It's Official: Team Clinton "is worried" about Bernie Sanders

[99th_Monkey]

Team Clinton ‘worried’ about Bernie Sanders campaign
By Ben Kamisar * The Hill * 7/6/2015

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is “worried” about Bernie Sanders, whom a top Clinton aide described as a “serious force” in the 2016 battle.

“We are worried about him, sure. He will be a serious force for the campaign, and I don’t think that will diminish,” Clinton Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri said Monday in an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

“It's to be expected that Sanders would do well in a Democratic primary, and he’s going to do well in Iowa in the Democratic caucus.” Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, has emerged as Clinton's main foil in the Democratic primary.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/246910-team-clinton-worried-about-sanders

[Hepburn]

1. Well, my history most likely feed right into their fears.

I started out supporting Hillary -- and still like her a great deal. I even donated to her campaign. Then I started to listen to Bernie and found that while I still liked Hillary, I just liked Bernie better. I just sent a donation to his campaign.

Let's say that Bernie reminds me of FDR and HST and, boy, do we need them now!

[99th_Monkey]

8. Boy, do we need that now.

yep.

[wordpix]

33. I started out supporting Warren and now support Bernie. Hill comes in 3rd

yes I will vote for her if she's the nominee but I say Bernie for Pres.

[raindaddy]

34. Your history is the perfect example...

of Hillary's shot at the presidency has come and gone.. The second third way two term presidency was filled by Obama... Democrats want real change, the kind of change represented by FDR. It's not going to take people long to come up with the same conclusion that you did.. Hillary represents the status quo..

[LiberalLovinLug]

54. Yup

The only way Democrats could stomach a third way President was after the absolute debacle of the Bush presidency. Although for a while there we almost thought we had some kind of progressive super hero on our hands. I gather that HRC would have done very similar to Obama. Welcoming in social liberal progress, but hard-nosed on keeping the status quo where it really counts and shielding the financial district. So it was a wash either way.

But that time has passed. Hilliary is still living in 2008 and championing the Clintonize neo-liberal policies. I'm sure she doesn't want to start lying her way into office, and that could be why she is so silent, but she'll soon have to start, much like her predecessor did, and begin to pretend she is on board with much of what Warren and Sanders are selling. Just win baby. Then she can go back to her friends at Goldman Sachs and pat their hands and assure them not to worry, it was all "election talk" so it doesn't count.

[raindaddy]

82. Absolutely

And really well expressed!

Hillarys not the passionate orator Obama is. Just don't think she's going to be able to pull off the lies. People will be able to contrast her claim to be a populist with Bernie's genuineness.

[CrispyQ]

90. Love the graphic in your sig line!

[Change has come]

93. That graphic is perfect

and works on so many levels.

[hootinholler]

46. I don't see the similarity with HST

I mean Hunter was a great writer, but way too gonzo for Bernie to be even close to him.

[Scuba]

61. Snort!

[demwing]

78. Fear and Loathing in Missouri?

We were somewhere around Independence on the edge of a cornfield when the drugs began to take hold...

[-Bernie-]

88. The BATS! The BATS!!!

Miss dear old HST...

[zeemike]

64. Boy do we ever.

Reminds me of a song...

America needs you
Harry Truman
Harry could you please come home?
Things are lookin' bad
I know you would be mad
To see your favorite men
Prevail upon the land you love

America's wondering
How we got here
Harry all we get is lies
We're gettin' safer cars
Rocket ships to mars
From men who'd sell us out
To get themselves a piece of power

We'd love to hear you speak your mind
In plain and simple ways
Call a spade a spade
Just like you did back in the days
You would play piano
Each mornin' walk a mile
Speak of what was goin' down
With honesty and style

America's calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin' round and losin' lots of ground
Oh Harry is there somethin'
We can do to save the land we love?
Oh whoa whoa whoa

America's calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin' 'round
And losin' lots of ground
Harry is there somethin'
We can do to save the land we love

Oh, Harry is there somethin'
We can do to save the land we love
Harry
Harry is there somethin'
We can do to save the land we love

[onehandle]

3. Raising expectations in your 'opponent' is standard political posturing.

What's 'official' is that this is politics.

Nothing more.

43%+ lead.

[Divernan]

25. Preparing HRC supporters for NH & Iowa losses is what it sounds like.

[AuntPatsy]

4. Stupid, what we should be worried about is ensuring our elected officials act in the

Peoples best interests, the average citizen, it's not a horse race..

Or at least it should not be acted as such...

[99th_Monkey]

6. Me thinks that is precisely why Sanders is surging

because he's seen as genuinely fighting for the
"Peoples best interests, the average citizen", not Wall St.

