The CNN Democratic Town Hall is being organized by a longtime Iowa Hillary Clinton activist

[CoffeeCat]

It's worth noting that the upcoming Democratic Town Hall, in Des Moines, Iowa--is being organized and hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party.

The chairperson of the Iowa Democratic Party is Dr. Andy McGuire. She has been the main source quoted in the articles about this event.

McGuire served on the following:

---Hillary Clinton's National Council of Civic Leaders.
---Women's Leadership Council for Team Hillary in Iowa (a group of Iowa women dedicated to electing Hillary Clinton as the first woman President of the United States in 2016.

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/2015/01/17/three-pros-and-three-cons-of-andy-mcguire-as-iowa-democratic-party-chair-updated/

The Iowa Democratic Party, headed by McGuire, is in charge of all event details, including the logistics that will determine who gets a seat in the audience.

Most importantly--because this is a Town Hall with questions asked by Iowa voters--they'll be deciding who will ask the questions--and ultimately selecting which questions each of the three candidates will be asked.

Anyone else see a bit of a conflict here?

[Renew Deal]

1. No

Somebody has to be in charge

[BigBearJohn]

3. Yes, you're right. I vote for Bernie. Put him in charge.

[MissDeeds]

45. +1000000 n/t

[lewebley3]

60. Sanders should not be in charge of anything: He never get things done: he talks

only

[BigBearJohn]

2. I do. That's for sure. The Clinton camp must be getting desperate.

If they give us the opportunity to email in questions (or we can write to CNN and ask for that
"privilege".... we could get a bunch of people together to write in our own questions. Boy,
would that be fun.

[thereismore]

4. It's Clinton's last-ditch effort to do something to stop Bernie. It will backfire. nt

[Fawke Em]

20. Putting stiff Hillary with affable Bernie and good-looking Martin

in front of voters only helps the affable and good-looking.

[forest444]

62. I can just hear the "spontaneous" audience questions:

"Secretary Clinton, how will your life experience as a wife, mother, First Lady, and Secretary of State guide you as President?"

"Senator Sanders, why should America trust a socialist?"

[Segami]

5. Conflict is an understatement....

The best thing Bernie supporters can do is spread this info throughout. Make the organizing host aware that there will be many eyeballs watching and weighing how balanced & fair this Town Hall event will be presented to ALL candidates.

[Duval]

40. Great idea, Segami.

[Punkingal]

6. I see business as usual with the Clintons and the establishment...

SOP

[Lordquinton]

64. Got something to back that up?

You show up and attack sanders viciously, and baselessly, nothing that you say has any grounding.

[Punkingal]

75. No one funds me..unlike your candidate I can't be bought.

[hollowdweller]

7. They were afraid of debates so they only had a few.

They sort of pushed them to the back. Hillary did great at them but it didn't help them since they sort of had them at inopportune times.

They realized their mistake and now they have to try to make up for it.

[cascadiance]

79. Though they might lose a lot of Iowa State basketball fans then...

... where Iowa State might be able to beat their second #1 team in a row (Kansas) if North Carolina loses before Monday making Kansas #1 then, to go along with the record the state with this when they beat #1 Oklahoma on Monday, Northern Iowa beating #1 North Carolina earlier, and Iowa beating #1 Michigan State earlier. Game is at the same time of this debate at home where people will go to the game instead of being home near their TV sets.

And I wonder how Ed Schultz will be "intro-ing" this debate when he has his first show on RT the hour before this debate starts.

[left-of-center2012]

8. Fair and balanced

Fair and balanced as DWS?

[angrychair]

9. Questions

For Mrs. Clinton "why are you so awesome and do rainbows seem to follow you?"

Question for Bernie "have you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party"

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. Hehe.

[KittyWampus]

10. It's a freaking Town Hall FOR DEMOCRATS. It's Sanders fault for not being a Democrat

yet choosing to run a DEMOCRATIC primary.

[Fawke Em]

21. Yawn.

That meme is so old, it has mold.

[Fuddnik]

32. Mold?

It's turned into slime, it's so old.

[SammyWinstonJack]

44. It's pathetic really.

[Duval]

41. He was more of a Democrat than some of the DLCers.

[SwampG8r]

50. If only we had a map

[Cal33]

55. Sanders is more of a genuine Democrat than all of the Establishment Democrats put together.

[BlueMTexpat]

63. CDS is rampant on DU.

Everything is a conspiracy.

[cascadiance]

80. Will he also be frowned upon for not having ever been a former Republican like Hillary?...

[cui bono]

81. Are you expecting people to take your posts seriously?

.

[NCTraveler]

11. More likely than not...

If it's a progressive or moderate democrat they will have strong ties to Clinton. Common sense.

[Recursion]

12. It's almost like doing decades of party grunt work brings with it advantages

I can't imagine...

[Attorney in Texas]

13. Two Predictions: 1st- Clinton will sound like a Republican on all issues except 2nd Amendment rights

in a transparent effort to cast Sanders as "out-of-the-mainstream" and "unrealistic" in his goals for America;

2nd- this tactic will backfire on February 1.



