Political campaigns are huge promoters of promotional products, particularly products adorned not with a logo or candidate’s name, but with a punchy quote or one-liner. Recently, this took shape with a promotional sticker produced shortly after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders discussed health care and Medicare during the July 30 presidential primary debate, hosted by CNN, in Detroit. During the discussion, according to Vox, Sanders stated: “[Union members] will be better because Medicare-for-all is comprehensive—it covers all health care needs. For senior citizens, it will finally include dental care, hearing aids and eyeglasses,” to which presidential candidate Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan replied, “But you don’t know that, you don’t know that, Bernie.” And Sanders responded with the now-famous statement, “I do know it. I wrote the damn bill,” which was followed by roaring applause from the audience. Within seconds, the video went viral.
Before the debate ended that evening, the Sanders campaign started offering “I wrote the damn bill” stickers, presenting the sticker in exchange for any donation amount. It’s anticipated that his campaign will soon offer t-shirts and other merch bearing this memorable one-liner.
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Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB.
