Sowing discord and confusion

Bernie Sanders

I think I’m not quite sure what the fuss is about. I had understood from the report I read that the Russians aimed to sow discord by boosting Bernie Sanders’ campaign[1] and frankly hadn’t bothered with reports that the Russians were at again also on behalf of Donald Trump.

Apparently, the correct interpretation, at least for now, is indeed that this mischief is aimed at sowing discord. But other folks understood that this meant the Russians want either Sanders or Trump to win and apparently these are not conclusions that U.S. intelligence has reached.[2] Maybe I missed something.

Jeremy Diamond, Jake Tapper and Zachary Cohen, “US intelligence briefer appears to have overstated assessment of 2020 Russian interference,” CNN, February 23, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/23/politics/intelligence-briefer-russian-interference-trump-sanders/index.html


Richard Nixon’s posthumous impostor

Holy shit:

This is just about the last place I’d expect an endorsement of a John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory. The posthumous Ron Ziegler replies,

But in the comments, it is clear that Nixon’s impostor meant that exactly as it sounds.

I have long suspected that we’ll never know for sure what happened on that day.


  1. [1]Shane Harris et al., “Bernie Sanders briefed by U.S. officials that Russia is trying to help his presidential campaign,” Washington Post, February 21, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/bernie-sanders-briefed-by-us-officials-that-russia-is-trying-to-help-his-presidential-campaign/2020/02/21/5ad396a6-54bd-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html
  2. [2]Jeremy Diamond, Jake Tapper and Zachary Cohen, “US intelligence briefer appears to have overstated assessment of 2020 Russian interference,” CNN, February 23, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/23/politics/intelligence-briefer-russian-interference-trump-sanders/index.html

How’s that so-called ‘moderation’ working out for you?

Nevada

I’m feeling some vindication about now.[1] It looks like Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucuses[2] with diverse support.[3]

For [Joe] Biden and other moderates who argue [Bernie] Sanders is too liberal to beat Trump and who have been trying to blunt his momentum, however, the Nevada results made the job much harder. . . .

The entrance poll showed Sanders led in Nevada across all age groups except for those older than 65. Around 54% of Latino voters said they backed him, while 24% of college-educated white women and 34% of those who have a union member in their families supported him.

He also won with college graduates, and was the top pick of voters who consider themselves independents. He also was favored over Biden among voters whose top priority is defeating Trump in the November election.[4]

The “over 65” age group is on Medicare already and, especially in Nevada, will consist largely of retired and rural folks. On the Republican side, not in play here, it would include ranchers on Bureau of Land Management land, forever pushing to put ever more cattle on an already-stressed ecosystem.[5] For more on this, see another old blog post entitled, “History and the Bundy uprisings.”[6]

Sharon Bernstein and John Whitesides, “Broad-based support powers Sanders to big win in Nevada Democratic vote,” Reuters, February 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN20H078


  1. [1]David Benfell, “All of us,” Not Housebroken, January 26, 2020, https://disunitedstates.org/2020/01/26/all-of-us/
  2. [2]Russell Berman, “Bernie Sanders’s Biggest Win Yet,” Atlantic, February 22, 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/02/bernie-wins-nevada/606937/; Sharon Bernstein and John Whitesides, “Broad-based support powers Sanders to big win in Nevada Democratic vote,” Reuters, February 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN20H078; Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html; John McCormick, “Sen. Bernie Sanders Wins the Nevada Democratic Caucuses, AP Says,” Wall Street Journal, February 22, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/bernie-sanders-looks-to-build-momentum-in-nevada-caucuses-11582380000; Nidhi Prakash, “Members Of Nevada’s Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders,” Buzzfeed, February 22, 2020, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/bernie-sanders-nevada-caucus-culinary-union
  3. [3]Sharon Bernstein and John Whitesides, “Broad-based support powers Sanders to big win in Nevada Democratic vote,” Reuters, February 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN20H078
  4. [4]Sharon Bernstein and John Whitesides, “Broad-based support powers Sanders to big win in Nevada Democratic vote,” Reuters, February 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN20H078
  5. [5]I worked as a contractor on software to predict carrying capacity of land consisting largely of sagebrush at the Nevada State Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Reno, Nevada, from August 1980 through most of 1981. The argument over how many cattle can be put on that land will be perennial for as long as the BLM allows ranchers on it or until conservatives (remember the “Sagebrush Rebellion?”) prevail in forcing the federal government to give up control of that land.
  6. [6]David Benfell, “History and the Bundy uprisings,” Not Housebroken, January 6, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/2016/01/06/history-and-the-bundy-uprisings/

