A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.

18 May 2016

Be wary of jumping to conclusions about Bernie and Nevada

Something ugly happened at the Democratic state convention in Nevada on Saturday. According to various news report, supporters of Bernie Sanders, upset by rules decisions, became angry and sent death threats to the convention’s chairman, a Clinton supporter. Wild and wooly only begins to describe it.

Making death threats is beyond the pale, of course. If those accusations can be proven, the persons making the threats should be prosecuted.

But Sanders’ supporters may have had legitimate grievances. Here’s how long time Nevada political reporter Jon Ralston described the chair’s handing of a voice vote on the convention rules:

Bilbray led the charge soon after the convention began to try to institute rule changes – a scene like many others repeated at countless conventions here and everywhere. But Lange, knowing that there were more Clinton delegates, disregarded the louder Sanders contingent on a voice vote, and cut it off, which began the march toward chaos.

That’s pretty high-handed. And, stupid.

Now the chaos is being exploited by Clinton’s sycophants and arm-twisters to put pressure on Sanders to drop to his knees, kiss Clinton’s feet, and not only announce the end of his campaign, but apologize for having conducted it. But they don’t want him to beg forgiveness. They want him to endorse Clinton, then never be heard from again.

I prefer that the Clinton campaign’s Bernie bashers are never heard from again. The same goes for the subset of Sanders’ supporters in Nevada who behaved badly.