Bernie Sanders on What Campaigns Are About

Bernie SandersI’ve had writers who have sat exactly where you’re sitting, and I’ve talked for an hour on every major issue facing the American people — gone on for an hour — and at the end, somebody asks me for a word on Hillary Clinton. And the story is “Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton.” That is the corporate media’s worldview. That is their only understanding of how a campaign can be run: when one candidate attacks the other candidate.

Now, I’ve known Hillary Clinton for many years. Let me confess: I like Hillary. I disagree with Hillary Clinton on many issues. My job is to differentiate myself from her on the issues — not by personal attacks. I’ve never run a negative ad in my life. Why not? First of all, in Vermont, they don’t work — and, frankly, I think increasingly around this country they don’t work. I really do believe that people want a candidate to come up with solutions to America’s problems rather than just attacking his or her opponent. If you look at politics as a baseball game or a football game, then I’m supposed to be telling the people that my opponents are the worst people in the world and I’m great. That’s crap; I don’t believe that for a second… I don’t need to spend my life attacking Hillary Clinton or anybody else. I want to talk about my ideas on the issues.

—Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders Speaks

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