buzzfeed--2020-02-22--Members Of Nevada's Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders

LAS VEGAS — Despite the leadership of Nevada ’ s largest union criticizing Bernie Sanders over his health care plan in the lead-up to the state 's presidential caucus , the majority of union members caucusing at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip backed Sanders on Saturday .
Some workers who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they support Sanders ’ Medicare for All proposal , even though they appreciate the union health care they have , because they have friends and relatives who don ’ t have union health care and worry about what would happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care is “ the number one issue , ” said Monica Smith , a Culinary Workers member since 1987 and an in-room dining server at the Bellagio , who caucused for Sanders .
“ We have so many people that have walked that picket line , blood sweat and tears , for us .
We ’ re going to be here to protect it , but I worry about other people that aren ’ t protected by unions .
How do they get healthcare .
What 's the dollar amount that they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to worry about not being able to go to a hospital ?
” The results of the caucus , which was the only caucus site open to press on Saturday on Las Vegas ’ hotel- and casino-lined strip specifically for workers , saw Sanders walk away with 76 supporters , followed by Joe Biden with 45 supporters , out of a total 123 caucusgoers .
Across the Las Vegas strip , the pattern of Culinary union members backing Sanders despite the conflict with leadership appeared to be repeating .
In CNN ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by far most support of any candidate amongst union members , with 34 % .
“ We ’ re hearing that other casinos are also kind of breaking the same way , where there was an overwhelming support for workers and the working class for the Senator , ” Sanders ’ political director Analilia Mejia said .
“ You know , the point is , if the leader of our union , Geoconda [ Argüello-Kline ] , can go on TV and say that whoever is elected by the Democrats they are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the candidate , why do they play that when on the back end you ’ re telling people Bernie is not good .
That ’ s ridiculous , ” said Sanders supporter and union member Jose Alvarez , referring to the union ’ s criticism of Sanders ’ Medicare for All plan .
The union ’ s leadership said last week that they would not endorse any candidate in the primary , while escalating criticism of Sanders ’ health care proposal .
The leadership did say that they ’ ll support whoever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m proud to be a member of the union , there ’ s no problem with that .
They have to understand that the union is democratic , they ca n't decide for us what we want , that ’ s what I asked them .
Just do n't get involved , ” Alvarez said .
Others said they weren ’ t especially paying attention to the health care issue , but decided to back Sanders because they liked his policies on college tuition , immigration , and unions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ union , but I 'm with Bernie and I know he ’ s going to be a great president .
I haven ’ t thought about his health plan , but it doesn ’ t matter .
I ’ m with him and everything he ’ s proposing , ” said another Culinary union member , Maria Luisa , speaking in Spanish .
Mejia , who was at the Bellagio during the caucus , said she wasn ’ t surprised to see Culinary union members backing Sanders despite the tension of the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprising because again , on the issues , the senator has been big and bold on immigration , on health care , on college for all , these are all things that have impacted the community , ” she told BuzzFeed News after the caucus .
Last week , when union leadership announced they would not be endorsing any candidate , the union distributed a flyer , obtained by the Nevada Independent , advising its members that Sanders would “ end Culinary Healthcare.
” The document stated Elizabeth Warren 's Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three-year transition or at end of collective bargaining agreements ” and “ lower drug prices .
Culinary union members did not vote on the endorsement question but did take surveys , Argüello-Kline , the secretary-treasurer for the union , said last week .
The union then put out a statement saying it was receiving `` disappointing '' attacks from Sanders supporters over their position on health care .
“ The union obviously had decided to take a position , to stay out , they did n't make a formal endorsement .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other camps but in the end the workers voted with their feet , ” Mejia said on Saturday .
The union ’ s 60,000 members are 54 % Latinx and 15 % Asian , representing workers who keep Las Vegas ’ s billion-dollar casino and hotel industry running .
In 2016 , the union said , 60 % of its membership was registered to vote — including members ’ families .
As of 2019 , according to the union , they have approximately 82,400 people registered to vote .
Mejia said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] in their communities , in their homes.
” “ There ’ s a lot of Latino workers , there ’ s a lot of immigrant workers in Vegas , and we made a point to speak to them in their language in their community , ” she said , referring to the Spanish language campaign events the Sanders campaign hosted , including one headed up by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others lead by labor activist Jose La Luz .
Biden came in second to Sanders at the Bellagio .
But the union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Biden campaign — which stood to gain significant support and perhaps win over more voters of color in Nevada if the union had explicitly endorsed him .
Argüello-Kline called Biden `` our friend '' last Thursday .
Union members who supported Sanders said that while they ultimately make their own decisions , they do look to leadership and would have given any candidate a closer look if leadership had officially endorsed them .
“ I checked with them walking into this building today … I was asking people as I walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , come on , ‘ Where am I at , where should I be when I walk in here ?
’ Not that I would change my mind like that , but I wanted to know what my leadership ’ s opinion was , ” said Smith .
“ The last email they sent me , they said they were not endorsing .
So I came here and I used my free will to stand with Bernie Sanders .
”

LAS VEGAS — Despite the leadership of Nevada’s largest union criticizing Bernie Sanders over his health care plan in the lead-up to the state's presidential caucus, the majority of union members caucusing at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip backed Sanders on Saturday.
Some workers who spoke to BuzzFeed News said they support Sanders’ Medicare for All proposal, even though they appreciate the union health care they have, because they have friends and relatives who don’t have union health care and worry about what would happen if they lost their jobs.
Health care is “the number one issue,” said Monica Smith, a Culinary Workers member since 1987 and an in-room dining server at the Bellagio, who caucused for Sanders.
“We have so many people that have walked that picket line — blood, sweat, and tears — for us. We’re going to be here to protect it, but I worry about other people that aren’t protected by unions. How do they get health care? What's the dollar amount that they have to go through? Do they have to worry about not being able to go to a hospital?”
The results of the caucus, which was the only caucus site open to press on Saturday on Las Vegas’s hotel- and casino-lined strip specifically for workers, saw Sanders walk away with 76 supporters, followed by Joe Biden with 45 supporters, out of a total 123 caucusgoers.
Across the Las Vegas strip, the pattern of Culinary union members backing Sanders despite the conflict with leadership appeared to be repeating. In CNN’s caucus entrance poll, Sanders had the by far most support of any candidate among union members, with 34%.
“We’re hearing that other casinos are also kind of breaking the same way, where there was an overwhelming support for workers and the working class for the Senator,” Sanders’ political director Analilia Mejia said.
“You know, the point is, if the leader of our union, Geoconda [Argüello-Kline], can go on TV and say that whoever is elected by the Democrats they are going to support and give money and whatever to the candidate, why do they play that when on the back end you’re telling people Bernie is not good? That’s ridiculous,” said Sanders supporter and union member Jose Alvarez, referring to the union’s criticism of Sanders’ Medicare for All plan.
The union’s leadership said last week that they would not endorse any candidate in ahead of the caucuses, while escalating criticism of Sanders’ health care proposal. The leadership did say that they’ll support whoever the Democratic candidate is come November.
“I’m proud to be a member of the union — there’s no problem with that. They have to understand that the union is democratic. They can't decide for us what we want. That’s what I asked them. Just don't get involved,” Alvarez said.
Others said they weren’t especially paying attention to the health care issue, but decided to back Sanders because they liked his policies on college tuition, immigration, and unions.
“I have always been with the union, but I'm with Bernie and I know he’s going to be a great president. I haven’t thought about his health plan, but it doesn’t matter. I’m with him and everything he’s proposing,” said another Culinary union member, Maria Luisa, speaking in Spanish.
Mejia, who was at the Bellagio during the caucus, said she wasn’t surprised to see Culinary union members backing Sanders despite the tension of the past few weeks.
“It's not surprising because again, on the issues, the senator has been big and bold on immigration, on health care, on college for all — these are all things that have impacted the community,” she told BuzzFeed News after the caucus.
Last week, when union leadership announced they would not be endorsing any candidate, the union distributed a flyer, obtained by the Nevada Independent, advising its members that Sanders would “end Culinary Healthcare.” The document stated Elizabeth Warren's Medicare for All plan would "replace Culinary Healthcare after three-year transition or at end of collective bargaining agreements” and “lower drug prices."
Culinary union members did not vote on the endorsement question but did take surveys, Argüello-Kline, the secretary-treasurer for the union, said last week.
The union then put out a statement saying it was receiving "disappointing" attacks from Sanders supporters over their position on health care.
“The union obviously had decided to take a position, to stay out; they didn't make a formal endorsement. There were some members who seemed to be with other camps, but in the end, the workers voted with their feet,” Mejia said on Saturday.
The union’s 60,000 members are 54% Latinx and 15% Asian, representing workers who keep Las Vegas’s billion-dollar casino and hotel industry running. In 2016, the union said, 60% of its membership was registered to vote — including members’ families. As of 2019, according to the union, they have approximately 82,400 people registered to vote.
Mejia said that the campaign has “connected with [workers] in their communities, in their homes.”
“There’s a lot of Latino workers, there’s a lot of immigrant workers in Vegas, and we made a point to speak to them in their language in their community,” she said, referring to the Spanish-language campaign events the Sanders campaign hosted, including one headed up by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others lead by labor activist Jose La Luz.
Biden came in second to Sanders at the Bellagio. But the union’s nonendorsement came as a blow to the Biden campaign — which stood to gain significant support and perhaps win over more voters of color in Nevada if the union had explicitly endorsed him. Argüello-Kline called Biden "our friend" last Thursday.
Union members who supported Sanders said that while they ultimately make their own decisions, they do look to leadership and would have given any candidate a closer look if leadership had officially endorsed them.
“I checked with them walking into this building today … I was asking people as I walked by other shop stewards, people I know, come on, ‘Where am I at, where should I be when I walk in here?’ Not that I would change my mind like that, but I wanted to know what my leadership’s opinion was,” said Smith. “The last email they sent me, they said they were not endorsing. So I came here and I used my free will to stand with Bernie Sanders.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-22--Joe Biden’s Campaign Reverses And Says He's Supporting A Moratorium On Deportations

