Tag: Bernie Sanders

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Bernie Sanders Will Not Attend LGBTQ Town Hall

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will not be attending the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s LGBTQ Town Hall on Thursday night after all. This comes after skipping the GLAAD/Advocate sponsored LGBTQ Forum in Iowa last month. Initially, his campaign indicated that he had scheduling conflicts for both dates and couldn’t attend. But after several in the LGBTQ media made note that he was the only top tier presidential candidate to not appear at either event, schedules were somehow rearranged and he was set to take part in the October 10 event in Los Angeles. The town hall is the only LGBTQ-centric event in the Democratic primary season that will be televised by a major news outlet, CNN. However, the 78-year-old senator then suffered a heart attack on the campaign trail and was hospitalized for days as doctors inserted two stents to address a blocked artery.

At the time, his campaign issued a statement that read in part, “We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice.” Additionally, his daughter-in-law Rainè Riggs, died Saturday — two days after being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. Sanders has since indicated he will continue to campaign but reduce the number of events/rallies he attends on a daily basis. The Sanders campaign has confirmed him for the fourth Democratic debate set for October 15 in Westerville, Ohio, where 12 candidates will take the stage at one time. Sanders’ health issues come at a particularly bad time. In the past month, he has seen Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) pass him in the polls putting him in a distant 3rd place in many surveys. In fact, Warren has – for the first time – just barely surpassed former Vice President Joe Biden to take the top spot in the Real Clear Politics average of polls. Make sure to tune in for the HRC Foundation’s LGBTQ Town Hall on CNN Thursday, October 10 at 7 p.m.

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Bernie Sanders Hospitalized For Artery Blockage

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign announced his campaign appearances have been canceled due to ‘chest discomfort’ experienced Tuesday night: “During a campaign event yesterday evening, Sen. Sanders experienced some chest discomfort. Following medical evaluation and testing, he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days. We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”

(image via ABC News)

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Sanders, Buttigieg Announce Big Campaign Fundraising Results

L-R Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
As we begin a new quarter, Democratic candidates are touting their fundraising prowess with email blasts. Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign writes that Pete for America pulled in over $19 million during the 3rd quarter, which brings his total haul from the beginning of the year to more than $51 million. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his campaign took in $24.8 million in the 3rd quarter. More to come…the day is early.

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South Carolina & Nevada Polls Show Two Different Races

Sen. Elizabeth Warren surges past former Vice President Joe Biden in latest Iowa poll

Sen. Elizabeth Warren surges past former Vice President Joe Biden in latest Iowa poll The first polls from CNN/SRSS on the upcoming South Carolina Democratic primary and the Nevada Democratic caucuses show two very different races. In South Carolina, former Vice President Joe Biden is miles ahead of everyone. Biden garners 37 percent support compared to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 16 percent support. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders pulled 11 percent support, and no other candidate got above 5 percent. But in Nevada, it’s Biden and Sanders neck-and-neck with 22 percent, and Warren at 18% among likely Democratic caucus-goers. No one else received more than 5 percent in Nevada.

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Which Presidential Candidates Recognized Bi-Visibility Day?

Since 1999, September 23 has been recognized as Bi Visibility Day which highlights the history and achievements of the bisexual community as well as the challenges of biphobia and bisexual erasure. According to the Williams Institute, studies indicate that approximately 50 percent of people who identify as either gay, lesbian or bisexual, identify as bisexual, making the bisexual population the single largest group within the LGBTQ community. But bisexual people are often excluded from LGBTQ spaces and are invisible to each other which can make the journey of living authentically incredibly daunting. Several Democratic presidential candidates took to social media throughout the day to affirm the bisexual community and acknowledge some of the challenges they face. Check out the messages from former Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and businessman Tom Steyer.

Interestingly, Sen. Bernie Sanders and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who both skipped the GLAAD-sponsored LGBTQ Forum in Iowa last week due to ‘scheduling conflicts,’ did not seem to acknowledge Bi-Visibility Day in their social media. More ‘scheduling conflicts?’ For more information about bisexuality, visit the Human Rights Campaign’s website here.  

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News Round-Up: September 19, 2019

Gus Kenworthy and Emma Roberts in American Horror Story: 1984 Some news items you might have missed: • American Horror Story: Who caught last night’s debut of the #ThrowbackThursday worthy American Horror Story: 1984 featuring out Olympian Gus Kenworthy (above)? • CNN: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and businessman Andrew Yang will not be taking part in either the LGBTQ Forum in Iowa tomorrow night or the CNN Town Hall on LGBTQ issues on October 10. Sanders has a town hall in North Carolina on September 20, and both campaigns site ‘scheduling conflicts’ for the October Town Hall. • Business Insider: A new poll shows only 13 percent of Americans would support the US joining Saudi Arabia in a military conflict as part of a response to a recent attack on two major Saudi oil fields. • ABC News: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized Thursday afternoon for photos from years ago showing him dressed in blackface and brownface. “This is something I deeply, deeply regret,” he told reporters, adding that wearing blackface is “always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface. I should’ve understood it then, and I should have never done it.”

