Bernie Sanders’ democratic socialist stump speech in Denver

“Yeah, we’re over fire code,” a security guard said with a laugh and a shrug while eying the crowd at Bernie Sanders’ jam-packed town-hall meeting Saturday night.

Around 5,000 people showed up to see the left-wing dark horse give his first stump speech in Colorado since launching his presidential campaign in May. People of all ages – mostly white – filled the air-conditioned gymnasium at Denver University well before the event was billed to start, though latecomers  – or on-time comers – could still watch a live video feed on the outdoor lacrosse field.

Inside, excitement pulsed. The crowd started doing the wave, while Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” blared over the loudspeakers. The song was not a trivial choice. Young recently scolded Republican candidate Donald Trump for using the song at a campaign event; Young is actually a Sanders man, thank you very much.

Kate_Brian

Milling around the standing area, recent D.U. grad Kate Powers said that folks her age mostly don’t talk about politics, but her friends are starting to talk about Sanders. “My generation is just sick of how things have been going,” she said.

Next to her, Brian Wilson chimed in about the candidate: “He’s the only one talking about income inequality and climate change, which is super important.” After getting their photo snapped, he added that “[Sanders] is becoming less and less of a fringe candidate every day.”

Sanders is considered the furthest left candidate in the small Democratic pool. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is running as is former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.

Conventional wisdom is that Sanders — a self-avowed Democratic Socialist — doesn’t have a chance at winning the primary (let alone the general election). His candidacy has forced his party to confront topics like taxing the rich, campaign finance reform and universal healthcare that might have otherwise been sidelined.

Sanders is an independent, but decided to run in the Democratic primary to avoid the Ralph Nader spoiler effect.

The Sanders’ campaign is engaging folks who’ve abandoned the political process, as well as those who want an alternative to Clinton.

RaymondTerry

Terry Duke from Longmont was measured in her support of Sanders. “Hillary: You know, I like that she’s a woman, and I mostly agree with her,” she said, “But I want to be excited about someone.”

And could Sanders be that someone?

“I don’t know. I’m here to find out.”

Duke’s partner Raymond Amos said he wanted to learn more about Sanders’ plan to eliminate money in politics, especially campaign finance reform. 

“Well that’s the most important,” Duke agreed.

Sharen

Pacing up and down a cordoned-off walking lane in front of the bleachers, Sharen Branch explained why she drove 200 miles from Las Animas to be in Denver that night. “I wanted to be a part of it,” she said, “so I signed up to volunteer.” There were half-a-dozen other volunteers in the vicinity, mostly shepherding people out of the corridor Sanders would shortly walk down.

“It started with 35 [volunteers] on Thursday,” Branch said, “and 120 showed up here today.” As for why she made the trek, “I’m a bit of a rule-breaker myself, so he represents me personally. But not just me. He represents all of us.”

The white-haired senator from Vermont finally appeared. He got the rock-star treatment; everyone was on their feet and screaming. As he made his way down the aisle, Sanders didn’t skip a single outstretched hand.

Finally at the podium, Sanders shushed the crowd to begin with a crack about needing to book bigger venues. The so-called longshot candidate has been pulling in crowds that rival or surpass Clinton’s.

crowd

Over the next hour, Sanders delivered a fiery stump speech with a clear underlying theme: Washington needs to be purged of greed and the working class must become a top policy priority. The problems that plague American society will only persist and worsen if our government remains beholden to the powerful at the expense of the powerless.

Specifically, Sanders dubbed $7.25 an hour a “starvation wage” and argued it should be raised. He promoted pay equity, paid medical leave and the 40-hour work week. He called it “shameful” that America doesn’t consider healthcare a right like Canada and much of Europe does.

“Today in America, despite the modest gains of the Affordable Care Act, we still have millions who are uninsured and more who are underinsured,” Sanders said, “What we’ve got to do is pass Medicare for all — a single payer program.”