Joe Biden is supporting an absolute moratorium on deportations of anyone in the United States for his first 100 days in office if he wins the presidency — something his campaign denied he was supporting earlier on Saturday after immigrant advocates said they had been led to believe that was his new position .
`` Vice President Biden is absolutely committed to a 100 day moratorium on any deportations of people already in the United States , '' the Biden campaign and the Latino Victory Fund said in a joint statement to BuzzFeed News on Saturday afternoon .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in this and in the mission to support immigrant communities and center all the issues important to Latinos at the heart of this movement as we work to send Donald Trump and his unmitigated assault on our national values packing . ''
The statement is an explicit reversal of a statement just hours before , when a Biden adviser told BuzzFeed News that characterizing recent comments from Biden as supporting a moratorium `` is inaccurate . ''
The proposal is something progressive immigrant activists have pushed Biden and other presidential candidates on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hall on Thursday , Biden said , `` We have a right to protect the border .
But the idea — and by the way , nobody , and some of you are going to get mad at me with this , but nobody is going to be deported in my first 100 days until we get through the point that we find out the only rationale for deportation will be whether or not , whether or not you 've committed a felony while in the country.
” The Latino Victory Fund endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on Friday night Mayra Macías , the organization ’ s executive director , tweeted that Biden in a meeting with the group had committed to a moratorium on deportations in his first 100 days .

Joe Biden is supporting an absolute moratorium on deportations of anyone in the United States for his first 100 days in office if he wins the presidency — something his campaign had denied earlier on Saturday after immigrant advocates said they had been led to believe that was his new position.
"Vice President Biden is absolutely committed to a 100 day moratorium on any deportations of people already in the United States," the Biden campaign and the Latino Victory Fund said in a joint statement to BuzzFeed News on Saturday afternoon. "The campaign and Latino Victory Fund stand fully together in this and in the mission to support immigrant communities and center all the issues important to Latinos at the heart of this movement as we work to send Donald Trump and his unmitigated assault on our national values packing."
The statement is an explicit reversal of one from just hours before, when a Biden adviser told BuzzFeed News that characterizing recent comments from Biden as supporting a moratorium "is inaccurate."
The proposal is something progressive immigrant activists have pushed Biden and other presidential candidates on for months.
At a CNN town hall on Thursday, Biden said, "We have a right to protect the border. But the idea — and by the way, nobody, and some of you are going to get mad at me with this, but nobody is going to be deported in my first 100 days until we get through the point that we find out the only rationale for deportation will be whether or not, whether or not you've committed a felony while in the country.”
The Latino Victory Fund endorsed Biden days before the town hall, and on Friday night Mayra Macías, the organization’s executive director, tweeted that Biden in a meeting with the group had committed to a moratorium on deportations in his first 100 days.


buzzfeed--2020-02-22--Elizabeth Warren Has Reversed On Super PAC Support: "That’s How It Has To Be"

LAS VEGAS — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a longtime critic of the big-money organizations known as super PACs — and of candidates who are supported by them .
But she reversed course on Thursday and refused to disavow a super PAC , called Persist PAC , created to support her presidential campaign .
It was a change so sudden that Warren 's own campaign website still said the Massachusetts senator `` rejects all super PACs '' and `` would disavow any super PAC formed to support her in the Democratic primary . ''
She had criticized other candidates for them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate stage in New Hampshire .
Warren told reporters she had called `` dozens '' of times for other candidates to agree not to accept the support of super PACs , with no success .
`` So here ’ s where I stand : If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs , count me in — I ’ ll lead the charge , '' she told reporters at a campaign stop Thursday .
`` But that ’ s how it has to be .
It can ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep them and only one or two don ’ t . ''
She connected the issue directly to gender , noting that the Democratic field was stocked with male candidates who were either billionaires or backed by big-money organizations .
`` We reached the point a few weeks ago where all of the men who were on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multibillionaires who could rummage around in their sock drawers and find enough money to be able to fund a campaign , and the only people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two women , '' she said .
`` At that point , there were some women around the country who said , 'That 's just not right . '
'' Bernie Sanders has a big-money group , Our Revolution , that functions similarly to a PAC , and is able to raise unlimited sums of money on his behalf .
As a nonprofit , it does not have to disclose its donors , unlike super PACs .
He 's also supported by the country 's largest nurse 's union , National Nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 million backing him in 2016 .
Persist PAC booked nearly $ 800,000 in television ads for Warren this week , as her own campaign faces tight finances in the wake of disappointing finishes in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire .
She got a much-needed personal infusion of cash after a dominant debate performance Wednesday , raising $ 2.8 million — her campaign 's biggest fundraising day by far .
But she will need much larger sums of money to compete on Super Tuesday in early March , when big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California and Texas will go to the polls .
Super PACs , which can raise unlimited sums of money for candidates , are by definition independent ; they are legally prohibited from coordinating with campaigns .
Technically , candidates have zero control over the groups .
But practically , candidates can hamper them by openly disavowing them or calling for them to stop spending money on their behalf .
Some campaigns have also found ways for years to skirt regulations to guide a super PAC 's direction .
Just a few months ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outside group supporting her campaign .
When dark money group Women.Vote bought ads backing Warren in Iowa , her campaign disavowed the organization 's activities to Politico .
The campaign , a spokesperson said , “ was not aware of this and asks that those involved immediately stop purchasing advertisements of any kind .
Elizabeth Warren believes democracy is undermined by anonymous , dark-money attempts to influence voters — whether that influence is meant to help or hurt her candidacy .
”

LAS VEGAS — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a longtime critic of the big-money organizations known as super PACs — and of candidates who are supported by them. But she reversed course on Thursday and refused to disavow a super PAC, called Persist PAC, created to support her presidential campaign.
It was a change so sudden that Warren's own campaign website still said the Massachusetts senator "rejects all super PACs" and "would disavow any super PAC formed to support her in the Democratic primary." She had criticized other candidates for them as late as last week on the debate stage in New Hampshire.
Warren told reporters she had called "dozens" of times for other candidates to agree not to accept the support of super PACs, with no success.
"So here’s where I stand: If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs, count me in — I’ll lead the charge," she told reporters at a campaign stop Thursday. "But that’s how it has to be. It can’t be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one or two don’t."
She connected the issue directly to gender, noting that the Democratic field was stocked with male candidates who were either billionaires or backed by big-money organizations.
"We reached the point a few weeks ago where all of the men who were on the debate stage all had either super PACs or they were multibillionaires who could rummage around in their sock drawers and find enough money to be able to fund a campaign, and the only people who didn’t have them were the two women," she said.
"At that point, there were some women around the country who said, 'That's just not right.'"
Bernie Sanders has a big-money group, Our Revolution, that functions similarly to a PAC, and is able to raise unlimited sums of money on his behalf. As a nonprofit, it does not have to disclose its donors, unlike super PACs. He's also supported by the country's largest nurse's union, National Nurses United, whose super PAC spent $5 million backing him in 2016.
Persist PAC booked nearly $800,000 in television ads for Warren this week, as her own campaign faces tight finances in the wake of disappointing finishes in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
She got a much-needed personal infusion of cash after a dominant debate performance Wednesday, raising $2.8 million — her campaign's biggest fundraising day by far. But she will need much larger sums of money to compete on Super Tuesday in early March, when big, delegate-rich, and expensive states like California and Texas will go to the polls.
Super PACs, which can raise unlimited sums of money for candidates, are by definition independent; they are legally prohibited from coordinating with campaigns. Technically, candidates have zero control over the groups. But practically, candidates can hamper them by openly disavowing them or calling for them to stop spending money on their behalf. Some campaigns have also found ways for years to skirt regulations to guide a super PAC's direction.
Just a few months ago, Warren took a different stance with an outside group supporting her campaign. When dark money group Women.Vote bought ads backing Warren in Iowa, her campaign disavowed the organization's activities to Politico. The campaign, a spokesperson said, “was not aware of this and asks that those involved immediately stop purchasing advertisements of any kind. Elizabeth Warren believes democracy is undermined by anonymous, dark-money attempts to influence voters — whether that influence is meant to help or hurt her candidacy.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-23--Joe Biden’s Betting On Voters Of Color To Win. In Nevada, He Still Lost.

