democrats Archives - Pavement Pieces https://pavementpieces.com/tag/democrats/ From New York to the Nation Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:36:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Biden’s cuddles sparks debate among younger voters https://pavementpieces.com/bidens-cuddles-sparks-debate-among-younger-voters/ https://pavementpieces.com/bidens-cuddles-sparks-debate-among-younger-voters/#respond Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:37:56 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=19239 For these millennials, Biden’s affectionate ways sparks a larger conversation about boundaries and sexual harassment.

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Former Nevada politician Lucy Flores, has accused Joe Biden of inappropriate behavior during a campaign visit to support her unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor.  Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s history of nuzzling, long hugs, forehead kisses, and lingering shoulder touches has some younger Democratic voters, especially women, turned off.

“I don’t think anyone in our generation is pumped up about a Joe Biden prospect,” said Sarah Zimmerman, 25. “And I kind of think that our generation is going to be pushing this entire election, so that’s kind of what matters.”

On March 29th, former Nevada politician Lucy Flores wrote a post for The Cut outlining an uncomfortable encounter she had with then Vice President Joe Biden in 2014. In the article she describes him putting his hands on her shoulders, leaning in and breathing deeply into her hair. Since then, more photos and experiences from other women have come to the forefront of the news.

For these millennials, Biden’s affectionate ways sparks a larger conversation about boundaries and sexual harassment.

“I’m actually really glad that people are starting to talk about it, because pretty much, last year, or awhile ago, I saw a compilation of how he always did weird stuff like that, but no one really talked about it,” said Monmouth University student Nick Coscarelli.

Flores was clear in her initial post that she did not feel assaulted, but the intrusion on her personal space had felt professionally disrespectful and inappropriate.

“She had not read it in a sexual way, but it still was very clearly ‘gendered creepiness,’ that violated her personal boundaries,” said Meredith Bradfield, a graduate student at Simmons University.

While Flores and other women have been clear, the public reaction and dialogue surrounding the initial post followed a familiar paradigm.

“I don’t like the way that it’s formulated,” said Zimmerman. “Because of #MeToo and because of the pattern we’ve created, we’ve kind of set it up so that women have to come out with ‘accusations’ and then other women have to follow. But it’s just kind of strange in this case because we all know that Joe Biden does that, we can literally see hundreds of videos of him doing exactly what she says.”

Flores’ experience triggered an onslaught of harsh criticism of the former Vice President, as people dug into videos and images of his over 40 years of public life. But, a more nuanced conversation about personal limits has grown from the knee-jerk reaction that initially concerned publicist Samantha Simon.

“A part of me, because I work in entertainment, a part of me was so nervous that this would go the route of Aziz Ansari,” Simon said. “Where he did something really inappropriate, but in the grand scheme of things, I don’t know if it was as inappropriate as what other people have done, for example Harvey Weinstein, and he just got ridiculed in a way that I think was kind of unfair.”

Biden, the front runner in the Democratic Primary, despite not having he is running president, responded with a written statement last Sunday and followed up with a video released on Twitter.


Coscarelli and others, including #MeToo founder Taran Burke, said Biden misunderstood the criticism and is squandering an opportunity to listen and learn.

“I think he is very out of touch with where we are moving and he’s also just very insensitive to what he thinks is the problem,” Coscarelli said. “I guess he’s taking it as, I guess, all of a sudden people have changed what is okay and what is not. But that’s not the case. We have always known where the boundaries should be drawn, but people have always overstepped them and there has been no consequence to it.”

At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers conference last Friday, Biden joked about the controversy. Multiple times during the event he flippantly remarked that he had “permission” to touch those he was hugging. Despite also apologizing to the assembled crowd, even some older Democrats, were underwhelmed by his handling of the situation.

“I think that he should have owned up to it and apologized right away,” said D’Anne Avotins, who is a parent of a young millennial. “He was silent for too long and then he made that joke on stage the other day, which I don’t think was considerate to the people who came forward.”

Coscarelli doesn’t feel Biden understands that his actions were wrong.

 

 

Many feel that this is another example of Biden being dismissive of a woman’s experience.

“It’s also all hanging under a lot of other things like the Anita Hill hearings, that he just really needs to answer for,” said Zimmerman. “It’s just like one of many things.”

