Debra Messing’s Meaningful Feud with Susan Sarandon Over ‘Bernie or Bust’
Yesterday, Susan Sarandon went on Chris Hayes’s show on MSNBCto talk about, among other things, Bernie Sanders and her support for him. Here’s what happened when he asked her if she would vote for Hillary Clinton, if Clinton won the primaries:
Sarandon: I don’t know. I’m going to see what happens.
Hayes: Really?
Sarandon: Really.
[…]
Sarandon: Some people feel that Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately if he gets in, things will really explode.”
Debra Messing, best known for starring in “Will & Grace,” and of course, a member of the tribe, watched the interview and disagreed vehemently. So, as many celebs do nowadays, she took her feelings to Twitter.
This is how she started:
Susan Sarandon muses tht Trump prezcy wud b better 4 the country thn Hillary.Wonder if she’d say that if she were poor,gay,Muslim or immgrnt
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
For non-twitter users: “Susan Sarandon muses that Trump presidency would be better for the country than Hillary. Wonder if she’d say that if she were poor, gay, Muslim or immigrant.”
Jamie Lee Curtis also echoed Messing:
I respect but disagree with @SusanSarandon. A possible support of Trump over @HillaryClinton is dangerous 2 women, minorities & immigrants.
— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) March 29, 2016
But for Messing, one tweet wasn’t enough:
1-What kind of revolution?! A WALL?! #ImWithHer but if it’s Bernie/Trump I will ABSOLUTELY support BS. https://t.co/nqPGCDStCX
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
2- the idea that Susan Sarandon wud say that NOT supporting Hillary in a HRC/Trump race is a legitimate choice for Democrats, is insane.
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
Sarandon was fast to tweet back:
Watch the interview. Don’t just read the headlines. #Spin https://t.co/jW0cXq406K
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) March 30, 2016
Of course I would never support Trump for any reason. If you watch the interview you’ll see that’s not what I said. https://t.co/wQk0cMmeyp
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) March 29, 2016
Messing insisted:
Then why didn’t you say that? Please make that clear in the future. For women’s sake if for no one else. https://t.co/gzB55L43qj
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
We thought it was over, but the next day Sarandon replied to Messing with these two tweets:
.@DebraMessing if it weren’t for Sanders & whose interests HC doesn’t represent, it is a dilemma. (2/2)
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) March 30, 2016
But Messing wasn’t ready to back down, replying in three parts:
1-You are not a first time voter.Your position,as a life long advocate 4 the underepresented,is what matters to me. https://t.co/oLueAHCaUe
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
2-Your voice is powerful and influential. You not clearly disavowing Trump implies that u consider him (vs Hillary) https://t.co/oLueAHCaUe
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
3- There are people who need protections, and B Bernie or Hillary have that as a priority. Trump does not. https://t.co/oLueAHCaUe
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
Sarandon was not ready to make any concessions:
This is y Bernie beats Trump by wider margin in polls & y independent voter support 4 HC can’t be taken for granted. https://t.co/ZT7xKOeC6a
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) March 30, 2016
Despite attacks from Bernie Bros and others, Messing stood her ground, sharpening her arguments with 125 character tweets and retweets. She responded to her detractors, proving that sometimes refusing to back down is more important than not feeding the trolls:
so u R ready 2 have yr Rights over yr body repealed? Discrimination policies reversed? if that’s the case, carry on. https://t.co/POpgMLBGtK
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
you can if you care about the make up of the Supreme Court. https://t.co/y5kyDC3Ghp
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
Messing’s point remained. She had no intention of swaying voters to vote for her candidate (Messing is a Hillary supporter), she didn’t in any way want to ignore the importance of independent voters, or to deny the fact that it might be easier to sway a certain type of Republican voter to vote for Bernie (these were all points her detractors tweeted at her).
That’s not my intention. Vote for Bernie. i am making BS supporters who wuld vote4Trump over Hillary feel like shit. https://t.co/CIoaL2u3CL
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
What she wanted from Bernie supporters, including high profile ones like Sarandon herself, is to say that if (if!) Hillary wins the nomination, they will do everything they can to stop Trump from getting in the White House. And that means voting for her in the General Election. A hypothetical concession that a significant number of Bernie supporters(33% of them, according to a Wall Street Journal poll) claim they’re not willing to make.
of course you have the right. But if you Stand behind liberal democratic IDEALS you can’t defend voting for Trump. https://t.co/pqUSlHvoil
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
For Sarandon, a former fervent Nader supporter, that concession may not be in the cards. She might, like the Bernie Or Bust movement, put in a blank ballot or refuse to participate at all. But for Messing and many Democrats, for who the stakes are so high, that feels stupid and selfish.
i do acknowledge it. A no vote is a vote for Trump. Just like with Nader electing Bush. https://t.co/ShnXNY0Q38
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) March 30, 2016
That sense is especially heightened today, after Trump claimed that women who get abortions should be “punished in some way.”
One thing is for sure. This twitter Celeb debate was much more civilized than any of the GOP debates.
@DebraMessing look at all this support! People are ready to make you a write-in candidate. America needs you. pic.twitter.com/HIsvNvrEZm
— adam (@mostlyfilth) March 30, 2016
Another potential Jewish president we can get behind!
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO