MSNBC in "Full-Blown Freakout" Mode as Bernie Sanders Cements Status as Democratic Frontrunner by Jake Johnson!
(2020-02-23 at 12:35:50 )

MSNBC in "Full-Blown Freakout" Mode as Bernie Sanders Cements Status as Democratic Frontrunner by Jake Johnson!

"Nazi comparisons, commentators near tears, and even a stunning admission that maybe they do not understand the country anymore."

As it became clear Saturday evening that Sen. Bernie Sanders would run away with the Nevada caucus and secure his position as the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary, MSNBC anchors and contributors lashed out at the senator and his supporters in bizarre and sometimes hysterical fashion, descending into what one observer could only describe as a "full-blown freakout."

Earlier in the Democratic primary process, the Comcast-owned network was notorious for ignoring the senator from Vermont, and covering him negatively when it covered him at all.

But Saturday marked a clear escalation in hostility from MSNBCs on-air personalities as Bernie Sanders diverse coalition of supporters propelled him to a landslide victory in Nevada, the third consecutive state in which the senator has won the popular vote.

Nicole Wallace, former communications director for the George W. Bush White House, described Mr. Sanders multi-racial, multi-generational coalition as a "squeaky, angry minority" and accused the senator of deploying "dark arts" as she introduced Democratic political consultant James Carville, who proceeded to declare Bernie Sanders win in Nevada a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At one point in his appearance, Mr. Carville waved at the camera and said, "Hi, Vlad," suggesting Mr. Putin was likely watching MSNBCs coverage of the caucus results.

Ms Wallace later lamented that she has "no idea what voters think about anything anymore" after her colleague, Steve Kornacki, explained that Bernie Sanders performed well in precincts with a large number of Culinary Union workers, despite the union leaderships antagonism toward the senator.

"Those are the voters that have seen the sheets that Culinary handed them about #MedicareForAll and decided to vote anyway for Bernie Sanders"

NPRs Maria Hinojosa, a frequent MSNBC contributor, demanded to know what Bernie Sanders has done to "actually deliver for Latino and Latina voters" after the senator dominated the Democratic field among those voters in Nevada.

"MSNBC sure has a lot of commentators who hate Bernie Sanders," tweeted Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice who served as national press secretary for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign.

"As somebody who has been around for a while...I want receipts. What has he done in all his time to actually deliver for Latino-a voters?"

Strange thing to say on the night Bernie Sanders won the Latino-a vote in Nevada by nearly 40 points.-Justice Democrats February 23, 2020

The most unhinged lines of Saturday night came from "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, who compared Bernie Sanders Nevada win to the Nazi invasion of France.

"I was reading last night about the fall of France in the summer of 1940," said Mr. Matthews. "And the general, Reynaud, calls up Churchill and says, "It is over." And Mr. Churchill says, "How can that be? You have got the greatest army in Europe. How can it be over?" He said, "It is over."

"So I had that suppressed feeling," Mr. Matthews continued. "I can not be as wild as Mr. Carville but he is damn smart, and I think he is damn right on this one."

Earlier Saturday, as Common Dreams reported, Mr. Matthews suggested that four more years of President Donald Trump might be better for the Democratic Party than a Bernie Sanders presidency.

Mr. Matthews remarks comparing the Bernie Sanders campaign to Nazis-not the first time an MSNBC host has made such a comparison-sparked immediate backlash and demands for his resignation.

Mike Casca, communications director for the Bernie Sanders campaign, tweeted that he "never thought part of my job would be pleading with a national news network to stop likening the campaign of a Jewish presidential candidate whose family was wiped out by the Nazis to the Third Reich."

"But here we are," Mr. Casca wrote.

"For those of you unfortunate enough to have turned on MSNBC," wrote Hill TVs Krystal Ball, "you have witnessed a full-blown freakout. Nazi comparisons, commentators near tears, and even a stunning admission that maybe they do not understand the country anymore."

MSNBCs network-wide meltdown was so apparent that commentators on rival networks took notice-and talked about it on live television.

"There is another station, another channel," said CNN contributor Van Jones, "where people are freaking out, melting down, all across the country, at least all over the airwaves."

"He is not wrong," Mr. Jones said of Mr. Sanders. "The establishment is upset."

"There is a power that comes from being witnessed and being recognized in your pain and suffering."

Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, attempted to explain the corporate medias open hostility toward Sanders and his supporters in an appearance on CNN Saturday evening.

"I am a relatively new person here at CNN," said Ms Rojas, who contributes to the network as a political commentator.

"There are not a ton of people that are my age, or that look like me. Most of the people that sit in a lot of the most powerful rooms in the country pushing forward our news are... not the same level of class."

"Even though it might not be, you know, literally some person pulling the strings," Ms Rojas said, "there is a worldview that is vastly different from the everyday voter."

Reprinted here from "Common Dreams" has been providing breaking news & views for the progressive community since 1997. We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100% reader supported.