Bernie Sanders Refused To Say ‘I’m With Her’ In Hillary Campaign Ad

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By Daniel J. Solomon April 18, 2017

After the blistering Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton in the general election. But the Vermont senator apparently refused to repeat her signature catchphrase (“I’m With Her”) in ad that he cut for her effort.

“It’s so phony!” Sanders was reported to have said, reacting to a script sent over by the Clinton camp. “I don’t want to say that.” He went on to record a commercial that backed up the former secretary of state’s proposals for healthcare, the economy and climate.

Clinton’s team ultimately did not use the ad, after focus groups showed that voters were skeptical about Sanders’ embrace of his former rival. “People didn’t feel that it was an authentic pitch for her and what she wanted to do. It even had some backlash in folks saying that he’s not really supporting her,” a campaign insider said.

The episode was revealed in Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen’s new book “Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign.”

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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