[AuntPatsy]

15. I can't help but agree with you on that, many people but not all yet are passed putting

Up with corporate interests being of more value than the average citizen...

[99th_Monkey]

18. +100 nt

[BrotherIvan]

22. +1 Well said

[Spitfire of ATJ]

29. A lot of people still believe they do well when the stock market is up.

[wordpix]

36. it's not just support of corporate interests at issue, it's support of rule of law

Just take the recent Supremes' case. A law passed by Congress (ACA) could have been emasculated by 5 unelected justices due to a small 4-word error. Luckily, that didn't happen.

[marble falls]

63. I am going to fully support Hillary if Bernie doesn't clinch it, but.....

I would like Hillary to explain her position re: Keystone, TPP, fracking. She'll have my time, my money, my enthusiastic vote, a yard sign location, a bumper stickered bumper here in Tea Party Texas with me anyways, but couldn't she at least let us understand her principled reasoned support for things 90% of the party just does not want? Coincidentally enough, to my chagrin, the teabillies around here no problem with her stance on TPP, Keystone, fracking.

That's not partisan bickering, that's a reasonable and honest question.

[appalachiablue]

69. Sanders is surging, with the people?

[Kalidurga]

5. Yep

They should be. Bernie has at least 100,000 people that are willing to knock on doors for him.

[secondwind]

11. almost 200,000 now.

[wordpix]

37. and I'm one of them. Feel the Bern!

[Kalidurga]

91. Wowsers

That's double what I was told by the head of the Minnesotans for Bernie guy, back in June. We have a big meeting tomorrow so I will have an update on how many in just Minnesota and I will pass this along in case he hasn't heard the latest number.

[Le Taz Hot]

7. I have to laugh.

You KNOW when Sanders went to the Democratic Party Bosses and got their blessings to run as a Democrat, the Bosses said, "Sure, let him run, it's not like he's going to win or anything."

And once again the Conventional Wizdumb is turned on it's little pointy head.

[JaneyVee]

9. Good, it will keep them on their toes.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. It's foolish to "misunderestimate" your opponent...

Best to treat every threat as an existential one and act accordingly.

[99th_Monkey]

14. You and I knew they're worried

but I think this is the very first I've seen of Hillary's campaign admitting
that they're "worried" .. to me that's an important milestone.

[LiberalArkie]

53. They are pretty damn nasty now. I think just someone suggesting that HRC not be crowned

pisses off way too many people.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. Hillary has the power to turn this around.

It's just going to take some soul-searching and maybe she should spend some time in whatever passes as the equivalent of a soup kitchen for the middle-class. Or, maybe she should spend time with the Millennials who are trying to make it in the world without the benefit of political connections?

She can be a very empathetic individual. She just needs to connect with the voter group that is going to make an impact in the next election.

[99th_Monkey]

16. It's actually kind of late for Hillary to start doing that

I mean, she's had her whole political life to do those things, to connect
with middle/lower class people in a convincing way.

Bernie started doing that in the 60s and hasn't stopped, he's been utterly
and consistently fighting for the Have-nots, like forever.

BIG ^ DIFFERENCE

[Baitball Blogger]

28. It's never too late.

There are people I have talked to that are not crazy about Hillary, but don't have a clue who Bernie Sanders is.

She still has name recognition on her side. This election is still hers to win or lose.

[Betty Karlson]

31. It is never too late. Agreed.

Like her support for marriage equality: once Mrs. Clinton comes out for a position, she does it wholeheartedly. Belated, certainly, but with magnificent and unapologetic conviction.

[OnyxCollie]

80. But she got a burrito bowl at Chipotle.

Isn't that what the common people do?

[99th_Monkey]

85. Nice one. Thanks. nt

[snagglepuss]

65. I don't disagree she can empathic but she has been too long

in a very protected bubble away from regular people to really connect to people who are in very different circumstances. I suspect her empathy is most likely centered on the needs of people in the income bracket she moves around in which is not something abnormal because sensitive people are affected by those in close proximity so she's empathic to people concerned about, among other things that concern those in her income bracket, their investments.

[Baitball Blogger]

66. I don't disagree with any of your statements

The problem with neo-liberals is that they think that connecting with the soi-disant leaders of every demographic is enough. This is actually the flaw in the way government operates today. The idea is to seek quick consensus with leaders on an issue, and though that sounds like the sensible thing to do there is often dirty pool being played to select "friendlies" as leaders with the idea of undermining the will of the people. (Actually, it's not hard to undermine the will of the people. Just give them false information.)

