Driscoll posted paid campaign ads on Facebook and Instagram featuring a black-and-white photo of her with Sanders. The ads refer to her as Sanders’ “daughter” rather than “stepdaughter,” as she has previously referred to herself.
“I am Bernie’s daughter, and am one of the thousands of people across this country inspired by Bernie to lead during this challenging time,” the ad reads. It lists Driscoll’s political experience on the Burlington School Board, on the city council and in the Vermont legislature. “I am also a candidate in my own right,” it says.
Driscoll is running as an independent against Democratic incumbent Miro Weinberger and independent Infinite Culcleasure for the Queen City’s top job.
The ads carry a new message for Driscoll. She launched her campaign vowing to run on her own merit.
“People are always like, ‘You’re going to do the picture with Bernie, right?’ ‘You’re going to do the endorsement?'” Driscoll told Seven Days in December. “I’m like, ‘We’re going to run a campaign for mayor.'”
In the same interview, Driscoll expressed frustration that Burlingtonians connect her with Sanders. “I will never, ever get credit for fully completing anything on my own,” she said.
That, apparently, was then. “It was important to me that I launch as Carina Driscoll, with the focus on this candidacy,” she said Wednesday.
Now, she said, she’s highlighting her personal and political relationship with Sanders. When she discusses a need for “vibrancy downtown” and public initiatives, “I’m really referencing what Burlington was like in the ’80s,” she said, referencing Sanders’ tenure as mayor from 1981 to 1989. “I think we need to do that again.”
Her emphasis on grassroots organizing and promoting civic involvement “comes from an ethic that Bernie established as mayor,” she said.
Driscoll sought — and received — an endorsement from Our Revolution, an organization that Sanders launched. In a January 19 interview, she denied that the organization’s backing constituted nepotism.
“I haven’t and I won’t ask for Bernie’s endorsement,” Driscoll said Wednesday.
As for the ads, she said, Sanders agreed to let her use the photo. “It’s a picture of me and one of my parents. I’m proud of him, and he’s proud of me,” she said. “It’s just part of the campaign. It’s one ad this week.”
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This picture of Driscoll and Sanders is not unexpected.
Just wait for Miro to do his picture with Sinex. They are Siamese twins : they are joined at the wallet.
She complained that people dont consider her independently of her stepfather, and said she was going to run her way. And then she does this: shamelessly invoke her relationship with Bernie, as a reason to be elected. Pathetic.
BTW Seven Days, this is at least the sixth story in youve run about Carina Sanders, er, I mean, Carina Driscoll, the candidate with no official platform, since November. Enough already. Stop now. Just stop.
As women got frustrated with men during the #metoo campaign for all the “as a father of daughters” comments I think it’s just as reasonable for voters to be frustrated with Carina’s “as a daughter of a political father” routine.
Women have inherent value. It’s a shame the only female candidate for Mayor’s only qualification is her relationship with a man.
Why would any voter trust Carina Driscoll when she made such clear promises not to involve Bernie at the beginning of her campaign (even though no one asked that of her) and then she went back on her word within a couple of months before the race truly heated up?
But, really, I want to know: if a politician is only as good as their word and the only thing we really know about Carina is that she is a liar, why would we vote for her?
Since all of the comments here and at VTDigger have made much of her relationship with Bernie, it’s a little disingenuous of this paper to claim that this is unexpected. If she failed to address the issue of her relationship with the man, the catcalls from the gallery would continue and claim she was being opaque. She can’t win in this atmosphere. Here she showed a picture of the herself with the man who has effectively been her father for the bulk of her life. For you to quibble over the label, father or step-father, is repugnant to those of us who have known the love that can arise in a blended family. She has said repeatedly that she would not ask for or accept his endorsement.
Don’t really have a problem with this. We all know that she’s Bernie’s step daughter she may as well use it in the campaign.
Now I just can’t wait for her to do the same thing with a picture of Jane Sanders…maybe standing together in front of Burlington College.
Carina Driscoll hopes voters are too busy or too stupid and will forget the elephant in the room. Why not a picture with both your parents, Carina? Why refuse to address issues with your tenure at Burlington College?
Jane Sanders made mistakes at Burlington College and I don’t know if they rise to criminal or not. But the fact that she had a failing institution pay her hundreds of thousands of dollars for leaving, while also giving her daughter half a million more, doesn’t reflect well on either of them.
Carina Driscoll refusing to discuss her and her mother’s involvement in this local tragedy shows such contempt for Burlington residents. We need good, strong women to run for political office.
There are so many smart, compassionate, and hardworking women in Burlington who put the public good above their personal interests. Carina Driscoll is not one of them.
SD, you need to go back for a second go-around at Driscoll after her sudden turn-around.
You need to grill her on this off-again, on-again connection with Bernie.
And part of that needs to be, “So, are you his step-daughter when you don’t want him and daughter when you realize your campaign is foundering?”
Come on SD, live up to your billing.
Seven Days, now that Carina Driscoll is embracing her relationship with Bernie, if she wants an interview in your paper, maybe you can tell her only if she brings him with her for the interview. You might finally break your streak… or we will never have to read about her again… its really a win/win!
Other than being Bernies stepdaughter what has Carina done to garner headlines as a mayoral candidate? Res ipsa loquitor: nothing.
I for one support the shit out of Carina Driscoll.
As a side note, I’m starting a woodworking school and need cash but neither of my parents are Senators or failed college administrators.
Gonna need some cash. So I’m starting an Indiegogo, possibly Kickstarter campaign to fund it.
Donations start at $27. Hashtag not Sanders. Or maybe hashtag Sanders. Depends on how that plays out.
Remember, the keywords here are: millionaires, billionaires, woodworking, land deal, give me your money, pomerleau, leahy, farell, bove, fraud, mortgage fraud, more fraud, millionaires, billionaires, did i mention tha billionaires, etc.