2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumRepublican Super-PACs have spent $5 million attacking Clinton (from the left) boosting Bernie
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/20/bernie-sanders-gets-some-outside-help-he-didnt-ask-for/Senator Bernie Sanders often boasts that he has no super PAC supporting his candidacy and he has vigorously tried to keep any from forming. But he has been getting some unsolicited if mischievous help from Republican groups actively promoting the Vermont senators surging campaign.
America Rising, a Republican political action committee, reacted with glee on social media on Tuesday to a CNN/WMUR poll that showed Mr. Sanders with a large lead over Mrs. Clinton in New Hampshire, sharing the news with BREAKING qualifiers and links to news stories.
Karl Roves American Crossroads recently created an ad parroting Senator Bernie Sanderss critiques of Mrs. Clintons ties to Wall Street, made repeatedly last week in the days before Sundays debate.
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All of it, of course, is intended to get under Mrs. Clintons skin and promote the Democratic candidate they believe would be weaker in a general election. Republican groups and super PACs have spent nearly $5 million targeting Mrs. Clinton so far this cycle. Theyve yet to spend a dollar on advertising attacking Mr. Sanders.
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The effort on the right to attack Mrs. Clinton from the left has actually been underway for a while, with groups like American Crossroads and America Rising targeting digital content criticizing Mrs. Clintons positions on the Keystone oil pipeline, for example.
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[font size="+1"] Leading Bernie and supporters to the slaughter. The GOP: when it comes to scumbag politics there's none better.[/font]
Matariki
(18,775 posts)Clinton supports them. Sanders opposes them. I trust him to work toward putting an end to them.
Response to Matariki (Reply #1)
kcjohn1 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Attorney in Texas
(3,373 posts)promoting her third-way centrist agenda and attacking the platform of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party?
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)The republicans are convinced Hillary will be the nominee. Their attack adds help Sanders only as a side effect. They want to keep him in the race as long as possible, sure. But they want to damage Hillary as much as possible first and foremost. They are planting their attack themes in the minds of voters. They'll come back with them full throttle in the campaign.
Bernies' supporters don't need, don't want, and don't seek republican help.
kcjohn1
(751 posts)She is inevitable and eventually nominee. Just matter of time. I have heard that Sanders lost when he didn't blow her out in Iowa. Others pointed to crushing 5 point loss in NV. People are pointing to Super Tuesday when she will blow him out. I have seen the 538 99% chance of Clinton win in Super Tuesday states.
Given all that, why they are surprised when Republicans target Clinton vs Sanders? If Clinton is going to be the nominee, doesn't it make sense to start attacking her now? Why would they waste their money on Sanders who has 1% chance of winning?
Think through it. GOP/Karl Rove types are thinking exactly like the Dem establishment. For them the primary is just coronation for Clinton.
Gothmog
(145,168 posts)In a Tuesday evening statement, the Clinton campaign's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, mentioned an ad from the Rove-aligned super PAC American Crossroads, which accused Clinton of being in Wall Street's pocket. Palmieri said the ad suggests that Republicans want to face Sanders in the general election.
"While Senator Sanders tries to make a case on electability based on meaningless polls, Republicans and their super PACs have made clear the candidate theyre actually afraid to face. The Sanders argument falls apart when the GOP spokesman is trying to help him and the Republicans run ads trying to stop Hillary Clinton in the primary," she said in the statement.
Karl Rove is running an attack ad against Clinton in the Iowa primary. Rove is doing this for one purpose which is to weaken the strongest candidate
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Sid