LAS VEGAS — Joe Biden has been saying for weeks that the real presidential primary doesn ’ t begin until the caucuses in Nevada and the primary in South Carolina .
On Saturday , Biden came in well behind Bernie Sanders in Nevada , after weeks of emphasizing that voters of color in more diverse states would be the key to his success , following his disappointing finishes in the first two voting states .
`` I think we 're in a position to move on now like we have n't been until this moment , '' he said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , as Sanders ’ lead , and Biden ’ s likely second or third place finish , became clear .
With only a small percentage of precincts reporting , Biden was in second place at the time .
“ I think it ’ s very important to do really really well , ” said Biden surrogate Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas , asked the day before whether it was important to win Nevada outright .
Immediately after the caucuses , Vela told BuzzFeed News he doesn ’ t think Biden finishing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas , which votes on Super Tuesday — and then added that he also thinks Biden will win South Carolina next week .
“ I think today ’ s finish is going to help us , ” Vela said .
He said he thinks Biden will win Texas thanks to his “ long history of service ” but didn ’ t raise the role of voters of color in that state or in Nevada .
In entrance polls from CNN , Sanders appeared to win 51 % of Latino caucusgoers Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden led with black voters , with 39 % support to Sanders ’ 27 % .
The campaign has , since Iowa and then New Hampshire , been saying that the campaign really starts from Nevada — but while voters of color may have helped boost his standing in Nevada to a distant second or third place , they weren ’ t behind him in significant enough numbers to deliver what would have been his first win .
“ It ’ s the beginning of a representation of what the country looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night before the caucus in Nevada .
“ No , I really mean it .
It 's the first in the west and it really makes a difference.
” “ It ’ s the single most important group in America , ” he said , of Latinos .
While Sanders ’ victory in the caucuses here had been expected for the last week , Biden had long had his own claim on the state .
Polling averages showed Biden with a large advantage here until early February .
Biden had a wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently , when Sanders and Michael Bloomberg started to draw away some of that support in polls .
In Nevada , he had been consistently neck-and-neck with Sanders among Latino voters — and one advantage that could have put Biden over the edge would have been an endorsement from the state ’ s powerful Culinary Workers Union .
That endorsement seemed like a likely prospect as recently as December , but last week the union announced it wouldn ’ t be endorsing anyone , despite union head Geoconda Argüello-Kline calling Biden the union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , a majority of Culinary union workers at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino backed Sanders despite their union ’ s opposition to his health care proposal .
Biden ’ s campaign , like most others , invested in Spanish-language caucus trainings , and attended meetings with Latino community leaders and Latino advocacy groups like Mi Familia Vota .
But Sanders ’ campaign held unique Latino outreach events like a futbol tournament , and Spanish language only campaign events with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and labor organizer Jose La Luz .
Sanders ’ campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach older Latino voters with those unique events , and thanks to the efforts of young supporters bringing their parents and grandparents into the fold .
That may have resulted in the campaign breaching , in this state at least , a generational split that nationally has seen older black and Latino voters gravitate towards Biden but younger voters lean towards Sanders .
“ My daughter who was in the university told me about him .
So I searched Bernie on the internet and , yes , he ’ s my guy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Latino woman at a Spanish-language caucus training for the Sanders campaign on Thursday .
“ She was like , ‘ mom , you need to see this guy .
He talks about real issues that affect people.
’ ” At a Henderson , Nevada , canvass launch for the Biden campaign on Friday afternoon , which the campaign said was part of its Latino outreach and was headed up by Vela and Rep. Tony Cardenas , just one was Latino of the out-of-state volunteers was Latino .
Cristian Villa , 36 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to canvas for Biden — he said he ’ s supported Biden since 2008 because of “ his history , his involvement , he ’ s always cared about the country and he ’ s always done the right things.
” He said he was disappointed by Biden ’ s showing in Iowa and New Hampshire , ” but I know that anything good is not easy , that ’ s why I ’ m still in this fight , ” he said .
Villa was not so sure about Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backbone of his campaign .
“ Statistically that ’ s true , but I also worry that we can ’ t rely too much on that because not the whole country is like that .
Part of his initial appeal was that he can garner some of the white votes as well.
“

LAS VEGAS — Joe Biden has been saying for weeks that the real presidential primary doesn’t begin until the caucuses in Nevada and the primary in South Carolina.
On Saturday, the former vice president came in well behind Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nevada. This came after weeks of emphasizing that voters of color in more diverse states would be the key to his success following his disappointing finishes in the first two voting states.
"I think we're in a position to move on now like we haven't been until this moment," he said to a gathering of supporters on Saturday afternoon as Sanders’ lead, and Biden’s likely second- or third-place finish, became clear. With only a small percentage of precincts reporting, Biden was in second place at the time.
“I think it’s very important to do really, really well,” said Texas Rep. Filemon Vela, a Biden surrogate, when asked the day before about whether it was important to win Nevada outright.
Immediately after the caucuses, Vela told BuzzFeed News he doesn’t think Biden finishing so far behind Sanders will harm his prospects in Texas, which votes on Super Tuesday; he added that he thinks Biden will win South Carolina next week.
“I think today’s finish is going to help us,” Vela said. He said he thinks Biden will win Texas thanks to his “long history of service” but didn’t raise the role of voters of color in that state or in Nevada.
In entrance polls from CNN, Sanders appeared to win 51% of Latino caucusgoers Saturday, compared to 17% for Biden. Biden led with black voters, with 39% support to Sanders’ 27%.
Since Iowa and then New Hampshire, the campaign has been saying that the race really starts from Nevada — but while voters of color may have helped boost his standing in Nevada to a distant second or third place, they weren’t behind him in significant enough numbers to deliver what would have been his first win.
“It’s the beginning of a representation of what the country looks like,” Biden said at a rally the night before the caucus in Nevada. “No, I really mean it. It's the first in the west and it really makes a difference.”
“It’s the single most important group in America,” he said of Latinos.
While Sanders’ victory in the caucuses here had been expected for the last week, Biden had long had his own claim on the state. Polling averages showed Biden with a large advantage here until early February.
Biden had a wide lead among voters of color nationwide until recently, when Sanders and Michael Bloomberg started to draw away some of that support in polls. In Nevada, he had been consistently neck and neck with Sanders among Latino voters — and one advantage that could have put Biden over the edge would have been an endorsement from the state’s powerful Culinary Workers Union. That endorsement seemed like a likely prospect as recently as December — but last week the union announced it wouldn’t be endorsing anyone, despite union head Geoconda Argüello-Kline calling Biden the union’s "friend."
On Saturday, a majority of the union's culinary workers at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino backed Sanders despite their union’s opposition to his health care proposal.
Biden’s campaign, like most others, invested in Spanish-language caucus training and attended meetings with Latino community leaders and Latino advocacy groups like Mi Familia Vota.
But Sanders’ campaign held unique Latino outreach events like a soccer tournament and Spanish-language-only campaign events with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and labor organizer José La Luz.
Sanders’ campaign in Nevada seemed to be able to reach older Latino voters with those unique events and thanks to the efforts of young supporters bringing their parents and grandparents into the fold. That may have resulted in the campaign breaching, in this state at least, a generational split that nationally has seen older black and Latino voters gravitate toward Biden but younger voters lean toward Sanders.
“My daughter, who was in the university, told me about him. So I searched Bernie on the internet and, yes, he’s my guy,” said Jenny Williams, 48, a Latino woman at a Spanish-language caucus training for the Sanders campaign on Thursday. “She was like, ‘Mom, you need to see this guy. He talks about real issues that affect people.’”
At a Henderson, Nevada, canvass launch for the Biden campaign on Friday afternoon, which the campaign said was part of its Latino outreach and was headed up by Vela and Rep. Tony Cárdenas, just one of the out-of-state volunteers was Latino.
Cristian Villa, 36, came to Las Vegas from Los Angeles to canvass for Biden. He said he’s supported Biden since 2008 because of “his history, his involvement; he’s always cared about the country and he’s always done the right things.”
He said he was disappointed by Biden’s showing in Iowa and New Hampshire, "but I know that anything good is not easy — that’s why I’m still in this fight."
Villa was not so sure about Biden’s recent emphasis on voters of color being the backbone of his campaign.
“Statistically that’s true, but I also worry that we can’t rely too much on that because not the whole country is like that," he said. "Part of his initial appeal was that he can garner some of the white votes as well."


buzzfeed--2020-02-23--Pete Buttigieg Condemned Bernie Sanders And His Movement After Losing The Nevada Caucuses

