Bernie Sanders answers critics

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From an interview with CBS Evening New's Scott Pelley, here are some important answers from Bernie Sanders to what critics are saying about him and his chances.

PELLEY: [Pointing out that both Iowa and New Hampshire have a largely white population and]  . . . A more liberal population than the states that you're headed to next, South Carolina, Nevada. You're gonna be facing African American voters, Latino voters.  How do you appeal to those people?
SANDERS: Well, the same way we appeal to all Americans. Look, if you and I were having this conversation nine months ago. . . .  You would have said, "Bernie, nobody knows who you are. You're regarded as a fringe candidate, you don't have any money, you don't have any political organization. Last poll we saw you in, four percent. How are you possibly gonna do well in Iowa or New Hampshire?" Well, a lot has happened in nine months. . . .

PELLEY: [Referring to single payer health insurance, raising taxes, $15 minimum wage]  Every one of these ideas is dead on arrival in the Congress.
SANDERS: No it's not. Change always takes place when millions of people stand up and fight back. And what we are talking about in this campaign is a political revolution.
PELLEY: The Republicans in Congress are gonna say, "You go ahead and have your revolution, but we're not gonna have one here."
SANDERS: Ah, but the Republicans, for better or for worse, are gonna be drawn into this revolution.
PELLEY: You're gonna change their minds?
SANDERS: No, I'm not gonna change their minds. The American people will change their minds. . . . 

PELLEY: Gallup did a poll a few months ago and the people that they surveyed said that they would vote for a gay candidate, an atheist candidate, and a Muslim candidate before they voted for a socialist candidate.
SANDERS: Uh-huh. Well, the people in Iowa and New Hampshire might not have been part of that poll, 'cause we just won New Hampshire I think by 21 points. [It was 22.]  And we came in a virtual tie in -- in Iowa. Look, let's not scare people with words, okay, all right? Social security, terrible, awful program? It's one of the most popular programs in American history. It's a socialist program.  The United States Postal Service is often regarded as one of the most popular federal programs. It's a socialist program. Veteran's Administration, of which most veterans feel really good about. You know, that's-- that's a government health insurance program. If you look around countries around the world, I mean, the ideas that I'm proposing, Scott, are not radical ideas.

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I agree.   But the Republicans have not yet waged their relentless ad campaign full of hammer and sickle logos and screaming SOCIALIST scare tactics that they surely will do.  They're very good at damning messaging -- as distorted as they need to be.

Ralph