Bernie Sanders Rally Sets Record at Moda Center
Monday, August 10, 2015
Photo credit: Hilary Devaney
The Portland rally nearly doubled the 15,000 attendees in Seattle. According to Sanders' campaign, over 28,000 people attended the Portland campaign event, causing a stadium overflow.
Social Reform
In light of the first anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, Sanders dedicated an opening tribute to his life and the Black Lives Matter movement. Perhaps this was also in response to the Black Lives Matter interruption of one of his rallies in Seattle the day before.
And after Sanders took to the stage, he emphasized towards the beginning of his speech that “there is no president who will fight harder to fight institutional racism in this country and reform our broken criminal justice system.”
Continuing in the vein of social justice, Sanders highlighted criminal justice reform as an essential part of his platform as well as the looming issue of mass incarceration. “We have more people in jail than any other country on earth. I want to see this country not have more people in jail, but more people in jobs and education.”
Sanders continued, “That’s what this campaign is about. It’s bringing people together for a political revolution.”
Photo credit: Hilary Devaney
Concerning Economic Policy
Other recurring themes in Sanders’ speech related to income inequality, healthcare, education, and family values. Sanders showed little fear in pointing out the main opponents of his campaign – the one percent.
On income inequality, Sanders said, “We live in one of the wealthiest nations in the world –but not many people feel that. We are going to change that.”
Speaking more directly to the one percent, Sanders claimed, “You are not going to be able to hide behind your billion dollars in the Cayman Islands and in Bermuda.”
Senator Sanders also spoke about student loans – primarily how he believes tuition at public universities is costing young people as well as the American workforce. Sanders argued that tuition should be free at public universities.
“It will make life easier for fourth graders from Portland who will know they will make it to the middle class,” Sanders said.
Hillary Clinton
In contrast with Hillary Clinton, who visited Portland last Wednesday, Sanders’ turnout was in the thousands whereas Clinton’s turnout was at a mere 140. Sanders’ public rally was free whereas Clinton charged $2,700 per ticket in order for attendees to join her at her private fundraiser.
The respective Clinton and Sanders fundraisers highlight the fiscal differences in their individual campaign strategies. Clinton is seen as a big money, corporate campaign whereas Sanders’ grassroots bid is volunteer-driven.
Many Sanders enthusiasts who were present at the rally had choice words about Hillary. “Democrats are forming another branch – a smarter branch. Hillary represents the corporate democrat. I believe in the social democrat and so does my grandma who is 87,” said Brett Bottorff.
Local Portland volunteer Cody Ridenour, 22, noted key differences between the Clinton and Sanders campaigns in terms of their fundraising ideology.
“Bernie Sanders calls out special interests and is only taking campaign money from individual citizens and is even saying that we should only have publically funded elections, which would allow us to care more about individual citizens,” Ridenour said. “The majority of Hillary Clinton’s donations have been very large donors with very little small donor contributions.”
Though Sanders has been more accessible to the public through his free rallies, he has been especially impressionable through his enthusiasm for meaningful and speedy social reform.
“We are going to inject the issue of morality into politics today,” Sanders claimed.
Bernie Sanders’ next scheduled rally stop is Los Angeles.
Related Slideshow: Bernie Sanders Rallies in Portland
The Bernie Sanders rally at the Moda Center in Portland drew the largest crowd its campaign has seen yet. Upwards of 28,000 people showed up to the event with many being turned away and watching his speech on a screen in the spillover section.
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