Bernie's digital media director urges Bernie supporters to be respectful

[Cali_Democrat]

Hector Sigala is Bernie's digital media director.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SandersForPresident/comments/42px93/mike_casca_on_twitter_if_you_support/czc7yf5

We love our supporters and we know we wouldn't be here without you all, but it does add a layer of complexity when we have to track what you all do during some moments when we are shaping our messaging. When in doubt, ping me or Aidan or just follow our rapid response director @cascamike for messaging guidance or me at @hgsigala for social media actions. Above all: just know you represent our movement and be respectful with those who disagree with you.

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Did you guys see some of the comments left on Jeanne Shaheen's facebook page?

http://mashable.com/2016/01/29/bernie-sanders-berniebros/?utm_campaign=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds#dHf_g0MHlmqO

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[NurseJackie]

1. Good of him to try. But I think the damage has been done.

[highprincipleswork]

2. This is a good suggestion.

Wonder if a heavy dose of mutual respect would be great to see in both directions?

[Cali_Democrat]

4. Well....

Gabby Giffords, Planned Parenthood, Sybrina Fulton and many others all got the treatment after endorsing Hillary.

Has anything like that happened the other way around?

Perhaps that's why Bernie staffers are telling their supporters to tone it down?

[Bobbie Jo]

6. John Lewis

That was especially disturbing.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. That was sad.

I couldn't believe how he was treated.

[riversedge]

19. Too little too late.

[Hortensis]

27. I disagree. GOP sociopathic types and creeping neofascistism

threaten. What we do is pathetically...nothing, but the least we can do is unify even slightly if at all possible.

It may make no difference, but I'll chat amiably with any Bernie supporter who is interested in engaging in an exchange of ideas that does not involve insulting Hillary or Democrats.

And in spite of negative comments, I know a lot of others will too.

[MADem]

7. Well, the respect thus far has been one way--and the people keeping a civil tongue in their heads

DO notice who the people are saying the shitty things.

Talk about "Berning" bridges.

[riversedge]

21. Love your play on the word.

[Sheepshank]

13. I have yet to read a media article about Hillary supporters

going extreme negative, name calling, disrespectful, hatefully swarming any person that endorsed Bernie. I've seen at least 6 articles re-posted here on DU

[Bobbie Jo]

3. Spot on identical

to the crap that gets posted here on a daily basis. I don't see it changing anytime soon, it's taken on a life of its own at this point.

Too little, too late...

[MADem]

5. That horse has left the barn--and on his way out of the barn, he bit the farmer, stomped on his

chickens, shit on the farmer's wife, and kicked the farmer's child in the face.

They've been over the tipping point for weeks now. That business with the unions, putting on the buttons and trying to infiltrate private union spaces, was just Over The Top.

It's not just "the Bernie supporters." The campaign is endorsing this behavior--and it's evidenced by what they've been caught doing.

Jeanne Shaheen is a wonderful person, and much loved in NH. That was probably the stupidest thing that anyone could do, to dis her like that.

[onehandle]

8. Lotsa luck with that. nt

[DanTex]

9. Its good that the campaign is waking up to this. But will the followers?

It's still shocking that they insist it's a pot/kettle thing. Is there even one example of a public figure endorsing Bernie, and then getting their facebook or twitter feeds littered with smears? Did that happen to Robert Reich? Did the Nurses Union facebook page get a whole bunch of "Bernie is a lying POS" posts on it?

Not that I know of.

[Alfresco]

24. They have been aware of this for months. Only now after media scrutiny have they responded.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. These revelations are beginning to become cumulative.

[Number23]

37. Beginning??!

"Revelations" are new. These unhinged and idiotic attacks have been documented for over seven months now.

"The most obnoxious people are the Bernie supporters on social media," the chief of staff told Mashable.

How ANYONE thinks that behaving like this and getting this type of reputation up and down the Internet will do anything positive for their candidate is the question of the day.

[Sheepshank]

12. The bitter swarming is like a nicotine habit, way too difficult to break at this late stage

.....and the reality is that it's actually too late. The messages are out there loud and clear and only days before the voting. The damage has been done.

[pinebox]

14. Didn't you post this a couple days ago?

I could swear you did.

Sorry but I don't think is going to happen because people are royally pissed off in this country and they see Hillary as part of the problem. That's the truth. YouTube doesn't lie. Period. As I already posted in another thread....this is a different age now and the internet will decide this election.

[Cali_Democrat]

15. Nope. I've never posted anything from Hector Sigala before.

Also, what do you mean when you say "that's not going to happen?"

[joshcryer]

16. Given past OPs by that one...

[pinebox]

18. Yes I know

You dislike my past OPs but hey, I don't apologize Keep it real.

[joshcryer]

20. Hey, you stay classy.

[pinebox]

17. The article though

is essentially the same message as I recall, unless that wasn't you? I know I saw it on here, maybe it wasn't you?

