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Bernie Sanders put on a clinic and completely stonewalled ABC’s News Jon Karl when he tried to get the Democratic candidate to personally attack Hillary Clinton.

Video:

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https://youtu.be/Al4sVp7Rs2E

Transcript via ABC’s This Week:

KARL: Hey, we are out of time. I want a yes or no answer to one quick question. Hillary Clinton’s poll suggest a lot of people don’t see her as honest and trustworthy. Do you think Hillary Clinton is honest and trustworthy? SANDERS: I have a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton. She is somebody I’ve known for 25 years. I’m not going to be engaging in personal attacks against her. KARL: So you won’t say whether or not she’s honest. SANDERS: I’m not going to be engaging in personal attacks against her. She and I disagree on many issues. The American people want a serious debate about serious issues, not personal attacks. KARL: All right, Senator Sanders, thank you very much for joining us.

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Whether one supports Bernie Sanders or not, the Senator from Vermont deserves respect for the way that he has conducted his campaign. The media would love nothing more than for Sanders to personally attack Clinton. The corporate media in the United States has convinced themselves that the American people are too stupid to enjoy a debate about issues, so they spend their time trying to goad candidates into personally attacking each other.

Sanders is the only candidate who has not taken the bait. He understands that personally attacking Hillary Clinton would take the focus off of the issues that matter. Plus, one of the reasons why Sen. Sanders has attracted such a dedicated following is that he is a different kind of candidate. There is a something dignified about a candidate who refuses to dwell in the sewer of modern American politics.

The contrast between the Democratic and Republican primaries is striking. On the Republican side, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is practically begging his candidates to stop attacking each other, but with Donald Trump sitting at the top of the polls, the Republican primary has become a mudslinging contest.

While the Republicans are doing everything in their power to avoid discussing issues, Democrats are having an issue-driven debate among their candidates that is already sharpening up their vision of what the post-Obama Democratic agenda will look like.

Bernie Sanders isn’t going to be bullied by the corporate media. He knows exactly what the press wants, and he is refusing to give it to them. Whether the media likes it or not, Democrats are going to have a spirited primary centered around the issues.

Save the circus and childish behavior for the Republicans. Democrats are busy plotting a path to a prosperous future for the middle-class.