Bernie Sanders Squirms When Asked About Supporters Trying To Unseat Nancy Pelosi
For an idea of how divided the Democratic Party is these days, just listen to Bernie Sanders being quiet.
That’s not the normal state of existence for the bellicose socialist from Vermont, but in California on Sunday, stumping ahead of the Super Tuesday primaries, that’s exactly what Sanders was when he was faced with the kind of question Democrats don’t get enough of on the campaign trail.
Since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing an election challenge this year from a democratic socialist who identifies himself as a Sanders follower, KGO-TV reporter Liz Kreutz took the opportunity to give Sanders a chance to weigh in on the race.
He was silent at first, and it spoke volumes.
I asked @BernieSanders about the #CA12 race where Democratic socialist @ShahidForChange is running to unseat @SpeakerPelosi. Many of Sanders’ supporters/surrogates (including @SusanSarandon) have endorsed him. Here’s his response: https://t.co/gwxzyCdDHo pic.twitter.com/m061mV9u75
— Liz Kreutz (@ABCLiz) March 2, 2020
“I want to ask you about the California District 12 race,” Kreutz said. “There is a democratic socialist Shahid Buttar, he’s running against Nancy Pelosi, he’s a big supporter of yours.”
Kreutz noted that the anti-Trump actress Susan Sarandon – a major Sanders supporter – is “endorsing” Buttar.
“I just want to get your thoughts on his race, they say it’s time for Pelosi to step aside,” she said. “Your thoughts and if you agree?”
The normally loquacious Sanders clammed up.
“I have not been involved in that race at all. Period,” he said. “No comment.”
When Kreutz prodded, Sanders managed to drag up a comment after all – the kind a friend setting up a blind date might use to say the prospective romantic interest has a “nice personality.”
“I’ve known Nancy Pelosi for many, many years,” he said. “And I think, under very difficult circumstances, she’s doing a good job.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
In fairness to Sanders, Pelosi’s feelings seem similar. As The Daily Caller reported last week, the House speaker was asked by a reporter if she would be “comfortable” if Sanders were her party’s nominee for president.
Pelosi replied with a single word: “Yes.”
Clearly, these two have a common interest in attempting to defeat President Donald Trump in November, but they’re not falling all over each other in the interim.
Sanders’ response hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves, but some social media users noticed:
Oooh, Bernie did not like that question! Looks really uncomfortable, shifting around, his eyes darting all over the place like he’s thinking “what’s the most advantageous reply?”
— Kafka (@KStovring) March 2, 2020
WOW
Won’t endorse the socialist. https://t.co/rKbfGuNeOT— missthethunder⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@momof3not4) March 2, 2020
If he were serious about everything he says he’s for and against, he’d tell Pelosi how he really feels. He’s not even a registered Dem. Coward!
— FullMoon ?? (@LIMIT_EVERYONE) March 2, 2020
As far as questions go, it was one of the tougher ones Sanders has faced from the generally sycophantic media – and likely would not have been asked anywhere outside the Bay Area, since most Americans don’t have a clue about some San Francisco democratic socialist challenging Nancy Pelosi, possibly President Donald Trump’s best-known political adversary.
But Sanders’ response was noteworthy.
At first he tried silence – not exactly his comfort zone. Then he tried to be nice – also not a Sanders specialty.
But the reality is, Sanders and Pelosi have precious little use for each other, other than the shared goal of defeating Trump, however disparate their approaches.
Pelosi has to know that Sanders’ insurgent candidacy – and the disaster it could bring her party in the fall – poses a direct threat to her speakership. Sanders has to know how unpopular he is in the establishment Democratic circles that are Pelosi’s universe.
In the interests of political expediency, Sanders couldn’t say any of that. He couldn’t say he knows Pelosi and her people would like nothing better than to see him bow out of the race and turn his enthusiastic support over to former Vice President Joe Biden.
He couldn’t say it would be a cold day in hell before he let himself get jobbed by the Democratic establishment again like he was in the 2016 nomination fight with Hillary Clinton.
So he tried to say nothing at all – which for Bernie Sanders is pretty well impossible.
And when it came to giving a glimpse into the deep divisions within the Democratic Party, almost eight months to the day before America goes to the polls on Nov. 3, what he did say was enough.
In fact, it spoke volumes.
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