No surprise there.

"Sanders said that a primary challenge to the president would “enliven” the debate on the Democratic side, and four months later he even said, “One of the reasons the president has been able to move so far to the right is that there is no primary opposition to him… I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition.”

The media fluff is now trying to make it seem that Sanders was opposed to Obama. That's the lie. Sanders just wanted Obama to move Left.

I guess it takes a few years of being out of the parents house and another few years of actually being in politics before one can discern between media fluff and the actual truth of democracy?

And he also said it couldn't be him because he was an Independent, not a Democrat.

Did you swoon over the media when it asked Clinton about her vote to support GW and the Iraq invasion?

Bernie did say he wanted Obama primaried. But to bring it up now, is just media fluff.

Look, if H> was Left, Bernie wouldn't even be running and we could all just be having fun. As it is, the rich and powerful elite must be put in their place. You should join us.

right? you should know better, in this day and age, than to believe everything your read about what that someone else said - without a link to clear audio/visual of the candidate saying what it is purported he said.

Because he has such a history of lies? Oh wait, that's Clinton.

What the hell is wrong with you people?

to describing him.

It's sad that you feel the need to do so.

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Describing any of our candidates as a "pathological liar" is divisive and has no place here.

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it's OK because "Feel The Bern"

... were almost all demanding a primary of Obama back at that time.

They should have spent their time trying to build up some sufficiently liberal alternatives to Hillary for 2016.

I suggested this to them back then. Warned them they'd be screaming about Hillary with little chance of beating her.

But hey, what do I know. I was sure Obama would end DADT, get us out of Iraq, and not cut Social Security. Oh wait. I was right then too.

He got us out of Iraq, allowing ISIS to take hold. His covert CIA funding of "rebels" in Syria led to the diaspora that we and Europe are now facing, and more ISIS control. He has failed miserably in Middle East policy. Bush was bad, but Obama has been almost as bad, and Hillary Clinton voted for the Iraq War leading to a million deaths, and the present mess.
Obama should have been primaried.

If it's true, Bernie ought to admit it. I sure wasn't asking for a primary, but if we could have done better, than I'd be all for it. Why deny that?

Obama is popular with Democrats. He's even more popular with African-American Democrats. The last think he wants people to think of is an old white guy calling for the first black president to be primaried.

O'Malley said that Sanders tried to find someone to primary Obama. As far as I can see, there is zero evidence that he did any such thing. What he DID do is say that he thought it would be a good idea if Obama were to face some primary oppoostion, in order to apply pressure from the left, since without any pressure from the left side of the party, he had moved rightward.

Here is the interview where he said this:

[link:

Read the article with quotes from ex-Obama aides who aren't affiliated with any campaign this time around:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/the-obama-campaign-remembers-2012-very-differently-from-bern

Their take on Sanders’ role: In 2008, he got on board with Obama late. In 2012, he was either attacking the president from the left or doing little to get him elected. As for “vigorously” supporting him, they said, Sanders was not someone they thought of as a top surrogate.
“Every indication we had was that he was considering a primary challenge,” said one senior official from Obama’s 2012 campaign.
“Being annoying,” another said when asked to recall how they remembered Sanders in 2012.
A third senior Obama campaign aide from 2012 said Sanders was simply not often top of mind.
“Have no recollection of him being any kind of factor whatsoever, supporter or not,” the aide said in an email to BuzzFeed News.

1. Obama was pandering too much to the republicans, he wasted two full years trying to get them on board.
2. Many of the resolutions passed by Obama were more satisfying to the republicans than to democrats.
3. He needed to be brought more to the center, and a challenge would have done that.

I heard the interview and I don't see anything that anyone, O'Malley included, should be making of it. A challenge to Obama would have been good, it is like a soft slap in the face to wake the person up.

I think that given the fact that Obama has had so much opposition that he has done a very good job, but I also think that he could have become who he is today, someone who doesn't put up with crap from the right, sooner and not later. He wasted two years of his presidency trying to bring the republicans to the table, when all they wanted was for him to fail.

IMO, this is a non issue.

Sanders can't court AA voters by claiming to be a strong supporter of Obama after spending the past 7 years working against him on issue after issue.

There is nothing, not one thing, that Republicans have been satisfied that Obama did. I can't believe anybody would actually say something that demonstrably false and think they can use it to support anything.

NOT....

I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition.


And ya wonder why he can't get any super delegate endorsements from the Democratic caucus...? Really?

Last edited Mon Nov 9, 2015, 11:53 AM - Edit history (1)

The fact is that Obama has not been as left-friendly as some Dems would have liked.

So the options would seem to be "support Obama no matter what" or "make your feelings known, and see if you can do anything about it."

Would a primary opponent have cost Obama the nomination? Realistically, no. But could such an opponent have moved the discussion leftward, prompting Obama to either move left or defend his lack of desire to do so? And could that have been beneficial to the country? Maybe yes?