In sum, she has to go past these leaders and go straight to the people.

Now, how she does that, well, I assume she has smart people in her inner circle and they should be able to figure it out.

[Sheepshank]

17. media needs to make this into a horse race.

otoh, no one should sit on their laurels.

[SoapBox]

19. I saw the comments on Thomas Roberts show...

The "rope line" was a big bomb.

And the MSNBC poll...is Bernie a threat to HRC?

Yes 78%

No 22%

[winter is coming]

20. Interesting.

Ten days ago, her campaign manager feigned unconcern and said that polling isn't very reliable. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251415834

So what's changed?

[99th_Monkey]

24. Maybe this

The "rope line" was a big bomb.

And the MSNBC poll...is Bernie a threat to HRC?

Yes 78%

No 22%

^ this was posted just above your post and makes sense to me.

[BrotherIvan]

27. They're lowering expectations

Because he will win at least New Hampshire and do well in Iowa. They came out arrogantly that he wouldn't win a single state. Now they have to walk that back with this very unbelievable propaganda. Expect more surrogates, red baiting and Dean Screaming to come.

[wordpix]

39. don't count him out in NH since he's from VT

He understands northern New England very well. I'm sure he will connect with NH Dems

[BrotherIvan]

50. Yes, I think he is going to win NH

Not sure about Iowa yet, but it's going to be interesting. She lost Iowa, so maybe the same people will vote for Bernie. I also think the more wins he racks up, his numbers will go higher because the meme that "he can't win" will be shown to be false. There are quite a few Clinton die hards as there were in 2008, but there are also plenty of people who did not vote for her. So it's going to be interesting.

[demwing]

75. 10,300 Berners turned on the heat

in Wisconsin, that's what happened

[Depaysement]

21. It's an appropriate response from Palmieri

Take your opponent seriously and take nothing for granted.

But I wouldn't get too excited yet. Hillary has a lot of money, name recognition, "star" power, experience and rank-and-file support.

[Change has come]

95. True. Just like in 2007

There is plenty of time.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

23. Heh,....‘worried’ is also a verb used to describe what a dog does to a bone.

[George II]

26. One line from Palmieri constitutes "it's official, Team Clinton is worried about Bernie Sanders?

What was the context of the quote, what was tthe question she answered?

People pulling out a single sentence and proclaiming it the overall feeling about the campaign is ludicrous.

[Eric J in MN]

32. She's the Communications Director AKA spokeswoman. NT

NT

[George II]

35. But WHAT was the question she answered?

Perhaps the question was "are you worried about Sanders?" NO ONE would respond "nah, we're not worried about him", that would be stupid. That's why knowing the question and context is important before making such an "official" sweeping declaration.

[Eric J in MN]

47. If she were asked if they are worried

...then she could have replied, "No. Bernie Sanders is a great Senator, but we're confident that voters will realize that Hillary Clinton is the better presidential candidate."

She didn't have to say that they're worried.

[George II]

48. We still don't know what she was responding to.

[Divernan]

56. Straws should not exceed one's grasp or what's a delusion for?

With a nod to Robert Browning: “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?”

[George II]

58. HUH?

[99th_Monkey]

59. The whole conversation is on Morning Joe dude

If you're so interested, look it up.

I don't much care, because her words actually are very clear,
Team Clinton can't afford to try to ignore Bernie anymore,
and they have been forced -- due to Berniemania -- to
admit it publicly, via their official spokes person.

[George II]

71. Just as I suspected....

.....the direct question was indeed "does your campaign worry about Bernie Sanders?" From the way she answered, "we're worried about him, sure", it was almost dismissive, certainly not showing that the campaign is "OFFICIALLY" worried.

It was almost like asking Tom Brady "are you worried about the Indianapolis Colts?" and him answering, "yes, we're worried about them" just before he went out on the field and destroyed them 45-7!

So yeah, if if makes you guys happy, the Clinton campaign is "worried" about Sanders. I certainly am not.

[Divernan]

30. HRC campaign afraid to attempt large rallies - she can't turn out the crowds.

Sanders's strong crowds only underscore the differences in the campaigning tactics between the two campaigns.

“We don’t need to attack each other. He'll run his campaign, we'll run ours. The imperatives for us are different. We think what works for her, particularly in Iowa, is doing a lot of small events, staying a long time, being one of the past people, if not the last person, to leave the room. That works better for us right now,” she said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/246910-team-clinton-worried-about-sanders

What's sadly pathetic & insultingly hypocritical about the Clinton campaign clinging to these "small events" is that word is already out that those little intimate gatherings were only with pre-screened HRC supporters and staff members - with the exception being the gala fund raising soirees at the multimillionaires' gated and guarded estates.

