Notes from the Campaign Trail: Bernie Sanders explains his ‘win Arkansas’ strategy

Editor’s note: Notes from the Campaign Trail is a compilation of various political insider tidbits and is sponsored by Little Rock-based Capitol Advisors Group.
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BERNIE IN ARKANSAS
An email from the Bernie Sanders campaign outlines this weekend’s activities related to his efforts for the SEC Primary on Tuesday. Sanders is alone among the most active Presidential contenders in not coming to Arkansas. Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump are all barnstorming the Natural State Saturday through Monday.

Sanders’ email to supporters states: “There are two kinds of power in politics: organized people and organized money. Thanks to more than 4 million individual contributions, we’re raising the kind of money needed to take on the billionaire class. But this weekend — before Super Tuesday on March 1st — we need to really focus on organizing people.

“We’re running the largest grassroots campaign in the history of presidential politics, and if every person who has signed up to support Bernie takes just a few hours over the weekend to tell uncommitted voters about why they’re part of this political revolution, we’re going to win in Arkansas on Tuesday.”

The Sanders’ campaign is hosting GOTV activity on Friday and Sunday at his campaign headquarters (721 West 2nd Street in Little Rock) and phone banking will take place on Saturday. In the only Arkansas poll of the Democratic primary, from Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College, Clinton held a comfortable 57-25% lead over Sanders.

ARKANSAS BARNSTORMING
This weekend will be a busy one for political activists. Among the GOP Presidential candidates, Rubio is coming to Bentonville on Saturday and the UCA campus in Conway on Monday. Donald Trump will do a touch-and-go at the Bentonville airport on Saturday, too. Cruz is expected to be in Little Rock on Saturday and in Northwest Arkansas on Sunday. Meanwhile, Democrat Clinton will campaign at UAPB on Sunday. All of this activity is a result of the state’s move to an earlier political primary from late May to March 1.

FYI, Gov. Asa Hutchinson will be traveling with Rubio during his Monday trip. On Friday morning, the Rubio campaign rolled out a new ad touting Hutchinson’s recent endorsement. You can view it below.

SARAH AND THE DONALD
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has joined the Donald Trump campaign as a senior advisor. Sanders sent a tweet out Thursday afternoon that read, “Excited to help @realDonaldTrump break the grip of the donor class, empower working families, and make America great again.”

Sanders has managed her father’s two Presidential runs in 2008 and 2016. She’s also advised Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. John Boozman. In a press release from the Trump campaign, Trump said, “I have great respect for Governor Mike Huckabee and we have a mutual admiration for our wonderful families. It is great to have his daughter, Sarah, join the campaign.”

Sanders added, “I volunteered to join Mr. Trump’s campaign because he is a champion of working families; not Washington-Wall Street elites. Like the other Republican candidates, Mr. Trump is pro-life, pro-marriage, and will appoint conservatives to the courts. What makes Mr. Trump my choice for president is he will break the grip of the donor class on our government and make it accountable to working families again. I’m honored to help Mr. Trump Make America Great Again.”