Bernie Sanders was once slapped by a voter for supporting Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign: book

Burlington was the most populous city in Vermont in 1988.

He threw his support behind the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader who made gains among Black and liberal voters in his second bid for the White.

According to a forthcoming book by former deputy campaign manager Ari Rabin-Havt, despite the excitement that many Democratic voters had toward Jackson's campaign, Sanders was slapped due to his support for the candidate.

Rabin-Havt stated in the book that the campaign of the Vermont senator sought the endorsement of Jackson in the 2020 presidential race.

Rabin-Havt said that "Bernie often spoke about how he wanted to model his campaign and his movement after Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, building another working-class coalition of all races fighting for economic, racial, social, and environmental justice."

As mayor of Burlington, he endorsed Jackson for president. It was a very risky move. Burlington is almost all white, and his decision was unpopular in the city. At a Democratic Party gathering, a voter angry about his support for Jackson slapped Bernie in the face.

In March 2020 Jackson would endorse the candidacy of the Vermont Senator over the former Vice President Joe Biden, who by that time had racked up significant victories in South Carolina and on Super Tuesday.

Jackson praised the grassroots foundation of the campaign.

He wrote that they look to our youth for energy, expansion and inclusion which leads to growth. It is a joy to feel the Bern with him. Keep hope alive!

Rabin-Havt talked about the interactions between the two men, who had both spent decades in public life, and how moved he was by the show of support.

I watched as he prayed, something I had never seen him do before. Two men who had spent their lives fighting for change, who had worked together for more than thirty years and were united once more, were here.

Rabin-Havt said that Jackson wanted to see progressive change when he endorsed him.

Jackson said that African Americans are the people who are most behind socially and economically in the United States.

The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up, and that's because of Senator Bernie Sanders. I chose to endorse him today because of that.

The ideas that came from the senator's campaign are still motivating his most fervent supporters.