Hillary's Superdelegates should stop whining...

[Human101948]

Well, here’s my assessment. Clinton remains comfortably ahead of Sanders in pledged delegates stemming from primaries and caucuses, and she’s winning the popular vote as well. But Clinton’s early stockpile of superdelegate support helped bestow upon her an early air of inevitability, which in turn bolstered her general election electability acumen and contributed to the sense that her primary opponent was too marginal for prime time. This conveyed to Sanders supporters the clear sense that the system is rigged — which is fair because, as Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and the DNC remind us by their actions and words, it is.

“Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running against grass-roots activists,” Wasserman Schultz aptly put it in February.

No one likes getting an unwelcome phone call during dinner. I get that. But superdelegates find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having the power to put their very heavy thumbs on the primary scale. Parties can, of course, make their own rules. But that doesn’t mean that party members can’t find such rules to be outrageous. After all, a lot of rules are: like in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote but “lost” the election. If superdelegates don’t want to be in this position again, they should embrace the just cause of their own abolition. It’s quite likely that Sanders will lose. But he will come to Philadelphia with a massive haul of delegates and tons of leverage to kick off the long process of transforming the party. Getting rid of superdelegates should be somewhere near the top of his wish list.http://www.salon.com/2016/04/14/hillary_clintons_superdelegates_should_stop_whining_why_sanders_supporters_have_every_right_to_question_to_question_their_super_votes/

[JaneyVee]

1. Stop whining about threats against them?

So youre saying they should be silenced?

[morningfog]

5. They could publicly vow to abstain from casting their undemocratic weighted vote.

[JaneyVee]

6. Why, they are citizens of US and have free speech.

Who else should be silenced? How about these loons just stop threatening them instead. That sounds like the more sane option.

[morningfog]

33. Who said anything about silencing them.

I don't condone threats of violence, but do support lobbying by the people unless and until the superdelegates give up their undemocratic role.

They should not be entitled to the weighted undemocratic vote they have.

[puffy socks]

51. It's the Democratic Party

They make up the rules. If you don't like them, form your own party. The reason Sanders didn't run as an Independent is because he didn't have the backing. The hard work had already been done by the DNC. He used them and now his supporters demand we change the party for them .
I find that incredibly cocky.
Get help from the very people you spent years bashing and then take over their party.

[morningfog]

53. The vast majority of his supporters are registered Democrats.

So drop that line.

As I life long Dem, I have always held disdain for super delegates. They should be done away with.

[HooptieWagon]

52. Free speech for superdelegates, but not for Sanders supporters?

Looks like a plutocracy you're supporting. Not only hypocritical, but highly elitist.

[pnwmom]

35. They should absolutely not give in to threats. n/t

[morningfog]

37. No, but they should absolutely not have the weighted undemocratic power they do.

[Blue_Adept]

2. Yes, people being harassed should stop whining

and just suck it up. They're asking for it, after all, by being superdelegates, which most became by working for the party for decades.

Ungrateful lot they are.

[CentralCoaster]

55. Voters are the ones being harrassed her, not superdelegates who if they had a shred of integrity...

...would be sensitive to their constituents' needs and not be bullies with their privileges.

[Blue_Adept]

57. I hope you didn't fall down from spinning so much

[Setsuna1972]

3. How would you feel

If supporters of a losing candidate were harassing and threatening you 24/7 ??? Are you advocating this illegal behavior just to get some more votes for your guy ?

[ismnotwasm]

4. .

[moriah]

7. Yeah, having negative Yelps on a lawyer just because they are a SD.

Great way to make friends and influence them, but hopefully they will not blame Bernie for the actions of his few overzealous supporters.

[Human101948]

10. There you go...

And you can make it even more fair by saying a few "overzealous" supporters. Those few are acting like assholes just as there are a few Hillary supporters, some even on DU, who are "overzealous."

[moriah]

14. Thanks, I actually will go back and add few.

I have always attempted to speak here with civility and fairness. The fact I've yet to get a hide (and at least not told of any alert) is hopefully proof I'm being successful.

[Human101948]

24. You record is still sterling...

Thanks. We all tend to use overly broad brushes.

[moriah]

39. I promise it wasn't intentional.

Thanks for calling the few ones doing that crap "assholes" for me, though. I have often, as I spent the majority of my career in IT positions/shifts having me the only female present, been the one to say a truth none of the guys wanted to say in front of me given my gender.

I felt "overzealous" to be diplomatic and therefore appropriate as an admitted Hillary supporter. But I agree with your assessment of those very few crossing major lines (like threats).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. This is a lot more than "....getting an unwelcome phone call during dinner."

Threatened, Rep. Jim McDermott armed himself – with a shovel
Charges: Bernie Sanders supporter threatened to cut out Seattle congressman’s tongue

A Seattle man accused of threatening to cut out U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott’s tongue now faces felony charges.
King County prosecutors claim Jasper K. Bell made the threat because he was upset that McDermott, D-Seattle, was supporting Hilary Clinton for president. Currently jailed, Bell, 27, has been charged with intimidating a public servant and telephone harassment.
Bell had been fixated on McDermott for some time before the April 22 incident that saw him charged, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Susan Storey said in court paper. Bell is alleged to have made threatening calls to McDermott before arriving at his Seattle office that day.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/Threatened-Rep-Jim-McDermott-armed-himself-7381914.php

[Thinkingabout]

9. Super delegates whining, if they are complaining about the barrage of harassment

To get them to change their endorsement then their complaints are valid. It is their free choice. Accept the fact they are endorsing the most qualified candidate running.