[winter is coming]

38. There's nothing wrong with doing small events, but if you limit yourself to events

populated by people who already support you, how many new voters does that bring in? Sounds like you're leaving the tough job of converting/recruiting new voters solely to your supporters. Is HRC not capable of winning over undecideds by herself, or is she simply trying to stay in a bubble where no awkward questions can be asked?

[George II]

41. Events like that are always pre-screened, and the most avid supporters are always up front...

...and right behind the candidates. You can't tell me Sanders' campaign didn't do that too.

[Divernan]

49. Oh, yes I can. Sanders campaign didn't do that; HRC's did.

Check out the article with the photo of Hillary with the three plants. Now you are free to claim that Bernie did this IF you have one scintilla, one shred of proof. But you don't, so I just expect more dodging and deflection.

HEADLINE: Campaign staff DROVE 'ordinary' Iowans to Hillary's first campaign stop - including health care 'lobbyist in training' who was an Obama campaign intern and Biden chauffeur
SUB-HEADLINES:
Austin Bird sat for coffee on Tuesday morning in the town of LeClaire, Iowa, chatting with Hillary Clinton as photographers snapped pictures
News reports called him a 'student' and her campaign called it an unscripted event
But Clinton's Iowa political director Troy Price drove Bird and two other people to the coffee house
Bird is a hospital government relations official who interned with Barack Obama's 2012 presidential campaign
The Iowa Democratic Party, which Price ran until a month ago, tasked him to be Joe Biden's driver during an October Senate campaign trip in Davenport
From body of article:

'We were asked to come to a meeting with Troy, the three of us, at the Village Inn.'
The other two, he confirmed, were University of Iowa College Democrats president Carter Bell and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland employee Sara Sedlacek.

'It was supposed to be a strategy meeting,' Bird recalled, 'to get our thoughts about issues. But then all of a sudden he says, "Hey, we have Secretary Clinton coming in, would you like to go meet her?"' 'And then we got in a car – Troy's car – and we went up to the coffee house, and we sat at a table and then Hillary just came up and talked with us.'

Bird said 'we all were called.' 'I mean, Troy asked us all to do – to go to a meeting with him. And we didn't really know what it was about. I mean, he did. He knew.'

It's unclear how many Iowans featured in photographs with Clinton that rocketed around the country on Tuesday were planted.[

/blockquote]

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3040482/Campaign-staff-DROVE-ordinary-Iowans-Hillary-s-campaign-stop-including-health-care-lobbyist-training-Obama-campaign-intern-Biden-chauffeur.html#ixzz3f8dgdwn0
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[hootinholler]

51. I'll tell you that

It ain't Bernie's style.

They don't screen attendees, and he's been holding town hall style meetings when the crowd is small enough.

[wordpix]

43. "stay small" is not a winning strategy, IMO

If Taylor Swift stayed small, she'd still be writing songs for other musicians in Nashville, like she did when she was in high school.

[George II]

40. Another false conclusion - that's what she's doing in the beginning of this campaign....

....six months before the first primary vote is cast.

Did you miss "that works better for us RIGHT NOW"?

[Divernan]

42. Get back to me when she books a venue for 10,000, umok?

[wordpix]

44. good response, Divernan

[George II]

45. Nah, you'll hear about it before I get a chance to get back to you.

[hootinholler]

57. I know!

She can draw the big crowds anytime she wants one! She drew 4500 in New York City! Anyone would be hard pressed to get crowds that large in smaller cities, eh?

[zeemike]

70. If she was going to have an event like that NYC should be the place.

She was a Senator from that state and NYC has 9 million people...but she drew half that.

[George II]

72. It wasn't intended to be a big event, otherwise she would have held it in Manhattan......

.....do you know how to get to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan or Queens?

[zeemike]

76. I have no idea...never lived in NYC.

So you mean you can't get to there from Manhattan? or Queens?
If it is too much trouble I guess her supporters are lazy or not too enthusiastic then.

But I am sure she planned it that way on purpose.

[George II]

79. No, she stumbled upon Roosevelt Island and decided to hold a rally...........

.....sheesh. OF COURSE she planned it that way. It was a good idea to hold an event like that there, security is easier than holding it in Central Park or some other venue.

The facts are that virtually the only way to access Roosevelt Island is by mass transit, and it's not easy (small tram from Manhattan, city bus from Queens) so there wouldn't have been a massive turnout.

And there are only 9500 residents on Roosevelt Island.

