Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Bernie Sanders launches "Our Revolution." What's it called when the missile disintegrates on the launchpad?

Courtesy of the Washington Times:

Wednesday marks the debut of Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ reinvention. The former presidential hopeful is launching “Our Revolution”, a new activist outreach to his many fans, in an online broadcast to 2,600 “watching parties” in every state — as far flung as Fort Yukon, Alaska; Gouldsboro, Maine; Brownsville, Texas; Naalehu, Hawaii, and Minot, North Dakota. The address begins at 9 p.m. ET. 

In addition, Mr. Sanders will publish a book titled “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In.” The work is due on book shelves Nov. 15, primarily recapping his campaign trail experiences and underscoring his progressive ideas for America.

Oh so Sanders is helping to launch a grassroots organization for the Democrats just like that Tea Party "grass roots" organization for the Republicans.

One and he's writing a book too?

(Don't make comparisons to Sarah Palin, don't make comparisons to Sarah Palin, don't make comparisons to Sarah Palin!)

Oh that's nice.

However I understand there might be some problems already plaguing this fledgling campaign.

Courtesy of Politico:

The revolution is already tearing itself apart. 

Less than a week before its official launch on Wednesday, Bernie Sanders’ new political group is working its way through an internal war that led to the departure of digital director Kenneth Pennington and at least four others from a team of 15, and the return of presidential campaign manager Jeff Weaver as the group’s new president. 

“Kenneth chose to leave the organization. He’d worked on the campaign from the very beginning … he decided to do something else I guess,” Weaver said Monday evening, but “we’re very happy to be putting the A-team back together.”

And here's more from NBC News:

The dispute is both strategic and personal. The staffers who quit had clashed with Weaver on the campaign, calling him domineering and questioning his judgement, and they joined Our Revolution only on condition he would not be involved. 

They say they envisioned Our Revolution as a small-dollar-funded group that would use grassroots organizing to help elect progressive candidates, along the lines of Democracy for America, which grew out of the 2004 Howard Dean presidential campaign. 

Weaver has other ideas. He wanted to supplement the group's organizing and online fundraising efforts with independent expenditure TV advertising and larger checks from major donors. Internal critics say that contradicts the spirit of Sanders' movement, which was built around fighting big money in politics. 

The shakeup reflects a long-running rift in the Sanders campaign between its older leadership, like Weaver, and its younger staffers, who saw themselves as more ideologically committed to the revolution and thought the consultants at the top were using the campaign to line their pockets.

To be fair there have been plenty of very successful enterprises that started off a little shaky.

However I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that this is happening to some bodunk, doomed to fail Tea Party ripoff, and not happening to a campaign that is actually on the glide path to taking up residence in the White House.

71 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:07 PM

    Don't you have a pathetic thread to post where Gino or Joey says something snarky about Bristol? You know, something that will destroy the Palin family...?

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    Replies
    1. Says the Bernie-bot.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous2:48 PM

      LOL, @2:07pm! Gryphen's never had a single damn thing that he could definitely pin on the Palins. He is all talk and no action.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:53 PM

      I want a divorce!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous4:59 PM

      2:07 and 2:48 Jesus Fucking Christ, what POS unhappy assholes you are!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous5:03 PM

      Why are you so upset about Bernie's newest PAC getting publicity? You would think BernieBota would be happy about it.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2:08 PM

    How much is Jane getting paid for being the Chair of the group?

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    1. Anonymous3:56 PM

      Neither Jane nor Bernie are involved any more. That's why they handed it over.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous2:37 PM

    Obviously the lesson of SarahPAC was not learned.

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  4. Anonymous2:51 PM

    Anyone who missed Rachel Maddow last night missed out on who is REALLY financing/promoting all this sh** that is going on with the Rethug party and taking it down. Robert Mercer - a billionaire hedge fund manager. AND Robert Mercer besides fighting Paul Ryan, and successfully pushing John Boehner out is the biggest donor to BOTH Breitbart and Drumpf. He is also the money and idea behind Bannon taking over running Drumpf's futile attempt at running a campaign. Now Mercer is mounting a push with finances to knock McCain out of the Senate race. Unbelievable that this is the money and drive behind the shenanigans taking down the leadership and others in the Rethug clan. Mercer is THE money in Drumpf's campaign, not Drumpf's few shekels. WOW!

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    1. Anonymous3:58 PM

      I posted this days ago but Gryphen would rather concentrate on his Bernie vendetta.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous3:10 PM

    "They say they envisioned Our Revolution as a small-dollar-funded group that would use grassroots organizing to help elect progressive candidates...."

    Is this not a good thing? Getting young people involved? Trying to get progressives elected?