Hillary.

all I could find are RW sources.
That said-I have followed Bernie for a number of years now and tried to never miss Brunch With Bernie....
I heard a mention of that and I have to say-I was so "conditioned" to assume a sitting POTUS should never be challenged that as I thought about his words..I agreed. It's democracy. There are no rules against challenger running to primary a sitting president. It's not often done, but still it is part of the democratic process.
He was not pushing for it..it was part of a conversation with callers.
I voted for PBO - twice..but would still have appreciated hearing a great debate If there had been a challenger. A lot had happened since 2008, after-all.
Does anyone really believe PBO would have Lost to a primary challenger? He was Very strong going in for "term II".
Why is this exercise of democracy a bad thing?

words.

this story before it was posted here-I searched for old stories-all I could find were rw sources.
In my opinion..this is "much ado about nothing"
I don't consider TP rw-lol
Why is this a big deal? Why is it wrong to primary a sitting POTUS in a democracy?

Now...I am finding all sorts of articles from my favs and no FOX/WSJ/NYPost etc without a specific search.
Which is fine. I still don't see the big deal.
I'm trying to understand the fuss. I think it's a good thing, personally.

I'm talking about articles from 2011.

I just glanced and I thought I saw March-2015.
Ok, I agree with Sanders...It Would Enliven a/any debate. Again, I ask..What is wrong with exercising democracy? Are there written codes/rules/policies forbidding a primary to a sitting POTUS? Is it "undemocratic?
I'm trying to understand what all the fuss is.

Unless you are SURE you can win, and you can win the general. But doing it as a way to "enliven debate" just undercuts the incumbent and makes it easier for the GOP in the general.

Your opinion is that it is dumb. I disagree. I believe democracy is not dumb.
I don't think we can speculate with any degree of accuracy that it would help Or hinder either the Dems or the GOP. No one can know that.
Just my humble opinion...
thank you.

as a Democrat! Then he admitted to not being one.

What he denied is that he opposed Obama, which is completely different. But of course you knew that, you just have an agenda to push.

If that is your definition of support, every incumbent does not want the support you are selling.

Its about the issues, and making sure candidates are held accountable for their campaign promises. I don't see accountability as opposition, I see it as beneficial to the party.

of support either.

From what I know of him, he welcomes discussion and debate on the issues.

He said now that he was for him having a primary opponent, are you saying he didn't say that?

It's because his push to primary the first AA president in our country's history is going to alienate AA voters that Sanders needs to win the nomination.

Too many white progressives spent the past 7 years pissing on Obama and now are trying to claim that they have been loyal in order to get AA voters to support Sanders. It's bullshit.

I feel like I'm in bizarro world. Its right in the video of his interview today...he plainly says he supported Obama having a primary opponent.

He is saying he didn't work against Obama and that just isn't true. He spent a lot of time on national media undermining him. That is working against him. He also said he campaigned for him very hard in 2012 - absolutely not true.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/the-obama-campaign-remembers-2012-very-differently-from-bern#.jylJ8zWGY

He wanted the national media attention by being a liberal who attacked Obama. Now he has to live with the consequences of that.

Not to split hairs, but you're misquoting him...he never said he worked very hard for Obama in 2012. He said he worked for him, which was true(He said he worked very hard for Obama in general, so that would encompass 2008 and 2012). The level of effort "very hard" was added by you and is completely subjective. So even if he had said very hard and your article refuted that, its refuting something that really can't be refuted.

And what consequences exactly? Obama ran right after the first election, Bernie said he should have a primary opponent to pull him back left...I don't see how that is bad.

You obviously are quite smart and understand what democracy is about. The attacks on you come from PUMAs and those who are Bernie haters. And you have a low post count. After awhile they will learn not to mess with you. Hang in there, and welcome to DU.

of a smear.

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/07/22/277124/bernie-sanders-primary-obama/

Reads a little different here, doesn't it?

It's just that some people will not realize it until next year. 'Cause politics is tricky shit.

Between you and sheepshank, and me.

You guys sit there and make sarcastic jokes about the party, and I hold it to be far more important that we make America better by making the party more Left and better serving of the people.

Just the one issue of Hillary voting for GW's war in Iraq should have yall NOT supporting her. But not even the biggest mistake in the world can convince any of you to see that your support is bad for America. Shame on yall and shame on you for making jokes about the party.

Yeah its tricky.....now we know Bernie is JUST another politician...nothing special. And this is about NOW not what he did then...

sucking up to President Obama now.

But, Gov O'Malley knows better.. so does President Obama and everyone who can read.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110725674

That's nearly 8 hours of loyalty.

And some primary challenges are less threatening to the front runner than others. If I were a moderate Dem front runner I would welcome a challenge from the left from a socialist because it would shut out a challenge from the left from a life long Democrat. But maybe that's just me.

Go Bernie!

Was the centrists of the party voted for Reagan. They were PUMAs and they hated that Carter was an outsider who would not kiss the elite's ass. Then the Iran mess came about and even after all that was uncovered in congress and reagan was put on the stand and he claimed he 'forgot' the party elites let him and bush 1 walk away.

It wasn't the Left at fault, it was the PUMAs and the elite centrists of the party who fucked things up for 30 years.

You are just embarrassing yourself.

It wasn't the Left who voted for reagan.

It wasn't the Left who went PUMA and voted for reagan.

