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* If these awful ingrates expended just half this energy walking precincts or raising money then maybe their favored candidate might be more than an after-thought. But, no, they have to pull stunts like this for whatever stupid and dangerous reasons…
Bizarre. Watch these Bernie Bros stalk @BetsyforIL and then surround her car last night, while they shout, "Block her in!" They scream at her to debate a fringe far-left candidate who only has 2 donors from Illinois. pic.twitter.com/CAw9aKu56R
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) February 26, 2020
The date is wrong on the video. It was February 24th.
Their stalky-looking Facebook page is here. Stephanie Smith is their candidate. Click here to see her website. She reported having just $1,036.17 in her campaign account, after raising just $6,794.98.
* More from Maxwell…
Smith’s campaign has not yet responded directly to requests for comment about the incident, but she posted a response to her campaign’s Facebook page.
“It was a non-violent protest,” Smith wrote, “and if Betsy can’t handle a few people demanding a conversation about the life or death issues facing many of is [sic] in this district, she should quit now because she will not be able to handle Davis and Trump.”
She also posted a rambling video to her Facebook page appearing to further condone the actions and tactics of her supporters.
“I can’t tell you how much it meant to me when I watched the video of what happened,” Smith said.
“Apparently, people are expecting me to make a statement,” she said launching into a series of attacks against what she perceived as slights from Londrigan’s campaign.
Sheesh. Go read the rest. Unreal.
* More context…
The guys in the video describe themselves as democratic socialists. They posted this Facebook Live video last night after staking out a public event. This is precisely the kind of aggressive bullying @PeteButtigieg and @EWarren chided @BernieSanders for during the last debate.
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) February 26, 2020
More response from the Londrigan campaign: "A few aggressive individuals are not going to deter her from continuing to have important conversations with the voters of the 13th district." 2/2
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) February 26, 2020
These are the same people who disrupted Londrigan’s town hall meeting with Smith shouting “Medicare for all!” They had to be escorted out.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:02 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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He better get a ticket in the mail.
Comment by ILLannoyed Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:07 am
Progressives. Nuff said.
Comment by ;) Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:11 am
Loudmouths like these are mostly about “LOOK AT ME”. They deserve exactly the opposite.
Comment by Sayitaintso Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:12 am
Is there some context I’m missing as to why this is attributable to Bernie Sanders in some way?
Comment by SWIL Voter Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:13 am
As an avowed leftist this really ticks me off. As someone who knows what month it is, it makes me chuckle (like the passenger).
At least Smith knows she’ll get about 6 votes.
Comment by Lefty Lefty Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:14 am
And when Trump gets re-elected because the Dems either go full progressive or not progressive enough so these purists don’t vote, these same folks will blame the “deplorables.”
Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:18 am
Bernie Bros are lacking in civility.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:18 am
Note to self: Avoid Milwaukee from July 13-16.
Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:18 am
Excuse me while I bang my head on my desk as I come to terms with the fact that Trump is going to win in November…and these Bernie Bros will see it as a win for them because they sent a message to the “establishment” Dems.
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:21 am
No candidate should be harassed or treated with such harassment, ever.
I’m sure all those gleefully pointing out the politics of these folks agree… amirite… Betsy deserves better? Or, is it that glee of the purely political that clouds the respect one should give to another?
It’s Ash Wednesday, see you in church.
This video makes me ill, the political process deserves better than this, they all should be condemned.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:24 am
If you have to resort to tactics like this to get attention for your “message,” perhaps it’s time to look at why no one is paying attention to you.
Also, and I have to say this, if Betsy were a man, would they use this tactic?
Comment by Sweet Mama Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:29 am
Brought to you by the same idiots that produced the Trump presidency. This is disgusting. And that one woman is encouraging her supporters to treat another woman this way is completely abhorrent.
Comment by FIREDup!! Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:32 am
This is absolutely disgusting. Wow.
Comment by So_Ill Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:40 am
===Also, and I have to say this, if Betsy were a man, would they use this tactic?===
No. And this isn’t the first time she’s been harassed by men or a man from another campaign. Remember that drunken paid Davis staffer who crashed her fundraiser in 2018?
