Bernie never stood a chance: The game was always rigged for a Hillary win

[UglyGreed]

It's standard practice Democratic challengers are denied access to the party's voter list. Guess who that benefits

Did you know that if a given political party already has an incumbent in a particular political post, it’s standard practice in the United States for a political party to prohibit its voter-list to be purchased by anyone who’s not an incumbent office-holder in that party — including by someone who wishes to challenge or contest within that party the incumbent, in a primary election?

Only incumbents have access to that crucial list — crucial for any candidate in a primary election (unless there is no incumbent who is of that party).

Here’s an example:

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a long-time unquestioningly loyal operative of Hillary Clinton, was selected by the Democratic President Barack Obama (though she had condemned Obama while he was running against Clinton in 2008) to run the Democratic National Committee, so that Obama’s Administration will be continued with little change by his (chosen) successor (just a change of the President’s name, and only a bit more of a neo-conservative on her foreign policies than he was). However, Ms. DWS has a very low approval-rating from her constituents, and a Bernie Sanders supporter wants to contest against her in a Democratic primary. But, he says:

Last week, I called the Florida Democratic Party to request access to the voter file database and software known as VAN that is routinely used by Democratic candidates across the country.

I was told that our campaign would be denied access to this database because I am running against an incumbent Democrat, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I was also told that any Democratic candidate running against an incumbent Democrat would be denied access.

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/20/bernie_never_stood_a_chance_the_game_was_always_rigged_for_hillary_clinton_partner/

[Larkspur]

1. That is not completely true

Democratic challengers can get access to NGP Van. They have to pay for it; whereas, the winner of the Democratic convention endorsement gets access and it is subsidized by the party. At least that is how it works in CT where I live.

There is also another vote builder vendor called Nationbuilder. It is NGP VAN's competitor and reviews have rated it superior to NGP VAN, but campaigns still have to pay for access to their voter data base.

[pinebox]

3. No they can't

https://www.reddit.com/r/Kossacks_for_Sanders/comments/4adw95/tim_conova_challenger_to_dws_denied_access_to/?ref=readnext_8

[frazzled]

2. Sanders has had full access to the voter list.

Except for the 24 hours after his campaign staff made off with private campaign data. Why would you lie about something so completely checkable?

There has been nothing "rigged" in this primary. Sanders (who was not even a Democrat) has been given full access to voter data lists, given a place on the podium at every Democratic debate, put on every primary ticket. That the people have not responded as fully as you like everywhere is simply a function of democracy.

Stop the whining and the conspiracy theories. They're unbecoming.

[bahrbearian]

4. It would have been nice to have an Investigation into It. Right Hillary! I'll look into it.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. "Stop the whining and the conspiracy theories. They're unbecoming."

Are you talking to yourself?

[djean111]

11. Sanders is not running against an incumbent. Except, of course, in the eyes of Hillary's supporters

who believe she already has the job and Bernie is out of line by running against her.

You know what is unbecoming? not knowing the facts before one posts a little diatribe.

Oh, and Bernie was invited to run as a Democrat, and has registered as a Democrat. The DNC is hoping to siphon off Bernie's supporters. Not gonna happen, but that is, I believe, the plan. The DNC did not ask him to run as a Democrat as a favore to him, it was to protect Hillary and the DNC from a third party run.

[frazzled]

13. Who ever said he was running against an incumbent??

Logic does not abound here.

All I said was that he has had access to the voter data lists, contrary to the OP's assertion. Nothing's been unfair.

[djean111]

14. You used Bernie's access to that data in order to negate the fact that the person running

against Debbie Wasserman-DINO has been denied access. Bernie has access because he is not running against an incumbent.

The bulk of the OP is really about Tim Canova being denied access to the data because he is challenging Little Debbie.

[frazzled]

15. The OP claims this has been rigged for Clinton

Whatever the rules are for House challengers has nothing to do with that.

Look, anyone can announce they are running for the House. I can see why the party does not give out free the voter data to the thousand or more people who mount Democratic campaigns in every district across the nation. It's proprietary data that has been gathered with much effort and resources. The rules are no different for Canova than for any other House seeker in the nation. And DWS didn't suddenly make these rules.

[oldandhappy]

5. It has been pretty obvious the game is rigged.

DNC and media. Disgusted with all of 'em. The flip side is that we have grow with Sanders telling truth and many have become energized. We must keep this energy and truth flowing. All of us! We can elect down ticket people and keep pressure on officials at all levels. Our local Dem club has had repub mayors respond to our requests to come and speak on local topics. I believe we can continue to influence and engage. We can! We can! I have to have hope.

[seabeyond]

6. Rigged. I get it, rigged in that more Democrats vote for Clinton.

[CalvinballPro]

9. Mission accomplished. Echo and Bravo teams are cleared for exfil. Rendevous at tree-fort Alpha.

The password is "Coronation."

[seabeyond]

10. Coronation would be demanding Sanders win when he doesn't have the votes or delegates.

[AgadorSparticus]

8. Stop it. This post is incredibly condescending and dismissive of the actual people voting for HRC

I know plenty of people that are voting for Hillary. To say they don't exist because of some conspiracy theory does nothing for the Bernie Sanders movement. As a Bernie supporter, I am embarrassed and ashamed of this kind of crap. Bernie deserves better than this. The the revolution HAS begun and it will be carried out by MANY folks in office. Not just Bernie.

[Vinca]

12. She's been the presumed candidate for 2016 since 2008.

There's a reason some very good people on our side decided to sit this one out. I wish they hadn't.

[MohRokTah]

16. Yeah, Democrats should have been banned from voting in Democratic Primaries!

That way Sanders coulda won.

They RIGGED IT I TELLS YA!!!!!!!

[DanTex]

17. Umm, Hillary is not an incumbent, and Bernie did get access to VAN.

[Tarc]

18. Oh, and you guys were making such progress, too

Slipping back to Stage 3...