“I am personally very nervous about the fact that he’s been leading in the polls, in part because of something I think people haven’t really been talking about enough,” said Bradfield. “The fact that during the Anita Hill trial, with the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, I seem to remember Biden had not been supportive of Anita Hill at that time. Just kind of thinking about that, in conversation with the lack of respect around boundaries– it might not be at a Kavanaugh level, but it’s still icky.”

With so many questions to answer, without having even announced an exploratory committee, some are looking to other options in the democratic primary.

“There are so many other people on the democratic ticket that come from diverse backgrounds– that are women and that are people of color– and I am just having a hard time being excited about another old white guy on the ticket,” Bradfield said.

While Biden’s conduct has been deemed by many to be distasteful and enthusiasm is not on his side, it doesn’t necessarily mean he cannot run for president. Avotins thinks he could easily backtrack and apologize in a more sensitive way.

 

If Biden does decide to run for president, he would be squaring up against Trump, who has a long history of sexual harassment allegations.

“You know what’s weird is that we have a president now who obviously said some incredibly inappropriate things right before he got elected, so in my mind maybe it’s not as big of a deal,” Simon said. “That being said, he’s catering to an audience that values things differently. So it sort of seems like it is going to be a way bigger road block than it ever would have been for Trump.”

 

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The Green New Deal explained in 1:17 https://pavementpieces.com/the-green-new-deal-explained-in-117/ https://pavementpieces.com/the-green-new-deal-explained-in-117/#respond Tue, 02 Apr 2019 23:11:01 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=19199 View video on Vimeo

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For Democrats, a Mixed Success in 2018 Midterms https://pavementpieces.com/for-democrats-a-mixed-success-in-2018-midterms/ https://pavementpieces.com/for-democrats-a-mixed-success-in-2018-midterms/#respond Thu, 08 Nov 2018 02:39:08 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=18581   Tuesday’s midterm elections were not the stinging rebuke of the Trump Administration that Democrats had been hoping for. The […]

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Tuesday’s midterm elections were not the stinging rebuke of the Trump Administration that Democrats had been hoping for. The party has retaken the House of Representatives, gaining at least 27 seats. Despite this success, Democrats lost ground in the Senate, and the House results were not as clear-cut a victory as rosier projections had expected. These mixed results make the election difficult to categorize overall. More than anything, the election shows a country that is drifting ever further apart politically.

In the House, the results largely conformed to pre-election polling. According to FiveThirtyEight, Democrats won the majority of seats that leaned toward their party, Republicans won most GOP-leaning districts, and Democrats clinched a slight majority of the races pegged as tossups.

At the state level, Democrats saw gains in several key states. Pennsylvania stands out in particular, with Democrats gaining four seats in the wake of a court-ordered redistricting that made the state more competitive. In New Jersey and Virginia, Democrats built on existing advantages, winning three seats in each. Meanwhile, Democrats won two seats apiece in Florida, Iowa, Michigan, and Texas.

Overall, the House races accentuate the existing trend of urban-rural polarization. The three most surprising Democratic victories, NY-11, SC-1, and OK-5, all came from urban communities. The same applies to Georgia’s 6th District, which Republican Karen Handel narrowly won in last year’s special election. On Tuesday, the district voted in Democrat Lucy McBath after a hard-fought contest. Also, the two House seats Democrats won in Florida were centered on Miami-Dade County. These results suggest that the divide between urban and rural voters are only intensifying under the Trump Administration.

One other noteworthy trend in last night’s House races is the success for minorities in key races. The 116th Congress will see Native American and Muslim women to join its ranks for the first time. Native American candidates Sharice Davids of Kansas and Debra Halland of New Mexico won their races Tuesday. Two Muslim candidates also won, with Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar scoring victories in Michigan and Minnesota. Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also made history – at 29, she is the youngest woman ever be elected to Congress.

In the Senate, the Democrats faced an uphill battle to retake the chamber this year, with 26 seats up for reelection to only nine for the Republicans. With so many incumbents facing challenges, many of them in heavily conservative states, Democrats were unable to avoid significant losses. Joe Donnelly of Indiana fell behind early in the night and never recovered, while North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and Missouri’s Claire McCaskill also lost decisively. Bill Nelson in Florida held on more stubbornly, and is currently seeking a recount.

Meanwhile, the Democrats saw little success from their limited opportunities to flip Republican seats. Beto O’Rourke suffered a narrow defeat in his challenge to Ted Cruz in Texas. Tennessee’s election was more clear-cut, with Marsha Blackburn besting Democrat Phil Bredesen. The race to replace Jeff Flake in Arizona has not been called, but Kyrsten Sinema trails Martha McSally. The sole Democratic Senate victory came from Nevada, where Dean Heller was ousted by Jacky Rosen.