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:41 am
-
Because progress is just awful, isn’t it?
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:43 am
This is pretty gross behavior and should be condemned. On the other hand, this news reporter is bending over backwards trying to attribute this to Bernie Sanders as if he doesn’t know this is stoked by a primary challenger.
Comment by PeoriaDem Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:46 am
My fellow NIU alum +1.
Not only are these zealots helping to re-elect Trump, they’re helping maintain the GOP Senate majority and imperiling the Dem House majority. (See yesterday’s post about Underwood.)
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:46 am
Preview of the Democratic Convention in Milwaukee this summer.
Reasonable and Moderate Democrats are too afraid to push back against Democratic Socialism and class warfare.
It will make 1968 convention in Chicago look like a cake walk
Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:47 am
NIU Grad + 1
The Bernie bros remind me of the Tea Party’s view that ‘compromise is capitulation’. I look forward to their full-throated support of the Democratic candidate…whoever that might be.
Comment by Jocko Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:51 am
This is disgusting, and hopefully an arrest or two will put out the fires of these fools. For the time being, I hope Betsy gets some security to accompany her to ward off these guys. A police presence at events might also help.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:51 am
A dozen rude Stephanie bros? I didn’t hear them say anything about Bernie. That’s nonsense.
Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:55 am
===I didn’t hear them say anything about Bernie===
Yeah, they are clearly all Biden supporters. /s
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:56 am
I dislike the extremes of both parties alot, BUT the left fringe should know better but don’t stop. Go betsy.
Comment by truthteller Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 9:56 am
note that virtually everywhere across the country that the Our Revolution folks put up candidates or supported candidates they lost. and, yes, this is all related to Bernie and his movement, including that PAC that funnels money to him. counterproductive.
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:02 am
If you’re going to try and go viral, at least try to sound coherent doing it
Comment by Nick Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:11 am
Screaming, angry leftists. Sounds like a new band name. /s
Comment by Bruce (no not him) Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:12 am
===Reasonable and Moderate Democrats are too afraid to push back against Democratic Socialism and class warfare.===
Clearly you haven’t been watching the debates.
Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:13 am
Bernie Bros’ “gorilla tactics.”
NIU Grad is Correct, the Bernie Bros romanticize themselves as “distrupters,” breaking the political system to somehow make it better.
Comment by Charlie Brown Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:15 am
People like this don’t want change but to break and disrupt. Do they think they will win support? Change cannot happen before its time. We couldn’t legalize marijuana until 2019, and we couldn’t pass SSM until the Quinn era, couldn’t get the graduated income tax on the ballot until 2019, ad infinitum.
The goal is to work peacefully and inclusively toward policy desires, like Pritzker and so many others have done. The goal is also to live in the reality in which we find ourselves. Rauner for example wouldn’t do that and caused massive damage because he couldn’t break unions.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:17 am
Half of this thread is griping about a national campaign that has no connection to this story
Comment by SWIL Voter Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:20 am
A Bernie Bro (from Illinois) shot up a baseball field in D.C. and nearly killed a few people he didn’t like and targeted. This should have been a wake up call to Dems about their far left flank, and to Bernie himself but they chose to ignore it. That was a mistake, I think.
Comment by Responsa Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:30 am
…and a number right wingers have committed mass shootings since. Violence has no place in politics.
Comment by Mittuns Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:39 am
And they think this is how they’ll win? Bernie and his bro’s will hand the presidency to Trump again.. and lose the House. Some victory. Tom Perez - did you leave the country? Somebody wake him please…
Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:45 am
It’s my main problem with the DSA types. They get way more stoked attacking Dems than they do going after the GOP.
Comment by Natty_B Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:54 am
Yuck, these guys are real profiles in courage. A bunch of obnoxious bros, bullying a woman as she walks to her car, alone. As a stauch supporter of Medicare for All, this makes me sick. It’s hard to find a better way to defeat it.
Comment by Froganon Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:56 am
grassbowls gonna grassbowl
Comment by h'okay Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 10:58 am
There is always a bright side. Trump vs. Bernie jump starts what should have happened a long time ago . . . . .a middle left/middle right movement that pushes the extreme elements into oblivion.