I see you have no argument but cheap one liners. How embarrassing is that?

Why yes....yes he is!

We got Nixon and Reagan for our efforts. It's a failed strategy that only splits the party.

mean he was trying to get someone to primary Obama? I just listened to the conversation that you are talking about, and he said nothing about a primary challenge to Obama. Primary opposition and primary challenge are 2 different things. The word primary is not always used in context with the elections.

When listening to the conversation, it is clear that he is talking about, the news outlets, including the left sources, are the ones who said Sanders wanted to have someone primary Obama in the 2012 election.

Z

suggesting you primary a sitting President is NOT vigorously campaigning in support of...by ANY stretch of the imagination...

That's the only way I can reconcile the title and content of your post.

If not, it's senseless, taken as a whole.

present tense.... past tense

Perhaps if you gather your thoughts and come back to this with a rested eye. All I'm getting here is stream-of-consciousness rendered in text.

Bernie SAID he campaigned FOR the Obama Presidency....the SITTING Democratic United States President. Either he was saying HE (he WAS an Independent then) should Primary him ORRRR he was suggesting that OTHER Democrats Primary him. Either way...the point still stands...

A primary challenge occurs in U.S. politics when an incumbent elected official is challenged in an upcoming primary election by a member of his own political party. Such events, known informally as "being primaried," are noteworthy and not frequent in the United States, as tradition dictates that members of a political party support officeholders of the same party, both for party unity and to minimize the possibility of loss of the seat to an opposing party.

In addition, officeholders are frequently seen as de facto leaders of their political party, eligible to establish policy and administer affairs as they see fit. A primary challenge thus interferes with this "spoil of office," and is largely discouraged.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_challenge

Pretty much for the same reason as before.

That is what I would do too if I were you...feign it.

with disjointed thoughts, and with seldom a complete sentence to be found?

No, that's not it.

.....

What more do you want?

Z

these types of articles you are just giving the GOP ammo to go against Bernie when he wins the nomination...... Can't you just posts all the good things Hillary represents?

what hypocrits, no?

Listen to the entire clip.

Might be good to know, if not from you tube.

The Obama Campaign Remembers 2012 Very Differently Than Bernie Sanders

Confronted with his support for a progressive challenge to Obama in 2011, Sanders said Saturday he “campaigned very hard” for Obama in 2008 and 2012. That’s not how Obama aides remember it.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/the-obama-campaign-remembers-2012-very-differently-from-bern#.jjBBezOG2

I have read, Sanders did say it. So what. Competition is good. Nothing wrong with what he said. Now, the mediia has him in a pickle--of his own doing. Rather a bad Sunday morning talk show day for him.

JBut, Gov O'Malley, President Obama and anyone who can read know it's true.

Bernie Sanders Says It Would Be A ‘Good Idea’ To Primary President Obama

"Let me just suggest this. I think there are millions of Americans who are deeply disappointed in the president; who believe that, with regard to Social Security and a number of other issues.. "

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/07/22/277124/bernie-sanders-primary-obama/

"Confronted with his support for a progressive challenge to Obama in 2011, Sanders said Saturday he “campaigned very hard” for Obama in 2008 and 2012"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110725870#post11

TheObamaDiary.com ?@TheObamaDiary
Martin O’Malley: When PBO was running for re-election I was glad to stand up & support him - unlike Sen Sanders who wanted to primary him 👍🏼
3:33 PM - 6 Nov 2015 68 68 Retweets
58 58 likes

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/11/06/the-presidents-day-76/#comments

Thank you, Gov O'Malley for pointing that out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110725674

who can read.

Bernie Sanders Says It Would Be A ‘Good Idea’ To Primary President Obama

"Let me just suggest this. I think there are millions of Americans who are deeply disappointed in the president; who believe that, with regard to Social Security and a number of other issues.. "

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/07/22/277124/bernie-sanders-primary-obama/

"Confronted with his support for a progressive challenge to Obama in 2011, Sanders said Saturday he “campaigned very hard” for Obama in 2008 and 2012"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110725870#post11

TheObamaDiary.com ?@TheObamaDiary
Martin O’Malley: When PBO was running for re-election I was glad to stand up & support him - unlike Sen Sanders who wanted to primary him 👍🏼
3:33 PM - 6 Nov 2015 68 68 Retweets
58 58 likes

http://theobamadiary.com/2015/11/06/the-presidents-day-76/#comments

Thank you, Gov O'Malley for pointing that out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/110725674

He also pointed out that, as an Independent, he wasn't the person to do it.

next thing you know you have a whole quote with context and all that radical stuff.

Hillary is a compulsive liar who has lied about too many things to count. There's a reason the majority of the country finds her untrustworthy.

That said this lie from Sanders is stupid. Honesty is part of his brand. He should just own it.

....that contradict reality.

and the one that does make any such sensational claim is the fucking WASHINGTON TIMES, which yes, you SuperFANs cite.

eom

And he should make you his campaign chief.

... that, and you and I see it because we deal with them here all the time, but for most dems, he's not really running against Obama, and he's working hard to avoid appearing as if he is.

Which is what happened here.

eom