He Must Be Crazy - Going to the Vatican When He Should Be in New York

[The problem is] the Vermont senator’s departure from New York in the final days before an election that’s pivotal to his bid for the Democratic nomination. [Sanders'] decision to jet to Rome has heightened the anxiety level of supporters who don’t think he has the luxury of stepping out of the primary crucible.

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Any opportunity to significantly break into Clinton’s lead in New York could change the public narrative of the race, they think, even if such a result wouldn’t dramatically change Sanders’ position in the pledged delegate contest.

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While most international trips during campaign season come after the conventions — such as open meetings and addresses in the United Kingdom or Israel, or in Barack Obama’s case, Germany in 2008 — the senator is only scheduled to deliver one brief speech and he is not slated to publicly meet with any foreign leaders, let alone the pope.

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Such thoughts are common among Sanders’ allies, who for weeks have played up the importance of his performance in New York.

  Politico

Nice job, Politico. Eight paragraphs into the story, headlined Bernie's allies sweat Vatican trip (but before it was learned he actually did meet the Pope), the writer has disparaged Bernie through the guise of "supporters who don’t think he has the luxury of stepping out of the primary crucible." Eight paragraphs.

Paragraph nine begins:

Few Sanders allies are willing to criticize the senator for the trip, even privately. To them, the decision makes perfect sense.

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The thinking, in Sanders’ circles, is that a swift return to New York on Saturday is quick enough to keep his supporters engaged ahead of Tuesday’s vote —

WTF? Do his supporters think it's a mistake or a good deal? Make up your mind.

— and to keep his international sojourn from becoming a significant distraction.

A significant distraction? An invitation to the Vatican to speak about the cult of money is a distraction? It's precisely what his campaign is based on, and since when did a meeting with the Pope do any politician harm?

But, Politico isn't the only source taking this angle.

Mr. Sanders’s decision to leave the campaign trail days before Tuesday’s primary was a bit of a gamble. Though the trip received widespread press coverage, he relinquished a full day of campaigning in a state where he trails Mrs. Clinton by double digits, polls show. New York is one of the best chances left for Mr. Sanders to cut into his opponent’s lead of 250 pledged delegates for the Democratic nomination.

Steve McMahon, a Democratic strategist not aligned with either candidate, said in an interview before Mr. Sanders departed: “He’s going to perhaps lose a little bit of momentum in New York and come back very tired going into the home stretch. I don’t see the political benefit they [the Sanders campaign] apparently see.”

  WSJ

Perhaps we could understand, if not forgive, the Wall Street Journal for not seeing how a conference on the plight of the poor could benefit a presidential contestant.

No mind. But if Bernie taking two days out of New York to speak at the Vatican was problematic, what about Hillary's time out?

Tickets to the Clinton fundraiser [in Los Angeles this weekend], which was attended by about 150 supporters, started at $33,400. Co-hosts included Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw and Haim and Cheryl Saban.

Once Clinton's motorcade arrived, Sanders supporters held high signs that read "Feel the Bern! Only $27" -- a reference to the cost of the counter-fundraiser -- and "Goldman Sach's Loves Hillary. Feel the Bern." Some supporters also showered her motorcade with money, an apparent jab at Clinton's perceived close relationship with Wall Street.

  ABC News

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.