Radio personality and CNN host Michael Smerconish thought it fitting to compare Bernie Sanders and his surge in the Democratic polls to the coronavirus outbreak. The remark has sparked massive online anger and a storm of mockery.
Smerconish made the outlandish comparison while discussing the prospects of the Democratic forerunner in South Carolina – the last of the four early states – which is voting in the Democratic primaries on Saturday.
“Can either coronavirus or Bernie Sanders be stopped?” the host wondered.
The comparison between Sanders and the virus – which has killed nearly 3,000 globally – was apparently deemed to be fine by the network, since it also appeared in the channel’s chyron.
The presenter’s ‘unconventional’ way of describing Sanders’ solid lead in the Democratic polls has since been met with an overwhelmingly negative reaction online, with many condemning the remark’s extremely poor taste.
While many were outraged and lashed out at the blunder, others chose to bombard CNN with mockery and jokes.
Some even insisted that the abilities of Sanders deserve more credit than some puny virus.
Even the ever-reliable anti-Semitism card has been invoked, with critics arguing that the comparison of a Jewish candidate to a virus closely resembles the propaganda purveyed by Nazi Germany. Ironically, Sanders’ opponents have repeatedly accused the candidate of being an anti-Semite over his criticism of Israel’s policies and support for the creation of a Palestinian state.
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