What catches my eye about the Nevada caucuses results

Nevada

There are a couple points I’d like to highlight from Chris Cillizza’s analysis of “winners” and “losers” from the Nevada caucuses:

  1. First, among the winners,

    * Electability: Two thirds of Nevada caucus-goers said they would prefer a candidate who can beat President Donald Trump rather than someone who agrees with them on issues. That’s very similar to the number who opted for electability in Iowa and New Hampshire, and serves as yet another reminder of just how important beating the incumbent is for a broad swath of Democratic voters. Here’s the really interesting thing, though: Among those who said electability was most important, Sanders – yes, Sanders – was the leading candidate. [emphasis in original] [1]

    For me, this is a real surprise. And it’s absolutely crucial to overcoming the self-fulfilling prophesy in which Bernie Sanders loses because people think he can’t win. The question, of course, is whether Sanders can in fact win, and Cillizza counts Donald Trump as a winner in part because Trump supposedly thinks Sanders will be easiest to defeat.[2]

  2. Second, among the losers,

    * Culinary Union: The most powerful union in the state decided not to endorse a candidate. But a flier it sent to its members attacking Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan, which would eliminate private health insurance entirely, became a major issue in the race as supporters of the Vermont senator attacked the union leadership. Sanders’ smashing victory – and the overwhelming support for the elimination of private health insurance among Nevada voters – amount to a major rebuke for the Culinary Union.[3]

    It would indeed seem that the Culinary Union, which not only warned against Sanders’ plan for Medicare For All, but rebuked Sanders’ supporters for criticizing its stance,[4] isn’t very much in touch which its members, who, it seems, worry about relatives, friends, and other members of the community who aren’t in the union and don’t enjoy its healthcare benefits. These members like Sanders’ other ideas as well.[5] “[A] major rebuke for the Culinary Union”[6] indeed.

It’s all a very interesting turn of events. I am deeply cynical about the U.S. electoral system for multiple reasons.[7] But a result like this[8] can only lead me to wonder if, maybe, just maybe, there’s some hope after all. (The voice in my head, the voice that’s seen it all before, is adamant that such hopes will be ruthlessly crushed.)

Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html

Nidhi Prakash, “Members Of Nevada’s Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders,” Buzzfeed, February 22, 2020, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/bernie-sanders-nevada-caucus-culinary-union


 

  1. [1]Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html
  2. [2]Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html
  3. [3]Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html
  4. [4]Megan Messerly, “In new flyer, Culinary Union warns members Sanders would ‘end’ their health care if elected president,” Nevada Independent, February 11, 2020, https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/in-new-flyer-culinary-union-warns-members-sanders-would-end-their-health-care-if-elected-president; Caitlin Oprysko, “Nevada culinary union lays into Sanders supporters after health care backlash,” Politico, February 12, 2020, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/12/bernie-sanders-nevada-culinary-union-114687
  5. [5]Nidhi Prakash, “Members Of Nevada’s Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders,” Buzzfeed, February 22, 2020, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/bernie-sanders-nevada-caucus-culinary-union
  6. [6]Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html
  7. [7]David Benfell, “Why I do not vote,” Not Housebroken, February 23, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/2016/02/23/why-i-do-not-vote/
  8. [8]Russell Berman, “Bernie Sanders’s Biggest Win Yet,” Atlantic, February 22, 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/02/bernie-wins-nevada/606937/; Chris Cillizza, “Chris Cillizza’s winners and losers from the Nevada caucuses,” CNN, February 22, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/22/politics/who-won-nevada-caucuses/index.html; John McCormick, “Sen. Bernie Sanders Wins the Nevada Democratic Caucuses, AP Says,” Wall Street Journal, February 22, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/bernie-sanders-looks-to-build-momentum-in-nevada-caucuses-11582380000