JB: I'm glad I asked. What was Bernie like in the '80s? You were lucky enough to interview him then. How is he different today?
TG: Well, you made me go dig up that interview and get my dates straight. The interview was run in 1992 -- he was first elected to Congress in '90. He sounded much the same. For instance, he said, "I would give my right arm to go on television with the President [Bush I] for two hours -- my views, issue by issue, are supported by far more people than the views of the President of the United States."
As we see, he's gotten his two hours several times over now and I think he's basically made his claim stand up. The main difference then was that when I asked what advice he might give to Jesse Jackson if he were to make a third presidential run, Sanders thought he ought to go third party. As we know, Bernie eventually came around to the realization that to make a serious run it would have to be in the primaries -- and the results have exceeded almost all of our expectations.
There's also a book called Radicals In Power: The New Left Experience in Office, by Eric Leif Davin that's got a chapter on what he was like as mayor of Burlington (and a chapter on me, too).
JB: Hmm. You and Bernie in Davin's book, eh? Sounds like it's worth a look! Thanks so much for talking with me, not to mention looking up that interview, too, Tom. It's been a pleasure.
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