Rosario Dawson sure knows how to warm up a crowd! Starts talking about “rumors going around” because Bernie says we just should not be paying so much attention, give so much free air time and internet bandwith devoted to Trump, that somehow, Bernie thinks women’s rights aren’t important. Rosario points out that Hillary knows that’s not true. Yet her campaign peddles the narrative, trying to take Bernie Sanders off message. To that, Rosario says,
“Shame on you, Hillary” *cheers & applause* “Now, hold, sorry hold on. Let me watch my tone” *laughs*
It often falls to the surrogate to hit the hard jabs, take the risky shots, focus on the other candidate’s weaknesses or flaws, and Rosario handled that task well today. From pointing out the other candidate’s use of terms that don’t sound very progressive: “illegal immigrants”, “super predators that need to be brought to heel”, calling people on welfare “deadbeats”, finishing with “oh, (pause) and yes, she is under FBI investigation…. not getting promoted much but she is about to be interviewed in a little bit”. Finishing up with the reminder that the other candidate had agreed to a debate, and back in 2008 said she would debate anytime, anywhere.
The most poignant part of her opening though, was pointing out how the other candidate’s campaign is one that tries to divide us. A campaign that implies all Trump supporters are racist, when they are not. And that all Sanders supporters are white males, which we are not. And the irony that when Bernie won in states that were very white, and were talked poorly of, those white folk were cheering for racial justice, environmental justice and equality.
I’m not going to recite the rest of her speech. My description can’t come close to doing it justice. But I think it marked an important moment in the campaign, as we move into the stretch where every state is important, every state must be contested, a moment that brings Sanders supporters together, and invites those on the fence to join us. It was brilliant, and if you haven’t heard or seen it yet, you can catch the whole rally here at YouTube's Bernie Sanders Speeches and Events Channel
Thank you Rosario!