Just add moderate cash cow . . . .can’t wait.
Comment by Upon Further Review Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 11:04 am
I thought all these people were supposed to fall in line when pot was legalized.
Comment by Blandish Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 11:24 am
It’s people like these that are going to give us four more years of Trump.
Comment by Shytown Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 11:43 am
I wonder if the persistent amplification and repetition of stories like this represents, at least partially doing the dirty work for the few troublemakers? Is making them out to be worse than republicans really working? Either stop them, or cut off their oxygen. Imo we should cease airing our laundry publicly at least until the republican party is an American institution once again.
Comment by Maryjane Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 11:45 am
-stop airing our laundry publicly-
Better than that - condemn them for their threatening behavior. What I saw in the video is at best intimidation, perhaps assault. That should be covered, and condemned. It’s not my laundry… and I’m a progressive through and through.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 12:00 pm
This is all the more reason not to debate a fringe candidate whose platform revolves around sex-worker rights. Do people like this think they’re actually accomplishing something?
Comment by CubsFan16 Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 12:16 pm
The idiotic thing is rabid ideologues attacking their closest allies. Many Democrats want to expand health insurance, tax the rich more, protect the environment more, legalize marijuana nationally and so on. Where is it going to get them to attack people who they need to win—unless winning isn’t the goal?
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 12:22 pm
Useful idiots for Rodney Davis.
Comment by VerySmallRocks Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 12:34 pm
===unless winning isn’t the goal?===
Losing might be the goal. Ever heard of agent provocateurs?
Comment by All This Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 12:55 pm
== Is there some context I’m missing as to why this is attributable to Bernie Sanders in some way?==
Maxwell doesn’t like Sanders so he is associating Sanders with someone else’s bad behavior.
Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 1:22 pm
Here’s the problem as I see it. You’ve got a bunch of hot headed kids who’ve been taught the first few lessons in Direct Action by labor organizers at a DSA weekend or event.
They are rogue individuals and not tied to any kind of organizational force.
They seek empowerment by doing something.
I get it
and…..
You just shotgunned in the dark because you don’t have the maturity or institutional savvy to
be impactful and force a moral choice. You just cooked up a direct action without going to the second day of the training.
Direct Action must be
Winnable
Impactful
Limited
Targeted
You punks totally tanked on each one of these.
Now I’ve done some rash action in my days.
It was because I was fricking cowboying and charged into something I didn’t understand.
Stop
Just Stop
Bernie Supporters and mature DSA members take the hit when you do stupid crap like this.
Understand
This is a long game
We need Londrigan in over Davis
Then we take on Londrigan when she’s got the record to attack
And WE have a viable candidate to oppose her.
ugh…. kills me.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 1:27 pm
“Maxwell doesn’t like Sanders so he is associating Sanders with someone else’s bad behavior.”
That’s how I read it.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 1:28 pm
To the people trying to hijack this post with whataboutisms or “What’s the Bernie connection” red herrings, just stop. Also, the main person behind that stalky-looking page is an avowed Sanders supporter https://www.facebook.com/sonny.p.garcia.75
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 1:39 pm
Thank you Rich.
Comment by Lincoln Land Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 1:45 pm
Watched the video and responded by going to BDL’s website and donating to her campaign. Don’t live in her district but am proud to support someone running against people that support this lack of civility.
Comment by The Wombat Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 2:07 pm
Since Betsy hasn’t been avoiding her primary opponent, this is definitely unnecessary at the least and counterproductive and dangerous at its worst.
But I think Honeybear got it about right; the people engaging in this behavior are angry that the system isn’t changing as fast as they want. This is a symptom of that; they’re fighting for a candidate who represents exactly what they want, and against a candidate who isn’t giving that to them.
This is the wrong way to fight for the change they want. But for everyone on this thread trashing Bernie and throwing a fit as if his nomination will doom everyone - sorry, not buying it. You can walk and chew gum at the same time, meaning you can support Bernie and condemn the behavior of these activists.
