[Sunsky]

30. K&R nt

[MH1]

31. Sadly true. nt

[oasis]

33. Bernie stands to lose much more than the nomination. Nt

[Hortensis]

34. Many of Sanders' behaviors are incompatible with Democratic values

and even have been at times incompatible with the principles of democracy. We the people elect some among us to power; his attempt to take a presidential nomination against the will of the people should always have permanently disqualified him from consideration. A huge red flag among many in a seeker of power..

After witnessing Sanders' presidential campaigns, once again abetted by Russia, I'm greatly relieved that Democrats have early on chosen to retire him back to the senate, where as 1 out of 100 potential for misuse of power is comparatively very weak.

[onetexan]

35. Long overdue for DNX to step in & end BS campaign

The man is just pathetic & disgraceful now.

[Hortensis]

38. Well, he's been been besmirching our identity daily,

both deliberately and by association, and those who haven't changed their minds by now that he's the best "we" have to offer certainly aren't going to, so if that were all...

As it is, we'll just have to deal with whatever he and his big backers attempt before he finally leaves our party stage and renounces his membership again. I'm glad those paying attention (Sanders generated a lot of alarm around the planet) have once again had a chance to see all the honorable liberal progressive Democrats who made us proud and how strikingly different they are in very important ways.

[radius777]

36. It's deja vu all over again.

The party has been way too soft, walking on eggshells about Bernie, and should've gone in hard on him a long time ago.

His hardcore voters hate Dems and will never vote Dem; it doesn't matter if we kiss their asses or not, it's not going to work, and it only emboldens them to keep damaging Biden and the party like they did to Hillary.

The consolidation of rank-and-file Dem voters behind Biden IMO has as much to do with the Bloomberg camp and James Carville 'going hard' on Bernie during the week leading up to SC and Super Tuesday - as it had to do with Clyburn/Pete/Amy endorsements.

After the FL/AZ/IL primaries gave Biden an insurmountable lead, the party should've gone to Bernie and told him to drop out and endorse Biden, and if he failed to do this and instead wanted to make trouble then the party would have no choice but to unleash the oppo book (largely unused) against him and his wife.

Dems have been too soft and it's coming back to bite us - again.

[LVZ]

37. I like your Bernie Sanders. I do not like your toxic Bernie Bro trolls (who don't understand MATH).

[kstewart33]

39. Thank you Nance. nt

[Politicub]

40. There was the recent poll where 15 percent of Bernie supporters said they would vote for Trump

if Bernie is not the nominee.

I am not able to conceive of what leads to that kind of thinking.

But there are some people who find government chaos exhilarating. And then there are those of us who want to see a competently run government of people who are able to effectively govern. The ideology of destruction of our system is dangerous. Yes, there are things that need to be changed -- healthcare, for example -- but it can be done without burning down the entire structure.

[treestar]

41. This is on Bernie, too

It's his decision and he can't just say its some supporters who are out of control.

[Scurrilous]

42. Amen.

[peggysue2]

43. Agreed!

Sanders had a choice: Statesman or Spoiler. Unfortunately, he chose the latter, be it ego, stubbornness, whatever. He's failed to control his surrogates on social media and frankly, the excuses have always been lame, particularly when the biggest lies and smears come from his own senior management team.

Kicking Trump and his odious enablers to the curb in November is the only thing that matters. Has been from the start. Anyone who hampers the effort is not working for the benefit of the American public, let alone the Democratic Party.

This is one of those 'you're either with us or agin us' moments. There's no in-between.

[Hortensis]

44. I believe this is essentially true, notably the last.

His enmity toward Democrats is lifelong, the Republicans seemingly existing mainly to him as a means of insulting Democrats through comparison and blaming them for everything the Republicans do. As one of the lifelong liberal Democrat he despises, I do believe his attitudes are bizarre and irrational, and I seriously doubt he could change if he wanted to. He never has.

But in addition to his grand visions of saving the nation from us, the day Sanders genuinely conceded would be the day his base turned on him -- as they did when he pretend-endorsed HRC in 2016, but worse -- and then abandoned him. The media spotlight on him would be turned off. Russia, well I don't know what they'd do, but at very least they'd decide he was no longer a useful asset and turn off their assistance. And he'd return to the self-created backwater of his senatorial office to finish out his last term, where he himself has said he believes he's already wasted over 28 years.

Reason enough for a demagogue with, I believe, delusions of being the only person he's ever known who's right, to cling to the national stage all by itself.