Read on Twitter
Since we're all doing these, here's mine:
I first got to know Bernie while trying to find a way to destroy him.
What I found was a unique figure in US politics: someone who was authentically who they claimed to be.
Who had a moral vision of a better America without excuses.
I first got to know Bernie while trying to find a way to destroy him.
What I found was a unique figure in US politics: someone who was authentically who they claimed to be.
Who had a moral vision of a better America without excuses.
Before I go too far, I should admit I spent lots of time and effort coming up with spurious attacks to tar the man.
That was part of the job! It's also fun. Lastly, I was merely one cog in a larger, extremely talented research team whose valor I should not steal.
That was part of the job! It's also fun. Lastly, I was merely one cog in a larger, extremely talented research team whose valor I should not steal.
See when you do research, you have to learn everything about a candidate.
(That's why I know about Martin O'Malley's record on deportations. Or Bain Capital's seed investors from El Salvador)
This is where you find the things that changed about them. You didn't with Bernie.
(That's why I know about Martin O'Malley's record on deportations. Or Bain Capital's seed investors from El Salvador)
This is where you find the things that changed about them. You didn't with Bernie.
Bernie was always...there, decades before anyone else.
I think he infuriated lots of operatives and commentators, who pride themselves on being 'more liberal.'
Because he didn't have to explain why he evolved, and his answer was always "because it was right."
I think he infuriated lots of operatives and commentators, who pride themselves on being 'more liberal.'
Because he didn't have to explain why he evolved, and his answer was always "because it was right."
Of course he had flaws, but I always think back to one email chain.
At one point in 2015, Hillary claimed she supported DOMA to prevent a same sex marriage amendment.
Totally untrue, but part of my job was trying to come up with reasons it wasn't.
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/9289
At one point in 2015, Hillary claimed she supported DOMA to prevent a same sex marriage amendment.
Totally untrue, but part of my job was trying to come up with reasons it wasn't.
https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/9289
On the Hillary campaign, we had to check our donors before we made almost any attack.
We couldn't criticize Monsanto, because one of our senior advisers was their lobbyist.
On Bernie's campaign, I was able to directly sling oppo against my arch nemesis: Tyson Foods.
We couldn't criticize Monsanto, because one of our senior advisers was their lobbyist.
On Bernie's campaign, I was able to directly sling oppo against my arch nemesis: Tyson Foods.
When people talk about the 'secret oppo' we left on the cutting room floor, it was stuff we couldn't use because it was punching left, like Bernie calling for higher taxes, horror!
Or my favorite - that Bernie was to the left of Hillary on abortion, and had been since 1971.
Or my favorite - that Bernie was to the left of Hillary on abortion, and had been since 1971.
Bernie was the only politician I'd seen who never thought twice about defending causes Democrats preferred to forget and condemn: muslims, prisoners, and Palestinians.
This usually hurt him politically. But it wasn't because 'we made him woke.' It's because that's who he was.
This usually hurt him politically. But it wasn't because 'we made him woke.' It's because that's who he was.
I'm going on for far too long, but I'm tearing up thinking about what a unique opportunity this was.
To spend every day for a year, begging people to listen to a simple message: poverty and deprivation are choices we make every day as a society.
And we don't have to do so.
To spend every day for a year, begging people to listen to a simple message: poverty and deprivation are choices we make every day as a society.
And we don't have to do so.
For this crime, he was smeared by operatives and pundits that in my opinion found his integrity repulsive.
I think it's because he showed we didn't have to accept that it's normal to profit from the miseries they pretended to campaign against.
I think it's because he showed we didn't have to accept that it's normal to profit from the miseries they pretended to campaign against.
And this cannot be stressed enough: the Iraq War was a collective crime committed by our political class.
One that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Americans, and continues to kill people to this day.
For some reason, it's old news and unfair to point this out
One that killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Americans, and continues to kill people to this day.
For some reason, it's old news and unfair to point this out
Lastly there was old oppo about an Obama 'primary.'
Messina and Rahm pitched in as part of their weeks lying about Bernie in every outlet
In the last debate, Joe admitted the real story: they were willing to cut social security and medicare and had to be pressured out of it.
Messina and Rahm pitched in as part of their weeks lying about Bernie in every outlet
In the last debate, Joe admitted the real story: they were willing to cut social security and medicare and had to be pressured out of it.
The movement will live on if we keep fighting for it. It's on us, not him.
It's time to defeat Trump and build the America Bernie always wanted.
Bernie Sanders forever. Bernie Sanders, never surrender!
It's time to defeat Trump and build the America Bernie always wanted.
Bernie Sanders forever. Bernie Sanders, never surrender!
sorry for the twitter thread post, but it felt really nice to write
also none of this would have been possible without @ArmanK925 and @OliviaLittle, whose work I took too much credit for.