Despite the mixed victory for Congress, last night’s most promising gains for Democrats came at the state level. Democrats won seven Governor’s races, as well as winning legislative chambers in at least six states. The gubernatorial victories ranged from bluer states like Illinois and Maine, to swing states like Wisconsin and Nevada, to a surprise victory in highly conservative Kansas.

The common thread across many of the gubernatorial races was dissatisfaction with unpopular incumbents. Illinois and Kansas voters blamed incumbents Bruce Rauner and Sam Brownback for catastrophically damaging the two states’ finances. Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Maine’s Paul LePage alienated voters with their abrasive approaches to governing. And in Michigan, Governor Rick Snyder has suffered for his mishandling of the water contamination in Flint.

Democrats also enjoyed two historic successes in last night’s Governor’s races. In Colorado, Jared Polis became the first openly gay man to be elected to a Governor’s mansion. And in New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham became the first Latina woman to get elected Governor as a Democrat.

Not every Governor’s race went well for the Democrats, however. Andrew Gillum narrowly lost his race in Florida, and Richard Cordray was bested in Ohio. Stacey Abrams hasn’t conceded defeat in Georgia, but she trails Georgia Attorney General Brian Kemp by 1.6 points. The loss in Florida is especially critical – Republican success increases the danger of favorable redistricting after the 2020 census, putting Congressional victories in the state even further out of reach for Democrats. This is less of a concern for Ohio, where voters approved rules for a bipartisan redistricting process earlier this year.

All in all, Tuesday’s results should still be considered a success for Democrats, albeit a qualified one. Republican control of the Senate will only exacerbate conservative influence in the judiciary branch, possibly for years to come. However, seizing the House of Representatives will let Democrats conduct investigations into Trump Administration misconduct, which may cripple the White House. Also, the House is responsible for the first drafts of all spending bills, giving the Democrats considerable sway over the federal budget.

Moreover, the Democratic success at the state level will improve their national prospects in future elections – many Congressmen begin their careers in state legislatures. The Trump Administration no longer has free rein to push its agenda, but that may prove the least of their worries.

 

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Fear of Voter Suppression Energizes Georgia Democrats https://pavementpieces.com/fear-of-voter-suppression-energizes-georgia-democrats/ https://pavementpieces.com/fear-of-voter-suppression-energizes-georgia-democrats/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2018 13:59:21 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=18459 The Democratic Field Office in Glynn County, Georgia was jammed with folding tables and mismatched chairs. The walls and windows […]

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The Democratic Field Office in Glynn County, Georgia was jammed with folding tables and mismatched chairs. The walls and windows were covered with the campaign signs of the eight local Democratic candidates and ones emblazoned with the Abrams-Amico ticket.

Beneath a banner reading “Our Great Eight Candidates” Martha Johnson, 73, was working for every vote. Despite heavy rain in the area, she still showed up at the Democratic field office in Brunswick, Georgia to phone bank for Stacey Abrams, the first African American female candidate for governor and other local candidates. She did not break focus from the job at hand.

“I’m making phone calls,” Johnson said. “This is the ground plan, make contact with everybody and encourage early voting, absentee voting and give them deadline dates.”

Johnson’s prior involvement in the campaign efforts were through social media, but she recently made the commitment to phone bank at the field office because she was incensed by the Republican candidate for governor and current Georgia Secretary of State, Brian Kemp’s alleged attempts to suppress Democratic votes.

“I’m really into Stacey,” she said. “For more reasons than one. Mainly because Kemp’s attempt at voter suppression kind of ignited a fight in me. So I’m fighting.”

In recent weeks, national attention focused on the governor’s race in Georgia because a controversial, “exact match” law that passed a year ago has 53,000 voters’ registration status on hold. In what appears to be a major conflict of interest,  Kemp is responsible for state elections and voter registration records as Georgia’s Secretary of State, while he is actively campaigning to be governor.

Abrams has made encouraging voting a priority throughout her career, but has ramped up get out the vote efforts following Kemp’s acknowledgement he is concerned about voter turnout on the democratic side.

Abrams appeared alongside Common and  cicil rights icon Andrew Young to express the importance of voting, especially in this election. Photo by Emma Bolton.