• OUT: Officials at a Russian university reportedly threatened a student with expulsion after an investigation – revealing he has a pink phone case – aroused suspicions he is gay. • Reuters: Yikes! Indonesia is poised to pass a new penal code that criminalizes consensual sex outside marriage. Under the proposed law, unmarried couples who “live together as a husband and wife” could be jailed for six months or face a maximum fine of 10 million rupiah ($710), which is three months’ salary for many Indonesians. • LA Times: In an early victory for Donald Trump, a federal judge ordered a temporary injunction Thursday against California’s first-in-the-nation law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns for a spot on the presidential primary ballot. • New Music: DJ Gryffin (who is heading to my town of Las Vegas this weekend for the Life Is Beautiful Festival) releases his latest collaboration, “Baggage,” featuring UK synth-pop duo AlunaGeorge. A strong hook, hypnotic rhythms, and sleep house production make for a worthy addition to the 31-year-old’s catalog.

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Democratic Presidential Candidates Unite For Stronger Gun Laws

Eight of the top Democratic presidential candidates appear in a new video underscoring the need for gun safety. The gun control organization named after former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at point blank range by a maniac, launched the video on Monday. The candidates featured in the video include former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke; California Sen. Kamala Harris; former Vice President Joe Biden; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. In the video, the candidates focus on stronger gun laws to prevent school shootings and protect children. From the Giffords campaign for gun safety:

We deserve a president who listens to the American people, not the NRA.

We deserve a president who takes bold action to make us safer, not one who tweets thoughts and prayers then does nothing.

We deserve a president who fights for stronger gun laws, not gun lobby profits.

2020 Democratic candidates are vying to be that leader.

We sat down with Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren to discuss their plans to make us safer from gun violence.

Our kids deserve to be safe at school.

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Biden Still Leads In Latest Poll, But Warren Jumps 5 Points

The Hill reports former Vice President Joe Biden leads the posse of Democratic presidential contenders by double-digits in the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. Biden garnered 32 percent support with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) coming in second with half that – 16 percent. Those results show a slight decline for both men since the last survey by the polling outfit. However, the new data shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) getting 13 percent support, a 5-point jump since the last Harvard CAPS/Harris poll was conducted in July after the last set of debates. Warren is the only candidate to show a notable increase in support. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) pegged fourth place with 7 percent support; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) tied for fifth place with 4 percent support. I realize we’re 14 months from the general election, but the first Democratic test comes in Iowa in January.

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Poll: Presidential Voters Say Age More Disqualifying Than Being Gay

A new a Reuters/Ipsos poll may be good news for Mayor Pete Buttigieg as the survey shows age may be a more disqualifying factor for presidential candidates than sexual orientation.

Via Reuters:

Overall, the poll found that 48% of adults in the United States said they were “much” or “somewhat” less likely to support someone for the White House if the person was older than 70, while 34% were less likely to vote for someone who is gay.

And 12% said they were more likely to vote for a gay candidate, compared with 11% who said they were more likely to support a candidate who is over 70.

The current Democratic field of candidates running for the 2020 presidential nomination includes two septuagenarians – former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The poll also showed that minorities were more likely to be supportive of a gay candidate than whites, and millennials were more supportive than Baby Boomers. Additionally, urban dwellers were more supportive than those living in rural areas.

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New Poll Shows Five Democrats Would Beat Trump

A new national poll by Ipsos/Reuters shows several Democratic candidates beating Donald Trump in hypothetical head-to-head matchups:

A new national poll by Ipsos/Reuters shows several Democratic candidates beating Donald Trump in hypothetical head-to-head matchups:

Biden 47% (+13)
Trump 34%

Sanders 44% (+9)
Trump 35%

Warren 40% (+4)
Trump 36%

Harris 39% (+3)
Trump 36%

Buttigieg 37% (+2)
Trump 35%

Click the link to see much more of the results.

I know it’s waaaaaay early, but I always find it interesting to see what folks might be thinking.

In truth, the next real shakeup will be the first Democratic debates on June 26/27.

Will anyone make a gaffe or suddenly have a shining moment?