It remains true that Clinton is the favorite and Sanders is the underdog. Clinton appears to be doing everything in her power to help Sanders change that dynamic.

If Clinton's campaign was smart, they would stop attacking Sanders and his agenda and simply focus on why they believe their agenda is better for America. If it is true that "Bernie is too liberal" as all of the Clinton surrogates are being programmed to say this cycle, then Clinton should win a straight up debate on the issues and the added to Clinton is that these debates would position Clinton as a relative moderate going into a general election against whichever right-wing nutjob the Republicans nominate. This is Clinton's pathway to victory. It is also Sanders' pathway to victory (the only difference being that Sanders is betting against the Clinton position that he is too liberal for America). Such a debate on the issues is good for the Democratic party in the general election no matter which candidate wins the nominee.

[randome]

14. Are you looking to add a #9 to my list?

1. The MSM is conspiring against Sanders.
2. Planned Parenthood is conspiring against Sanders.
3. The DNC is conspiring against Sanders.
4. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is conspiring against Sanders.
5. The IT company that works for the DNC is conspiring against Sanders.
6. The polling companies are conspiring against Sanders.
7. And, of course, those of us on DU who support the eventual nominee (Clinton or Sanders) are conspiring against Sanders.
8. Human Rights Campaign is conspiring against Sanders.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[Fawke Em]

22. No one cares about your list.

[SwampG8r]

52. + 1

Lost all credibility when they mocked people for having a ged

[randome]

54. Um...what? Are you referring to me?

You may have mistaken me for someone else.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[SwampG8r]

56. Yes its been a couple of years but i still remember

A proud moment

[randome]

59. Sorry, I think you're still mistaken.

I don't even have a college degree myself so I wouldn't mock anyone else for not having one. And getting a GED after some kind of 'life interruption' is to be commended. Just want to set the record straight.

Or is this possibly in reference to Snowden or someone else? If so, I could understand drawing a circle around the things he could never seem to complete but that's not the same as mocking him for 'getting back in the saddle'.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[SwampG8r]

71. Yes during snowden

A broad brush you were using and what you said at the time about ged recipients was ugly enough for me to remember to this day

[Empowerer]

53. Not true

Maybe YOU don't care about it, but I like it a lot an.

[Ichingcarpenter]

72. Ditto

this TPP proponent has always taken the role

His lists ....... yeah I read them......... are from the pretender


One of these things are not like the others.

[Katashi_itto]

66. I could tell you what to do with your list. But I would get a hide.

[randome]

67. It's a fair point I'm making, agree or disagree.

And please don't get a hide on my account. I'll be awake all night.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[Katashi_itto]

69. You poor thing

[nc4bo]

70. AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

On Thu Jan 21, 2016, 01:57 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

I could tell you what to do with your list. But I would get a hide.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1041064

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Grow up, this also deserves a hide. K-itto is a long term troll and a post like this is still rude and disruptive, they have added nothing to the discussion only moved to insult the other poster. Quit the disruption and move on with your life.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Jan 21, 2016, 02:02 PM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Bet this stays 3-4.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Troll disposal is above my pay grade.

Subject of the alert isn't hideworthy, imo.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Small potatoes in the Gungeon.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. HRH and DWS have ignored the pleas for more debates until NOW - because HRH is PLUMMETING

In the polls going into the Iowa Caucuses. All of a sudden HRH's SUPPORTER, Dr. Andy McGuire, is organizing a town hall to help her candidate!

Naaaaah! No conflict of interest,at all!

HRH is DESPERATE. This is when Bernie has to be especially careful. She's out for blood and will get it any way she has to. Ethics be damned.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[restorefreedom]

16. no worries. as all previous poo flnging attempts,

this blatant set up to undermine bernie will only hasten her plummeting support.

we should welcome it.

the veil is off. all desperate and pandering attempts to take bernie down will spread on sm faster than blue ice out of an airplane lavatory (thanks leslie winkle)

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Perhaps if Sanders hadn't taken so long to join the party he would have more allies in it

[roguevalley]

46. heh heh heh. keep talking

[Robbins]

18. This is what will probally happen

1:Bernie goes first
2:Bernie gets tough questions
3:O'Malley goes second
4:Clinton goes last
5:She gets softball questions

this way she can lie about bernie and he won't have chance to respond.

[Punkingal]

19. Guarantee you she will go last....

[olddots]

23. yup she has top billing

because this is just show bizz for Hillary and her shallow status quo fans .

[CoffeeCat]

68. But this is a two-hour event...

so maybe it might not be so advantageous to go last.

I don't even know if enough people will see this.

We just had the Black and Brown town hall in Iowa several days ago, and a highly touted debate five days ago.

People may not be that interested.

I guess we'll see.

Interesting question about which is more advantageous--to go first or last.

[Punkingal]

76. My thinking is the same as yours...but don't tell the Clintons. LOL

[brooklynite]

24. This argument is a great starting point!

If the Iowa Caucus results don't work out, complain that you can't trust the results because they're tallied by the IDP...

[Skwmom]

25. CNN is going into overdrive promoting this. Did you really think it would be anything but rigged?

This is Democratic Establishment after all...