When Bernie becomes the nominee, he will bring to the polls independents, moderates, center-leftists, progressives, far-leftists, and most importantly people who think most politicians don’t actually represent them and won’t fight for them. These people probably fall into that latter category, but so do all kinds of other people.
Just look at voter turnout in this country compared to other democracies. Ours is nothing to brag about, and it’s because many voters know that most politicians bend to the will of their donors, or even other members of their party (who themselves are probably bending to the will of donors). When a politician is able to get these people to vote, maybe you should consider why that is.
Comment by Techie Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 2:11 pm
=== This anti Bernie derangement is doing real damage to credibility ===
Quite a Trumpian comment. Proves the point about Bernie. He’s only a hair better than Trump.
Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 2:30 pm
Ironically, this guy is a realtor. Quite possibly one of the most captialist jobs on Earth.
Comment by Alex Ander Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 2:40 pm
=== Quite a Trumpian comment.===
Didn’t see the comment. But many Sanders supporters voted for Trump. When Trump ran in 2016 he was going to be labors’ best friend, bring back manufacturing, make Mexico pay for the wall and not let United States be the world’s policeman. None of those things came to pass. So it will be interesting to see if the betrayal will have consequences.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Feb 26, 20 @ 5:52 pm
“He’s only a hair better than Trump.”
I take huge offense at this statement.
How can you in any with any truth make that statement
That just enrages me.
Bernie Sanders is not the fricking anti-Christ
Like Trump in my opinion.
What Sanders challenges
Is privilege
Is elitism
Is the wealthy
Like you Norseman
Trump benefits you
and
Sanders challenges it
and you have the audacity to say they are a hairs breadth apart
Not for you pal.
Your privilege is on the line
Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 9:02 am
Honeybear, take a deep breath. With great sadness, I find that you’re proving my point as to the dangers posed by Sanders and the extremism and cultism he embodies. I can’t recall anything we’ve disagreed on before today. Yet, now you portray me as some evil incarnate, a person of privilege participating in the effort to put a jackboot on the throats of the poor. The type of rhetoric and stereotyping that we find among the extreme right.
Like the Trump cultists, the Sanders cultists go after opponents with vicious rage. They don’t tolerate dissent or criticism. It’s my way or the highway. Objective reviews of questionable Sanders policy proposals are rejected.
The blind adherence to Sanders cultism was one of the many factors that gave us Donald Trump. All too many felt that they couldn’t vote for Clinton. I have a deathly fear that this extremism will result in another four years of Trump and the dangers to this country and to our democracy it entails.
The Sanders cult suggests that he will win by delivering a groundswell of new voters and disenchanted voters to win the election. I believe it’s a pipedream because of the demographic and political dynamics of the Electoral College. I hope you remember that Clinton won the popular vote.
I also understand the dangers facing this country are not embodied in Trump alone. My former party has become so corrupted by the desire to obtain and maintain power they will vilify any opponent; accept any lie; perform any corrupt act; and, cover-up any crime. They espouse an alternative reality to blind people to the damage they’re doing. Our problem is that they have been so good in their efforts, they had control of Congress.
The reaction to Trump enabled the Dems to regain the House in 2018, but this hold is tenuous. Unfortunately, the GOP remains in control of the Senate. A Senate so focused on putting ultra right-wing judges into Federal Courts they threw out all norms and traditions. This effort is successfully transforming the judicial system into a bastion of ultra-conservatism idealism for decades to come.
A Sanders or other far left nominee will harm the Dem’s long-shot chance of gaining control of the Senate. The GOP has tons of money to poor into Senate races with the message that a GOP senator will be insurance against a Sanders presidency. The Dem House will also face that attack. Remember our discussion of Underwood just days ago.
Try to think of the big picture and not let your emotion control your actions and alienate your friends.
I do perceive Trump to be the greater evil and would vote for Sanders if it came to that. But I will vote in the Dem primary for the first time in my life to vote for Biden or the best situated centrist to ensure the best candidate to defeat Trump and the GOP.
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 11:27 am
http://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/the-sanders-tax/
Comment by Norseman Thursday, Feb 27, 20 @ 1:47 pm