In keeping with President’s Day, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg went after progressive, Democratic Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) supporters, affectionally known as “Bernie Bros” in a new digital ad as the progressive senator faces backlash for the rhetoric and behavior of some of his supporters.
Bloomberg’s Monday video was in response to a video tweeted by Sanders in which he hit Bloomberg for recently unearthed comments on the controversial policies of redlining and stop-and-frisk, as well as his stance on raising the minimum wage.
The video, which was tweeted out by Bloomberg, features texts, tweets and memes attacking other 2020 Democratic contenders from individuals claiming to be Sanders supporters.
It ends with a video of Sanders in which he says, “It is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse.” The video then ends with the text “Really? Really.” Watch below:
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Sanders campaign deputy communications director Sarah Ford told The Hill that the establishment is perpetuating “a false myth to discount the breadth and diversity of our supporters. Sen. Sanders is building a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational movement for justice. “
She added, “We recognize that our opponents in the establishment would like to perpetuate a false myth to discount the breadth and diversity of our supporters — and we categorically reject it,” Ford said. “As the senator has said loudly and clearly, there is no room in the political revolution for abuse and harassment online, and we must live our values of love and compassion.”
Bloomberg is not the only Democratic candidate to call out Sanders, who leads all candidates in polls at 31%, for not condemning the behavior of his supporters, specifically after they bashed Nevada’s Culinary Union online for distributing flyers that said his “Medicare for All” proposal would “end culinary health care” by replacing private plans with government-run insurance.
“You know me well enough to know if any of my supporters did that, I’d disown them. Flat disown them,” former Vice President Joe Biden said on Meet the Press. “The stuff that was said online. The way they threatened these two women who are leaders in that culinary union. It is outrageous. Just — just go online.”
Candidate, Pete Buttigieg also called the attacks on the Culinary Union “really disturbing.”
In other news, Bloomberg has qualified for Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, paving the way for the former New York mayor’s first appearance on stage with his 2020 rivals.
Bloomberg met the Democratic National Committee-mandated polling threshold on Tuesday with a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey finding the former New York mayor at 19% nationally. The result is Bloomberg’s fourth poll at or above 10% nationally, which was the requirement from the DNC to qualify.
SOURCE: The Hill
