“They Really Did Screw Bernie”: Here’s What 2016 Can Teach Democrats Today
First, a confession: Before I read long-time Democratic strategist Tad Devine’s new book, How the Democrats Screwed Bernie, I rolled my eyes at the prospect of yet another post-mortem on the 2016 election (which was admittedly also the first presidential election in which I was eligible to vote). Not even halfway through his second term, […]
In his new book, "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie," former Democratic strategist Tad Devine reveals how the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign used various tactics to undermine Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. The two major ways Devine believes the Democrats screwed Bernie are the design of the nominating process and the overall takeover of the DNC by the Clinton campaign.
The nominating process was designed to keep outsiders out and give advantages to insiders, which negatively impacted Sanders' chances. However, the real unfairness came from the Clinton campaign's control over the DNC. WikiLeaks pages and memos revealed that the Clinton campaign manipulated the DNC by controlling the timing and number of primary debates and using dark money super PACs to influence the race.
In addition to these tactics, the press coverage of the 2016 race also played a role in sabotaging Sanders' campaign. Devine emphasizes that the Democratic establishment should have had some allegiance to Bernie, given his caucusing for the Democratic Party in Congress and his demonstrated fidelity to the party. Devine argues that the Democratic National Committee should be an independent body, rather than being controlled by Clinton and the Clinton campaign.
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