See, it’s dog-whistle politics like this that make people not like or trust you, Hillary.
And then you’re going to come around later and ask for his supporters to support you?
Remember when she said Obama is not a Muslim “as far as I know”?
At least she’s consistent in her presentation.
Of course he’s not a Democrat. He’s made plain for decades that he disdains the party (though he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate so he can get committee assignments and such). He even acknowledged in a recent interview that he decided to run on the Democratic ticket so he could get “media attention.” And he’s said “we’ll see” when asked if he’d do anything to help other Democrats in fundraising.
I’m a Democrat. I haven’t always been keen about some of my party’s candidates for national, state, and local offices, but I’ve supported them because even a weak Democrat is better than any Republican I’ve seen for decades. And I support my national and state party organizations with contributions and volunteer time because we Democrats MUST work together to save the country from the Republican Party.
You can tell Sanders is a Democrat by his ardent support for his fellow Democrats on the down-ballot.
How is this dog whistle politics? Sanders supporters are proud that he is not a Democrat, and he himself says that his running for so long as an independent is a reason to support him.
You can’t use his never being in a party until this campaign as a selling point, and then claim mentioning it as a negative as a “dog whistle.”
Careful with your sarcasm – many of Sanders’s fans have no sense of humor, and might think you’re insulting their man by associating him with genuine Democrats!
Eh, I´m a Democrat. I support Sanders because whatever the label, he seems to be more of a Democrat than HRC to me.
Hillary Hillary Hillary, no reason for bs like this. You’re going to win, just be patient. Laugh at Bernie and his followers bs comments, explain why their bs, then tell what you’re going to do. Quietly wait and prepare for the upcoming incredible piles of BS the republicans will throw, treat that the same way, enjoy the huge landslide in November and lead us onward and upward for 8 years starting in 2016
Yeah, here’s the actual transcript that “as far as I know” came from:
KROFT: “You don’t believe that Senator Obama’s a Muslim?”
CLINTON: “Of course not. I mean that’s, you know, that, there is no
basis for that. You know, I take him on the basis of what he says, and,
you know, there isn’t any reason to doubt that.”
KROFT: “You said you take Sen. Obama at his word that he’s not a Muslim.”
CLINTON: “Right, right.”
KROFT: “—You don’t believe that he’s a Muslim.”
CLINTON: “No! No! Why would I? There’s nothing to base that on. As far as I know.”
“It’s just scurrilous…?” Kroft inquired.
“Look, I have been the target of so many ridiculous rumors, that I have a great deal of sympathy for anybody who gets, you know, smeared with the kind of rumors that go on all the time,” Clinton said.
At least five times she clearly stated she did not believe Obama was a Muslim, and repeatedly said there’s nothing to base it on. She even sympathizes with him, and compares the attacks on her to his being called a Muslim. This is more selective editing of her statements and stutter phrases everyone uses.
Exactly. Sanders is squarely in the tradition of FDR and JFK. Clinton is in the tradition of Clinton. My life-long Republican dad voted for Bill the first time around because he recognized him as ideologically in the tradition of the then-fading, now-gone Rockefeller wing of liberal Republicans. So is Hillary.
So does being a “Democrat” mean fealty to the Clinton machine, and so not critiquing Bill’s numerous questionable policies (bank deregulation, welfare “reform,” increased incarceration)? Or does it mean a return to the frankly-more-socialist politics of FDR and JFK?
That has no bearing on whether he is a Democrat. I agree that his positions are more of my kind of Democrat than Clinton, but there’s more to being a Democrat than your political positions. Clinton has raised money for other Democrats, campaigned for them, helped them get elected. For years Sanders maintained that he was not a Democrat and used that to belittle the Democratic Party, hurting other campaigns.
But my point is not that Sanders is a bad guy for this. It’s just that slapping Clinton around for talking about it is ridiculous, since he talks about it all the time.
I think the transcript supports Whit´s point, and my memory. Thanks!
This smear of her has long been disproven. Is it still being circulated ubrebuked in Berni’e campaign.
See that the login for discussion pages is still a hit or more miss.
It almost sounds like your problem is with Bill Clinton. He’s not running this year.
If lack of trust is an issue with HRC cheap insinuations that people see right through can only hurt her. It’s amazing she does not understand that at this point in the race.
There’s a better way to put this;
Q. – Is Bernie a Democrat?
A. – We’ll see.
Had Sanders spent the past 30 years as a Democrat with these policies, fighting to bring other into the Democratic Party, pushing for these socialists to run for office and giving them cover and fundraising and strategic planning – then I’d agree with you.
But he didn’t. He sat on the sidelines and did his own thing, as did many who have similar politics to Bernie. That was a choice they made, but it was a choice that allowed the more conservative of the center-left to completely take over the party. He didn’t fight to make the Democrats different, to move them to the left. That’s why the question of whether he’s a Democrat – working to make the Democrats as strong as possible – is a valid one.
So, yes, I agree more with Bernie on policy than I do with Clinton. But people like Bernie and their insistence on staying “above the fray” and pure is partly to blame for where the party is today.
I and most Democrats are still waiting for Bernie supporters to say what Hillary supporters have long said: That they will vote for the Democratic nominee regardless of who it turns out to be. Every time Bernie supporters are asked that the response is: (crickets chirping). Should they fail to vote for the nominee if it is not Bernie and a GOPer wins, thus destroying decades of progress on women’s rights, equal opportunities, health care, civil rights, environmental protection, and the protection of social security, Bernie supporters will absolute own the destruction. Not a question about it at all. And the fact is that there are many Bernie supporters who have already signed pledges not to vote for Hillary if she gets the nomination. Which shows you how many put their personal priorities far above the overall good of the nation. Hint to Bernie supporters: There has never been a perfect president, nor will there ever be. Governing is about compromising. Something the GOP obviously failed to comprehend as well per Cruz’ government shutdown and the numerous GOP dog-whistle tantrums about having a black man in the White House now.