David Sirota tells Andrew Buncombe the Democrats can win back the White House – if Joe Biden pays heed to progressives
Jun 10, 2020
During the course of two defiant but ultimately unsuccessful presidential bids, Bernie Sanders has become famous for the passion of his speeches and the finger he frequently jabbed in the air to make his point.
But the man who helped craft a number of those addresses, and who advised his campaign with a fervour that matched that of the candidate, says there is a softer, more human side to the Vermont senator the public may not always see.
“Bernie is one of the most human – and humane – political figures of the modern era,” says David Sirota. “His whole agenda is motivated by the most human emotions.”
In an interview with The Independent, Mr Sirota, a former journalist who was accused by some critics of being the senator’s social media “attack dog”, a charge he denies, says even though Joe Biden has emerged as the Democrats’ presidential candidate, the lesson of the success enjoyed by the campaign of the veteran progressive is that the party’s base needs to be energised if it is to defeat Donald Trump in November.
Before joining Mr Sanders’ campaign, which promoted the kinds of socialist policies the 78-year-old senator has pursued for decades, Mr Sirota, 44, worked as a journalist.
That is a role he has since returned to, with the establishment of a new media venture and newsletter, Too Much Information (TMI), which seeks to counter what he terms “information overload”, by providing insights and analysis, along with genuine scoops.