At a recent ‘Souls to the Polls’ rally in Midtown Atlanta, Abrams brought civil rights icon, former UN ambassador, former Atlanta Mayor and former congressman,  Andrew Young, as well as actor and rapper, Common to rally and march to a local polling place, highlighting the importance of voting.

“We have to vote,” Abrams said. “And we know voting works, because if it didn’t work they wouldn’t be working so hard to make sure we couldn’t cast a ballot. In fact, my opponent said this week, he said ‘well look, I’m very concerned if everyone who is eligible to vote cast a ballot she might win.’ Let’s prove him right.”

In South Georgia, the Glynn County Democratic Party Co-Chair, Audrey Gibbons said that getting every potential voter in her area to the polls was crucial to Abrams’ strategy for winning state wide.

“We know we’ve got to turn out the vote for Stacey Abrams to win,” Gibbons said. “And I mean turn out the vote. In District 5 alone in Glynn County we have 14,000 registered voters. That’s enough to turn Glynn County blue.”

Similarly in North Georgia, the Lumpkin County Democratic Party Chair, Ken Akin encouraged volunteers to keep organizing by touting how successful they had already been in increasing voter turnout in the area.

“Every day since we started early voting we have had over a 300% increase over 2014,” he said. “I think we are going to be proud of the results that we are going to see on Election Day. It’s getting purple.”

In Northern Georgia, the Lumpkin County Democratic Party held a get out the vote rally in tandem with the Democratic National Committee and the Georgia Democratic Party. They marched from the town square in Dahlonega to a local polling station to campaign for Stacey Abrams and other local candidates. Photo by Maggie Garred.

Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Party, Dubose Porter attended the rally on Saturday with the Lumpkin County Democratic Party and representatives from the Democratic National Committee in Dahlonega to inform voters about early voting opportunities. It was one of many get out the vote events happening simultaneously across the state.

“We are everywhere, especially today,” Porter said. “There are 80 launch sites for canvassers, so we’re in neighborhoods, just all over the state to remind people what’s at stake this election and now is the time to go vote. There is Saturday voting all over the state today, so we thought we would take today fan out all over the state.”

Porter stressed that the stakes in the election were extremely high. He pointed to Abrams commitment to expanding Medicaid, investing in public education and pushing for diversity as reasons she needed to be elected.

“Are we going to help and lift up everybody or continue to just help a few?” he asked. “That’s what’s at stake. How we change that is, go vote and take somebody with you. And do it today on Saturday and take another crew on Monday and go every day next week ‘til Friday, until we’ve run out of people by November the 6th.”

Although voter purges and exact match laws threaten Abrams’ strategy to win by encouraging historically non-voting populations to vote, Glynn County school board candidate, Regina Johnson, was optimistic that efforts to expand the Democratic voter pool could still turn the state of Georgia blue.

Johnson said Abrams had come to Brunswick’s First African Baptist Church to speak with the community about being civically engaged and educated about issues on the ballot three years prior to running for governor. She saw that long term investment from Abrams as an asset for local candidates and volunteers as they work to get out the vote in 2018 Midterms.

The Democratic Field Office in Glynn County is right in front of First African Baptist Church, where Stacey Abrams spoke to congregants three years ago about the importance of being civically engaged. Photo by Emma Bolton.

“Stacey Abrams came to our church and began a conversation about educating our voters in our community,” Johnson said. “What began three years ago as a conversation is now really in force today.”

Martha Johnson was optimistic that people had responded well to Abrams’ message and had taken the time to vote early after a few hours of making calls to Glynn County constituents.

“This morning, luckily, most have voted,” she said. “So that’s good.”

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Election 2016: Small Town Rebels https://pavementpieces.com/election-2016-small-town-rebels/ https://pavementpieces.com/election-2016-small-town-rebels/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2016 00:35:59 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=16331 Jim and Mary Mountain are the only visible Democrats in all of Belfast, New York. And their neighbors do not approve.

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Mary Mountain stands outside with her Hillary sign, which has made her a pariah in her small town. Photo by Hattie Burgher

In the small town of Belfast, New York, population 1,600, Jim and Mary Mountain have become outcasts in recent weeks, shunned by their neighbors. Their sin: they are the only residents with a “Hillary” sign on their front lawn.

