Searching For Bernie (sanders)

  A few weeks ago, I read a fascinating article titled “Bernie Sanders’ Refusal to Attack Hillary Clinton Isn’t Just Principled — It’s Political Genius.”It caught my eye partly because the author did an outstanding job of explaining why Bernie’s campaign might see not only moral but strategic value in refusing to run negative ads. It also caught my attention because the piece was written by a (very thoughtful and articulate) college student. Marc Daalder is a sophomore at Amherst College in Massachusetts, and a regular contributor to In These Times. Here’s my conversation with Marc — plus a few examples of negative political advertising, just to remind you how noxious it can be.   Show notesMarc Daalder“Bernie Sanders Refusal to Attack Hillary Clinton Isn’t Just Principled — It’s Political Genius.”on TwitterAppeal to Reason (Marc’s blog)his contributor’s page at In These TimesSlea

  Let’s be honest: Most of the talking heads and political pundits on the major networks rarely say anything that you haven’t already heard from another talking head. Or from your next-door neighbor. Or, more likely, that you haven’t already thought of yourself. It often seems like the main prerequisite to becoming a political commentator on the national stage is you gotta have opinions. Lots of them. Hunches, too. Throw in some speculation, a prediction or two, and a nice haircut, and you’re well on your way.  After the Democratic debate on Tuesday, I was looking for an expert like that to share such insights with me (and you). To highlight the key moments from the debate. To “unpack” it all. Most of all, I needed someone to tell me what to think about what I’d just witnessed.Suddenly it hit me: I know a guy like that — someone with plenty of political opinions, a wil

  This week, the five leading Democratic candidates for president — Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb — will meet on stage for a debate in Las Vegas.It will be the first of only six scheduled Democratic debates, which is a dramatic decline from primaries past. In 2004, for instance, there were 15 Democratic debates. In 2008, there were 26 debates. So what’s the difference this time? Why only 6 debates? Because of something called the exclusivity rule — conjured and enforced by the leadership of the Democratic National Committee. In this episode, we explore:the blowback to the DNC’s decision to cut off debate;the shifting position of Bernie’s campaign staff on the importance of more debates;how the debates might cast Bernie in an unflattering light, and how he might respond; andthe movement to #AllowDebate.    Show no

  As I read about and watch and listen to Bernie’s campaign, I’m constantly clipping and starring and highlighting material. Much of it is audio, and most of it never makes it into episodes of this podcast.Yet those clips are worth a listen. They’re informative and entertaining — and they really don’t need any set-up from me. So, instead of waiting to find a way to seamlessly weave those clips into a future episode, I’ll share them with you now. Enjoy.   Show notes: Feel the Bern #4: a video by MagnumDB that charts the fall and rise of Bernie’s campaign.Jon Stewart on a key difference between Hillary and Bernie Sarah Silverman introduces Bernie in Los AngelesBrian Estes sings Hey Bernie On his YouTube page, Brian writes: I've never written a song for a political candidate. I don't generally trust politicians or find them particularly inspiring. Bernie's got me fired up

   Lil' Bernie celebrates the massive wave of contributions that poured into Big Bernie's campaign during the third quarter of 2015. (photo courtesy of Emily Engel)   Last night — Wednesday, September 30, 2015 — Bernie Sanders and his supporters celebrated some amazing milestones to mark the end of the third quarter of 2015: more than 1.3 million donations received from more than 650,000 people, totalling roughly $25 million.Incredible. To celebrate this milestone, I'd like to introduce you to one (especially creative) person in that crowd of 650,000 contributors. Her name is Emily Engel. She’s a professional seamstress who lives in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and who is t

  In the early days, when Bernie Sanders began his political career as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, what exactly was his appeal? And why is he attracting such huge crowds now?What’s his secret?“Consistent messaging since roughly 1972,” says Sue Prent of the Green Mountain Daily:  In an era when Americans are tired and cynical and fully aware that big money controls most political conversation, they like what they’re hearing from Bernie because he says what he truly thinks, not what the latest polling says he should think, or what the deepest pockets say he must think.In our interview, Sue and I also talk about:Bernie’s campaign style (Donald Trump flies around the country in his own Boeing 757; Bernie rents a Chevy to campaign in Iowa); parallels (if any) with Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential run, andwhat advice she might have, as a former Sanders campaign volunteer, for folks wh

  On Monday night (September 14), my son Caleb and I drove out to the Prince William Fairgrounds in Manassas, Virginia, to attend a campaign rally for Bernie Sanders. Here are some audio snapshots from the evening. (Yeah, I know, I probably included a bit too much of our in-car chatter. But you can always skip that part... right? Or: Just consider this episode to be a little experiment.)(Note to self: Stop using the word “vibe.”)    

  Bernie Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist.So there’s little doubt that as his campaign continues to gain momentum, his opponents and critics will ramp up the name calling: He’s a radical! A Marxist! A communist!The problem is that most people don’t understand what those words really mean.  In this episode of Searching for Bernie, professor David Coates of Wake Forest University helps us make sense of it all.   Show notesDavid Coates holds the Worrell Chair in Anglo-American Studies at Wake Forest University. Born in the United Kingdom and educated at the universities of York and Oxford, he came to Wake Forest in 1999, having previously held personal chairs at the universities of Leeds (in contemporary political economy) and Manchester (in labor studies). He has written extensively on UK labor politics, contemporary political economy and US public policy. Richa

 How do you campaign for Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, in Wyoming, the most Republican state in the nation?James Sempsey, founder of Wyoming for Bernie, describes how he’s doing it — and why Sanders is actually slightly to the right of President Dwight Eisenhower.     Show notesWyoming for Bernie (on Facebook)Bernie Sanders blasts Lloyd Blankfein (VIDEO)the 1956 Republican Party platform“If it turns out to be Jeb versus Hillary we would love that and either outcome would be fine. We could live with either one. … It’s Rand Paul or Ted Cruz versus someone like Elizabeth Warren that would be everybody’s worst nightmare.” (from Wall Street Republicans’ dark secret: Hillary Clinton 2016, in Politico)Audio beds: Boop, Twitterflated, and By Grace, by Podington Bear 

 I’m not a big Lefty or what you’d call a progressive. I’m not a MoveOn member and I don’t read The Nation. In fact, if you’d told me a year ago that one day I’d be even remotely interested in the political campaign of a guy like Bernie Sanders, I’d have called you crazy. But three things recently inspired me to reconsider the Sanders campaign, and to launch this podcast....    Show notesRobert Reich: Inequality for All (movie trailer - VIDEO)July 6, 2015: Bernie Sanders in Portland, Maine (VIDEO)Buckwheat Zydeco: Make a ChangeJuly 29, 2015: Nationwide organizing meetup for Bernie (VIDEO) Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees blows a save against the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series (VIDEO)Bernie Sanders campaign websiteAudio beds: Boop & Twitterflated by Podington Bear