Black Lives Matter Protest Strengthened Sanders Candidacy - Journalist

Black Lives Matter protests likely made candidate Bernie Sanders have a more universal appeal than he would have otherwise, John Nichols of The Nation told Radio Sputnik.

Black Lives Matter protests at US Democratic Party presidential nominee candidate Bernie Sanders' political event on Sunday likely strengthened him as a candidate, John Nichols of US political magazine The Nation told Radio Sputnik's BradCast.

Nichols compared the protest to civil rights protests faced by presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, which led to progress in equality despite being seen as a challenge at the time.

"What we should understand is that pressure from activists often makes politicians into what we like about them, what we respect about them," Nichols told Radio Sputnik's BradCast.

According to Nichols, the pressure from activists also forces politicians to adopt a more universal appeal. Nichols brought up the case of civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph, whose activism led presidents to adopt desegregation measures.

The pressure faced by Sanders contrasts with that of US Republican Party presidential nominee candidate Scott Walker. Walker faced labor protests as governor of Wisconsin, but was able to stay in power following favorable media coverage among his support base and police crackdowns against the protesters. According to Nichols, Walker has been able to use selective media coverage to retain popularity.