“We are kind of the exception to the rule,” chuckled Mary, 80, a retired postmaster and a lifelong resident of the town. “My daughter’s friend drove all the way from Rochester to Friendship and the only Hilary sign she saw was on our lawn.”

The Mountains live right along the major road in the area, Route 19, so if you need to get anywhere in the county, chances are you will pass by their yard.

Her husband Jim, now 82 and also retired, worked for Dresser-Rand, an industrial equipment supplier, and served on the Belfast Town Board. In his 12 years of service, he was the only Democrat.

Belfast is located in Allegany County, the third poorest county in the State. The county’s population is around 47,000 people, and its per capita income is $20,000 a year. Though economically poor, Allegany is rich with rolling hills, dairy farms, and pick-up trucks. According to the New York State Board of Elections, there are twice as many registered Republicans than Democrats in Allegany County.

So why do the Mountains vote left in a region that is a predominantly conservative? Jim says that he believes the Democrats are “for the poor guys, they are the first ones to help out the small guy.” He continued, “I don’t believe in giving everything to the rich, I’ve always been a Democrat for that reason.”

Mary said that she doesn’t understand why a lot of people don’t trust Hillary. “I think she’s a good person and they have given her a lot of trouble to get to where she is today.”

The Mountains, who are elderly and rely on many medications, fear that if Trump gets elected he will abolish Social Security and Medicare. “Those are good programs,” said Jim. “It would kill us if we didn’t have the Medicare. It would take everything else we got, it’s a big help.”

Their neighbors have not reacted well to the couple’s Hillary sign. “Yeah, they holler at us,” said Jim, who seemed to brush it off easily. However, Mary has experienced more severe taunts. One day she was out retrieving her mail at the end of their gravel driveway when a driver in a big truck yelled “F–K YOU!” at her. “I’m surprised someone hasn’t shot bullets through it yet,” said Mary of the sign.

The Mountain’s sign has certainly caused a stir in the area.

“I don’t know them, but I think it’s stupid to vote for Hillary,” said neighbor Anne Chamberlain,30 a stay-at-home mother and a registered Republican. “She scares me and I don’t have a good feeling about her. She reminds me of Hitler.” said Chamberlain.

Asked why she plans to vote for Trump, Chamberlain responded, “I guess he is the less of two evils.”

Darlene Redance, 34, another neighbor, is aware of the Hillary sign and does not approve.

“I don’t like it, I just don’t want Hillary as president. I don’t like her, she should be in jail,” said Redance, “I think Trump will bring this world where it needs to be.” She does not understand why the Mountains approve of Hillary, adding, “I’m confused about that one, doesn’t make any sense to me.”

A little bit further north along Route 19 lives Chuck Babbitt, a crop and dairy farmer. Babbitt, 63, is very enthusiastic about the GOP candidate and is baffled that his nearby neighbors don’t feel the same way.

“I think everybody ought to be voting for Trump,” said Babbitt. “I’m voting of Trump because I don’t want Hillary.”

Babbitt believes that Hillary would be just the same as President Obama.

“Obama doubled the debt in his term, where was the change we were supposed to be believe in?” said Babbitt. “I think he has been one of the worst presidents ever.”

Chamberlain, Redance, and Babbitt couldn’t exactly articulate reasons why they believe that Trump will help the residents of Allegany County and the country as a whole. Asked why Republican candidates are good for farmers and people in poorer counties, Babbitt replied “I don’t know about that one, I haven’t thought about it.” Chamberlain said that Trump wants to bring back the “Old America.” But what does that look like? “Basically before Obama” said Chamberlain.

Being a Democrat in a small town is like showing up to an Adidas PR Party decked out in Nike apparel. The Mountains are surrounded by people who may never see this side of the coin.

Residents of rural areas tend to vote Republican, a perpetual reflection of the urban-rural divide in politics. According to a an NBC/ Wall Street Journal poll, Trump leads Hillary 64% to 27% in rural areas across the states. Trump particularly does well among older, white Americans. Considering both Jim and Mary are in their 80s and white, they are defeating yet another stereotype.

Just as the Republicans in the town can’t wrap their heads around how the Mountains can vote for Hillary, the Mountains can’t wrap their heads around how their neighbors can be for Trump. “I have no idea why people are voting for him in this community” laughed Mary. “Maybe it’s because he has driven into people’s heads that Hillary is evil.”

Even though Jim is used to being outnumbered by his conservative neighbors (He and Mary both voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012), he is surprised by the large number of Trump signs he sees in his neighborhood.

