Do you wish you knew more about every Democrat running for president? But you also have a life or at least pretend to and don’t want to waste the little precious moments you have Googling my two-dozen wretched sons and daughters? (Tough, but fair.) Not to worry—I’ve taken on the task of explaining what you need to know about each of the 2020 candidates in 60 seconds or less.
Last time around, Bernie Sanders started his run for the Democratic nomination as an obscure independent politician from Vermont. Now, everyone can name his last five albums. But will this help him actually win?
Producer: Phoebe Bradford, Creative Producer: Cuong Ngo, Senior Producer: Jennifer Perry, Camera: Santiago Garcia
DISCUSSION
Maybe Bernie will, somehow, do better by marginalized groups in a national leadership position than he did on the state level. A lot of leaders in Vermont are frustrated that he continues to drop the ball on inclusivity:
http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/vpr/files/201812/sanders-letter-2018.pdf
Marching with MLK a long time ago is something that everyone—even some Republicans—will applaud. Addressing the racial tensions and ongoing injustices today is what divides people. Bernie is never going to risk alienating that white male vote.
https://www.vpr.org/post/we-find-ourselves-excluded-racial-justice-leaders-ask-bernie-sanders-get-program#stream/0
If Bernie emerges as the candidate, that’s honestly fine. I’ll vote for him and I’ll stop criticizing him the moment he gets the primary nomination (and I’ll start criticizing him again once he’s in office). But I’m going to need him to drop the holier-than-thou act. He’s a politician. He’s out there politicking as hard as anyone else. He voted to bury nuclear waste in a poor Latinx community.