We are STILL months away from the campaign heating up, lots of time for her to hold the events and rallies that Sanders supporters want her to hold.

Suggestion - Sanders hold his events the way he wants and Clinton hold her events the way she wants. Whether it's 10,000 or 4,500, they're still going to be covered and people ALL OVER the country are going to see what each of them say.

[zeemike]

84. Well that answers the question...you can get to there from there.

But it is too much trouble...you would have to ride mass transit...committed yes but not that committed.

But your suggestion is moot because I think they are holding them the way they want.

[Le Taz Hot]

52. This quote:

"We think what works for her, particularly in Iowa, is doing a lot of small events, staying a long time, being one of the last people, if not the last person, to leave the room. That works better for us right now,” she said.

Huh?

[jtuck004]

55. Bernie, on the other hand, is more worried about the people. Maybe that is why he is

doing better.

[rocktivity]

60. Very sensible on their part (Hillary sure took Obama for granted)

Last edited Mon Jul 6, 2015, 05:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Eight years ago, I said that that Hillary would have to win "early, often, and most important, by demoralizing margins" (which I now define as by at least four points). Hillary will be doomed to repeat her history indeed if she's forgotten that her previous NH margin of victory was so thin, she and Obama got the same number of delegates. And what with Bernie being a New England "hometown boy" politically speaking, it's entirely possible that history could repeat itself.


rocktivity

[stonecutter357]

62. i am “worried” about Bernie Sanders we don't need a gun nut in the White House.

[MissDeeds]

67. Bernie isn't a "gun nut"

but Hillary is a war hawk.

[appalachiablue]

74. Sanders, the hippie Vermonter is now actually a raging 'gun nut'. Next he'll be a white supremacist,

Aryan nationalist with Storm Front and a Klan member. That's why he likes Scandinavia so much. JC, it's really becoming painful to watch the decent, into lunacy.

[MissDeeds]

77. Yep

Smacks of desperation.

[coyote]

68. LOL... A gun nut

I like you stonecutter. You're funny.

[demwing]

73. Youi should be worried, but not for the fake reason you pretended

You should be worried because after Hillary fails to secure the nomination for a second time, she'll have to give up all hope of ever becoming POTUS,

In fact, I'm more worried for you. I don't think your heart will take it very well, poor thing!

[arcane1]

81. Honesty is the best policy.

Try it.

[Cali_Democrat]

83. If Jennifer Palmieri said they weren't at all worried

The Hillary campaign would be attacked for being brash, overconfident and disrespectful.

And if Jennifer Palmieri said nothing, the press would blast the Hillary campaign for failing to open up to the press.

Jennifer Palmieri says they're worried, and an entire article is dedicated to portray the Hilary campaign as scared shitlesss of Bernie Sanders.

No-win situation.

Stupid article.

This is why it's good to just ignore the media.

[99th_Monkey]

86. So it's "stupid" for Bernie supporters to take note of this Milestone 4 Statement

Shame on us Bernistas for paying attention to such things!!

milestone 1: Bernie who?

milestone 2: oh yah, you mean that obscure Socialist wannabe?

milestone 3: we are not worried about Sanders. Ha-ha ... He can never win.

milestone 4: we are worried.

[Cali_Democrat]

87. My post wasn't specific to Bernie or his supporters

My post was more about the media and the way they try to generate controversy by any means necessary.

[99th_Monkey]

89. OK, you do have a point

That's probably true to some extent. But the press could focus on O'Malley
that way too, and has actually, as O'Malley's been attacking Bernie on
gun control, and press loves that too. It's what the press does, right or
wrong.

This is actually one of the most refreshing things about Bernie for me, is
that he gracefully refuses to get drawn into attacking anyone, except who
he's REALLY running against .. Wall St. , the MIC which may sometimes
include their political sock-puppets, whoever they are. But he chooses
the high road, on principle yes, but also because he understands all too
well what you are saying about how the press functions (or dis-functions,
if you prefer), and he just doesn't take the bait.

[morningfog]

92. Hillary is worried that she'll actually have to campaign

this primary. She hoped to coast on large fundraisers, polished videos and rest up for the general.

She didn't learn from 2008.

[postatomic]

94. This is why I love the internet

This "story" is recycled from a News Max "story". (look at the back links) I watched the actual interview with Jennifer Palmieri. She was playing the game. Clinton doesn't want to appear like she is completely dismissing Bernie so they throw out a bone.

Clinton will need a few of the mature Sanders supporters.

You can spin this however you want but there isn't any there.... there. It's not "official" and there is no "Team Clinton" that is worried (unless you consider the News Max spin on this)