Preliminary report - Bernie roundtable
This is preliminary because I'm having trouble with my iPhone (and I ran out of space trying to record this) so I'll try to post more after I can go through the video.
This morning I got to go to a Bernie "roundtable" (actually 50% speaking, 50% audience questions). It was at a senior center in southern New Hampshire. I got a first row seat! The whole crowd was limited, assuming in part because doors opened at 9:30 (Bernie ran from 10:30 to 11:30 - and he was on time, both starting and stopping). A couple of hundred people - the venue wouldn't support more.
Anyway, so we were first row - benefit of living in New Hampshire. I taped what I could, but as I said, I'll need time to get my iPhone straightened out.
I hadn't really seen Bernie in person since when he was the mayor of Burlington and I lived there. His position really hasn't changed, but apparently years in the house and senate have really streamlined his message, but he has the same focus he always had, just more polished and knowledgeable now.
He welcomed all sorts of questions, but was focused on senior issues for the general talk. His intro spokeswoman tried to encourage everyone to live text the event, only to be corrected by a few audience members that noticed there was no cell coverage in that area (in truth, there was some, but it was spotty).
One person made the observation (as makes the rounds in DU and other places) on the topic of health care that pro-lifers were all for protecting the pre-born, but after you're born, your life is your own problem and the pro-life ends at birth, after that, you're on you're own.
There were other topics; if anyone wants to know I'll tell you if it was covered or not and hopefully I have it taped although, as I said, I can get the tape posted just yet.
Very passionate people, though, with real life concerns. And the most interesting thing was that he didn't push his candidacy or even his website. He made one comment that if he was President that the pharmaceutical companies would know who the President was (main focus: negotiation on drug costs), but that was all, and he started to recommend people look for a prior video on berniesanders.com but he tailed off and encourage them to go to YouTube. Maybe he makes money on YouTube, I don't know, but the point is he did very little to promote himself personally, but rather to promote his ideas. I assume it's the opposite of a Trump event.
Anyway, I'll post the video and a little more once I get the taping straightened out.
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