    So why the cheap shots: anybody who criticizes you is automatically a Bernie-Bot?

    Your "Try not to think of Palin?" was uncalled for. You are better than that.

    Without Bernie, Hillary would not have shifted to the left (for the moment but I hope long-term).

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh dear, 3:10. What the senior staffers envisioned--what Sanders PROMISED--was not what Sanders delivered when he hired Jeff Weaver, whose focus is big donors and media NOT grass roots organizing. The senior staff feel betrayed, and they were betrayed. Hence the mass resignations. Jeff Weaver is toxic. The staffers know it and they refuse to work with or for him.

      The rollout of Our Revolution is a clusterfuck.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:38 PM

      I never supported Bernie to begin with but I think Gryphen needs to let go of the need to insult Bernie and his followers at every opportunity. I don't see any comparison to Palin either coming from Bernie, so that was a chicken shit cheap shot. Gryphen can be very thinskinned.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:00 PM

      She'll shift right back after the election.

      She's already shifting with her named transition team.

      But Gryphen has his head in the sand when it comes to Saint Hillary. She can do no wrong.

      And Bernie can do no right.

      Delete
    4. I'M the one who's thin skinned?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous4:23 PM

      Yeah I agree 3:38. Bernie and his voters are important. It is the same voters that pushed President Obama into office, twice. Bernie should have ran with what he is. A Independent leaning social! We would have a true selection of either First Woman, First Independent or First Communist.
      Congressman Sanders deserves respect along with his voters. If anything he inspires voters and he speaks for many people without a voice. Count me in the Revolution.

      Delete
    6. Gryphen,

      I see the parallels to SarahPAC but I agree with 3:10, your jabs at Bernie are unnecessary at this point and are not helpful in advancing a unified progressive cause. They come across as petty. I voted for Bernie in my state's caucus because I was enthused with his push to the left. Obviously, he had his flaws but so does Hillary, who I now embrace as our party's candidate. I don't care about his tax returns or his vacation house - these are stupid internecine issues that are not all relevant to ensuring that Trump and his followers are defeated in November.

      Delete
    7. You miss the point of my comparison to the Tea Party and SarahPAC.

      If you have been following the news since 2008 you would notice that the RNC was badly undermined financially by PAC's and other groups that were supposedly raising money for candidates that they saw as true conservatives.

      At least that was their spiel. However what actually happened is that they kept much of the money for themselves, as we have documented about SarahPAC specifically, and the majority of the money was used for overhead and to line the pockets of those who ran the organizations.

      It has already been shown through FEC filings that Sanders paid millions of dollars to consultants, just like Palin did.

      The concern is that the same thing could happen in this case, and that much like the huge number of PAC's and political organizations that claimed to be helping the conservative candidates after 2008, we will see money and resources going to this group, and groups like it, instead of funding actual campaigns or going to the DNC to be distributed to candidates who cannot fund raise effectively on their own.

      That is why I am shining a spotlight on the organization.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous8:02 PM

      For the eleventeeth time:
      Our Revolution is not a PAC.
      It's a 501(c)(4) social welfare non-profit. Your comparison to is apples to oranges. They don't file reports to the FEC. They're governed by the IRS.

      Spend 15 minutes informing yourself about 501(c)(4)'s,and you'll realize how ignorant is your concern trolling about seeing their money not going to campaigns, DNC or candidates:

      No more than 50% of a 501(c)(4)'s spending can be for political purposes.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3:21 PM

    I am quite p*ssed-off that he is still using the email list from his presidential run. I had unsubscribed from it quite some time ago, but got his email today anyway. Unsubscribed again, but unfortunately could not give any comment, like many if not most of the other sites had that I subscribed to...

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous3:40 PM

      That happened to me too. 4 months ago I donated 27 dollars to him, and started getting 3 or 4 emails a day, something with code name BLUE. I unsubscribed successfully, then about a month ago they started sending to me again. I think that's frowned on by their email contractor, the one that maintains the list. There is NOTHING that pisses me off more than someone asking for money again after I did donate, then unsubscribed. Next time I will look for the better business bureau or file a complaint with their email server. Most have a program like Mail chimp or mad mini.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:04 PM

      Unsubscribe never works, and why I don't answer the phone unless I recognize the number. Clicking on it signals "yes, I'm still around" and you're in for more of the same.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous5:01 PM

      I never subscribed, apparently his campaign stole my email in their hacking of Hillary's DNC account. But I have had the same results as you have, a failure of their unsubscribe system.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous3:22 PM

    This makes me want to write in Bernie Sanders for President.


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    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:47 PM

      I got dibs on the liver, but only if the president asks first. /s

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:55 PM

      After the Republicans implode, the Democrats are next.

