Since we’re closing in on the Iowa caucuses, the candidates are still scrambling to nab any last-minute endorsements they can get. Along those lines, Bernie Sanders scored what might prove to be a pretty good one when one of the biggest podcasters in the country (if not the world), Joe Rogan, gave him the nod this week. Vice opines that this is perhaps the most influential endorsement in the country right now. I don’t know about that but the guy certainly does have a massive audience. Still, there is at least some anecdotal evidence to suggest that some progressives in Bernie’s base are unhappy about Sanders’ acceptance of the endorsement and quick decision to cut a campaign ad with Rogan.
Why might that be? As Michael Brendan Dougherty explains at National Review this week, Rogan’s podcast may draw huge numbers in terms of listeners, but he’s a brash character with little patience for political correctness. He’s also not exactly a fan of the entire transgender revolution thing, either. That puts him at odds with some demographics that Sanders needs if he wants to squeak his way over the finish line. But Dougherty also thinks Sanders would be foolish to listen to those voices and should accept the endorsement with open arms.
[Rogan] also recently gave a Roganesque endorsement for Bernie Sanders. And progressives are mad about it.
Why? Because Joe Rogan, like other comedians, rails against political correctness. He also makes jokes about transgenderism, opposes the participation of “trans women” participating in women’s sports, and has entertained and ventured the usual arguments about bone density, lung capacity, and strength when arguing for the unfairness of this practice.
Personally, I think progressives are nuts to reject endorsements for the most progressive candidate in history from generally centrist and enormously popular media figures. I would bet anything that Rogan’s audience is full of the Obama-Trump voters across the industrial Midwest and north.
In addition to the commentary coming from Vice, Dougherty also draws on some social media backlash, including this rather brusque comment. (Langage warning)
Bernie’s campaign cutting a campaign ad with Joe Rogan fucking sucks. Rogan is an incredibly influential bigot and Democrats should be marginalizing him.
— Carlos Maza (@gaywonk) January 24, 2020
I had to go find that tweet in an anonymous browser session because despite the fact that I don’t recall ever hearing of that user they’ve apparently blocked me. Still, the comment, vulgarity and all, does appear to echo some of the other complaints coming from progressives. Joe Rogan isn’t woke enough, apparently, so he’s a Bad Man who says Bad Things. (Despite the fact that he’s endorsing the person who is arguably the most far-left socialist in the entire pack.)
Given Rogan’s sort of no-nonsense, centrist/libertarian brand, perhaps the better question is what made him decide to deliver a rose to Bernie Sanders. After all, Bernie may not have started out in 2016 as a member of the extremely woke crew, but he quickly learned his lesson and has gotten as politically correct as any of them, if not more. I think I know the answer to that one.
One thing Joe Rogan loves to dwell on as much as any other topic under the sun is that of UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence. (Trust me, Joe. I can relate. You’re preaching to the choir here, buddy.) He asks a great number of his guests about aliens and anomalous craft seen in our skies, even if they have no relationship with the subject.
Bernie Sanders was no exception. He went on Rogan’s show last summer and Joe hit him with the question of whether or not he would disclose government secrets about UFOs if elected president. And Bernie jumped on it wholeheartedly.
Rogan: “If you got into the office and you found out something about aliens, if you found out something about UFOs, would you let us know?”
Sanders: “Well I tell you, my wife would demand I let you know.”
Rogan: “Is your wife a UFO nut?”
Sanders: “No, she’s not a UFO nut. She goes, Bernie, ‘What is going on do you know? Do you have any access to records?’”
Rogan: “You don’t have any access? You’ll let us know though?”
Sanders: “Alright, we’ll announce it on the show. How’s that?”
Here’s the video clip of that exchange so you can judge for yourself.
Maybe it’s not the entire reason for the endorsement, but I’d be willing to bet it was a major factor. Like many of us, Rogan has been pressing for more government disclosure on this subject. Bernie Sanders has been hit with the question multiple times during this campaign and has always said that both he and his wife are very interested in the UFO/UAP topic and promised that he would look into it as president.
So, I’ll steal a line that’s often associated with Ancient Aliens host Giorgio Tsoukalos. Why did Joe Rogan endorse Bernie Sanders? I’m not saying it was aliens but… it was aliens.
