Bernie Sanders Eats Ice Cream, Shoots Hoops On ‘The View’ After Winning New Hampshire
After a morning meeting with Al Sharpton in Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem, New Hampshire primary Dem victor Bernie Sanders warmed up for tonight’s interview with Stephen Colbert making a visit to ABC’s daytime talker The View to sample his Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor, Bernie’s Yearning. And Joy Behar pronounced his previous night’s New Hampshire victory address a “post-graduate speech,” to Donald Trump’s “kindergarten speech.”
Sanders also took questions from The Ladies Of The View about his strategy for fixing the cost of higher education, the Flint water scandal, gun control, and mostly how he planned to court African American and Latino voters. Hillary Clinton,who has a commanding lead over Sanders’ campaign in both groups, is heading to South Carolina to campaign with the mother of Trayvon Martin – the unarmed teen fatally shot by neighborhood-watch captain George Zimmerman – and with the mother of Eric Garner, who died after a police officer put him in a chokehold while arresting him, they noted.
What’s his plan, they wondered.
Sanders ticked off members from his campaign’s “long list of well-known African American leaders” who have given him their support. But, more important, he said, are his views about the country’s “broken criminal justice system” and lack of jobs for high school grads in black communities.
“Why are there more people in jail, largely African American and Latino, than any other country on earth? I think most Americans understand it is not acceptable to see unarmed people being shot by police officers,” Sanders said. “I’m a former mayor, so I know most police officers work hard doing a very difficult job. But when a police officer breaks the law, like any other public official, that officer must be held accountable.”
Sanders said he’ll also push to “invest heavily in the African American community and create decent paying jobs,” noting the 51% unemployment rate among African American high school grads. “Don’t tell me we do not need to invest heavily in the African American community and create decent paying jobs.”
That exercise over, it was time to shoot hoops with Sanders, after which they let him go, so they could ask panelist Raven-Symone what she thought of him, given that she was the closest thing to a millennial on their panel.
“I love Bernie Sanders. America is compartmentalized. I feel like he looks at everyone and says we’re a part of one country let’s all come together. He’s touched on black people, he’s touched on gay people, he’s touched on college issues, and he does it in a way that’s comprehensive to me. And he explains it in layman’s terms, so I’m not confused.”
The show’s resident conservative Candace Cameron-Bure, however, said she “enjoyed…very much” meeting Sanders and “he seems very genuine…but I have different views as to how to turn this country around.” And, “We did a good job interviewing him,” she beamed. Later she said of the White House race by both parties, “This race isn’t over, but it’s exciting to me people keep popping up ad moving ahead. It’s pulling me in!”
“You know what’s also pulling people in? Valentine’s Day,” said Raven-Symone, pivoting to a product plug.
It was Bure who’d asked Sanders, because it’s nearly Valentines Day, to say something nice about other candidates. Sanders did not object, but signaled his thoughts on the schtick with one of his “I don’t suffer fools” eye rolls:
Kasich: “Old friend”
Trump: “What can I say?” When panelists suggested he say something about Trump’s ties or his hair, Sanders raised his finger, which fans knew signaled they should put a sock in it because he’d thought of something:
“Humble,” he responded.
Hillary Clinton: “Intelligent”
Ted Cruz: “Loud”
“Is that nice?” Bure asked fellow panelists, not sure.
Other than that, Sanders mostly was given set-up questions to repeat what he’s already said at debates – only minus those pesky Clinton responses.
The cost of college education:
Vermont’s gun laws and his vote against the sos-called Brady Bill:
The water in Flint:
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