The DNC's refusal to have more debates demonstrates Bernie's lack of influence in my opinion.

[Cali_Democrat]

The DNC is ignoring him. He's second in the polls right now. Someone who's second place in primary polling should have much more influence, but he's being ignored. I'm actually starting to agree with Bernie that there should be more debates.

Why is Bernie being ignored?

In my opinion this goes back to Bernie's lack of influence in Congress and the Democratic Party. It's a microcosm of the problems he would face if he became President. He doesn't have a single person in Congress endorsing him. Even members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus won't touch him with a 10 foot pole. If he actually became President, he very well could be a lame duck on day one.

A recent article in Boston Magazine nails it IMO:

<...>

Sanders, it turns out, has little patience for reporters—or, for that matter, anyone who disagrees with him. Among his faults, this could be the one that most weakens his presidential bid. Former aides have called him strident and never satisfied, to the point of being abusive, especially during his first years in Congress. “Bernie is a very demanding guy,” Fiermonte tells me. “He has very high expectations, and he expects people to meet them. But he’s a good boss. I wouldn’t be with him otherwise.” Or, as more than one Vermont politician told me, “Bernie’s an asshole, but he’s our asshole.”

<...>

Many of his colleagues in Congress would recognize the stubbornness. “I admired him for his willingness to take stands for what he believed,” former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, a man not immune to professing unpopular opinions, tells me. “He went for the ideal, but he was not part of the legislative process. He chose to be an outsider.”

On Capitol Hill, Sanders has a reputation for being a pain in the ass. “Bernie believes that he’s right, and that what he wants is for the greater good,” says Houston consultant Susan Boardman Russ, formerly the longtime chief of staff for the late Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords. “Bernie is so certain that what he represents politically is unquestionably correct, therefore everyone should agree. Not much room for compromise…it was, ‘Play in my sandbox, or get out.’”

After Sanders’s 16 years in the House and almost nine in the Senate, there are not many legislators in his sandbox. Not a single major congressman, senator, or governor has endorsed him for president.


Read more:

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2015/09/29/bernie-sanders/

At the end of the day, I think Bernie has no one to blame but himself.

[elleng]

1. EVERYONE's being ignored

by the so-called frontrunner and her 'team,' the Democratic party powers that be, simple; says nothing about Senator Sanders' influence.

and furthermore, NO ONE wants to be on a debate stage where Martin O'Malley appears and finally is introduced to the nation.

[restorefreedom]

16. glad you got the first response in

cuz you nailed it.

it is about protecting one candidate from the others, and squashing the people's chance to see and hear all the candidates.

completely undemocaric and reeks of cronyism.

exactly what we need to get away from in this country.

oh and forgot to add: unrec. op

[delrem]

2. OOOoooooh. nice ad hominem.

You produced a fine projection.

I just love Harry Jaffe
"Award-winning writer, author and media strategist, Harry Jaffe brings alive stories and characters -- in books, long form narrative, columns, essays – and in 140 characters."

Where do you find them?

[ibegurpard]

3. lol

[msongs]

4. he is a lifelong independent hijacking the democrats' bus. no surprise he is not so

welcome lol

[delrem]

5. A funny thing happened on the way to the coronation....

[AtomicKitten]

10. You're right, but he earned a place on the Dem slate.

He's voted with the Democrats 98% of the time his entire career in the Senate and House. He leads the Democratic opposition to the GOP as reining member of the Budget Commitee. He founded the Progressive Caucus in the House and to this day still participates. I think he's paid his dues

[Bluenorthwest]

20. We have two candidates who were Republicans, one lifelong and family connected GOP the other

has been a Democrat longer but was a Reagan administration official.

It's just odd that out of a batch of 5 people of which 2 have been full tilt Republican officials, the one you kvetch about is the one who founded the largest Democratic Caucus in the US Congress.

[Bonobo]

6. Good god. Even the STRAWS are getting tired of being grasped. nt

[AtomicKitten]

7. Genius I tells ya.

Bernie is the antithesis of the system.

[AgingAmerican]

8. This is pretty clueless

Everybody knows why there are only six debates. They fear the public hearing Bernie Sanders.

[newfie11]

14. Agreed!!!!

People need to compare his record to the others.
We need Bernie but people will as usual vote for the corrupt idiots instead.

[JackInGreen]

9. .....

okokok....no...

No I'm done im....no I'm not



My gods....thank you. I needed that laugh. Tell us another one, PLEASE.

[djean111]

11. Actually, it looks like O'Malley is the one who is being ignored.

Why on earth would Bernie have "leadership" over the DNC?

And what does that bottom of the barrel look like? Wisps of straw, and tabloid gossip, it seems.

[xfundy]

12. Yet more nonsense.

I can't recall reading any post from you that wasn't a bullshit swipe at Bernie. Why not attack the real enemies and let Democrats work out our own issues? Or would you rather keep giving Repigs ammo against us?

[deutsey]

13. .

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. That's the strangest fucking thing I've ever heard.

Reminds me of F1 driver Nico Rossberg saying after finishing second this season in a race: "I couldn't pass Lewis Hamilton for the win because he was driving too slow."

That made everyone in the post-race interview room howl with laughter.

You just keep shooting arrows into the sky so we can keep laughing at you and everything will be OK.

[restorefreedom]

17. guys, there are FOUR debates

we can't let the dnc and dws get away with telling people there are six.
they have only scheduled FOUR. the last two are only referred to, not scheduled.

hillary wasserman schultz is hoping the coronation happens before her weak candidate has to endure the other two.

her wish will become partly true. hillary will be out of it before those last two debstes.

[Bluenorthwest]

18. The person hurt by the debate rationing is O'Malley, Bernie would like more but he does not need

them. O'Malley is the candidate who would most benefit and thus is the primary target of the rules. Of course this also does not serve Webb or Chafee whom the centrists should be treating with respect as they are candidates from the more conservative wing.

Debates have the potential to make the race Sanders vs O'Malley. This is unthinkable to DWS.

[marmar]

19. This is as tone deaf a post as I've seen on DU in a spell.

[LondonReign2]

21. You've demonstrated the value we should accord your opinion

time and time again

[Ino]

22. How many OPs about the same article will you post?

Bernie is being ignored for the same reason the other candidates are being ignored... because they aren't Hillary.

Because they don't have DWS in their back pocket rigging debates for them.

Because they don't have an extensive hit list on everyone in politics, like Hillary does...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/01/13/book-hillary-clinton-kept-a-hit-list/

So who made the list? According to the book, a handful of Democrats were in such poor standing with the Clintons that they earned 7s. Among the most prominent were Sen. Ted Kennedy, whose endorsement of then-Sen. Barack Obama was seen as a crucial moment in the primary campaign, and Sens. John Kerry and Claire McCaskill, whose robust support of Obama proved to be particularly bothersome to Hillary Clinton.

In one colorful passage, the authors recount McCaskill’s fear of bumping into Clinton:

“I really don’t want to be in an elevator alone with her,” McCaskill confided to the friend.

Because they don't plot revenge on anyone who opposes them, like Hillary does...
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/12/confidants-diary-clinton-wanted-to-keep-records-for-revenge/

Shortly before Hillary Clinton’s effort to pass health care reform died in the summer of 1994, the first lady asked a close friend and confidant for advice on “how best to preserve her general memories of the administration and of health care in particular.”

When asked why, according to the friend’s June 20, 1994, diary entry, Clinton said, “Revenge.”

[Autumn]

23. ,