More and MORE?
It’s looking that way…..
Bernie Sanders is adopting more of Donald Trump ‘cult like‘ technique to gain political power as an outsider seeking the Presidency…
Democrats have been uneasy with Donald Trump throwing away the ‘norms’…
Now they are have someone working them from inside on the same track?….
The piece below is about Sanders & Co. NOT wanting to go public on the medical records of a 78 year man running for President that just had a heart attack….
Where are those medical records you promised to show us, NBC News’ Chuck Todd asked last weekend on “Meet the Press.“ Sen. Bernie Sanders sounded polite enough, as he exhaled a puffy cloud of obfuscation.
It was not hard to translate Sanders’ word cloud: Go to hell, Chuck.
A lot of that going around these days. Go to hell is what President Donald Trump said in response to his own reneged pledge to release his tax records, to inquiries about the details of his own health records, to criticism to this week’s decision by the leadership of his Justice Department to intervene in sentencing recommendations by line prosecutors in the case of Trump friend Roger Stone.
The narrow question is whether the public needs to see full health records of a 78-year-old man who recently suffered a heart attack and now hopes to be commander in chief or whether his physicians’ letters of reassurance (not accompanied by a news conference or interviews) that he is in satisfactory health are sufficient.
A much larger question is raised by Sanders’ willingness to tell Todd—and the rest of us—to pound sand, seemingly confident in his belief that there is not much price to be paid for doing so.
Sanders’ reversal on health records—in the fall he pledged he would “certainly” release “comprehensive” health information before votes were cast—is notable in at least three respects.
One, it shows how pervasive the Trump precedent is. Even politicians who stand against him on every issue, and who speak solemnly about the need to restore norms shattered during this presidency, are ready to follow trails he has blazed in taking flight from public accountability.
Two, the Sanders’ evasion highlights the dilution of mainstream media’s institutional power. There has been no aspirant or occupant of the White House during the modern presidency who has not wished to say “Go to hell” to uncomfortable inquiries about health, finances, or aspects of personal lives that affect public duties. Trump and Sanders are hardly the first to do so. But the reason most politicians have historically resisted the impulse is that it came with a high cost: It was unpleasant and politically expensive to be in the crosshairs of the New York Times, the Washington Post, or a major broadcast network like NBC.
Three, the episode highlights how little public comprehension there is of the historic shift in political culture away from transparency, accountability and the traditional levers used to enforce both. In an earlier generation, editors at major news institutions possessed enormous power—through their story selection and story framing—to summon sustained national attention on subjects they deemed important….
Of course Sanders isn’t remotely like Trump. It is a stupid statement delivered by someone consumed with hatred towards Sanders.
And if James really wants the Democrats to win – even if Sanders is NOT the nominee – then these attacks are making it less likely to happen. Ultimately the Democrats have to unite. A lot of Sanders voters already feel that the Democratic party doesn’t adequately address their concerns – and you don’t know many Sanders supporters if you don’t believe that. James’s comments only further encourage those who currently support Sanders to feel that way – and in truth that partially includes me.
This story was specifically about Sanders refusing to release his medical records, after saying he would do so, and then dismissing questions about it in a Trumpian fashion.
All candidates dismiss questions at least some degree.
Trump dismissing questions is the least of my concerns about him.
I STAND by My view on Sanders politics which I have, and I am beginning to hear from more and more Democrats I talk to, who are increasingly worried about Bernie Sanders as others I have highlighted here in posts…
Well the Democrats you talk to are not typical when compared to the Democrats in the rest of the country. Sanders continues to poll among the highest among Democrats. Sanders doesn’t poll as well as some among Republicans and independents. In the aggregate he polls near the top in one-on-one against Trump.
And I didn’t say Sanders was ideologically the SAME as Trump…
I point to his technique of running his campaign…
I have no idea what you are talking about.
Certainly, Sanders campaign is not funded by big campaign contributions the way that two major Democratic campaigns are funded. Although I don’t totally blame Biden because he would hardly get any contributions if he wasn’t getting big contributions from the wealthy.
If your argument that Sanders stays on message during the campaign – like Trump to a large degree – then I agree with that.
Both Trump and Sanders ARE ‘my way or the highway’…..
Both ARE ideologies….
Trump isn’t an ideologue at all. He will go along with whatever the last person who talks to him says.
The one issue where Trump has been somewhat consistent and seems to actually care about is opposition to free trade, in which his views are very similar to Sanders, which is why they share a base to an extent.
On the whole though, and in contrast to Trump, Sanders has actual beliefs (very bad ones), and has been consistent for decades.