Bill Clinton Compares Bernie Sanders Supporters to Tea Party

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton campaigns for his wife, Hillary Clinton in Riviera Beach, Florida, Feb. 15, 2016.

Published 16 February 2016

Opinion

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Sanders and his supporters have been railing against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s ties to the Wall Street.

Former President Bill Clinton compared presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders' supporters to the tea party movement during a campaign event in South Florida for his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Although he didn't mention Sanders by name, Bill Clinton warned against “a single-issue campaign” and “rewarding people who tell us things they know they can’t do.”

He added that the Democratic Party is experiencing a pull to the left similar to the extreme right pull exerted on the Republican Party by the tea party.

“It’s not altogether mysterious that there are a lot of people that say, well, the Republican Party rewarded the tea party. They just tell people what they want to hear, move them to the right and we’ll be rewarded – except they didn’t get anything done. Then, that’s going on now in our party,” Clinton said.

.@billclinton compares @SenSanders supporters in Democratic Party to tea party in the GOP
— George Bennett (@gbennettpost) February 15, 2016

Hillary Clinton cancelled her appearance at the rally, that took place in the Port of Palm Beach Cruise Terminal, to campaign in Nevada ahead of its caucuses after Sanders trounced her in New Hampshire and polls seem to be tightening in this Mountain West state.

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Self-described democratic socialist Sanders and his supporters have been railing against Hillary Clinton’s ties to the Wall Street. Clinton, who also served as a senator representing New York, has tried to claim that she is not beholden to those powerful financial interests and that campaign contributions do not influence her vote.

Flashback: Elizabeth Warren Tells a Story About Hillary Clinton, Wall Street and Lobbying … https://t.co/TN71agEN15 pic.twitter.com/TQ53HQXmmI
— Sanders Will Win (@sanderswillwin) February 16, 2016

However, in the last week’s televised debate Sanders responded to her assertion, saying, “Let’s not insult the intelligence of the American people. People aren’t dumb.”

With Sanders' criticisms resonating with voters, and after his landslide victory in New Hampshire, some see former President Clinton's attacks as a response to this.

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The tea party is a political movement known for its ultra conservative positions and what some call racist and xenephobic attitudes. It has successfully run candidates in the Republican Party.

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