Pete Buttigieg , whose path to the Democratic presidential nomination has narrowed after early promise , offered an explicit condemnation of Bernie Sanders ’ politics Saturday after finishing behind the Vermont senator for at least the second time in three contests .
In a speech to supporters in Las Vegas , Buttigieg branded Sanders , a democratic socialist , as the leader of an “ inflexible ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats.
” “ I believe that we can bring an end to corporate recklessness and bring balance to our economy by empowering workers , raising wages , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must contribute the most in order to keep the American Dream going forward , ” Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , added a moment later .
“ But that is different from Sen. Sanders ’ vision of capitalism as the root of all evil , that would go beyond reform and reorder the economy in ways most Democrats — not to mention most Americans — don ’ t support.
” Buttigieg has been honing such critiques of Sanders for weeks , but until his Saturday speech had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pungent way .
His decision to do so now reflects a new urgency for a campaign that once was the fundraising darling of the field but now has set a deadline to raise $ 13 million to stay competitive into March .
By winning New Hampshire and now Nevada , and by running close with Buttigieg in the delegate count in Iowa , where results remain subject to recount , Sanders has separated himself from the rest of the Democratic field .
The race now shifts to South Carolina , hardly an ideal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large black electorate and Buttigieg ’ s struggles to win support from black voters .
Buttigieg 's speech on Saturday at times delivered conflicting notes .
He ripped into Sanders in one breath while lamenting the “ viciousness ” of politics in the next .
He sounded on one hand to be criticizing Sanders ’ supporters for their online vitriol and extremism — lines sure to be interpreted by those supporters as antagonistic and unwelcoming — while on the other emphasizing the need for a broader movement that welcomes all points of view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only campaign that has beaten Sen. Sanders anywhere in the country during this campaign cycle , ” said Buttigieg , falling back on the still-unofficial Iowa results that also showed Sanders winning the popular vote there .
“ We ’ ve done it not by consolidating one extreme faction , but by growing an American majority that is united not only over who it is we ’ re against , but in what it is that we ’ re for .
Ours is a coalition hungry for action .
If we mobilize fellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them into adversaries , we have shown that we can turn the page on our broken politics without turning off most Americans from our politics.
” Sanders ’ orbit immediately ridiculed Buttigieg ’ s remarks .
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , who recently endorsed Sanders after his own failed presidential bid and campaigned on Sanders ’ behalf in Nevada , called his former rival “ smug.
” Buttigieg ’ s speech came after networks declared Sanders the winner of Nevada ’ s caucuses but before the full picture was known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Democrats would finish .
Buttigieg and former vice president Joe Biden , via their top advisers , each braced their supporters for a second-place finish , based on internal numbers , though it was unclear whether Biden ’ s numbers were signaling second place in delegates , popular vote , or both .
Buttigieg ’ s team , well before substantial results were released , posted real-time delegate shares — based on caucus site tally sheets collected by precinct captains — on the campaign ’ s website .
( As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own team ’ s count was far behind Sanders and 2 percentage points ahead of Biden . )
It was an example of the kind of aggressive spin and expectations-setting Buttigieg and his aides have been indulging in as they try to establish him as a runner-up , not an also-ran .
In Iowa , he declared himself victorious in the midst of the caucus-counting chaos , annoying his rivals and especially infuriating Sanders backers who believe their candidate was the undisputed winner , given the popular vote .
And after New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second to Sanders in the popular vote and left with the same number of delegates — what allies felt was a solid night was overshadowed by a third-place finish from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who appeals to similar moderate , Sanders-skeptical voters .
Klobuchar celebrated a fundraising boost after her New Hampshire surprise .
Buttigieg sent out a fundraising SOS .
“ We 've had some of our highest fundraising days this month , but — frankly — our numbers should have been better , ” he wrote in an email to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best shot at defeating Donald Trump , ” Buttigieg added .
“ But the reality is , if we can ’ t raise $ 13 million before Super Tuesday , we might never get that shot .
”

Pete Buttigieg, whose path to the Democratic presidential nomination has narrowed after early promise, offered an explicit condemnation of Bernie Sanders’ politics Saturday after finishing behind the Vermont senator for at least the second time in three contests.
In a speech to supporters in Las Vegas, Buttigieg branded Sanders, a democratic socialist, as the leader of an “inflexible ideological revolution that leaves out most Democrats.”
“I believe that we can bring an end to corporate recklessness and bring balance to our economy by empowering workers, raising wages, and insisting that those who gain the most must contribute the most in order to keep the American dream going forward,” Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, added a moment later. “But that is different from Sen. Sanders’ vision of capitalism as the root of all evil, that would go beyond reform and reorder the economy in ways most Democrats — not to mention most Americans — don’t support.”
Buttigieg has been honing such critiques of Sanders for weeks, but until his Saturday speech had not attacked him in such a direct and pungent way. His decision to do so now reflects a new urgency for a campaign that once was the fundraising darling of the field but now has set a deadline to raise $13 million to stay competitive into March.


buzzfeed--2020-02-23--Bernie Sanders Won Nevada. In 10 Days, He Could Make It Very Hard For Anyone To Catch Up.

EL PASO — On one side of the room , at the back of Bally 's casino , Michael Bloomberg ’ s top strategist speculated with reporters about not if , but perhaps when , they would spend millions on negative ads against the Democratic frontrunner .
“ Campaigns are fluid and we 'll see… ” Across the ballroom in Las Vegas , where officials from each campaign gathered earlier this week after the latest debate , a Bernie Sanders official responded with an impassive shrug .
“ So let them , ” the candidate ’ s closest and longest-serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned for the exit without stopping .
It was a typical flash of bravado from the 78-year-old senator ’ s campaign .
But for the rest of the Democratic presidential field — as other candidates have begun talking openly about who among them is best positioned to stop the Vermont independent — Weaver 's challenge captured a building sense of seemingly inexorable forward-movement by Sanders ahead of the most critical juncture in the race .
Three days later , on Saturday afternoon , Sanders won the caucuses in Nevada , the third state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reflect the kind of diverse electorate that will vote across 12 states on March 3 and determine one third of the party delegates required to clinch the nomination .
As the vote came in on Saturday afternoon , Democrats watched to see which candidate would win the race for second place .
But Sanders ’ s apparently decisive Nevada victory has set up an immediate and existential moment in the nominating process : In just 10 days , Sanders could emerge from Super Tuesday with a delegate lead that other candidates can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the surest , most unyielding rules in presidential politics : Once one candidate has a sizable delegate lead , it becomes difficult — at first increasingly improbable , then mathematically impossible — for another to catch up .
It was true in 1980 , with Jimmy Carter .
It was true in 2008 , with Barack Obama .
And it was true four years ago , during Sanders ’ s first presidential campaign , with Hillary Clinton .
In March of 2016 , she emerged from Super Tuesday ahead by more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a permanent advantage .
If he wanted to surpass her campaign , Sanders wouldn ’ t just need to start winning more states — he would have to start winning everywhere , by significant margins .
He could keep running — and he did , until the Democratic convention — but he never had much chance to win .
Now , as the remaining candidates fight for a commanding position in the race before the 12-state contest in 10 days , Bernie Sanders is on the other side of the delegate math .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is no catching up , ” said Robby Mook , Hillary Clinton ’ s campaign manager in 2016 .
“ It ’ s too late after Super Tuesday .
Even if the field drops down to two people , that person still has to be beating him by 10-20 points in the remaining contests.
” “ This is the fog everybody is in right now .
If you aren ’ t Sanders , ” Mook said , “ you have to deal with this problem before Super Tuesday.
” David Plouffe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign manager in 2008 , said on MSNBC Saturday night that if the primary stays crowded after Super Tuesday , Sanders could have a hold on the nomination .
“ If it is more than a two-candidate race , certainly , if it ’ s a four or five-candidate race , Bernie sanders can walk to the nomination getting 35 , 36 , 37 percent of the vote , ” he told NBC ’ s Brian Williams .
He later made that more explicit .
“ But basically , if we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 3rd and we ’ re talking about Klobuchar , Buttigieg , Warren , Biden , Bloomberg , and Sanders , and everybody ’ s in , Bernie ’ s going to win almost all the delegates he needs to build an impenetrable delegate lead .
That ’ s just math .
It ’ s not my opinion , it ’ s just simple math . ''
On Saturday morning , hours before the start of the caucuses in Nevada , Sanders was already on his plane , bound for Texas , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He arrived in El Paso , the first of four cities he will visit here this weekend , to greet an outdoor overflow crowd and a full house at the Abraham Chavez Theatre , which seats 2,500 people .
Early voting is already underway in California and Texas , states that will decide 643 of the 1,991 total delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination at the convention .
In Nevada , a similarly diverse state where Sanders has excelled with Latinx voters , he is projected to have won the support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s entrance poll , as well as a quarter of black Democrats .
“ When I look out at an audience like this and I see the diversity and the beauty in this audience — and let me tell you , you do look beautiful from here , ” said Sanders , a rare grin on his face as he began his speech in El Paso .
“ I feel absolute confidence that we can create a government that is based on compassion that is based on love , is based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of greed , corruption , and lies.
” His position in the race has only recently invited attacks and attention from his rivals .
For months , Democrats largely ignored , dismissed , or even praised Sanders as a consistent and well-meaning politician who represented a wing of the party too marginal to decide a nomination .
Now , Pete Buttigieg is telling voters that his nomination would amount to “ a fatal error.
” Elizabeth Warren is calling on his campaign to release more medical records .
And Joe Biden is drawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
Earlier this week , officials working for Bloomberg outlined the delegate outlook on Super Tuesday based on their own internal polling , warning Democrats that if the field of eight candidates did not narrow before early March , Sanders would be “ impossible to stop.
” A starkly worded memo , published by Axios on Wednesday , estimated that Sanders could amass a delegate lead of more than 400 in the March 3 states and argued that , with “ no path ” to the nomination , the other leading candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Sanders victory .
Some Democrats balked at the memo as bald arrogance — a billionaire former Republican pronouncing such candidates as Biden and Warren dead and “ crumbled ” — but Sanders does stand to make it increasingly difficult for any one candidate to break out from the field and reduce his lead .
“ People either functionally or actually need to get out of the race before Super Tuesday , ” said Addisu Demissie , a veteran operative who managed Cory Booker ’ s presidential campaign and worked as a senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sanders is going to open up a lead and , quite possibly , one that is too big to close.
” In the Democratic nominating process , candidates who hit a 15 % threshold in a given state or district receive delegates proportionally — a number that could become even more significant in a field where multiple candidates split smaller portions of the vote below 15 % .
“ We typically think of the threshold issue as pushing people out [ who don ’ t hit 15 % ] , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Mook .
Howard Wolfson , Bloomberg ’ s chief strategist , forecast the next 10 days as a “ battle royale among the moderates to see who is best able to position themselves against Sanders . ''
“ It seems to me incumbent upon those of us who understand the challenge that Bernie Sanders would present at the top of the ticket to figure it out , ” he told reporters in Las Vegas .
Sanders has never pursued a typical path to the Democratic nomination .
He is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishment he seeks to lead .
He rarely discusses politics through the lens of the party unless he is decrying it .
Has has both sued the Democratic National Committee , accusing its chairperson in 2016 of knowingly “ rigging ” the nomination in favor of Clinton , and served in the four years since as one of its top surrogates , most prominently on a multi-state “ unity ” tour in 2017 .
In his first presidential campaign , Sanders openly attacked superdelegates — the party leaders and elected officials who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominating process — before launching a last-ditch campaign to win their support when he fell behind Clinton with voters .
Early on in his second campaign , Sanders advisers were already describing their path to the nomination as fractured : In a large field , they said , Sanders could win the most delegates with just “ a third ” of the vote — setting up the possibility of a contested national convention this summer .
“ We can win the Texas primary , ” the candidate said to cheers in El Paso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming in .
“ We can win the Democratic nomination .
We can defeat Donald Trump .
And we can transform this country .
Let 's do it !
” He was on to his usual stump speech , standing before a giant Texas flag .

