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Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic nomination early Tuesday morning. The Vermont senator was a formidable contender in 2016, winning 23 states and 46 percent of elected delegates. In fact, several people thought he would have stood a better chance against Trump than Hillary Clinton, due to the polarized nature of the race and the significance of the white working class vote.
Given his track record, you might reasonably suspect that people would be excited about Sanders entering the ring. But you would be wrong: the Bernie backlash is already upon us. As soon as he had he finished his announcement on Vermont public radio, the complaints started rolling in. Here is everything wrong with a Bernie bid for president, according to the calm, good-natured denizens of Twitter.
He’s old
He’s white
He’s a man
He’s…rich?
His supporters are unbearable
Me preparing for two more years of Bernie Bro attacks whenever I say something nice about one of the real Democrats running for president: pic.twitter.com/imHymSHAiT
— Paul Too Well (Taylor's Version) 🏃 (@paulludwig) February 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/ashermaj/status/1097864312239112197
Let’s get some facts straight.
No – the primary was not rigged.
Yes – Bernie Bros are fucking real.
Yes – He will FINALLY be vetted.
Yes – Hillary Clinton was more qualified.— Alexandra the Brave (@SashaMichelle89) February 19, 2019
He’s too left-wing
https://twitter.com/ALovari9/status/1097859179505770496
He’ll make Trump win
Oh great now Bernie is running too 💆🏾♂️💆🏾♂️💆🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/HoopCNDba5
— Ev (@Well_its_evan) February 19, 2019
He said he thinks people shouldn’t decide who to vote for based on their race, age, gender or sexual orientation
He voted for FOSTA-SESTA
hello i’m still furious that bernie sanders voted for FOSTA-SESTA, support your candidate but hold them to account
— edie (@multiplebears) February 19, 2019
He’s weak on guns
Bernie but make it intersectional and anti-gun. pic.twitter.com/E4VxEyg4jQ
— Athena Hollow (@athenahollow) February 19, 2019
He doesn’t do enough for Palestinians
He’s never revealed his tax returns
https://twitter.com/MrDane1982/status/1097864761511956482
Just no
Bernie said join the movement. Me: pic.twitter.com/GdhL2oVm5f
— Sahra Ahmad (@SahraAhmad3) February 19, 2019
Waking up to news that #Bernie is running again https://t.co/WE6erKEaAf
— Lonely Fans (@ThiccThriving) February 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/mikasa22/status/1097861208177340416
Bernie’s Running… pic.twitter.com/XFzHuI3RTb
— Josephine Son (@JoJo_Son) February 19, 2019
Me to Bernie Sanders:pic.twitter.com/teqvJLiwvE
— lil adam – kind, supportive cutie (@MaxxAtom) February 19, 2019
We’ve also already been blessed with the first Bernie-is-being-screwed-over conspiracy theory of the campaign. Sanders launched his bid with a Twitter video and a link to an email-gathering website:
I'm running for president. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least 1 million people from across the country. Say you're in: https://t.co/KOTx0WZqRf pic.twitter.com/T1TLH0rm26
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 19, 2019
The site wasn’t loading properly on Twitter at first. Cockburn has a couple of ideas why this might be: it could have been crashing due to high demand, or perhaps because the domain is new, Twitter’s algorithm didn’t recognize it. But no, leave it to Wikileaks, every American election’s best friend, to pitch in:
Twitter blocks Bernie Sanders' donations immediately on campaign launch https://t.co/OuMOo7doa5 #Bernie2020 #FeelTheBern pic.twitter.com/2oIvIx70Vx
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 19, 2019
Is Big Tech conspiring against Sen. Sanders? Judging by this alone, it seems unlikely. And it seems even less likely that any new presidential candidate would desire Wikileaks, the site that then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo referred to as ‘a non-state hostile intelligence service, often abetted by state actors like Russia’, in their corner.
