After Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) campaign manager repeatedly argued Friday that Sanders could still win the Democratic nomination by flipping pledged superdelegates, MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts suggested that messaging to supporters was “intellectually dishonest.”
When Roberts pressed top aide Jeff Weaver about the campaign’s April fundraising reportedly being down by about 50 percent from strong showings in February and March, Weaver argued that Sanders being on the June 7 ballot in California would help down-ballot Democrats.
The MSNBC anchor interrupted: “But, Jeff—when we look at the math, is it intellectually dishonest to tell these supporters that you can actually win when there are only a little over 1,000 delegates left? Bernie Sanders needs to win almost 100 percent of them. Hillary Clinton only needs to win 10 percent of them before the convention.”
“I mean, there’s one thing to say you want to take it all the way to the end, but telling supporters that you can win is factually incorrect,” Roberts continued.
“No, that’s not true,” Weaver insisted. “Look, nobody is going to get to the convention with the number of pledged delegates they need to win. That’s just mathematically impossible for either candidate.”
He went on to say that superdelegates would decide the nominee, “that’s just a fact.”
Roberts pointed out that recent polls have found Sanders performs better than Clinton in a head-to-head general election matchup with presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, but said Sanders wouldn’t have that opportunity unless he could “flip” superdelegates committed to Clinton.
Weaver said that as primaries wind down and the Democratic National Convention approaches, the campaign would appeal to superdelegates who may have pledged their support to Clinton before getting to know Sanders and urge them to take another look at the Vermont senator.
I’m surprised Jeff Weaver didn’t start screaming “Hillbot! Hillbot! Hillbot!”
Or is that only done online?
“CAN” covers a lot of territory–from unlikely but possible, all the way to asteroids hit the earth and the last surviving American supports Bernie.
“Look, nobody is going to get to the convention with the number of pledged delegates they need to win."
Translation: "Voters? Who cares about the voters? We’re so sure we’re the most honest, moral choice that we’re willing to use DC power brokers to overturn the rank and file vote.
“You know, because we’re the true progressives.”
Speaking of MSNBC I find that it’s really hard to watch Chris Hayes lately ,his show just seems to lurch toward a commercial break,and he seems to be doing his best Chris Matthews lately with talking over some of his guest.It seems as if he’s watching a clock.
Technically, Bernie can still win at the convention. Technically. So, technically, it is not dishonest to say that he can. But what is not reported here is whether Roberts pointed out that not long ago Bernie was saying that superdelegates should coalesce around the candidate who won the most delegates in caucuses and primaries. Changing positions–even hypocrisy–is common among politicians, but Bernie was taking a higher road, wasn’t he? (As Tom Landry used to say, “You gotta dance with who brung ya.”