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When Bernie announced in 2015, I had a ton of friends and colleagues join his campaign. My whole team from Kay Hagan went to Bernie, along with other Democratic organizers I really respect.
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It made me very cautious about what I said as I grew increasingly concerned about what Bernie was doing. I tried to be scrupulously honest and fair in my criticisms, the way I would want them to be. I think it made my writing stronger.
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Out of respect for my friends and colleagues on the Bernie campaign, I refrained from saying "Bernie Bro" - they considered it a pejorative, and it wasn't hard to get my points across without it. I did a search, I used it maybe six times before this month.
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I coined the term Berner instead to differentiate between Bernie supporters who came around and voted for the Democratic nominee and those who enabled Trump in Bernie's name.
Often their side pretended not to understand the difference but it's a really important distinction.
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Often their side pretended not to understand the difference but it's a really important distinction.
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At one point I was using "alt-left" which I think is perfect, but it didn't really catch on.
Then Trump said it, so....
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Then Trump said it, so....
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Some of them quit in disgust and came to work for Hillary. With one notable, wonderful exception, the rest of them hate me now. Including a guy I really liked.
In 25 years of being a Democrat from Alabama, I've never lost a friend over politics, but that's how cults work.
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In 25 years of being a Democrat from Alabama, I've never lost a friend over politics, but that's how cults work.
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So I have no reason left to show any respect for the people who have put me through hell for the past three years for the crime of daring to educate others on realities of Democratic electoral politics, a world I've inhabited professionally for my entire career.
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These people have shown us no respect, shown our party leadership no respect, showing our nominee no respect, and worst of all, they've shown no respect for Americans less fortunate than them who suffer terribly under the Republican rule Bernie has enabled.
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The latest line of attack is that by saying "Bernie Bro" we are "erasing" everyone who supported Bernie who wasn't a white guy.
This is fallacious logic for two reasons.
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This is fallacious logic for two reasons.
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First, they are being disingenuous. "Bernie Bro" is not about gender, it's about behavior. Can Katie H and Nina T really argue that they aren't two of the Bro ringleaders? If it talks like a Bro, acts like a Bro....
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But more importantly, the argument that criticizing Bro behavior is erasing other supporters is just the Bernie version of "Not ALL"
If you aren't the ones doing it, we aren't talking about you. And if you don't condone the behavior, why do you associate yourselves with it?
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If you aren't the ones doing it, we aren't talking about you. And if you don't condone the behavior, why do you associate yourselves with it?
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So, I'm embracing the term Bernie Bro. It's functional, it's descriptive, it's fun to say, and it makes them SO MAD.
And they are SO MAD this week, aren't they?
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And they are SO MAD this week, aren't they?
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They know this roll out has not gone well for Bernie. They know he royally flubbed the town hall. They know he's not going to release his taxes and that's going to be a huge deal. They know crying "Rigged" every time Bernie fails again isn't going to work forever.
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The vetting of Bernie Sanders has barely gotten started, and already they are losing their damn minds.
How dare we let Democrats ask questions about the Democratic primary?
How dare we ask to see Bernie's tax returns?
How dare we point out blatant hypocrisy?
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How dare we let Democrats ask questions about the Democratic primary?
How dare we ask to see Bernie's tax returns?
How dare we point out blatant hypocrisy?
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If he can't handle an easily foreseeable question about what he plans to do about his sexual harassment problem (beyond scapegoating Becker), what's going to happen when he's asked about the essays? Sierra Blanca? His deeps ties to the NRA?
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Their protestations drip with desperation. Their assertions that Bernie is SO TOTALLY the front runner are more defensive that declarative. Their deflections are just as easily dismissable as they've always been.
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All of a sudden, they've embraced the value of unity. They beseech us, "You'll come together and vote for Bernie, WON'T YOU?!?!!?? For the good of the party!"
I always tell them Bernie has to EARN my vote. Isn't that how this works? 😇
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I always tell them Bernie has to EARN my vote. Isn't that how this works? 😇
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Of course I'll vote for the Democratic nominee. Bernie will not be the nominee.
It's over, and the Bros know it.
A dying mule kicks the hardest.
#ByeByeBernie #NeverBernie
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It's over, and the Bros know it.
A dying mule kicks the hardest.
#ByeByeBernie #NeverBernie
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Here's a thread I did about mocking Bernie Bro arguments
Here's a thread I did about how Bernie "inspired" in the Bernie Bros:
