Questions Rachel Maddow Should, But Won’t, Ask Bernie Sanders

This is the interview I would like, but don’t expect, to see:

Maddow: When you entered the race, you said you had never run a negative campaign, but during the past 6 months,you have repeatedly questioned Hillary’s judgment and her integrity. You have all but said she is bought and paid for by Goldman Sachs. What do you say to those who assert you have failed to keep your first big promise?

Sanders: That’s your interpretation. Besides, Hillary has attacked me, too.

Maddow: Actually, that’s not true. Clinton has questioned the numbers behind some of you policies, at worst she has suggested that you are not completely familiar with the regulations governing your primary goal of breaking up the big banks, but let’s go on.

Your supporters on Twitter have bombarded Hillary supporters, especially women, with vile accusations, doxing, etc. At a rally yesterday, she was called a “wh***”. They routinely tweet that she is a killer, a crook, untrustworthy, hateful, etc. The “BernieOrBust” movement insists they would rather vote for Trump.

What’s your response?

Sanders: Well, of course I don’t advocate such behavior. There is no room in my movement for such people.

Maddow: So, basically, you’re saying that Trump isn’t responsible for what his supporters say or do and you aren’t responsible for yours?
 
OK, let’s go on.

Maddow: Before you entered the race, you said you would never run as a Democrat because it would be hypocritical, but you did. During the past months, you sued the DNC for punishing your staff for stealing data from the Clinton campaign, you are currently demanding that the DNC change its convention rules and write the platform you want. You’ve accused the DNC of being crooked, of Sweets of rigging the game. You knew the rules when you signed up. You knew about primaries and caucuses and pledged delegates and superdelegates. Some would say you’re like the friend who asks to crash on the sofa for a few months and then proceeds to trash the apartment because he doesn’t like the cooking.

Sanders: The polls suggest that I have the best chance to beat Trump in the Fall which must be our main priority. Independents are the future.

Maddow: [Interrupting]. Studies show that most Independents reliably vote with one Party or the other. And of those who are truly Independent, some will vote for Hillary but others will vote for Trump, per reports. More than that, why should people who don’t care enough about a Party to join it be permitted to decide who the Party should nominate.

Sanders: We need to expand the Party, to bring in new voters. I can do that. I have done that.

Maddow: Hillary has earned 14 million votes, 3 million more than you have. She has almost 500 more superdelegates. Even if you take the superdelegates out of the equation, she has 300 more pledged delegates than you have. If you allocated all of a state’s superdelegates to the person who won the state, she would still lead you in delegate numbers. [your staff can cough up the numbers]. There is quite literally no way you can allocate delegates, pledged or super, that would put you in the lead. 538’s done the calculations. Exactly what is democratic about asking the DNC to ignore the votes of 14 million Democrats? You seem to be arguing that since you are obviously the only “Democrat” who can beat Trump, the Party should simply ignore all of the votes cast for Clinton. How do you think those voters would feel if they discovered none of their votes counted.

Sanders: I’ve won 9 million votes, the vast majority of young voters. I have the best plans for the country. We must defeat Trump.

Maddow: You’re not answering my question. Young votes don’t carry more weight in any election than old votes. [You might want to look at his hair.] How do you justify disenfranchising 14 million voters?

Sanders: blah, blah, blah.

[p.s. Chris Hayes? You might try one or two of these questions the next time you have a softball interview with Jane Sanders.]