THREAD.. apologies in advance.. I've covered the @BernieSanders since December of '18. Indulge me as I take a look back at the roller coaster ride of a campaign that ended today.
First off- a HUGE thanks to @AnnieGrayerCNN & @GregJKrieg my teammates that made the job easy.
First off- a HUGE thanks to @AnnieGrayerCNN & @GregJKrieg my teammates that made the job easy.
My first story on the Sanders beat was before he announced his candidacy. A tense meeting in mid- January with former staffers to reconcile sexual harassment accusations from the 2016 campaign.
Sanders officially announced about a month later.. and made his presence known with a huge fundraising haul in the first 24 hours.
Funny aside- we national reporters had a 7am embargo and all got scooped on the official announcement by VT Public Radio.
Funny aside- we national reporters had a 7am embargo and all got scooped on the official announcement by VT Public Radio.
Sanders held his first campaign rallies later than month. Mammoth crowds showed up to support him like this one in Brooklyn and another in Chicago.. It was clear his passionate support from 2016 still very much existed.
While the Dem primary field was already crowded.. Sanders was still considered the front runner.. but conventional wisdom changed when @BetoORourke made a huge splash.. to which Sanders told me:
Holding the front runner status meant increased scrutiny.. especially as Sanders waited quite a while to make good on his promise of releasing his tax returns. When he finally did, the did not end up revealing much.
One of the most poignant moments on the trail was following Sanders around the rural, poverty stricken south. Sanders- not known for his warmth- took us to the home of a woman trapped in a decrepit mobile home. When our visit was over she broke down:
We were with Sanders when he took his campaign to Bentonville, Arkansas and personally spoke to the Walmart board of directors, demanding better pay and benefits for the company's workers. His recommendations were not adopted.
I was the unofficial "captain" of a scrappy press team that was take on the Sanders campaign in a game of softball on the Field of Dreams. We didn't get to play.. but the game went on.
Of all the stories about the @BernieSanders campaign, nothing resonated as much as this piece on the gut wrenching town halls, where average Americans would share their stories of hardship with the candidate. @AnnieGrayerCNN made this piece happen.
Then came the Sanders health scare.
The moment many thought the campaign was over.
The moment many thought the campaign was over.
After we learned that Sanders had suffered a heart attack, we quickly learned that it was not going to stop him from continuing his campaign for president.
And come back he did- with the most impressive event of the campaign. A massive rally in NYC, featuring @AOC.
His campaign quickly caught fire. And as moderates struggled to unite behind a candidate.. @MikeBloomberg entered the race.. and Sanders did not hold back.
(He also found a way to get me to shoot an airball on national tv)
(He also found a way to get me to shoot an airball on national tv)
Sanders ended the year by making good on another campaign promise. Releasing his medical records. Something that took on increased importance after he suffered the heart attack.
Sanders was forced to spend much of January in DC to participate in the Senate impeachment hearings.. when it came time to vote in Iowa- his campaign was in the best position yet.. but despite their strong showing the results were muddled in controversy.
But despite the unclear Iowa results- Sanders went on to notch his first (albeit narrow) victory of 2020 in New Hampshire. This was our preview the night before:
The campaign high point came on the night of the Nevada Caucuses. Sanders cruised to a huge victory- and the overflow crowd that greeted him in San Antonio, TX seemed pretty convinced he was on his way to becoming the nominee.
In fact- the campaign was rolling to such a degree to that point, the Sanders campaign adjusted resources thinking they could close the gap in South Carolina.. or maybe even win.
But those hopes were quickly dashed and the trajectory of the campaign dramatically altered after Sanders suffered a crushing defeat in South Carolina and moderate candidates started dropping out and backing Joe Biden one by one.
But Sanders and his team were ready for a one on one fight. Before any votes were cast they were hopeful that Biden could serve as the "perfect foil" in a head to head race.
It didn't work out that way.. Sanders lost badly on Super Tuesday, and the campaign never recovered.
He stayed in the race.. but the votes never turned in Sanders direction and then came Coronavirus that basically froze his campaign and prevented any opportunity for a Hail Mary turnaround.
But he stayed in for the final debate of the 2020 primary.
But he stayed in for the final debate of the 2020 primary.
The end of the Sanders campaign is anti-climatic given its potential and the real impact on American politics that will last long beyond his name being on a ballot. Still Sanders could still play a very big role in who wins and loses in November.
Thanks for following along! Still a lot of news to cover.. but this chapter- for me- is now closed.
