Bernie Sanders on fire in Portland, Maine
Senator Bernie Sanders continues to be on fire with the crowds. He appeared at a rally in Portland, Maine to bulging crowds. His venue had to be changed to accommodate the volume. Sanders indeed is building a movement.
Bernie Sanders continues to hone his stump speech. Of course calling Sanders’ message a stump speech is not quite accurate. His speeches are rather substantive and seem to be adaptive at each iteration.
Bernie Sanders have been chastised for ethnically blandness of his campaign. Will minorities, a large Democratic constituency, follow him or will his flame dissipate as the campaign goes on. Today Sanders included the plight of Blacks, women, and others in his speech.
Again, those doubting that Bernie Sanders is for real better start looking at the real reality instead of a false corporate driven reality. Sanders justifiably called out the corporate American in general and the corporate media in particular.
Sanders said that he is organizing successfully in every state. He said his people are learning the ins and outs of the Iowa caucuses. One should remember that then Senator Obama used the caucus procedure to build his initial momentum. Likewise then Senator Obama organized early, engaged early, and built good will among the grassroots very early. Bernie Sanders seems to be using a similar playbook. Obama’s technique ‘overcame skin color’. Will it be sufficient for Bernie Sanders to overcome his ‘age’ and the word ‘socialist’? If the rate of his increase in polling percentage closing is a gauge, Bernie Sanders will give Hillary Clinton a run. The question is will the tortoise win this one.
Bernie Sanders is talking real issues. The pundits that are giving Bernie Sanders a bit of coverage, though not consummate to the crowds he is attracting, are noting the authenticity of his prose. They realize that it is touching the sensibilities of Americans given the current state of the economy, income inequality, and wealth disparity.
The full speech can be found here.