An interesting dynamic is playing out on the left now that socialist Bernie Sanders has emerged as the clear front-runner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
On one hand, there’s actual vetting of Sanders beginning to happen by some media outlets. At the same time, a concerted effort is afoot in others to convince Democrats, and the nation, that the cantankerous senator from Vermont is really electable.
And then there’s the Bloomberg campaign.
Tim O’Brien, a senior adviser to billionaire Michael Bloomberg, appeared Tuesday on CNN to highlight the “loony side” of Bernie Sanders — there’s a reason he’s referred to as “Crazy Bernie” — as well as his policy failures.
“He hasn’t been vetted as thoroughly by the media as some of the other candidates, other Democrats on the stage,” O’Brien said of Sanders.
The most remarkable thing about his effort was the reaction of CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, who was “gobsmacked” to hear O’Brien reference allegations about rape fantasies and Sanders saying cancer in women is connected to having orgasms and that children should run around naked to insulate themselves from porn.
“What?! What?!” Camerota responds, as O’Brien rattles off allegations that have been out there since the 2016 election cycle.
“What??!! What??!!”–CNN’s Camerota gobsmacked to learn @BernieSanders suggested toddlers run naked and touch each other’s genitals to immunize them to porn.#tcot #AlisynCamerota #BernieSanders @MikeBloomberg #MikeBloomberg @TimOBrien @CNN pic.twitter.com/OjoRtYUNHg
— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) February 25, 2020
Jezebel reported on a 1972 essay by Sanders that included:
A man goes home and masturbates his typical fantasy. A woman on her knees. A woman tied up. A woman abused.
A woman enjoys intercourse with her man—as she fantasizes about being raped by 3 men simultaneously.
The man and woman get dressed up on Sunday and go to Church, or maybe to their “revolutionary” political meeting.
The counter argument here is Sanders was talking about how a patriarchal society has taught men to fantasize about rape and women about being raped, all the while condemning it.
Slate also reported in 2016 about “his advocacy of public toddler nudity and genital touching as cures for porn, or the sexual quackery through which he attributed breast cancer and cervical cancer to orgasm deficiency and capitalist conformity.”
But Camerota must have been living under a rock then, because it’s all news to her.
The angle of attack by the Bloomberg campaign should make for a real interesting debate Tuesday evening in Charleston, South Carolina, ahead of the state’s primary election on Saturday.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:
It’s almost like “journalist” don’t do any research and just push the company line… weird.
— Kantean nightmare (@theapathygap) February 25, 2020
It’s not amazing. It’s not even surprising. She works for CNN and this is unfavorable information about a Democrat candaidate. She doesn’t know any of it because she has no interest in vetting Democrat candidates.
— Dan Tetreault (@dtetreault20) February 25, 2020
How does she not know this?
The man ran for POTUS credibly in 2016. He is the front runner today and THIS is news to a CNN anchor.
Where does CNN find these dolts and why do they offer them jobs? That is so embarrassing.
Ben Rhodes was right: journalists know nothing.
— John Doe (@XtamerlaneX) February 25, 2020
It’s not like @CNN personalities are known for things like intelligence, being informed, or basic competence.
It would have been news if she did know to be honest.
— JimNordren (@JNordren) February 25, 2020
Trump is going to go there. The Democrats need to understand what Senator Unvetted has in his background and what Trump and the RNC would pick up and fling at him in the General Election.
— TheValuesVoter (@TheValuesVoter) February 25, 2020
Here is the essay Sanders wrote about cancer being caused by sexual repression.https://t.co/jL85wibGPS
— Tami Burages (@tburages) February 25, 2020
Not surprised. She’s an idiot willing to turn a blind eye as long as the narrative gets pushed. Any “journalist” that didn’t already know these things about Bernie should be fired.
— Whiney Kuntz (@goingdeeep) February 25, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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