RUSH: Bernie Sanders. Folks, I have to tell you something. Bernie Sanders is drawing record crowds. Portland, Seattle, and now Los Angeles. (interruption) What are you frowning at in there? (interruption) It is amazing, but wait. Let’s put this in perspective. Let’s go back seven years, shall we? Maybe eight years. At this time in the 2008 presidential campaign, everybody thought Barack Hussein O was a political phenomenon.

We thought the crowds, we thought the excitement and the cult-like atmosphere was unique to him. It turns out that Obama wasn’t a phenomenon at all. The phenomenon happens to be anybody who runs against Hillary in a Democrat primary. I mean, that’s the way I, your beloved host, choose to look at this. Bernie Sanders? Come on. Nothing against Bernie. He’s a nice old codger, and he’s an honest but insignificant little socialist from Vermont. A perfectly fine human being.

He’s wrong about everything, but he’s harmless. Bernie Sanders drawing record crowds? Barack Obama drew record crowds. What’s the common denominator? Hillary Clinton. I’m here to tell you that the big secret here, the thing that nobody wants to talk about. Maybe they figured this out on the Democrat side, I don’t know. But it sure seems to me that in this primary cycle and in 2008…

I mean, you got Obama. He came out of nowhere. Nobody knew who he was. I mean, he hadn’t made a speech. I’m not trying to put Obama down here. I’m trying to be honest and perspective. He is getting these record crowds, and we all thought, “Oh, my God!” “Oh,” we thought, “he’s Bill Clinton Jr. able to fool all these people with all these platitudinous speeches.” It turns out given what we’ve seen with Bernie Sanders that the common denominator is in the Democrat Party.

They’re gonna treat anybody this way who runs against Hillary, whoever is the first out of the box. It might have been Martin O’Malley, but he waited. It might have been Jim Webb, but he waited. I’m not denying that Bernie Sanders’ uber, extreme, off the charts left-wing radical liberalism is not a factor; it is. Because that’s what the Democrat Party has become. I’m not take anything away from him here, don’t misunderstand.

This is not an attempt here to belittle Bernie Sanders. I’m just engage here in objective political analysis as America’s Real Anchorman. (interruption) Why you frowning in there? Does this not make sense to you? (interruption) What do you mean, “It’s almost unbelievable?” Why do you think it’s…? You know, you think it’s unbelievable because you’ve bought, as most people have, the idea that Hillary is inevitable. You’ve bought the idea that it’s Hillary’s just because it’s her turn.

Everybody did this in 2008; look what happened. The difference here, I think, is I don’t think the Democrat Party wants Bernie Sanders anywhere near the Democrat nomination, ’cause he means it. He means it when he’s gonna distance the party from big money and Wall Street and bankers. He means it. And when he’s gonna take aim at American corporations, he means it. The Democrat Party’s in bed with all those people right now.

That’s where the money is, and not gonna let Bernie shake it up. That’s why all these rumblings about Biden out there. I tell you this. Just don’t don’t don’t doubt me on this. The Democrat Party hierarchy, whoever it is, they’re noticing this, and they’re all going, they’re all doing the same thing, “Bernie Sanders? Are you kidding me?” (interruption) Well, Mr. Snerdley, the official program advisor — observer. No advisor here. He’s the program observer.

“We know why we don’t like Hillary, but why don’t they like Hillary?” The answer to that question is more properly stated, “What is there to like?” Let’s just turn it around, “What is likable about Hillary…?” (interruption) No, no, no, no! She mouths all right stuff.” Yeah, yeah, yeah. She mouths all the right stuff. But what is it? Is she likable? Bernie’s a lovable, cuddly old guy running around. Hillary’s Nurse Ratched! Bernie Sanders is not Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

He’s not even a nurse’s aide. Hillary’s Nurse Ratched. You can’t make the comparison. You know what I’d like to see? The Democrat debate is coming up on the 16th of September. It’s out in…? Where is it? Where is the Democrat debate? Ah, it’s in LA somewhere? No, the next Republican debate is in the Reagan library. The Democrat debate… Wait a minute. It’s been put off. I’m thinking the next Republican debate is September 16.

But the Democrat debate, they’ve moved it and that’s why Martin O’Malley is so ticked off. Martin O’Malley is running around asking, “Is this Democrat Party? What is this, no debates?” That’s another thing, by the way. They are delaying these debates. They are limiting the number of debates on the Democrat side. Their first is October 13th in Nevada. Right, right. Okay, and that’s moved back from whatever the original schedule date was. This also tells me that the Democrat Party is nervous about Hillary.

I think they do want her this time. Who else is there? I think they do want her, but I they don’t want Bernie, and so they’re moving the debate back and they’re limiting the number of debates. Can you just see CNN? I would love… You know, CNN’s always trying to emulate Fox. Well, that’s not quite the way to put it. CNN, despite what they would say, is a little jealous of Fox. Everybody would love to have Fox’s ratings.

They would love to have Fox’s respect. They would love to have the respect Fox has. They would love to have the core audience Fox has. You know how copycat media is, how emulative. How about this? How about — I don’t know — Andrea Mitchell, or a female infobabe to be the debate moderator, and Mrs. Clinton gets the first question. “Mrs. Clinton, let me mention seven names:

“Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinsky, Beth Dozoretz, Denise Rich. Now, tell us: Hw can you look at anyone with a straight face and talk to them about family values, when It Takes a Village to satisfy your husband?” That’s my (laughing) variation on the Trump question at the Fox debate. To keep things equal, hit Hillary the same way, and that is the question.

I was talking to a friend (laughing) talking to a friend. You know, every election cycle somebody says, “If so-and-so wins, I’m moving! I’m leaving the country.” So I was talking to friend of mine out in Los Angeles last night, and I said, “Look, if Hillary wins this, are you gonna move?” He said, “Not only am I gonna move if Hillary is voted into the White House. I’m joining ISIS!” (laughing) Oh, yes.