Bernie Sanders and Paul Simon: Redux of the radical chic of the 60's

Bernie taps Simon & Garfunkel for ad ahead of Iowa vote

By Ben Kamisar

Bernie Sanders is out with a new ad documenting the rise of his "political revolution" as Simon and Garfunkel sing along in the background.The spot includes no narration, only music, as the screen cycles through everyday Americans and footage from Sanders's campaign travels. As the song "America" reaches its chorus, the lyrics flash on the screen: "They've all come to look for America." Those words are paired with the faces of hundreds of presumed Sanders supporters, before the screen opens up on a throng of supporters cheering for Sanders at a campaign rally.

It's reminiscent of the classic Ronald Reagan adknown as "Morning in America," which combined the same, hopeful tone and images of Americans living their lives with uplifting narration praising the country's future.

The optimistic spot hits the airwaves in Iowa and New Hampshire starting on Friday as Sanders looks to boost his momentum in the early voting states. He leads New Hampshire by a considerable margin in most polls while only trailing Hillary Clinton by a few percentage points in most Iowa polls.

The ad is also a break from the contentious barbs between the two candidates on the trail. Sanders and Clinton have butted heads over the past week on healthcare, foreign policy and Wall Street ahead of a month that could make or break Sanders's insurgent challenge to Clinton.