EL PASO — On one side of the room, at the back of Bally's casino, Michael Bloomberg’s top strategist speculated with reporters about not if, but perhaps when, they would spend millions on negative ads against the Democratic frontrunner.
“Campaigns are fluid and we'll see…”
Across the ballroom in Las Vegas, where officials from each campaign gathered earlier this week after the latest debate, a Bernie Sanders official responded with an impassive shrug. “So let them,” the candidate’s closest and longest-serving adviser Jeff Weaver said, as he turned for the exit without stopping.
It was a typical flash of bravado from the 78-year-old senator’s campaign. But for the rest of the Democratic presidential field — as other candidates have begun talking openly about who among them is best positioned to stop the Vermont independent — Weaver's challenge captured a building sense of seemingly inexorable forward-movement by Sanders ahead of the most critical juncture in the race.
Three days later, on Saturday afternoon, Sanders won the caucuses in Nevada, the third state on the primary calendar and the first to reflect the kind of diverse electorate that will vote across 16 states and territories on March 3 and determine one-third of the party delegates required to clinch the nomination.
As the vote came in on Saturday afternoon, Democrats watched to see which candidate would win the race for second place. But Sanders’s apparently decisive Nevada victory has set up an immediate and existential moment in the nominating process: In just 10 days, Sanders could emerge from Super Tuesday with a delegate lead that other candidates can chase but never reach.
It is one of the surest, most unyielding rules in presidential politics: Once one candidate has a sizable delegate lead, it becomes difficult — at first increasingly improbable, then mathematically impossible — for another to catch up.
It was true in 1980, with Jimmy Carter. It was true in 2008, with Barack Obama. And it was true four years ago, during Sanders’s first presidential campaign, with Hillary Clinton. In March of 2016, she emerged from Super Tuesday ahead by more than 160 delegates — enough to build a permanent advantage. If he wanted to surpass her campaign, Sanders wouldn’t just need to start winning more states — he would have to start winning everywhere, by significant margins.
He could keep running — and he did, until the Democratic convention — but he never had much chance to win.
Now, as the remaining candidates fight for a commanding position in the race before the 14-state contest in 10 days, Bernie Sanders is on the other side of the delegate math.
“If he has a three-figure lead, there is no catching up,” said Robby Mook, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager in 2016. “It’s too late after Super Tuesday. Even if the field drops down to two people, that person still has to be beating him by 10 to 20 points in the remaining contests.”
“This is the fog everybody is in right now. If you aren’t Sanders,” Mook said, “you have to deal with this problem before Super Tuesday.”
David Plouffe, who was Barack Obama’s campaign manager in 2008, said on MSNBC Saturday night that if the primary stays crowded after Super Tuesday, Sanders could have a hold on the nomination.
“If it is more than a two-candidate race, certainly — if it’s a four or five-candidate race, Bernie Sanders can walk to the nomination getting 35, 36, 37% of the vote,” he told NBC’s Brian Williams.
He later made that more explicit. “But basically, if we’re — Brian, if it’s March 3 and we’re talking about Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Warren, Biden, Bloomberg, and Sanders, and everybody’s in, Bernie’s going to win almost all the delegates he needs to build an impenetrable delegate lead. That’s just math. It’s not my opinion — it’s just simple math."
On Saturday morning, hours before the start of the caucuses in Nevada, Sanders was already on his plane, bound for Texas, one of the largest Super Tuesday states. He arrived in El Paso, the first of four cities he will visit here this weekend, to greet an outdoor overflow crowd and a full house at the Abraham Chavez Theatre, which seats 2,500 people.
Early voting is already underway in California and Texas, states that will decide 643 of the 1,991 total delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination at the convention. In Nevada, a similarly diverse state where Sanders has excelled with Latinx voters, he is projected to have won the support of 51% of Hispanic Democrats in CNN’s entrance poll, as well as a quarter of black Democrats.
“When I look out at an audience like this and I see the diversity and the beauty in this audience — and let me tell you, you do look beautiful from here,” said Sanders, a rare grin on his face as he began his speech in El Paso. “I feel absolute confidence that we can create a government that is based on compassion that is based on love, is based on truth, not what we have now of greed, corruption, and lies.”
His position in the race has only recently invited attacks and attention from his rivals. For months, Democrats largely ignored, dismissed, or even praised Sanders as a consistent and well-meaning politician who represented a wing of the party too marginal to decide a nomination. Now, Pete Buttigieg is telling voters that his nomination would amount to “a fatal error.” Elizabeth Warren is calling on his campaign to release more medical records. And Joe Biden is drawing attention to his reversed positions on gun control.
Earlier this week, officials working for Bloomberg outlined the delegate outlook on Super Tuesday based on their own internal polling, warning Democrats that if the field of eight candidates did not narrow before early March, Sanders would be “impossible to stop.”
A starkly worded memo, published by Axios on Wednesday, estimated that Sanders could amass a delegate lead of more than 400 in the March 3 states and argued that, with “no path” to the nomination, the other leading candidates should step aside for Bloomberg or guarantee a Sanders victory. Some Democrats balked at the memo as bald arrogance — a billionaire former Republican pronouncing such candidates as Biden and Warren dead and “crumbled” — but Sanders does stand to make it increasingly difficult for any one candidate to break out from the field and reduce his lead.
“People either functionally or actually need to get out of the race before Super Tuesday,” said Addisu Demissie, a veteran operative who managed Cory Booker’s presidential campaign and worked as a senior Clinton aide in 2016. “Otherwise, Sanders is going to open up a lead and, quite possibly, one that is too big to close.”
In the Democratic nominating process, candidates who hit a 15% threshold in a given state or district receive delegates proportionally — a number that could become even more significant in a field where multiple candidates split smaller portions of the vote below 15%. “We typically think of the threshold issue as pushing people out [who don’t hit 15%], but it also buttresses the people making it in,” said Mook.
Howard Wolfson, Bloomberg’s chief strategist, forecast the next 10 days as a “battle royale among the moderates to see who is best able to position themselves against Sanders."
“It seems to me incumbent upon those of us who understand the challenge that Bernie Sanders would present at the top of the ticket to figure it out,” he told reporters in Las Vegas.
Sanders has never pursued a typical path to the Democratic nomination.
He is a longtime registered independent who criticizes the Democratic establishment he seeks to lead. He rarely discusses politics through the lens of the party unless he is decrying it. He has both sued the Democratic National Committee, accusing its chairperson in 2016 of knowingly “rigging” the nomination in favor of Clinton, and served in the four years since as one of its top surrogates, most prominently on a multistate “unity” tour in 2017.
In his first presidential campaign, Sanders openly attacked superdelegates — the party leaders and elected officials who have historically had a say in the Democratic nominating process — before launching a last-ditch campaign to win their support when he fell behind Clinton with voters.
Early on in his second campaign, Sanders advisers were already describing their path to the nomination as fractured: In a large field, they said, Sanders could win the most delegates with just “a third” of the vote — setting up the possibility of a contested national convention this summer.
“We can win the Texas primary,” the candidate said to cheers in El Paso on Saturday as caucus results were still coming in. “We can win the Democratic nomination. We can defeat Donald Trump. And we can transform this country. Let's do it!”
Sanders didn’t mention Nevada.
He was on to his usual stump speech, standing before a giant Texas flag.


