In a move that could define his campaign going forward, Democrat presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders performed a “John McCain moment” and scolded a crowd of supportersĀ on Saturday after they cheered the death of the late billionaire philanthropist David Koch.
The scolding occurredĀ as Sanders answered questions at the Minnesota State Fair. One of the attendees began his question by saying, “Yesterday, oligarch David Koch passed away.” For some inexplicable reason, this remark spurred cheers and jubilation from the audience.
“And weāre going to be dealing with his pollution and the radicalization of his politics,” the unnamed questioner continued after the cheers abated. “Heās made a killing off of the misery of other people, and I want to talk about retroactive justice. How would you follow up for the victims of folks who are coming down in the future generations?”
Fact-check: FALSE.
Listen to Sanders’ praiseworthy response below:
“I donāt applaud, you know, the death of somebody. We neednāt do that,” the 2020 contender said before going on to talk about Citizens United, the criminal justice system and other topics.
This scolding mirrored the scolding then-GOP presidential nominee John McCain gave his supporters in 2008 when they accused then-Democrat nominee Barack Obama of working with “domestic terrorists” and being an “Arab.”
Watch:
While Sanders’ scolding could have been tougher ā he could have condemned those who cheered versus just saying, you know, “I don’t personally do this” ā it still marked what may very well have been the first instance of any Democrat speaking out against the left’s indecency.
Ever since Koch died from deteriorating health earlier in the week, members of the MAINSTREAM LEFT (not just random nobodies) have been cheering his death and trashing his legacy and humanity:
Bye bitch Iām glad you died
ā Erin hereby ordering Ryan (@morninggloria) August 23, 2019
David Koch was a villain who devoted his wealth to further enriching himself and his fellow plutocrats, while spinning us all toward environmental doom. I donāt believe in an afterlife, but if there is one, I hope his soul suffers for eternity. https://t.co/hpKwAoQDje
ā Jordan Weissmann (@JHWeissmann) August 23, 2019
The world is literally on fire.
If you don’t take a moment to dance on the grave of David Koch now you may never get the chance to.
ā Ijeoma Oluo (@IjeomaOluo) August 23, 2019
First Epstein dies, then David Koch. This is the first time Iāve been super psyched for the rule of threes
ā Mike Drucker ? PAX (@MikeDrucker) August 23, 2019
Very glad to hear David Koch is dead. Him and his brother have contributed immeasurably to the ongoing environmental ruin of our planet, as well as the horrific treatment of minorities and children of color. I wouldnāt even waste piss on his grave.
ā Cassandra, Pudgy Nobody (@ChrisWarcraft) August 23, 2019
Almost positive the Koch brothers wouldnāt be sad if any of us died.
Like, based on all evidence.
ā Jennifer Wright (@JenAshleyWright) August 23, 2019
Iām going to try to say this in the nicest, most respectful way I know how:
David Koch was a terrible person and a worse American and Iām glad heās dead.
ā David Slack (@slack2thefuture) August 23, 2019
As of Sunday morning, two full days after the billionaire’s death, not a single mainstream media outlet or Democrat presidential candidate had spoken out about this hatred. Not one. Nor had any of them fact-checked the myriads of smears being disseminated about Koch.
The only time the media began paying attention was after celebrated left-wing comedian and talk show host Bill Maher said of Koch, “I’m glad he’s dead.”
This remark did indeed receive media attention, though much of the coverage appeared to be laced with a positive tint.
“Like him or not, on Friday night Bill Maher did what he does best. He used his platform to cut through what he deems as nonsense, no matter the blowback or regard for political niceties,” Rolling Stone wrote.
Meanwhile, in describing the host’s monologue, The Daily Beast referred to the part specifically about Koch as “the kicker.”
Dovetailing back to Koch’s legacy, despite being described as a veritable mad Republican scientist who created President Donald Trump likeĀ Victor created Frankenstein, the fact remains he was a libertarian at heart ā one who truly believed in the free market.
“Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1940, Koch was a longtime member of the board of trustees of Reason Foundation, the nonprofit that publishes this podcast, and a major force in the modern libertarian movement,” Reason magazine,Ā the premier news source for libertarians, notes.
The 20-minute podcast from Reason below has more information about his legacy:
Besides advocating for libertarian policies, Koch also donated huge sums of money to meaningful causes.
“Some of the ways the conservative philanthropist was able to change lives was dipping into his estimated $50.5 billion fortune and giving more than a billion dollars to a variety of organizations,” Fox Business notes. “According to his company bio, those included research arms looking into cancer cures, medical centers, educational institutions, arts and cultural centers and public policy organizations.”
For some reason, the rest of the media chose to ignore this aspect of his life ā much as they likewise ignored his libertarian political leanings.
As for Sanders, he received widespread praise from those Americans who believe that, no matter whether they liked or disliked Koch’s political views, he was still a human being.
Look:
Good on ā¦@BernieSandersā©. That was the right thing to do. Reminds me of someone else, on the eve of his passing, one year ago tomorrow. Your decency, John McCain, is not always in evidence today, but it is not forgotten. ā„ļø https://t.co/2XYqzLq6nG
ā S.E. Cupp (@secupp) August 25, 2019
Good for him – a moment with echoes of McCain and the woman who called Obama a Muslim in 2008. āWe needn’t do that’: Bernie Sanders chides audience for applauding death of David Koch https://t.co/SXdmWnFOKV
ā Toby Harnden (@tobyharnden) August 24, 2019
Sanders scolds the crowd at a Minnesota State Fair Q&A on Saturday for cheering on the death of billionaire philanthropist David Koch.
This is the definition of character! And is why #Bernie2020 is the only @DNC candidate I will vote for. #BernieOrBust https://t.co/aeHhaTgm8t
ā Jmkingacting (@jmkingacting) August 25, 2019
Glad to see I’m not the only one tht understands tht celebrating death isn’t a good thing.
ā Oddhumantomost? (@oddhumantomost) August 24, 2019
@BernieSanders @SenSanders
T Y , Hon Senator Sanders, for upholding appropriate decorum’s standards! We can disagree w/others, which I certainly did w/Koch–but we do NOT need to be cruel whenever they pass from this life.ā 1TXs_Voice (@Muzzy_TXs) August 24, 2019
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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