Bernie Sanders' campaign drills staffers with math problems

Sanders campaign staff regularly solve math problems.

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

published 2 February 2016

There's no single formula for how to run a successful presidential campaign — every candidate has a different approach. In Iowa, Hillary Clinton worked to correct the mistakes of 2008 by putting all hands on deck and directing her Brooklyn headquarters to aid state-level organizers. Sanders, on the other hand, emphasized training his staffers, even going as far as to send them math problems throughout the workday:

The [Sanders] campaign made an intense effort to train organizers and volunteers on how to canvass and phone-bank. Staffers sent out regular math exercises for them to do over the instant-messaging system Slack, to make sure they understood the calculations they would have to make under the arcane rules on caucus night. [The Washington Post]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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