“I don’t understand how there are so many. He has said so many things that are just off the cuff, not things that you would want to hear from a future president,” said Jim.

“Anybody that could vote for Trump could vote for that dog right there,” said Jim pointing to their dog, Milly. His wife interjected quickly, “Milly probably wouldn’t vote for him either!”

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NY Primary: The senior democratic vote https://pavementpieces.com/ny-primary-the-senior-democratic-vote/ https://pavementpieces.com/ny-primary-the-senior-democratic-vote/#respond Tue, 19 Apr 2016 17:36:34 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=15913 Senior voters weigh in Hillary vs Bernie primary.

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NY Primary: Young Voters for Bernie https://pavementpieces.com/ny-primary-young-voters-for-bernie/ https://pavementpieces.com/ny-primary-young-voters-for-bernie/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2016 01:36:10 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=15877 Young voters give their thoughts on the Democratic candidates. They choose Bernie.

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NYC Primary: Colorful Sanders supporters rally at Navy Yard before debate https://pavementpieces.com/nyc-primary-colorful-sanders-supporters-rally-at-navy-yard-before-debate/ https://pavementpieces.com/nyc-primary-colorful-sanders-supporters-rally-at-navy-yard-before-debate/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2016 14:54:46 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=15843 They came from all over the country to take on the more subdued Hilary Clinton supporters.

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Supporters display at light up sign for Sanders at the  Brooklyn Navy Yard before the Democratic presidential debate yesterday or Sanders. by Leann Garofolo

Bernie Sanders supporters brought a carnival to Brooklyn Navy Yard before yesterday’s Democratic presidential debate. There were homemade light-up signs, a customized “Bernie for President” computer game, a life-sized Bernie Sanders muppet and more.

They came from all over the country to take on the more subdued Hilary Clinton supporters who gathered on the opposite corner carrying the official “I’m With Her” signs. But it was the eclectic array of homemade Sanders campaign gear that stole the show on this chilly spring night.

“I have never come out like this for anybody,” said Kyle Cranston, of South Hampton in Long island, New York. He was decked out in a black “Feel the Bern” t-shirt, topped with a blazer sporting colorful Bernie buttons. His black fitted baseball cap said “Bernie for President,” and he carried a blue sign emblazoned with the same logo.

 

 Kyle Cranston, of South Hampton in Long Island, New York, was decked out in Sanders attire outside of the debate venue. by Leann Garofolo


Kyle Cranston, of South Hampton in Long Island, N.Y. was decked out in Sanders attire outside of the debate venue. by Leann Garofolo

It was not Cranston’s first time braving the cold for Sanders. In February, he attended the New Hampshire primary, traveled to Boston for Super Tuesday, and has been making phone calls and canvassing for his candidate.

The stakes were high for the democratic candidates who both have roots in New York. Sanders were born in Flatbush, Brooklyn to Jewish immigrants, and Hillary Clinton was the city’s senator for eight years. She calls New York her adopted home.

Liz Sawyers, of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, was the coordinator of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) members who attended the rally. Under her black winter coat was a white t-shirt that said “Bernie is bae”, with a sketch of the candidate’s face inside a red heart.

“Earlier this afternoon, just as the sun was going down, the CWA members marched down the street,” said Sawyers. “We had like, 600 CWA members here. It was great.”

Liz Sawyers organized a CWA rally of over 600 people to show support for he candidate. by Leann Garofolo

Liz Sawyers organized a CWA rally of over 600 people to show support for he candidate. by Leann Garofolo

As an independent business owner teaching public speech and rhetoric, Sawyers is passionate about fair labor. Earlier in the week, the CWA began striking back against Verizon after the parties failed to negotiate a fair contract.

Sanders showed his support and solidarity for the workers on Wednesday when he joined a crowd of 2,000 CWA Verizon and Verizon Wireless workers on the picket line in Brooklyn.

“Bernie was on the picket lines with them, as he was has been on the picket lines with labor unions and teacher unions for years,” said Sawyers. “He’s been consistent on these same issues for 31 years.”

But this rally was also interactive.

A Playstation was set up where kids and adults got to play Bernie “jumping” over obstacles to reach the end goal of being elected as president. A virtual Bernie was navigated as he jumped over things such as “Big Oil Problem” and “Dodged Another Bush.”

