• About WordPress
    • WordPress.org
    • Documentation
    • Support
    • Feedback
  • Log In
  • Register
↓
 

The Progressive Wing

You Are The Revolution

  • Home
    • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • FAQ
    • Members
  • Candidates
  • Organizations
  • Media
Home→Tags Bernie2020

Tag Archives: Bernie2020

The Fighting Soul: On the Road With Bernie Sanders Part 1

The Progressive Wing Posted on April 27, 2022 by BennyApril 30, 2022

Two Weeks ago, I read an op-ed by Maureen Dowd, “Still Feeling the Bern. ” It’s a favorable interview and review of Ari Rabin-Havi about his book on working for Bernie Sanders as a staffer, later as “Earl’s” deputy campaign manager and close political adviser. The memoir is entitled The Fighting Soul: On the Road with Bernie Sanders.

Dowd supplies some good leads about the book, but I will include for brevity only this summation:

When Sanders met with Barack Obama at his Georgetown office in 2018 to tell him he was thinking about running for president again, Obama offered this advice: “Bernie, you are an Old Testament prophet — a moral voice for our party giving us guidance. Here is the thing, though. Prophets don’t get to be king. Kings have to make choices prophets don’t. Are you willing to make those choices?”

Rabin-Havt (whose brother, Raphi, worked with me at The Times for a spell) writes: “Obama continued, making the point that to win the Democratic nomination, Bernie would have to widen his appeal and convince the party to back him — which would mean being a different type of politician and a different type of candidate than he wanted to be. Bernie listened to Obama, but it was clear to me he never accepted that premise. He has a fundamental belief that he could lead an uncompromising movement that would challenge those who ran the Democratic Party while also leading that same institution, one he steadfastly refused to join.”

The author sums up with a trenchant point: Bernie may never see “the promised land,” but he did win.

“While Bernie Sanders will never be president, his two campaigns have transformed the Democratic Party and this country. Old orthodoxies about government spending and foreign policy have crumbled as a result of the unceasing efforts by an old socialist.”

I labeled this post part one for a good reason. Thanks to Dowd’s op-ed, I decided to buy a Kindle edition of the book and it arrived yesterday. I’m about 20% of the way through. It’s very relaxed in its prose, and candid at times about the frustrations in creating work arounds to make the trains run on time. Some of it has surprised me, such as learning that Bernie is a football fan. I thought he liked baseball and basketball, hereto alas, he likes football and roots for the New England Patriots. (The author is a Giants fan and finds the Pats annoying) I enjoy reading about Bernie’s proclivities and use of foul language when away from microphones. Dowd put it this way in her piece:

I relish hearing about what Rabin-Havt calls “Bernie’s natural impatience” with the frivolous — pretty much everything except the sweeping changes he wants in the country.

There are some happy moments with co-chairs of the campaign, such as Nina Turner’s great effort of personally adopting SC for one of the first primary states in campaigning for the senator. Rabin-Havt shared more of the strategy in the book, which political historians will appreciate. Much of it we knew from reports in the news and all of us who attended rallies, but Rabin-Havt reveals the thinking behind it.

Thus, this is my part 1 since I’m only a 1/5 of the way in the book. It’s a pleasure so far to read. I’ll give my own review later.

I’m posting some videos and reviews in the comments. feel free to add your own. I’ll be reviving this later in the week.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ari Rabin-Havt, Bernie Sanders, Bernie2020, Mauren Dowd, Nina Turner, Progressives | 19 Replies

Register

Recent Posts

Ukraine/Russia Context

May 21, 2022 10:07 am | By polarbear4 | 5 comments

5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread

May 21, 2022 7:43 am | By Benny | 12 comments

5/18-20 News Roundup & Open Thread

May 18, 2022 6:53 am | By Benny | 163 comments

5/16-17 News Roundup & Open Thread

May 16, 2022 2:41 pm | By LieparDestin | 109 comments

5.14-15 Weekend Open Threads

May 14, 2022 4:23 am | By orlbucfan | 43 comments

5/11-12 News Roundup & Open Thread

May 11, 2022 7:11 am | By Benny | 58 comments

5/9-10 Open Thread & News Roundup

May 9, 2022 7:49 am | By LieparDestin | 59 comments

5.6-7-8 Open Threads

May 6, 2022 7:45 am | By orlbucfan | 59 comments

5/4-5 News Roundup & Open Thread

May 4, 2022 7:30 am | By Benny | 108 comments

5.2-3 Open Threads

May 2, 2022 12:47 pm | By orlbucfan | 136 comments

Recent Comments

  • orlbucfan on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • orlbucfan on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • jcitybone on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • Benny on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • Benny on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • Benny on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • Benny on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread
  • jcitybone on 5/21-22 Weekend News Roundup & Open Thread

2022 Progressive Candidates

The Squad

  • Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) – Profile – June 28, 2022
  • Cori Bush (MO-01) – Profile – August 2, 2022
  • Mondaire Jones (NY-10) – Profile – June 28, 2022
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) – Profile – June 28, 2022
  • Ilhan Omar (MN-05) – August 9, 2022
  • Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) – September 6, 2022
  • Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) – Profile – August 2, 2022

House

  • Jessica Cisneros (TX-28) – May 24, 2022
  • Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) – June 28, 2022
  • Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) – August 2, 2022
  • Ro Khanna (CA-17) – June 7, 2022
  • Summer Lee (PA-12) – GENERAL
  • Mark Pocan (WI-02) – August 9, 2022

Senate

  • Charles Booker (KY) – GENERAL
  • John Fetterman (PA) – GENERAL
  • Raphael Warnock (GA) – May 24, 2022

 

State & Local Races

  • Chesa Boudin (San Francisco DA) – June 7, 2022
  • Anna Eskamani (FL-HD-47) – August 23, 2022

Search TPW

Archives

©2022 - The Progressive Wing
↑