Celebrity star-power fuels Bernie's final Iowa sprint

[JoeOtterbein]

Politico

His traveling festival of celebrity surrogates aims to attract young and unlikely voters to his campaign events.

By HOLLY OTTERBEIN

01/27/2020 07:09 PM EST

Updated: 01/27/2020 08:17 PM EST

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Inside the campaign, some aides call it “Bernchella."

As Bernie Sanders attempts to surge to a first-place finish in Iowa, the Vermont senator is tapping famous politicians and celebrities to campaign for him in one final star-studded week before the caucuses.

The luminaries cut across the culture, from politics to music to movies and more. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, filmmaker and liberal stalwart Michael Moore, actor Kendrick Sampson, and recording artists Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend — who inspired the Coachella-derived nickname — are among those who have or will be stumping for him.

The roster of celebrity surrogates is designed to bring out young and unlikely voters to events: A Friday rally featuring Ocasio-Cortez and Moore, which Sanders couldn’t attend because he was in Washington for the impeachment trial, drew an estimated 800-plus people. Overall, nearly 6,000 attended events in Iowa held by Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Moore over the last few days, according to the campaign.

Their support comes after the Sanders team courted backing from people such as rapper Cardi B and other stars of color for months.

snip

more on Bernchella at link!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Who are those people?

[DanTex]

4. AOC is a congresswoman. Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend are Grammy winning artists.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I know who AOC is, never heard of the others.

[trueblue2007]

17. never heard of the others.

[NoMoreRepugs]

2. That wasn't from the Onion??

[RandySF]

3. I've only heard of Moore.

[DanieRains]

5. If Bernie Or Elizabeth Are Not The Nominee What Is The Chance Billionaires Will Start Paying Taxes

At the rates the rest of us have to?

1 to 10?

Bernie and Elizabeth are the only candidates who point out WE ARE BEING SCREWED BY THE 1%.

As the planet cooks, the ice melts, and billions of animals die so corporate profits can soar!

Call me a progressive.

Tell me why helping ONLY billionaires get richer should be part of our platform while most Americans will go bankrupt if they get sick TODAY. With our without insurance.

The game is rigged.

AOC and Michael Moore can tell it like it is.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Presidents don't determine tax policy. Congress does that.

The candidates can point out the problems all day, but unless they can bring some Dems to Congress on their coattails, nothing will happen.

[msongs]

8. umm bernie and warren ARE the one percent nt

[redstateblues]

10. Warren's hubby brings home $400K. Bernie is a millionaire as well

It’s hard figuring which 1%ers to hate and which ones to love!

[DanieRains]

14. I Would Hope That After Working Overtime Till Age 78 One Would Be A Millionaire

We are not being Robbed by Bernie.

We are being robbed by the folks Bernie wants to pay their fair share FOR ONCE.

I hope we are all millionaires someday.

Without Bernie or Elizabeth running new tax policy, it probably isn't gonna happen.

I will bet Elizabeth's husband pays income tax on his 400K. How much income tax does Gates, Buffet, or Bezos pay while growing their wealth?

I am not calling anyone evil. Gates and Buffet are giving it ALL BACK in fact. If they paid taxes on the way up they would have less, and we wouldn't be 25 TRILLION IN DEBT.

Work to make the insanely wealthy pay taxes like the rest of us or get out of my party is the way I feel.

Sorry if anyone here worships untaxed billionaires.

[redstateblues]

18. You are insinuating I worship untaxed billionaires?

That's a nasty unnecessary ad hominem. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay

[ritapria]

9. I assume the Young people know who these people are

I am an old Fart and don't have a clue who these people are ….. My favorite band was ABBA ...Yep, I'm really that old ….Big Picture : Bernie is getting the crowds of a winner - bigger than 2016 ... To be fair ..Pete is drawing big crowds as well ..I don't know about Liz ……. Joe is drawing small crowds - but he has the support of seniors who don't usually show up at rallies ….I don't know if crowd size matters with regard to his level of support in Iowa …..

[redstateblues]

11. Crowd size didn't matter in 2016

[JoeOtterbein]

12. ABBA?

Was that from the old Flintstones cartoon replays, on the Cartoon Channel, when Fred yelled something like abbadabadoooo!!!?

(Just kidding, I'm no spring-chicken myself!)

[LeftTurn3623]

13. You should give Vampire Weekend a try

They are a great band. Don’t let the name fool you.

Very Mello almost folk rock.

[The Valley Below]

15. The key lyric line from "This Life" by Vampire Weekend?

"Baby, I know that dreams,
Tend to crumble at extremes"

Do they not read their own lyrics?

[JoeOtterbein]

16. Naw. I'm thinking they be talking about something else. Like love for a person...

...they are personally close too. We all can relate to that!!!!