Bernie Sanders Drinks Beer, Eats Boiled Peanuts With Stephen Colbert

"If you like boiled peanuts, it'll certainly give you a leg up in South Carolina."

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert offered Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) some sage advice for the upcoming primary in South Carolina.

Colbert, who hails from the Palmetto State, said you have to eat boiled peanuts and drink beer to win the vote there -- and gave both to Sanders during the Democratic presidential candidate's appearance Wednesday night.

Sanders, who just won the New Hampshire primary but is polling well behind Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, ate the peanuts and took a swig of the beer as the studio audience cheered.

"And this wins in South Carolina?" Sanders asked.

"Yes it does," Colbert said. "If you like boiled peanuts, it'll certainly give you a leg up in South Carolina."

Colbert also asked about photographs that went viral last year showing Sanders not only flying in economy class, but taking the middle seat.

"Is that penance for something?" Colbert asked. "Why travel in the middle seat, sir?"

"Because we couldn't get the aisle or the damn window," Sanders said.

More seriously, Colbert asked about reports that many New Hampshire voters were torn between voting for Sanders and voting for Trump.

"Why would that be?" Colbert asked. "You seem like two sides to the same coin."

Sanders said it comes down to anger -- and that Trump's supporters, like everyone else, have a right to be angry.

"People are working long hours for low wages, they're people who are really worried about what’s going to happen to their kids," Sanders said. "But I think what they have done is responded to Trump’s false message, which suggests that is if we keep Muslims out of this country, or if we keep scapegoating Latinos or Mexicans that somehow our country becomes better."

Sanders called that "a false solution," adding:

"People have a right to be angry. We have a right to be angry when we are the only major country on Earth that doesn’t provide paid family and medical leave. When we have more people living in poverty today than almost any time in the history of this country. People have a right to be angry. What we need to be is rational in figuring out how we address the problems and not simply scapegoating minorities.”

Colbert also brought up Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, who has vowed to move to Ireland if Sanders wins.

"Electing me president is a two-fer," Sanders said. "You get Sanders, you get Bill to go to Ireland."

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