Hillary Clinton may have
Morgan Freeman in her corner as she pursues African-American voters in South Carolina, but Bernie Sanders is countering with Spike Lee. The pioneering African-American film director cut a South Carolina radio spot, melding his signature phrases with Bernie's.
Spike Lee Says Bernie Will "Do The Right Thing"
"Waaaake up. Wake up South Carolina!" Lee begins, sounding like
Mr. Senior Love Daddy from Do The Right Thing. "This is your dude Spike Lee, and I know that you know the system is rigged."
"For too long we've given our votes to corporate puppets. Sold the okey-doke," says Lee,
echoing Obama's rhetoric when he campaigned in South Carolina eight years prior.
"Bernie takes no money from corporations – nada. Which means he is not on the take. When Bernie gets in the White House, he will do the right thing," Lee says, name-checking his own work.
But Lee's Endorsement Didn't Persuade This Voter
While some African-American critics have pooh-poohed Sanders' 60s-era activism as irrelevant to today, Lee cites it as the ultimate proof of Sanders' commitment to equality, "How can we be sure? Bernie was at the March on Washington with Dr. King. He was arrested in Chicago for protesting segregation in public schools. He fought for wealth and education equality throughout his whole career. No flipping, no flopping."
Lee closes by highlighting their shared roots, "Hey Bernie from Brooklyn, talk to the folks!" before Bernie approves the message.
Still, Lee's endorsement might have limited reach. He wasn't even able to convince
his wife Tonya, who tweeted shortly after the ad's release, that she's backing Clinton.