[AgingAmerican]

26. Time Warner, owner of CNN

Is one of her biggest financial backers.

[ViseGrip]

27. everything around the globe is working in concert for hillary! i'll never ever cast a vote for her!

[OilemFirchen]

28. ...

[Jarqui]

29. If it's that stacked against him, I'd just decline if I were Bernie

and let the public know why.

[stillwaiting]

30. Of course it is. May ALL Iowans be properly informed of this fact. nt

[99th_Monkey]

36. Best if an independent source, like a Iowa newspaper editorial board, does that, not Team Sanders

otherwise it would tend to look like Bernie's "whining" or being "paranoid". Just a thought.

[AzDar]

31. K & R

[Indepatriot]

33. Bernie knows this. He will shine on the substance of his answers, and will shut down any nonsense.

Did you see the way he put down Jorge Ramos' one-sided bullshit baiting at the Iowa B&B forum? Ramos' daughter works for HRC, and he jumped all over Sanders repeatedly. Sanders made a fool of him by giving straight-up, truthful answers, rather than accepting the memes Ramos was trying to get him into. No Worries! Bernie will make them look like the desperate partisans they are if they try any crap.

[Tarc]

34. A bit of pre-debate excuse-making

for when Sanders loses yet another debate?

[roguevalley]

48. this wouldn't be happening if hrc were winning

[kaiden]

35. Bernie should boycott the town hall.

[AlbertCat]

37. Anyone else see a bit of a conflict here?

The nepotism is astounding!

From DWS.... to who "runs" the data...

there are other examples. (see post #33)

[Tom Rinaldo]

38. They should work to avoid any appearance of favoritism

I don't fault the leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party for being the leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party. I don't fault the Iowa Democratic Party for hosting this event. But everyone in the nation already strongly suspects the DNC of overt favoritism in this Presidential race, the Iowa Democratic Party knows that. Honestly it isn't that hard to avoid an appearance of favoritism. For one thing make sure both candidate's get to have some supporters present, and for another make sure the questions truly are balanced. There are subtle ways to rig things - like letting one candidate get to see a question in advance - but the sponsors know that there will be people paying attention and if any whiff of scandal comes out it will only hurt Hillary.

[Duval]

39. Conflict? How unusual is it that conflict is associated with Clinton?

Sigh! Keep up the attacks on Bernie, so we can all dig deeper and contribute to him!! That's what I'm going to do.
But, really, this is blatantly biased from the get go and I think it smells to high heaven. Damn!
Thanks for this important alert, CoffeeCat.

[HenryWallace]

43. Andy McGuire seems OK!

She had an editorial today in our local paper attacking Citizens' United!

She also stresses the need for Democratic turnout at the caucuses.

To me, both these issue seem to benefit Bernie.

Link: http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/guest/guest-view-citizens-united-ruling-bolstered-iowa-s-importance/article_e0abada9-ecec-5cb0-a105-7c43b72b4630.html

[BigBearJohn]

47. I've been reading comments on Bernie's "America" video & with all the young people supporting him

en masse, I'm beginning to think Bernie is going to win by a landslide.
Go to YouTube and read the comments. The people are on fire.
I'm talking 20 and 21 year olds. I'm soooooo happy!!!

[Fearless]

49. The more she tries the worse she does.

The less she tries the worse she does... It's almost like she's a pretty crappy candidate or something.

[workinclasszero]

51. A democrat setting up an event for one of the leading democrats in the nation

Uhh, I see no problem here.

Why would any democrat like Bernie for instance, object to this?

Should Trump set it up??

[Vinca]

57. First question to Bernie: Are you sure you're not a Commie???

[cascadiance]

82. He can respond by saying... "Nope, I never took commie money from the Koch brothers!"

[zentrum]

58. Does this mean

…the people who select from the audience will call on only plants, as happened once before at a Clinton event?

I wonder in what way, if any, Bernie's people will have some oversight.

It does kind of feel like a Clinton Trojan horse.

[Ichingcarpenter]

65. The question is

the audience asks the question

BUT WHO SCREENS THE QUESTIONER?

I anticipate a lot of loaded questions if not handled
HONESTLY.

Bernie will kick ass ..... he does well answering questions as we have witnessed on his brunch with Bernie over the many years

Now Hillary? That will be interesting....... she's not so good except with canned answers where she prep on it

[Indepatriot]

73. Watch Hillary, she NEVER actually answers an uncomfortable question. Never.

She'll deflect, change the subject, obfuscate, ANYTHING but give a straight forward, truthful answer if it will make her look bad.

[Ichingcarpenter]

74. Which is how I see it too

I think this a miscalculation by the Hillary group if the forum is handled
HONESTLY.

People are fed up with the status quo and getting shafted by republicans and democrats ....... and they know they have been bullshitted for a while by the power elite that steer both left and right agendas.

I know some might agree with that statement , but the deep state is real

Here's Bernie and who he faces




I mean really?........ its not a joke.

[Faux pas]

77. If you can't

beat 'em, cheat 'em.

[draa]

78. We don't have conflict of interests in our party.

We have the Establishment. And it sucks lemons.