The Teens Have Officially Convinced Mike Gravel to Run for President

[brooklynite]

Source: Roling Stone

A trio of teenagers from New York state have successfully drafted former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel into the 2020 primary. The anti-war octogenarian famous for helping put the Pentagon papers in the public record made his debut with a campaign video underscoring the liabilities of other Democratic candidates and highlighting Gravel’s long political career, before cutting to the ex-senator, who now walks with the assistance of a cane. “It’s time to make some waves to change,” he tells the camera. “I’m Mike Gravel, and I’m running for president.”

Gravel’s candidacy is the brainchild of David Oks and Elijah Emery, both high school seniors in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and Henry Williams, now a freshman at Columbia University. Speculation that Gravel might launch a White House bid began in March when the former senator’s dormant Twitter account was was brought back to life, albeit with a markedly different voice. Gravel confirmed that he had turned the keys to the account over to a group of students who wanted him to run for president, and that he was considering the idea. On Monday, he made it official.

“I’m excited to run for president in order to qualify for the Democratic debates,” the 88-year-old ex-statesmen said in a statement announcing his candidacy. “My message, centered around an anti-imperialist foreign policy and fundamental political reform, is one that no other Democratic candidate is making the centerpiece of their campaign. After the first two debates, I will drop out and endorse the most progressive candidate.”

The campaign kicked off with a three-and-a-half minute ad titled “Rock 2.0,” a nod to the famous 2007 video in which Gravel heaves a stone into a pond, then walks away wordlessly. The video, like many of the tweets sent from Gravel’s account since the teens commandeered it, skewers several of the leading Democratic candidates before panning to Gravel, on a bench, shaking his head.

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/mike-gravel-president-2020-twitter-819247/

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[Polybius]

1. 88?

He's by far the oldest one running.

[rzemanfl]

4. He is running to be in the debates, not to get the nomination. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

10. And that's the problem

too many folks are jumping in this race just to be seen or to rake in cash or with other self-serving motives...

Yeah, because thirty podiums at the first Dem debate is exactly what we need right now.

[Autumn]

15. Maybe the man who got the Pentagon Papers released is running to get a conversation

going on how the Mueller Report should be released.

[sandensea]

2. I voted for him in '08

He made the Pentagon Papers public by putting them into the congressional record, famously, and I thought that at the very least deserved an extra vote.

He came in second to last, as I recall. But nevertheless.

All the Best to him.

[DeminPennswoods]

7. Maddow opened one of her shows with the history

of how Gravel made the Pentagon Papers public. He was chairman of some obscure sub-committe and was able to use House rules to convene his committee and read the report into the record.

[Autumn]

13. He needs to talk to someone in the house to get them to do the same with Muellers report.

If they get it. I hope there will be a lot of talks about his actions.

[sandensea]

16. Absolutely. A true profile in courage.

Especially considering the larcenous, lecherous lizard who served as his GOP counterpart:

[Honeycombe8]

3. Oh, dear God. That's all the debates need.

We can't seem to go for the jugular and win with a landslide, even when it's looking at us in the face.

We need to get serious. Foreign policy, and all the other issues are important. But that's not what the voters will be voting on. It's Trump vs. sanity. Trump vs. the direction of the country generally. Trump vs. ethics. Trump vs. the law. Trump vs. democracy. Trump vs. compassion and reason and science.

[YOHABLO]

5. With all the wonderful candidates entering the race, who get's the contributions $$$

When they drop out?

[marble falls]

6. How about his being considered for Secretary of the Interior, instead?

[Blue_Tires]

9. How about we don't indulge the two trolls running this smokescreen?

[marble falls]

11. My objective was to divert the nonsense.

[Blue_Tires]

8. Hard pass...

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

12. I hope he does well, he's a great man. I look forward to hearing him on the campaign trail.

[Maxheader]

14. Glad to see the young women and men get involved...

Remember parkland...remember how the government didn't do squat...