buzzfeed--2020-02-23--Members Of Nevada's Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders


buzzfeed--2020-02-24--Bernie Sanders Would Actually Have Some Exceptions To His Deportation Moratorium

LAS VEGAS — On Thursday , Bernie Sanders ' campaign reversed one part of his immigration platform : a blanket moratorium on deportations pending a policy audit .
Instead , Sanders ’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir argued that the while the moratorium on deportations “ would affect 99 % of the people living here , ” it would not be absolute .
The moratorium , he said , would not apply to “ violent criminals ” and that some people serving time in prison would have a deportation decided “ on a case by case basis.
” That hews closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : They will not commit to a moratorium on deporting immigrants with criminal records , especially those convicted of a violent crime .
Sanders ’ promise of a blanket moratorium has won praise from immigration activist groups and was part of the reason several endorsed the senator over other candidates recently .
Two major immigration groups said they understood a `` moratorium '' to mean a ban on deportations , with no exceptions .
Shakir made the remark at an immigration forum in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucus in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Sen .
Sanders has said that he would institute a moratorium on deportations if he is elected , ” Aleaziz had asked Shakir .
“ You know , while ICE deports many people without a criminal record , there are a portion of those deported with serious criminal issues .
In the past two months , ICE has deported those who are convicted of double murder , accessory to murder , and others who are wanted for murder in their home countries .
Would Sen. Sanders extend the moratorium to these individuals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this moratorium going to last ?
” “ We 're talking about violent criminal — violent criminals sit in jail or prison right now , upon their , the end of whatever sentence they may currently have , they would be deported , ” Shakir said .
“ Now that 's a tiny number , right ?
” he continued .
“ A tiny number of people on a case by case basis that would be outside of the moratorium .
The moratorium would affect 99 % of the people living here peacefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ So it sounds like the moratorium is not just a broad moratorium for all deportations ?
” Aleaziz followed up .
“ No , it starts with a broad moratorium .
Yeah .
It starts with a broad wholescale full sweep moratorium , acknowledging that there 's going to be case by cases that may need to be dealt with differently , ” Shakir said .
The Sanders campaign did not respond to requests for comment for this story .
Sanders ' written immigration plan does not make mention of exceptions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` institute a moratorium on deportations until a thorough audit of past practices and policies is complete . ''
His approach to immigration detention , on the other hand , does make it clear that he would look to end detention for all immigrants except those convicted of violent crimes .
In January , Sanders first indicated that there were in fact a few exceptions ; when he was asked about his position on deportations , he said , `` If someone has been convicted of a terrible , terrible crime , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A moratorium on 99 % of deportations is nothing to sniff at , and I think the undocumented community would be very proud of that . ''
Advocates say that it is a significant departure from a complete moratorium , even if the policy only excludes people serving time for violent crimes , because a moratorium means a complete halt .
This version , they argue , continues a policy of persecuting people based on their immigration status .
The shift now places this part of Sanders ’ immigration policy further to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president agreed to a full , 100-day moratorium on deportations after going back and forth and finally being pressured by Latino Victory Fund , a group that endorsed Biden last week and said they had understood that Biden would commit to the policy , despite his campaign ’ s initial denials .
National immigration groups who have endorsed Sanders recently told BuzzFeed News they understood Sanders ’ moratorium to mean a full and complete stop to all deportations , at least for a limited period of time .
“ Of course we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covering everyone .
That is the policy that we understand as his public commitment and that ’ s why we endorsed him , ” said Ana Maria Archila , executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy .
“ When he talks about the moratorium on deportations , it ’ s presenting such a departure from anything that my community has experienced under either Republican or Democratic administrations .
A moratorium would allow my community to breathe , ” she said .
Archila said the group still sees Sanders ’ immigration platform as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because “ he has been the only one to be brave enough , courageous enough , to talk about the inclusion of immigrants in all of the plans that he envisions .
When he talks about health care , he says health care for all including undocumented immigrants , when he talks about free college , he says including immigrant children who currently don ’ t have access.
” But , she added , she does not agree with framing the issue in terms of some immigrants deserving more protection than others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel more comfortable not using the framework of good immigrant , bad immigrant .
I think that it is outside the comfort zone of pretty much everyone in politics to not use that framework.
” A spokesperson for another group that endorsed Sanders , Mijente , said they thought the question to Shakir at the forum was unfair because `` the question was a setup — using the most controversial examples of deportation , '' said Tania Unzueta .
`` Yet , the surrogate talked about people getting deported being the exception , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case basis on a moratorium , '' she said .
However , she added , `` This is not what we mean by a moratorium , but we expect to have to push a Sanders presidency .
We are picking our target , not our savior .
We got him this far . ''
Unzueta said she trusts Sanders ' judgement on immigration and navigating policy on the Hill over other candidates .
Other immigrant rights advocates say the apparent shift in policy is concerning because Sanders backing this measure in particular gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief that they would be protected while a new Democratic president works on other more permanent measures through executive action and legislation in Congress to provide long-term relief to immigrants .
“ Yes , you have a good immigration plan , but we do n't want to leave anybody behind anymore … We ca n't continue to say we can only give you this much , ” said Cecia Alvarado , Nevada state director for Mi Familia Vota , a Latino community advocacy group .
“ But they ’ re not saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re on a national platform , they don ’ t say that — just that oh we ’ re putting a moratorium .
“ But when you go in and you have a moderator that ’ s actually asking the right questions on behalf of us , that ’ s when they hesitate and then they start creating the barriers , and the divisive narrative goes into place again .
So unless we ’ re really holding them accountable and asking these kinds of questions in every space , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that one reason immigrant rights advocates are particularly concerned about this issue is that people of color , including immigrants , are disproportionately targeted for arrest and incarceration — and many have been referred to ICE and deported directly after being arrested by law enforcement , even if they are ultimately cleared of all charges or were pulled over for minor traffic violations .
A former Hillary Clinton adviser and immigrant rights activist , Jess Morales Rocketto , praised Sanders for his moratorium policy last month , despite her past criticisms of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear marker of his evolution on the policy since 2016 .
After seeing Shakir ’ s comments on Thursday , she said , “ Sanders , deservedly , garnered lots of praise for his stance on deportations .
Why does his campaign appear to be walking back support for a popular policy ?
`` Sen. Sanders ' supporters and surrogates like to say he has the most progressive immigration policy left in the race — pointing to his deportation moratorium as evidence .
In an election where immigration is the number one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is critical that he stay committed to the most progressive immigration policy throughout this race . ''
As Sanders moves on to South Carolina and then Super Tuesday as the clear front runner in the race based on results so far , his campaign ’ s emphasis on building a diverse coalition this time around is going to be tested repeatedly , especially in states like Texas and California where he stands to make significant gains among voters of color who have a personal stake in immigration issues .
Michael Kagan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ambiguity over what exactly Sanders means by a moratorium is an example of why he endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Sanders .
( Warren has said she ’ s “ open ” to a moratorium . )
“ I saw that her plan has detail and I 'm concerned that the Sanders moratorium may actually face administrative and legal hurdles that I think the Warren plan doesn ’ t .
So I think the Warren plan may actually be more effective , ” Kagan said .
“ To me , the details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strokes , you can paint in rhetoric , but it 's the details that decide whether somebody 's dad gets taken away .
”