[Blue_Adept]

16. really, think about the language you're using

"Women, if they are complaining about the barrage of harassment

To get them to change their clothing then their complaints are valid. It is their free choice. "

More blame the victim phrasing.

[Thinkingabout]

17. Don't attempt to rewrite my post, I don't need your help.

[Blue_Adept]

18. Feel free to keep sounding like you're bashing victims then

Cause that's all you're doing, showing zero empathy that supposed liberals and progressives are supposed to have.

[Thinkingabout]

26. Bye

[vdogg]

19. I think you read that wrong.

They're saying the super delegates complaints ARE valid. Not blaming the victim, supporting the victim.

[Blue_Adept]

22. Perhaps

It's hard to tell since it's mixed in with so many other victim-blaming posts by others in this thread that it reads the same way.

[Fresh_Start]

11. Its not a FEW bernie supporters

Did you see the story where Warren got 9000 threats?

[Human101948]

25. You are claiming that 9000 Bernie supporters threatened Warren?

I find that hard to believe.

[Fresh_Start]

31. They also threatened to primary her

http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/262021/lefties-send-9000-threats-elizabeth-warren-over-daniel-greenfield

[Lizzie Poppet]

48. Well, I'm certainly doing my best to primary Kate Brown here in Oregon for her endorsement.

No apologies for that, either...

It'll be tough...but Julian Bell is the better candidate for a progressive, anyway.

[pnwmom]

38. I find it easy to believe. They would feel especially betrayed by her. nt

[Fresh_Start]

50. In the anonymity of the internet

you can really see people's character

[FSogol]

12. So, anyone that is being harrassed should just STFU?

[CrowCityDem]

15. Fair is fair; Bernie fans should stop whining that he lost.

[Human101948]

23. It seems you are doing all the whining...

– this most famous Santayana’s quote on fanaticism... The fanatics multiply their emotions in the realization of something that does not serve a worthy cause in the long run. They give up the realization of a given ideal in a positive way, which is building, attracting, and developing; instead, they attack and destroy in a brutal way the objects and humans that symbolize or represent the rivalling ideology, religion, and lifestyle.

http://www.chrisskowronski.com/santayana-on-fanaticism/

[sufrommich]

20. We've had super delegates since the 1980s, how many

times have superdelegates been threatened with a hit list? Stalked,demonized and called obscene names by the super fans of a losing candidate?
http://fortune.com/2016/04/28/clinton-sanders-superdelegates-harassed/



How about threatening to cut a superdelegates tongue out?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1107119664


Your candidate knew going in that he was joining a process that includes superdelegates,in fact his campaign manager is one of the architects of the superdelegates system:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511374709


When your candidate realized he wasn't going to win the nomination by popular vote,he very cynically started trying to flip superdelegates to his side:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/03/28/sanderss-plan-to-win-nomination-by-flipping-super-delegates-is-a-long-shot/




Now that that doesn't seem to be happening,he's ramping up rhetoric that demonized them to the extent that some of his supporters are reacting violently while he looks the other way.



This attempt to paint real,nasty harassment as deserved is sickening. The fact that the Sanders campaign is now trying to paint this as "they asked for it" is sickening and pathetically desperate.

[Human101948]

27. Well, I guess that settles it...Bernie is a crass, murderous politician...

and Hillary should be beatified.

[sufrommich]

28. Deflection noted. nt

[Human101948]

29. You made the case that Bernie was totally responsible

I just agreed.

[Tarc]

21. Superdelegates are complaining about harassment, not simple phone calls

[all american girl]

30. So threatening physical violence is OK?

[aikoaiko]

32. Yep, the endorse early, endorse often, or be punished message was sent out.

[book_worm]

34. Yes, how dare they complain about death threats and intimidation! You do understand

that these Bernie supporters who are doing these things are not doing him any favors, don't you? They are acting just as bad as tea partiers.

[Gwhittey]

43. It is fine to complain about threats.

But to say it is Bernie Supporters is insane. It is the internet. Example someone claims they are 18 year old sends you this pic



and in RL it is this

[RandySF]

36. And Daniel DEvir is an asshat.

He is now blaming the targets of threats.

[IamMab]

40. Salon has yet to meet the white male anti-Clinton author that they WON'T publish.

Daniel Denvir is just another member of the BernieBro Caucus over at Salon.

[Gwhittey]

42. Post like this

And how some use race/sexist card on a group of Sanders supporters is why GOP say liberals pull card all time. You use it for stupid reasons just to use it. Then when actual crap happens it is ignored because you all cried wolf so much. Trying to say Sanders is racist/sexist is insane. and just cheap ploy to win a primary. It already is happening. Trump is making a run at Hillary claiming only reason she has votes was because she is a women. And media are basically ignoring it because Clinton and her surrogates have been crying sexism since start of the primary.

[IamMab]

44. Nice strawman argument, but I never said what you're saying that I did.

Please, quote where I said that Sanders was "racist/sexist." I'll wait.

Oh, right, you can't, because my post didn't mention Sanders, at all. At. All.

Learn how to argue properly, because as you are now, you're doing it wrong.

[Gwhittey]

45. white male anti-Clinton.

[IamMab]

46. That was in reference to the authors, not the candidate. Want to try again after that failure? nt

[Gwhittey]

47. Want to try again after that failure?

No

[Orsino]

41. They aren't new to politics...

...but some may be surprised by the strength of ant-woodchuck sentiment in the air.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

49. Yeah, they should totes give those bullies their lunch money.

Fucking assholes. Anyone threatening/harassing a SD is a childish bully. Reminds me of those gamergate assholes.

[leftofcool]

54. Oh please. Death threats are not funny!

[Gothmog]

56. The bernie bros will alienate far more super delegates than they convert