BK: Absolutely. Its motive is profit, which is to say, its focus is on the lowest common denominator. It serves (and serves up) Donald Trump, not Bernie Sanders.
JB: Both Hillary and the media have already written Bernie off. Hillary's turning to a contest with Trump and so are the pundits. What's that about? And what does that say to the millions of people who have been energized by the Sanders campaign?
BK: I don't think either has exactly written Bernie off. I think they're trying to pretend he's not there, which is what they (at least the media) have done all along. He's not funny-idiotic-cryptofascist like Trump, who therefore plays well on the news. Bernie is serious and complex and only slightly funny but in an old-lefty way. When I heard him speak on Monday he did make a joke about his "terrific hair" but other than that, he was straight-ahead serious, summing up many urgent problems we must deal with. This doesn't easily translate into news. Bernie all along was supposed to be a marginal "protest" candidate. The fact that he's giving Hillary a wicked run for her money has the media dumbfounded and all they know how to do is continually minimize what he says and what he has accomplished. I'm sure Hillary remains scared out of her wits by him, but strategically she is acting as though she has already won the nomination. Since Bernie is refusing to give up, neither are his supporters. I believe he'll keep pushing regardless whether or not he's properly acknowledged by the status quo.
JB: His campaign has been unique in American history for both the number of exclusively small donors and the amounts that they've managed to raise. Can you talk about that a bit? Do you think that Bernie's Super Tuesday results will affect that enthusiasm and tamp down the moolah that's flowed his way? I'm sure Hillary is hoping that's true.
BK: I suppose it will take a super-super Tuesday, one that not even the media can ignore or minimize, to wake up the deeply alienated nonvoters out there and truly transform the nature of American democracy. But in terms of the support he already has, I think it will remain strong, financially and otherwise, as long as Bernie stays in the race and will weather disappointments without giving up. This is because, unlike the other candidates, Bernie has supporters who are intensely committed to the cause he represents, not simply his persona.
JB: Let's talk for a moment about endorsements. Hillary has locked up most of the major ones, on both a state and national level. What happened to the Progressive Congressional Caucus, and most specifically, Elizabeth Warren? I know many were hoping that she would jump in and endorse Bernie, whose opinions on many issues she espouses as well. How important are endorsements in the larger scheme of things? Any thoughts about that?
BK: I don't have any insight into Elizabeth Warren on this. I know Bernie has gotten some progressive endorsements, like Alan Grayson's. I'm not surprised that there's been a centrist chill around his candidacy. He's standing in serious opposition to the status quo. You'll recall, Bernie thanked Chicago's deeply disliked Mayor Rahm Emanuel for NOT endorsing him. So in some ways, non-endorsements may be as much a boost as endorsements.
JB: Interesting perspective; I never thought of it that way. Maybe you're on to something. Are we all talked out or is there anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
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