LAS VEGAS — On Thursday, Bernie Sanders' campaign reversed one part of his immigration platform: a blanket moratorium on deportations pending a policy audit.
Instead, Sanders’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir argued that the while the moratorium on deportations “would affect 99% of the people living here,” it would not be absolute. The moratorium, he said, would not apply to “violent criminals” and that some people serving time in prison would have a deportation decided “on a case by case basis.”
That hews closer to what other Democratic candidates have said: They will not commit to a moratorium on deporting immigrants with criminal records, especially those convicted of a violent crime.
Sanders’ promise of a blanket moratorium has won praise from immigration activist groups and was part of the reason several endorsed the senator over other candidates recently. Two major immigration groups said they understood a "moratorium" to mean a ban on deportations, with no exceptions.
Shakir made the remark at an immigration forum, which was cohosted by Amnesty International and BuzzFeed News in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucus, in an interview with BuzzFeed News’ Hamed Aleaziz.
“Sen. Sanders has said that he would institute a moratorium on deportations if he is elected,” Aleaziz had asked Shakir. “You know, while ICE deports many people without a criminal record, there are a portion of those deported with serious criminal issues. In the past two months, ICE has deported those who are convicted of double murder, accessory to murder, and others who are wanted for murder in their home countries. Would Sen. Sanders extend the moratorium to these individuals? And if so how long is this moratorium going to last?”
“We're talking about violent criminal — violent criminals sit in jail or prison right now, upon their, the end of whatever sentence they may currently have, they would be deported,” Shakir said.
“Now that's a tiny number, right?” he continued. “A tiny number of people on a case by case basis that would be outside of the moratorium. The moratorium would affect 99% of the people living here peacefully and contributing to America's economy.”
“So it sounds like the moratorium is not just a broad moratorium for all deportations?” Aleaziz followed up.
“No, it starts with a broad moratorium. Yeah. It starts with a broad wholescale full sweep moratorium, acknowledging that there's going to be case by cases that may need to be dealt with differently,” Shakir said.
The Sanders campaign did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Sanders' written immigration plan does not make mention of exceptions to the moratorium: It says he would "institute a moratorium on deportations until a thorough audit of past practices and policies is complete." His approach to immigration detention, on the other hand, does make it clear that he would look to end detention for all immigrants except those convicted of violent crimes.
In January, Sanders first indicated that there were in fact a few exceptions; when he was asked about his position on deportations, he said, "If someone has been convicted of a terrible, terrible crime, that might be an exception to the rule. A moratorium on 99% of deportations is nothing to sniff at, and I think the undocumented community would be very proud of that."
Advocates say that it is a significant departure from a complete moratorium, even if the policy only excludes people serving time for violent crimes, because a moratorium means a complete halt. This version, they argue, continues a policy of persecuting people based on their immigration status.
The shift now places this part of Sanders’ immigration policy further to the right than Biden — the former vice president agreed to a full, 100-day moratorium on deportations after going back and forth and finally being pressured by Latino Victory Fund, a group that endorsed Biden last week and said they had understood that Biden would commit to the policy, despite his campaign’s initial denials.
National immigration groups who have endorsed Sanders recently told BuzzFeed News they understood Sanders’ moratorium to mean a full and complete stop to all deportations, at least for a limited period of time.
“Of course we want a moratorium that is 100% covering everyone. That is the policy that we understand as his public commitment and that’s why we endorsed him,” said Ana Maria Archila, executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy.
“When he talks about the moratorium on deportations, it’s presenting such a departure from anything that my community has experienced under either Republican or Democratic administrations. A moratorium would allow my community to breathe,” she said.
Archila said the group still sees Sanders’ immigration platform as being the most inclusive across the board, because “he has been the only one to be brave enough, courageous enough, to talk about the inclusion of immigrants in all of the plans that he envisions. When he talks about health care, he says health care for all including undocumented immigrants, when he talks about free college, he says including immigrant children who currently don’t have access.”
But, she added, she does not agree with framing the issue in terms of some immigrants deserving more protection than others — “I want the campaign to feel more comfortable not using the framework of good immigrant, bad immigrant. I think that it is outside the comfort zone of pretty much everyone in politics to not use that framework.”
A spokesperson for another group that endorsed Sanders, Mijente, said they thought the question to Shakir at the forum was unfair because "the question was a setup — using the most controversial examples of deportation," said Tania Unzueta.
"Yet, the surrogate talked about people getting deported being the exception, not the rule, a case by case basis on a moratorium," she said.
However, she added, "This is not what we mean by a moratorium, but we expect to have to push a Sanders presidency. We are picking our target, not our savior. We got him this far."
Unzueta said she trusts Sanders' judgement on immigration and navigating policy on the Hill over other candidates.
Other immigrant rights advocates say the apparent shift in policy is concerning because Sanders backing this measure in particular gave millions of immigrant families a sense of relief that they would be protected while a new Democratic president works on other more permanent measures through executive action and legislation in Congress to provide long-term relief to immigrants.
“Yes, you have a good immigration plan, but we don't want to leave anybody behind anymore … We can't continue to say we can only give you this much,” said Cecia Alvarado, Nevada state director for Mi Familia Vota, a Latino community advocacy group. “But they’re not saying that. The candidates themselves, when they’re on a national platform, they don’t say that — just that oh we’re putting a moratorium.
“But when you go in and you have a moderator that’s actually asking the right questions on behalf of us, that’s when they hesitate and then they start creating the barriers, and the divisive narrative goes into place again. So unless we’re really holding them accountable and asking these kinds of questions in every space, we’re lying to our community.”
She added that one reason immigrant rights advocates are particularly concerned about this issue is that people of color, including immigrants, are disproportionately targeted for arrest and incarceration — and many have been referred to ICE and deported directly after being arrested by law enforcement, even if they are ultimately cleared of all charges or were pulled over for minor traffic violations.
A former Hillary Clinton adviser and immigrant rights activist, Jess Morales Rocketto, praised Sanders for his moratorium policy last month, despite her past criticisms of the candidate, because she saw it as a clear marker of his evolution on the policy since 2016.
After seeing Shakir’s comments on Thursday, she said, “Sanders, deservedly, garnered lots of praise for his stance on deportations. Why does his campaign appear to be walking back support for a popular policy?
"Sen. Sanders' supporters and surrogates like to say he has the most progressive immigration policy left in the race — pointing to his deportation moratorium as evidence. In an election where immigration is the number one issue for Trump and his base, it is critical that he stay committed to the most progressive immigration policy throughout this race."
As Sanders moves on to South Carolina and then Super Tuesday as the clear front runner in the race based on results so far, his campaign’s emphasis on building a diverse coalition this time around is going to be tested repeatedly, especially in states like Texas and California where he stands to make significant gains among voters of color who have a personal stake in immigration issues.
Michael Kagan, a Nevada-based immigration law expert, said this ambiguity over what exactly Sanders means by a moratorium is an example of why he endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Sanders. (Warren has said she’s “open” to a moratorium.)
“I saw that her plan has detail and I'm concerned that the Sanders moratorium may actually face administrative and legal hurdles that I think the Warren plan doesn’t. So I think the Warren plan may actually be more effective,” Kagan said. “To me, the details matter. You can paint in broad strokes, you can paint in rhetoric, but it's the details that decide whether somebody's dad gets taken away.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-24--Joe Biden’s Betting On Voters Of Color To Win. In Nevada, He Still Lost.

LAS VEGAS — Joe Biden has been saying for weeks that the real presidential primary doesn ’ t begin until the caucuses in Nevada and the primary in South Carolina .
On Saturday , Biden came in well behind Bernie Sanders in Nevada , after weeks of emphasizing that voters of color in more diverse states would be the key to his success , following his disappointing finishes in the first two voting states .
`` I think we 're in a position to move on now like we have n't been until this moment , '' he said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters , as Sanders ’ lead , and Biden ’ s likely second or third place finish , became clear .
With only a small percentage of precincts reporting , Biden was in second place at the time .
“ I think it ’ s very important to do really really well , ” said Biden surrogate Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas , asked the day before whether it was important to win Nevada outright .
Immediately after the caucuses , Vela told BuzzFeed News he doesn ’ t think Biden finishing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Texas , which votes on Super Tuesday — and then added that he also thinks Biden will win South Carolina next week .
“ I think today ’ s finish is going to help us , ” Vela said .
He said he thinks Biden will win Texas thanks to his “ long history of service ” but didn ’ t raise the role of voters of color in that state or in Nevada .
In entrance polls from CNN , Sanders appeared to win 51 % of Latino caucusgoers Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden led with black voters , with 39 % support to Sanders ’ 27 % .
The campaign has , since Iowa and then New Hampshire , been saying that the campaign really starts from Nevada — but while voters of color may have helped boost his standing in Nevada to a distant second or third place , they weren ’ t behind him in significant enough numbers to deliver what would have been his first win .
“ It ’ s the beginning of a representation of what the country looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night before the caucus in Nevada .
“ No , I really mean it .
It 's the first in the west and it really makes a difference.
” “ It ’ s the single most important group in America , ” he said , of Latinos .
While Sanders ’ victory in the caucuses here had been expected for the last week , Biden had long had his own claim on the state .
Polling averages showed Biden with a large advantage here until early February .
Biden had a wide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently , when Sanders and Michael Bloomberg started to draw away some of that support in polls .
In Nevada , he had been consistently neck-and-neck with Sanders among Latino voters — and one advantage that could have put Biden over the edge would have been an endorsement from the state ’ s powerful Culinary Workers Union .
That endorsement seemed like a likely prospect as recently as December , but last week the union announced it wouldn ’ t be endorsing anyone , despite union head Geoconda Argüello-Kline calling Biden the union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , a majority of culinary union workers at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino backed Sanders despite their union ’ s opposition to his health care proposal .
Biden ’ s campaign , like most others , invested in Spanish-language caucus trainings , and attended meetings with Latino community leaders and Latino advocacy groups like Mi Familia Vota .
But Sanders ’ campaign held unique Latino outreach events like a futbol tournament , and Spanish language only campaign events with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and labor organizer Jose La Luz .
Sanders ’ campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach older Latino voters with those unique events , and thanks to the efforts of young supporters bringing their parents and grandparents into the fold .
That may have resulted in the campaign breaching , in this state at least , a generational split that nationally has seen older black and Latino voters gravitate towards Biden but younger voters lean towards Sanders .
“ My daughter , who was in the university , told me about him .
So I searched Bernie on the internet and , yes , he ’ s my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48 , a Latino woman at a Spanish-language caucus training for the Sanders campaign on Thursday .
“ She was like , ‘ mom , you need to see this guy .
He talks about real issues that affect people.
’ ” At a Henderson , Nevada , canvass launch for the Biden campaign on Friday afternoon , which the campaign said was part of its Latino outreach and was headed up by Vela and Rep. Tony Cardenas , just one of the out-of-state volunteers was Latino .
Cristian Villa , 36 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to canvass for Biden — he said he ’ s supported Biden since 2008 because of “ his history , his involvement , he ’ s always cared about the country and he ’ s always done the right things.
” He said he was disappointed by Biden ’ s showing in Iowa and New Hampshire , ” but I know that anything good is not easy , that ’ s why I ’ m still in this fight , ” he said .
Villa was not so sure about Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backbone of his campaign .
“ Statistically that ’ s true , but I also worry that we can ’ t rely too much on that because not the whole country is like that .
Part of his initial appeal was that he can garner some of the white votes as well . ''


