Sunday School Extra Credit 3/8/20

As promised, I've got That Guy from Vermont wandering around the classrooms, waving his arms and yelling at us.

Let's start with his appearance on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Here are some highlights.

On what surprised him about Super Tuesday?

Well, one of the things that I was kind of not surprised by is the power of the establishment to force Amy Klobuchar who had worked so hard, Pete Buttigieg, who, you know, really worked extremely hard as well, out of the race.  What was very clear from the media narrative and what the establishment wanted was to make sure that people coalesced around Biden to try to defeat me, so that's not surprising.

And, nor is it surprising that it only took the initial question for him to point blame at the 'establishment' and 'the media' - but he didn't stop there.

We are taking on, George, as I think everybody knows, the establishment. We're taking on the corporate establishment. We're taking on the political establishment. And what you are seeing now just in the last few weeks is Wall Street, the healthcare industry, the billionaire class putting a lot of money into Joe's campaign.

But at the end of the day, you know what, I think we're going to win this thing. We won in California. We won in Utah. We won in Colorado. We won in Vermont. We won three states, popular votes, before that. And I'm looking forward to the primary here in Michigan and in the state of Washington, other places as well.  

On the now nine former candidates (as of the interview) that have endorsed Papa Joe, and him winning 10 states?

Yes, well, let me say this, later on today we're going to have the support, I believe here in Grand Rapids, of Jesse Jackson. And, as I think you well know, you know Jesse, Jesse has been one of the great civil rights leaders in the modern history of this country. He changed American politics with the concept of the Rainbow Coalition bringing blacks and whites and Latinos together in '84, in '88... So we're proud. 

He went on to tout his grassroots organization, the union support, and that he's not expecting to get the support of most elected officials at the state or federal level. And to tout his agenda, with which we're all familiar., and pointed out what differentiates him from Biden, including

Joe has been, in the past, on the floor of the Senate talking about the need to cut Social Security, Medicare, veterans programs as part of our so-called balanced budget effort. I strongly opposed that. I believe we have to expand Social Security. 

There was more discussion on it, leading to this comment from TGFV.

So all that I'm saying here, and I like Joe, I really do, is that people have a right to know who is going to be there when the going gets tough... What our campaign is about is getting our priorities right and really, finally, having a government that represents working people and not just the billionaire class. 

On whether, if he can't get a plurality of delegates, if he's not in the lead heading into the convention, he'll drop out or continue fighting?

Look, we will fight for every vote that we can, as we're - as we try to win this election. I'm not a masochist who wants to stay in the race that can't be won. But right now, that's a little bit premature. Let's not determine what will happen on Tuesday, what will happen in future. I think we got a great chance to win in Michigan, Washington and New York state, some of the major states that are coming up, and I think the people in those states have a right to cast a vote for the candidate that they want to see become president of the United States.

From his conversation with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union, what did we learn?

On whether he worried that his cancelling an event in Mississippi to go to Michigan would sent the wrong message to people of color instead?

Look, everybody -- everybody knows that there are limited amounts of time. We did three rallies yesterday. We were in Chicago, Illinois -- and Illinois' primary is coming up in a week -- where we had 15,000 people out at Grant Park...We have two rallies today. We did three yesterday. We are working as hard as we can. And you have to adjust the schedule every moment. We look forward to doing as well as we can in Mississippi. It is going to be a tough state for us. But, right now, our focus is here in Michigan, where we think we have the agenda that can win this state. And, also, with two people in the race -- now, it's Vice President Biden and myself -- we have the opportunity to contrast our voting records, our vision for the future.

On the battleground states - Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin?

...these states are all states that have been devastated by these terrible trade agreements. And I fear very much, if Joe is the candidate, believe me, Trump will and has already talked about Joe's record on trade. I believe that we are the strongest campaign to defeat Donald Trump, A, because we have a grassroots movement that is unparalleled, B, because we have a voting record that speaks to the needs of working families. 

On the CDC's recommendation that older people (and others) should avoid crowds, at what point do you stop holding rallies?

That's a good question. And all that I can tell you, Jake, is, we are in communications with public health officials wherever we go...Now, I love rallies. But your point is well-taken. We will not endanger the health of anybody in this country. And I think there are many organizations, the NBA being one, theaters all over this country. I mean, this -- we are watching this thing very, very carefully. What is most important is the health of the American people. And we are in constant contact with public health officials and getting their advice.

On whether he, Biden and Trump, as older Americans, should be limiting travel and avoiding crowds themselves?

Well, in the best of all possible worlds, maybe. But, right now, we're running as hard as we can... Look, this is the most consequential election in the modern history of the United States of America. Trump, in my view, is a president who is a liar, who is a -- running a corrupt administration, who does not understand the Constitution of the United States, who thinks he's above the law. He has to be beaten. And I believe I am the strongest candidate to do that. And I'm going to work as hard as I can to make sure that we win this Democratic nomination and that we defeat Trump.

On his reaction to someone waving a Nazi flag at one of his rallies?

Jake, we have been disrupted by various groups. Some Trump people have gotten excited, and we have gotten rid of them. But the idea that there was a swastika, a symbol of everything that this country stands against -- we lost 400,000 people fighting that symbol, fighting Nazism. Six million Jews were killed. Other people were killed, the most devastating war in the history of humanity. And you have in the United States of America somebody -- who is an anti-Semite, was yelling out vulgar things as well. Obviously, it is unspeakable. It is disgusting. It is something -- I got to tell you, I never expected in my life, as an American, to see a swastika at a major political rally. It's horrible.

On whether sexism and other forms of bigotry are still hurdles for candidates looking for Dem votes?

Yes, I do. Look, the answer -- the short answer is, yes, I do. I think women have obstacles placed in front of them that men do not have. On the other hand, we have made progress in the last 40, 50 years in terms of the number of the women who are now in the Congress... But the day has got to come sooner or later that women can see themselves equally represented in Congress, a half or more members of Congress, president of the United States, leaders of companies all over this country. We're making progress, but it's too slow. And we have got to get rid of all of the vestiges of sexism that exist in this country, which is still pretty rampant.

And finally, from his chat with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, here are a handful of highlights.

On how he and Biden debate without cutting each other up and making it easier for Trump?

Well, Chris, that's the right question... So, Biden and I, no matter who wins this thing, will be together in defeating Trump, but now that it is a two-way race, it is important for the voters of this country to ask themselves two questions. Number one, which candidate is stronger in terms of being able to defeat Trump. And number two, what are the differences in a record.

On billionaires in general?

Well, two questions. No one is denigrating the achievements of Bill Gates or anybody else. But we have to look at culturally what's going on. Do people like the Walton family, for example, that owns Walmart, they're worth well over $100 billion, when their workers are marking $11 or $12 an hour. No one is denigrating people who have made significant achievements but enough really is enough. Does Mike Bloomberg really need $65 billion? To see his wealth increase by $15 billion in the last couple of years.

On how far he'd go on worker control of businesses?

I believe it is important to put workers on the boards of directors of major corporations. And I'll tell you why, when you do that, corporations are not going to be so quick to shut down in America and move to China, move to Mexico, and to move to other low wage countries. I want working people to say, you know what, I'm in a job, my ideas matter. I'm just not a cog in a machine. And in Vermont, by the way, and in states all over this country, where you have enterprises where workers, do have significant input into what goes on, absenteeism goes down, productivity goes up. Democracy to me means not just voting every four years, having a bit of a say in the job that you're working at.

There you have it -- a notebook full of stuff for Extra Credit.

See you around campus.