Meet the Comic Book King Running Bernie Sanders' Campaign

[LWolf]

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has a few things in common with a superhero from the Marvel universe. The Democratic presidential candidate bills himself as an underdog waging battle against evil tycoons who exploit the citizenry in pursuit of cartoonish riches. A band of loyal followers hangs on his every adventure. And some people think he's from another planet.

His is an unconventional campaign, so it was only logical that in May he picked an unconventional operative to run it—the owner of a comic book shop. A longtime Sanders friend and advisor, Jeff Weaver had worked on Sanders' campaigns and in his Washington offices for more than two decades. But before he came on board Bernie 2016, Weaver had retired from politics to launch one of the DC-area's biggest gaming businesses.

A recent poll put Sanders just 8 points behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, but he still trails substantially in national surveys. And while the senator raised an impressive $15 million in small-dollar donations in the first three months of his candidacy (including $850 from the Incredible Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo) this haul is a pittance compared to Wayne Enterprises-esque cash reserves of the Clinton machine. Building a coalition that can win a delegate contest might require some kind of superhuman effort. Fortunately, Weaver says, Sanders has a few qualities that fit the bill.

"Truth, justice, and the American way—that's Bernie," Weaver says. "It's also associated with Superman; I didn't just come up with that."

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-jeff-weaver-victory-comics

[Snotcicles]

1. Sounds like Bernie made a pretty reasonable selection here. nt

[LWolf]

2. He's sticking with what's worked.

The comic book connection is just one more thing to smile about. Personally, I see him more as Underdog than Superman.

[Snotcicles]

3. Captain Conviction. nt

[dreamnightwind]

4. Looks like his staff is full of trusted associates

In May, Weaver took a break from Victory Comics to pursue another old hobby: helping Bernie Sanders win an election. Weaver managed Sanders' first senate campaign, in 2006, which he won by 33 points, and worked on his earlier congressional campaigns, including the 1991 race for a US House seat that gave the ex-mayor his break in Washington. He'll be in familiar company. Sanders adviser Tad Devine was also involved in the 2006 campaign and an earlier congressional run. Field director Phil Fieremonte, a former Burlington city councilman and state director for Sanders' senate office, has worked for the candidate for 16 years. Communications director Michael Briggs has been Sanders' spokesman since he became a senator. In putting together a campaign apparatus, Sanders is sticking with the people who got him where he is.

Sounds good to me. I'd be worrried if he had instead hired a group of the usual Penn/Carville/Matalin/Davis/Messina types.

This is a truly different campaign, not the usual cynical positioning to please the left while serving the large donors. I don't know if it can defeat the big money candidates, but I have never been so sure that a candidate is on the correct side of the issues, and the most important thing the progressive left has to do is to learn how to defeat big money. Let's do it.