King: Respected Ohio Dem. Nina Turner STUNS Party Leaders By Endorsing Bernie Sanders Over Hillary [View all]

[Segami]

Nina Turner is one of the most widely respected democrats in the state of Ohio. A former city councilwoman and state senator in Cleveland, she is often discussed as a viable candidate for mayor of the city in the future. A popular champion of voting rights and racial justice, the activist was widely expected to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. She didn't.

Instead, Turner shocked the democratic establishment in Ohio, endorsing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. On Wednesday, in a conversation with the Daily News, she discussed her endorsement and why she believes Sanders is the best person for the job.

SHAUN KING with Nina Turner:

King: I hear so many people say that they love Bernie, love his principles, that they think he walks the talk, but that they just don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell at beating Hillary Clinton. How did you look at the same things they see and go in the other direction?

Turner: I actually think Bernie Sanders is viable. 2015 is actually the first year in which he has been a truly national politician. He has not had the privilege of being a household name until the past few months. When you think of how far he has come in that time, it's actually amazing. For me though, it was about principles.

When I overlay what I care about most, what issues matter to me the most, from civil rights, voting rights, and human rights, when I overlay those things against what Bernie Sanders believes, endorsing him just made sense to me.

King: Did you have a pivotal moment where you decided that you were going to buck the trend and endorse Bernie? I see that many prominent democrats in your state are firmly in Hillary's camp.

Turner: I actually met with Senator Sanders and his team. He says it like it is. He doesn't sugarcoat things. My son is a police officer. My husband was a police officer. Senator Sanders and I both respect good police, but when (Sanders) talks about police brutality, which has been a major problem here in Cleveland, he goes right for the problem. He calls institutional racism out by name and actually has a comprehensive plan on how he's going to aggressively address it. So, for me, after I met with him, and experienced his authenticity for myself, I felt like I had to endorse him.

King: It's been widely stated that Hillary Clinton polls really well in the black community. How does Bernie overcome that in places like Ohio, South Carolina, and other early primary states?

Turner: People need to understand that polling well and actually energizing a community are two very different things. All across the country, people are enthusiastic and excited about Bernie Sanders. We had nearly 10,000 people come out to his rally this week in Ohio and the crowd was probably 10-1 in favor of young voters. Young people love him, they trust him, the find him authentic. If African Americans, en masse, had a real opportunity to hear this man's message, to know his history, to be truly introduced to him, I think they would feel as strongly as I feel and as strongly as millions of people do about his candidacy.


cont'

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/king-respected-ohio-dem-nina-turner-endorses-bernie-sanders-article-1.2439200