      I am writing in Cookie Monster.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:02 PM

      I'm leaning that way too.

      My vote won't count as my state will go for Hillary.

      But at least I can vote my conscience and write in Bernie.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous4:35 PM

      I am 99% voting for Hilary. But! I would write in Congressman Sanders if something causes a mandatory ultimate blindside.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous4:59 PM

      You can choose to do with your vote what you want to do. I highly doubt a post on a very small blog with sway you either way so why lie about it?

      Delete
  8. Anonymous3:27 PM

    Whatever happened to the part about him stumping tirelessly for Hillary?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:58 PM

      LOL, you didn't really think that Bernie would do anything except for Bernie did you?

      Delete
  9. Anonymous3:39 PM

    Meh. Bernie should be out stumping for Hillary. Instead, he is belligerently trying to do his own thing.

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    1. Anonymous3:45 PM

      I don't understand how he can be so out of touch with voters now, what we are working on, what we need to do, what is at stake. He would have been so much more intelligent to do this after the election to solidify the progressives to guide Hillary in office. Instead he is just pissing everyone off.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:26 PM

      Get over yourselves with your Sanders rage. Sanders has stumped for Clinton as many times as the president and the vice president.

      You don't really think anybody just goes out on their own "stumping", do you? Events are all scheduled, organized and orchestrated by the campaign. So direct your outrage at Clinton for not getting Sanders out.

      Every time Sanders has been interviewed since the convention he's emphasized electing Clinton and he's published 2 op-eds saying the same thing. Sorest winners ever.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:57 PM

      has secured his grifter fund for the next few yrs, what else do you want him to do?

      Delete
  10. Your Sanders posts make a mockery of your claims to being rational.

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    1. Anonymous4:05 PM

      Also fair, balanced, unbiased.

      He can't post anything about Palin without a thousand first hand witnessed primary sources beyond reproach, but he's more than happy to post any wisp of gossip or innuendo if it will smear Bernie just a little more.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:17 PM

      I personally think that anyone donating money to these types of causes is beyond rational. Actually, rather stupid.

      Delete
    3. The butt hurt is delicious.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Has anyone actually told him he lost the nomination? It takes a lot of money to run a revolution effectively, sell a book, and a reality show or three.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous3:55 PM

    Well, the fact is that there are Democrats that believe in many of the platforms in Our Revolution and that were included in the Democratic party platform that wouldn't be there except for Sanders. Some of us also believe that if the pressure isn't kept up, the Democratic leadership and their candidate will simply ignore them and sweep them under the rug.

    How very noble of you to keep up the attack on Jane Sanders via Bernie and in the process crush any chance of getting some PROGRESSIVE policies put in place.

    With friends like you...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous4:20 PM

    Sounds like the staffers who left disagreed with the boss on the goals of the organization. Better they leave before it launches.

    Bernie's interested in more than getting progressive candidates elected. You just have to read the About page of Ourrevolution.com to learn that. The goals of OurRevolution are to Revitalize Democracy by unifying the people who got involved because of Bernie's campaign to support progressive causes; Empower Progressive Leaders by inspiring and recruiting new leaders across government (obviously this is the elect progressives part), Elevate Political Consciousness by educating the public about pressing issues and the bold solutions being offered; help voices be heard that now are drowned out.

    Clearly you have to do media and advertising to accomplish the educate and inform part.

    Remember that Bernie believes fundamental change happens millions of people stand up together and say, "Enough is Enough". A current, real life example of this happening is the outcry about the 500% increase in 6 years in the price of EpiPen. If you want to get millions of people to stand up, you've got to communicate with them.

    Hard to understand why people who claim to be progressive want an organization that promotes progressive goals to fail.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous4:54 PM

      If he is interested in getting more progressive candidates elected than why hasn't he been contributing to their campaigns.
      I know, I know, I will be a horrid person for asking for facts.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous4:28 PM

    Hear it from the horse's mouth at 9 PM eastern at http://bernie.to/OurRev

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  15. Anonymous4:43 PM

    Robert Reich: Bernies 7 Legacies
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th8cpzOcNk4

    Bob whiteboards it out for you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous4:53 PM

    Bernie= yawns
    Jane may have to get another job, maybe there is another local college that needs to be driven into debt?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:08 PM

      Your obsession with Jane is disturbing.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:26 PM

      6:08 PM Jane's obsession with OPM is disturbing.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:37 PM

      @anon 6:08 pm
      The blinders you have on regarding Jane are hilarious.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous4:56 PM

    Hey people, Bernie Sanders is the only candidate so far in this lifetime that speaks solely for the people. He does not have ties. The amount of taxes that each of us pay should cover our healthcare, education and Infrastructure. We need regulations that protect consumers. And thee single most important issue? Overturn Citizen United today. It is a crime against America. Get the money out of our elections. Get the corporations out of our elections. Wake up people, look at what is happening to our elections today. It is about nothing but money, media and division. The Huge, Big Republican face, don trump and the trumplican skitzoid playbook is a pathetic example. We should demand a receipt of our vote from this rigged election.