buzzfeed--2020-02-24--Members Of Nevada's Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders


buzzfeed--2020-02-25--The Guy Behind “Homeless Hotspots” Now Works For The Bloomberg Campaign

In 2012 , the biggest story to come out of South by Southwest Innovation , the tech conference held in Austin , was “ Homeless Hotspots.
” It was a project by an ad agency that gave 4G hotspots to 13 men without housing in the city to offer Wi-Fi to festivalgoers .
The project was immediately slammed by press and attendees as dystopian and a “ blunt display of unselfconscious gall.
” Now , the man who came up with it is working for the presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg , the former NYC mayor who has his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is currently a “ creative lead ” overseeing digital advertising for the well-funded machine of Bloomberg 2020 , but in 2012 he worked at the ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty , where he came up with the idea and organized the execution of the maligned SXSW project , which was not sponsored by a brand .
On Nolan ’ s website , he boasts about the publicity the project received for the agency : “ With over 78,000,000 Google Search Results , and has reached 13,736,154 people through 500 Million earned media impressions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This issue has by far has become the most spoken about topic to come out of # SXSW since Foursquare.
” An infographic about the project made by BBH estimated that it generated $ 620,341 in publicity value .
The Bloomberg 2020 campaign did not comment by publication time .
Thirteen men were each given a portable 4G hotspot , along with a T-shirt that said `` I 'm _____ , a 4G hotspot '' and a code festival-goers could text to donate for use of the Wi-Fi through PayPal .
Wired called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ darkly satirical science-fiction dystopia ” and Read Write called it “ a human science experiment ” .
The reaction on Twitter was generally horrified .
Critics pointed to the T-shirt wording that said the person was a 4G hotspot instead of “ I have a 4G hotspot ” as particularly dehumanizing .
After the initial outcry , the press coverage softened , with members of the BBH team explaining what they were trying to do .
Several of the men who carried the hotspots told reporters that they didn ’ t feel exploited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a little unclear on how the payment via PayPal would work , but was generally happy ) .
“ I find it a success to this date .
I still feel very proud of what we were able to do , ” Nolan told BuzzFeed News on Friday about the project .
Although the project didn ’ t make money for BBH , he said that he was happy with the publicity it generated .
“ What client does n't want to see that you spent under $ 10K and received an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Obviously it shows some that there were some smart-thinking folks who could penetrate the zeitgeist , which is what every brand wants from their agency.
” Mark Horvath , founder of Invisible People , a homelessness advocacy group , had mixed reactions at the time .
In the comments of BBH ’ s blog , he criticized the project for not centering the voices of the people involved , the way “ street papers ” — Nolan ’ s inspiration for the project — do .
However , he later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting that it was the only thing at SXSW that addressed homelessness .
Horvath recently told BuzzFeed News that in retrospect , the project was a net positive .
“ BBH providing a way for homeless people to make a few dollars and for the public to have a positive interaction with homeless people was brilliant , ” he said .
“ But it was a marketing campaign , not a homeless services strategy .
There is zero connection between homeless hotspots to anything going on today.
” Nolan , who lives in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he wasn ’ t particularly aware of Bloomberg ’ s record on homelessness during his time as mayor .
He joined the campaign team in November 2019 while he was freelancing and a friend mentioned Bloomberg was hiring ad people ( he initially thought his friend meant Bloomberg the media company ) .
“ I am the least political person , ” he said .
The advertising for Bloomberg 2020 has raised eyebrows over the last few weeks for pushing the boundaries of what has traditionally been accepted for political advertising , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-Bloomberg memes ( Bloomberg 2020 has also paid for banner ads on BuzzFeed.com ) .
The massive campaign , funded mainly by the former mayor ’ s own pockets , has spent more on advertising than any other candidate , prompting some to speculate that he is “ hacking your attention.
” While street homelessness went down during Bloomberg ’ s time as mayor , the nightly shelter population rose by 69 % , with over 22,000 children sleeping in shelters when he left office .
Bloomberg made a controversial policy in 2005 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing subsidies for people who are homeless , which some argued keeps families trapped in the shelter cycle ( Bloomberg ’ s successor , Bill de Blasio , reversed it ) .
In 2009 , it was revealed that the city was buying one-way plane tickets to fly people out of town , rather than keeping them in shelters .
Carl Siciliano , executive director for the Ali Forney Center , a shelter and advocacy group for homeless LGBTQ youth , told BuzzFeed News that Bloomberg attempted to cut funding by 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his time as mayor ( the City Council stopped the cuts ) .
“ It ’ s just brutal what these kids would go through , just brutal , ” Siciliano said .
“ A lot of lives were badly harmed by his callous treatment of homeless youth during his time as mayor.
” Nolan told BuzzFeed News that if he were to do an updated version of the project for 2020 , he would want to use some sort of mobile payments since he doesn ’ t carry cash .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know how to pay a guy who is asking for a dollar other than to take a credit card and go buy him a sandwich .
”

Thirteen men were each given a portable 4G hotspot, along with a T-shirt that said "I'm _____, a 4G hotspot" and a code festival-goers could text to donate for use of the Wi-Fi through PayPal. Wired called the project “something out of a darkly satirical science-fiction dystopia” and Read Write called it “a human science experiment”. The reaction on Twitter was generally horrified. Critics pointed to the T-shirt wording that said the person was a 4G hotspot instead of “I have a 4G hotspot” as particularly dehumanizing.
After the initial outcry, the press coverage softened, with members of the BBH team explaining what they were trying to do. Several of the men who carried the hotspots told reporters that they didn’t feel exploited (one man told BuzzFeed that he was a little unclear on how the payment via PayPal would work, but was generally happy).
“I find it a success to this date. I still feel very proud of what we were able to do,” Nolan told BuzzFeed News on Friday about the project. Although the project didn’t make money for BBH, he said that he was happy with the publicity it generated. “What client doesn't want to see that you spent under $10K and received an inordinate amount of PR?” he said. “Obviously it shows some that there were some smart-thinking folks who could penetrate the zeitgeist, which is what every brand wants from their agency.”
Mark Horvath, founder of Invisible People, a homelessness advocacy group, had mixed reactions at the time. In the comments of BBH’s blog, he criticized the project for not centering the voices of the people involved, the way “street papers” — Nolan’s inspiration for the project — do. However, he later praised the project in a video, noting that it was the only thing at SXSW that addressed homelessness.
Horvath recently told BuzzFeed News that in retrospect, the project was a net positive. “BBH providing a way for homeless people to make a few dollars and for the public to have a positive interaction with homeless people was brilliant,” he said. “But it was a marketing campaign, not a homeless services strategy. There is zero connection between homeless hotspots to anything going on today.”
Nolan, who lives in New York City, told BuzzFeed News that he wasn’t particularly aware of Bloomberg’s record on homelessness during his time as mayor. He joined the campaign team in November 2019 while he was freelancing and a friend mentioned Bloomberg was hiring ad people (he initially thought his friend meant Bloomberg the media company). “I am the least political person,” he said.
The advertising for Bloomberg 2020 has raised eyebrows over the last few weeks for pushing the boundaries of what has traditionally been accepted for political advertising, like paying large Instagram accounts to post pro-Bloomberg memes (Bloomberg 2020 has also paid for banner ads on BuzzFeed.com). The massive campaign, funded mainly by the former mayor’s own pockets, has spent more on advertising than any other candidate, prompting some to speculate that he is “hacking your attention.”