That line was met with applause, but the crowd got most raucous when he called for the Citizens United decision to be overturned. That 2010 Supreme Court ruling allows for nearly unlimited independent campaign contributions. Sanders makes a point of contrasting himself from Clinton on this issue, using his podium placard to remind everyone that his campaign is “PAID FOR BY BERNIE 2016 (NOT THE BILLIONAIRES).”

bil

Sanders said it’s time to break up big banks: “If a bank is too big to fail, that bank is too big to exist.”

On the campus of D.U., a private university that costs over $40,000 a year, Sanders called for free public higher education for all.

“Now my critics have said, ‘well, you know Bernie, that’s an expensive proposition. And they’re right. It would cost around $70 million a year. But we’re going to pay for it via a tax on Wall Street speculation!”

He also said he would tackle student debt. “What sense does it make that you can go out and refinance your home at a decent rate but because you committed the crime of wanting to get an education, you’re stuck for the rest of your life at 8 or 9 percent?” Sanders asked. “It’s time to end the absurdity of the federal government making millions in profit off of the interest paid by students and the working class.”

Sanders also focused on the fight against climate change, likening the struggle to his generation’s fight for civil rights – not that the fight for racial equality and social justice is by any means over, he noted.

But sustainability isn’t just a moral responsibility, he said. There’s economic incentive too: “We will create millions of jobs as well.”

Despite making jabs at political opponents during the speech, Sanders asked liberals to reach out to conservative neighbors: “Our job is to get the word out to our GOP friends to stop voting for the billionaire class and to start voting for themselves.”

Sanders said his proposal was “not utopian thinking.”

The audience cheered steadily during the speech’s final stretch. “I look forward to working with you all in creating the political revolution this country needs!” he said before stepping off the stage to shmooze with eager audience members.

“Amazing,” Greg Phelan, 38, said of the speech. “I’ve seen a lot of him on YouTube and online, but just to see this many people from different backgrounds come together for one thing. It’s radical.”

Photos by Nat Stein

3 COMMENTS

  1. If your concern is the survival of the human race, the survival of the American middle class, the removal of money from politics, or even just citizens standing a chance against the forces of big money being pitted against us, there is only ONE choice for president. And the man with the messy white hair is it.

    Bernie actually believes what he says, he must, he’s been saying the EXACT same things for the last 35 years. I’ve known and loved this man for decades. I’ve waited three elections for him to run, it seems that 4th time is a charm.

    If you want more of the same, vote Hilary. If you want things to get worse for everyone but the top 1%, vote for whatever clown the republicans put up. If you want HUMANS to have a chance or at least a voice, for a change, vote Bernie. He’s the ONLY one who gives a damn about you as a HUMAN, not as a bottomless pocket waiting to be picked.

    FEEL THE BERN IN 2016!

  2. An okay article but I expected better. Bernie Sanders is quite a unique figure. It would have been good if you went into his political stances a little more…

    I wrote a letter to the editor to various newspapers which said:

    Gandhi said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they
    fight you, then you win.” He might have been talking about Bernie
    Sanders’ run for president. Bernie has attracted massive crowds, much
    more than any other candidates. In a straw poll at the Wisconsin state
    Democratic Party convention, Clinton got 49 percent and Sanders got 41
    percent. The corporate media dismisses him because he is a democratic
    socialist but his positions are shared by strong majorities of
    Americans, as Juan Cole has pointed out. Yes, he is a “radical” but in
    the original sense of the word (“going to the root of society’s
    problems”).

    He is the only major party candidate to come out for free college
    tuition, a ban on fracking, single payer Medicare for All, a $5.5
    billion proposal to employ one million young people and a bill to
    support co-ops and worker-owned businesses. He is a leading opponent
    of the Trans Pacific Partnership. He supports legislation to make it
    easier to join a union. He supports paid family leave, pay equity and
    genuine progressive tax reform.

    As Bernie says, “We must stand up and fight back. We must launch a
    political revolution that engages millions of Americans from all walks
    of life in the struggle for real change. This country belongs to all
    of us, not just the billionaire class.” Vote in the Democratic Party
    caucuses for Bernie in March. If you aren’t registered as a Dem,
    please do it as soon as possible. Hey! Sometimes longshots win!

Comments are closed.