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    1. Anonymous6:39 PM

      And yet you seem to be able to overlook Bernie's 28 yrs of doing nothing.

      Delete
    2. The brain washing is so sad.

      Delete
  18. Crystal Sage5:02 PM

    Rachel Maddow is now interviewing Trump's campaign manager Kellyann Conway. Should be good.

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    1. Anonymous5:38 PM

      As Dan Rather said the other night, that woman can talk the legs off a table. Rachel is being very friendly but asking good, pointed questions and making good points. But this woman is truly a godsend for Trump...

      Delete
  19. Anonymous6:00 PM

    HOW MANY SEQUELS? ENOUGH ALREADY

    Baby Jane's Big Pay Day 1.0 - The deceased, departed, expired, had it, inoperative, kaput, the late, lifeless, obsolete, out of commission, vanished, extinct Burlington College paid $250,000 to Baby Jane to leave the hemorrhaging small college while it was on its last breath and she took it. Cha-ching!

    Baby Jane's Big Pay Day 2.0 - The enormous amount of campaign money paid to Baby Jane for her part in bringing down the late 1st Revolution. Can anybody say Burlington College? Cha-ching!

    Baby Jane Big Pay 3.0 - What happened to the leftover money all those college kids entrusted to Baby Jane. Cha-ching! Nice houses you got there Baby Jane.

    Baby Jane 4.0 - Are you ready for the next installment of

    "Our Revolution, Baby Jane Goes To The Bank Again"

    Coming to a bank near you. Cha-ching!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous6:03 PM

    Bernie and Jane, a lesson we learned from Sarah Palin and SarahPac:

    Fool me once shame on you.
    Fool me twice shame on me.

    No more donations. You're not fooling us again.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous6:12 PM

    Gryphen I know you said don't make comparisons to the king of grifters Sarah Palin.

    Can't help it.

    Sarah Palin ran for office
    Bernie ran for office

    Sarah Palin wrote several books
    Bernie is writing a book

    Sarah Palin has Tim Crawford
    Bernie has Jeff Weaver

    Sarah Palin has retards who keeps giving her money
    Bernie has his retards who keeps giving him money

    Sarah Palin has SarahPac
    Bernie has Our Revolution

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous6:14 PM

    Don't compare Bernie to Sarah? Don't tell us Bernie has a handful of bastard grandchildren too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:40 PM

      Much like Track Palin, Bernie's first and only child is a bastard.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous6:17 PM

    Tanks Bernie. Chu took da news coverage avay from my husband und me.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:25 PM

      Don't be so happy. Melanoma we're not finished with you.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous6:20 PM

    Jane Jetson Saunders got her $10M from Bernie's run. I guess that wasn't enough for her?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous6:22 PM

    Our Revolution? Somebody has to keep the money flowing into Jane's purse.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous6:41 PM

    Bernie before you start another Revolution, you need to show us your taxes bitch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And that is another valid point.

      I would not give a dime, not one fucking dime, to a guy who was unwilling to demonstrate how he handles his own personal money.

      We saw Bernie waste supporter's money on giant rallies, political consultants, and a trip to Rome.

      None of that fills me with confidence concerning his ability to handle money and get it to where it can do the most good for progressives.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous7:31 PM

    Bernie lost me 6 months ago. No mo money baby jane.

    His thoughts about how things SHOULD be are great. His plan to implement them without the backing of the majority of congress and inflating the debt by more than another 10 trillion are missing.

    Sooo, as far as I'm concerned, when he puts those concrete plans out for viewing he can contact me for a donation. Till then, TP 2.0.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous8:22 PM

    How to solve all our problems. Just ask any politician. They know. But for their grand advise you must donate. Where your' donation will be going is not your concern, just know that your politician will put it to good use. Trust it folks. Go with flow. Ask no questions, and they will tell you no lies.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous9:08 PM

    Sorry Bernie but even your "revolution" isn't enough to get most of us to vote.

    Abstinence speaks louder than words.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous10:46 PM

    "What's it called when the missile disintegrates on the launchpad?"

    Spontaneous abortion? Miscarriage? Wite-out?

    dowl

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous4:52 AM

    Jesus, Gryph -
    LET.
    IT.
    G0.

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.