I mean I don't see Bernie supporters calming down at all. It simply isn't going to happen.

[joshcryer]

23. Yes, the assholes will probably ramp it up.

To much embarrassment for us actual supporters.

[Nanjeanne]

22. I'll steal this tweet

from David Sirota:

Favorite meme of 2016: because alleged Sanders supporter @RandomNobody54 on Twitter is an a-hole, it means Sanders shouldn't be president.

[Starry Messenger]

25. That train has left the station.

[Skwmom]

26. Won't work w/the FAKE Bernie supporters who are part of the dirty and disgusting politics as usual

crowd. Can the supporters of ALL candidates get worked up and do things they shouldn't? Sure. But a lot of it is just dirty tricks.

[Hortensis]

29. We can, and always should, shun them.

[floriduck]

28. Let's pretend that you haven't spread your share of vitriol.

I know I have and I'm not always proud of it. But where Hillary uses subversives like David Brock to spread shit on Bernie, we Sanders supporters have to take care of Bernie and us. That doesn't make any of it right. But it seems to be how the rules have changed over time.

I would never attack personalities or Hillary supporters on any site other than what DU has provided us. But I definitely go after those who owe us impartiality and choose not to do so. People like Chris Matthews will never get anything close to civil from me again.

[Hortensis]

33. That's not quite what I was thinking of when

I was hoping for messages that did not insult me, Hillary or the Democratic Party, Floriduck. But that you posted is a nice sign.

Please note that you do not need to "take care of Bernie" when speaking with me, for instance. I am a Bernie admirer -- in some respects. Liberals, though, expect to be able to discuss both positives and negatives about their candidates. And, as he is on the Democratic ticket running against the GOP, Bernie IS one of my candidates.

The way it works is, I can state what I like and dislike about all our candidates -- without insulting anyone, and you can reciprocate in kind or choose to explain why you think my reservations are not as serious as I am imagining, and vice versa. Then we add waving hands to say goodbye.

And on Monday or Tuesday we have cordial discussion about whatever happens in Iowa. Because, ultimately, we are really on the same team.

[floriduck]

34. I did not mean to direct my reply to you, Hortensis.

I do apologize for my error. And yes, we are on one team.

[Hortensis]

36. Go, Bernie, Hillary and Martin!

[floriduck]

35. It was meant for cali_dem. nm

[winter is coming]

30. Someone's being an asshole on Reddit? Stop the presses!!! n/t

[Matt_in_STL]

31. I am a chronic lurker and rarely post

I have lurked here since 2007 or so and signed up shortly before the election in 2008. I tend to read way more than I post as I don't typically have anything substantial to say, with the exception of a smartass comment now and then. I come here to get educated opinions from other progressives and to keep up with the news of the day that I might otherwise miss by not having time to surf all the sites out there.

I can say that, as I have watched this primary season go on (and having seen the one in 2008), there have been things said by both sides that were not truly appropriate but, I can say without hesitation, that I have been extremely disappointed in the actions of many (not all) Hillary supporters throughout this early season, mostly for a few reasons.

First, I watched the 2008 primary season as purely a lurker and soaked it all in. I watched the entire PUMA fiasco and some of the most brutal things slung back and forth and had assumed lessons had been learned from that mess. However, in this primary season, shades of the same have come from Hillary supporters once again, especially with the creation of a website to just talk trash about DU members. The whole thing comes across as childish and disrespectful to others who mostly share the same views and as someone who enjoys coming here to read and enjoy what many of you typically write it really is disheartening to see it.

Second, I initially supported Hillary as the process began because it was most likely she would destroy the field of Republicans and anything is better than a Republican. Once I heard more from Bernie and realized that he had the progressive vision I have seen expressed on this site for so many years, often by those who now bash him, I have thrown my support to him. What disturbs me is that so many people, in the notion of political fodder for their candidate, are so willing to bash progressive ideas and values that this site has championed for years, especially when using the excuse that it will never happen or that it is just too hard. One of the many reasons I love lurking here is that this site pushes for those progressive values and those progressive ideas, regardless of where the current political wind blows. This has been a site of people fighting for what is right and necessary for everyone, difficult or not. To see the defeatism from one side before we even try, again, is disheartening.

Lastly, why are there so many smear campaigns that are reflective of Republican tactics and why does anyone think that is okay? This site is much better than others because almost every person on here tends to be better than that. The red baiting or the "FBI might do this", or Logo-gate, it is all petty and ridiculous and it becomes even more evident when you are just a lurker and taking it all in.

Yes, I am a low count poster and take it all for what it's worth to you, but that's how it looks from a somewhat outside view.

[KingFlorez]

32. I have to imagine it's becoming an issue

Typically, you don't get campaign staff telling supporters to be respectful unless the supporters are causing issues for the campaign. Candidates can get blamed for overly aggressive supporters, which is something campaigns like to avoid.