“You basically jump over corporate interest and Wall Street bulls and try and get to the end and try and get elected,” said the game’s creator, Grayson Earle of the game that was projected on a big screen. He made the game in just about two weeks in his spare time with The Illuminators, a political art project based in N.Y.C. “If you don’t win you just go back to the community and you reorganize and you try again.”

While many came to show their support, others came to rally for other causes that were near and dear to their heart.

Paul Schuberg, of Rockaway, Queens, stopped by with a “War Wagon” to support veterans.

His mobile cart was piled thick with campaign buttons, along with a donation jar adorned with the American flag. His goal was to sell buttons and raise money to donate to homeless vets who need food, shelter, and permanent housing.

While not an actual veteran himself, he called himself a veteran of “the war on poverty, the war on injustice.” Schubert said he votes based on the candidate, not the party.

“I am a voter,” said Schuberg. “I vote for the best person for the job after examining their history, their record, very carefully.”

Evan Siegel, of Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, came to support Sanders while distributing flyers to raise awareness about military spending.

“I think we need to have a conversation about that,” said Siegel as he continued to give out flyers to passerby. According to the flyer’s colorfully coordinated pie chart, 54 percent of federal income tax dollars are spent on the military budget, which Siegel viewed as a problem.

“Bernie at least says that we should freeze the military budget at its current level,” said Siegel. “I’m for protecting whatever is left of social equality in our country.”

A group called Black Men for Bernie also came out to support him.

Still, others at the rally just wanted to get in on the action.

April Brooker, of Sunnyside, Queens, had hopes of getting inside the venue. She carried a puppet of Donald Trump, who she referred to as “Donald J. Tramp.” Despite the puppet, she did not say she wasn’t a Trump supporter or which of the democratic candidates she supported.

“I’m investigating both sides,” said Brooker, mimicking the Trump puppet as though it were the one speaking. “I like a lot of what Bernie Sanders has to say, but I like the experience Hillary has, so that’s why I’m very eager to see how it turns out.”

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NYC Primary: “Feeling the Bern” at Washington Square Park https://pavementpieces.com/nyc-primary-feeling-the-bern-at-washington-square-park/ https://pavementpieces.com/nyc-primary-feeling-the-bern-at-washington-square-park/#respond Tue, 12 Apr 2016 13:37:27 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=15838 The Sanders campaign estimated 27,000 New Yorkers attended the rally.

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Brooklynites on Hilary Clinton for President https://pavementpieces.com/brooklynites-on-hilary-clinton-for-president/ https://pavementpieces.com/brooklynites-on-hilary-clinton-for-president/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2015 21:07:51 +0000 https://pavementpieces.com/?p=14700 According to a March 29th Pew Research Center Poll 59 percent of democrats say there is a “good chance” they will vote for Clinton.

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She said she would be making her announcement at 12pm Sunday via Twitter. Instead, nearly three hours later Hillary Clinton’s top aid sent an email out to staffers announcing  her official run for president in 2016. As politics often goes it was anticlimactic, but that did not bother supporters that gathered at her Brooklyn Heights campaign headquarters at One Pierrepont Plaza for the big announcement.

“I’m very anxious and excited,” said Risa Levine, 52. “I even brought champagne to celebrate the announcement.”

Levine wore not only a pink t-shirt with Clinton’s likeness, but her jean jacket was sprinkled with Hillary buttons reading slogans like, “I’m a woman for Hillary” and “Hillary sent me”.

Levine of Manhattan was one of three supporters who stood patiently and excitedly snapping selfies. She was joined by Tim Dangora, 36, also of Manhattan. A tall man donning a Hillary baseball cap and patriotically colored, “Hillary for president” t-shirt he had just one simple statement to make.

“America deserves Hillary,” said Dangora.

According to a March 29th Pew Research Center Poll 59 percent of democrats say there is a “good chance” they will vote for Clinton.

While the Clinton opponents were not physically present, their message could be seen hung from stop lights and pasted randomly to public surfaces. An unknown group or individual placed anti-Clinton posters in the area surrounding One Pierrepoint Plaza early Sunday morning. The design included an unflattering greyscale portrait of Clinton surrounded by phrases such as “Don’t Say Entitled” “Don’t Say Secretive” and “Don’t Say Polarizing”.

Despite her star power Clinton remains a polarizing and sometimes controversial candidate and has been on the receiving end of criticism from politicians and citizens. Republicans were quick to lambaste Clinton after her official announcement calling her untrustworthy.

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