A short humor break?
The Portland rally with about 11,000 with Bernie Sanders provided for me the most humor of anything political this season. For those that haven't seen the video some of the YouTube and national media start the replay too late.
What is almost as funny is the beginning where in his usual serious stump speech the audience behind him starts to smile and some soft laughs. In mid-sentence for a moment Bernie stops it seems trying to figure out why folks are laughing. Huh? - then audience points to the little bird on the stage. Then the birdie flies up and sits in front of Bernie on the Podium. The reaction of Bernie and the crowd you have to see to appreciate regardless of political views. (See link at end).
There is debate whether it was a sparrow, or a finch.
After it flies away Bernie says, "That bird is really a dove asking us for world peace."
The Oregonian- March 25, 2016
In the city where TV show Portlandia popularized the phrase ‘put a bird on it’, one flew right up to the Democratic presidential candidate’s podium
A tiny bird interrupted presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ rally in Portland, Oregon, on Friday afternoon, to the thunderous applause of the crowd.
Welcome to Portland, Senator Sanders, where the sketch comedy show Portlandia popularized the refrain “put a bird on it” as a way to parody the city’s hipster aesthetic.
The bird, breed unknown, alighted on the stage before flying up to the Democratic presidential hopeful’s podium. Sanders stood smiling and laughing at the little feller for a few seconds as the crowd cheered. At one point Sanders shrugged his shoulders at Mr Bird as if to say, “Waddya know – you’re a hit.”
Various reader responses:
The Greek believed in "Bird Omens" in ancient times. What a great Omen of things to come for Bernie. Bernie is so good and honest the birds come down to greet him. As opposed to that Bald Eagle that wanted to poke, harshly, Donald Trump.
Sparrows are bird totems that had long-standing symbolic value in the past. In ancient Britain, for example, sparrows symbolized the friendly spirits of the household. As time progressed on, though, the sparrow became a symbol of peasants and the lower classes. This is quite strange when you think of how the Greeks believed that this little bird was the pet of Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
"I'd like to punch it in the beak, I tell you"- Trump?
I love the way a normally shy and skittish bird seemed to trust Bernie. And I love the symbolism of a dove wanting world peace! That off the cuff comment was JFK-worthy.
... a little bird in a huge gathering (about 11,000) of loud humans flies to Bernie Sanders. This man never ceases to stir my soul...
It is indeed unusual for a bird to perch unexpectedly on the lectern of someone running for President. Apparently the bird is feeling the Bern............
All big buildings have birds. It's what the bird did the defies the long odds. It was a great political moment. It was touching and warm.
That really was pretty incredible - I know the Republican Freak Show is entertaining, but I'd so much rather see this kind of atmosphere. This kind of rekindles my hope that we'll all live through this.
Believe that is Haemorhous mexicanus, house finch, which came into this country undocumented and has spread to all 48 states. Boy, did he pick the right candidate or what?
The sparrow felt safe enough to get closer to the man, as if he/she was truly listening. This is so restorative to the spirit after the Trump/Cruz ridiculousness.
i love how the crowd interrupted bernie to point and say "birdie!"?
A very good omen for a great man of peace!
I already knew I liked him but this was just too special.
You can't fake a smile as genuine as his.
This is incredible. At least 4 people behind him wiped tears away.?
"I'm a bird and I approve this message."
Can I vote for the bird??
According to Jewish mythology and the Old Hebrew Testament, in the Garden of Eden there is a Tree of life, or the "Tree of Souls". These trees are resting places for souls and only Sparrows can see the soul's ascent, explaining their joyous chirping. Kinda heavy, being it was "Holy Friday".
The fact is, this little sparrow stood peacefully in the podium on its own free will, while trump had a bald eagle chained to his desk for a photoshoot. Says a lot about the candidates !?
Trump’s response:
Look, birds LOVE me. People always ask me what I think about birds. I have the best birds. We look at the polls and I’m winning all the birds. Okay? And that’s good, that’s to be expected. But listen I love birds. I’m a friend of the birds, always we’ve been friends.
You know what birds I hate? Chinese birds. And Muslim birds. And Mexican birds. We’re going to build a birdcage for all of those birds. It’s going to be a beautiful birdcage. And I’m going to make the birds pay for it. The beauty of me, and this is important. It’s great. I can talk like a bird. You know, squawk. I’m very good at squawking. The best.
And someone very smart, almost as smart as me, said it is better to live one day as a hawk than 100 years as a pigeon.?
The replay:
Bernie Sanders 'put a bird on it' at Portland rally
The Oregonian
https://youtu.be/Jc2TVLoxsDA
vs.
Eagle trumps Trump.
A bald eagle showed Donald Trump who’s boss when the two were forced to breathe the same air during a photoshoot for Time magazine earlier this year.
The bird flapped, pecked and scratched away at the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, in what feels like an all-too-real metaphor for the current state of American politics.
Yep, you heard that right. Trump was attacked by the very symbol of the United States of America. https://giphy.com/gifs/w5KMBQt6drXvq...aign=tag_click