NORFOLK, Va. — “There’s a lot of pain.” That was the message Sen. Bernie Sanders brought to Norfolk Scope on Tuesday. Repeatedly interrupted by a cheering crowd,Sanders touched on several campaign promises, including banking reform, free college education, a Medicare-for-all health care system, tighter campaign finance laws and stricter international trade rules to protect U.S. jobs.
“You are very, very powerful people when you start flexing your muscles, and that’s what everyone has got to do right now,” said Sanders.
There must be “a political revolution in which millions of people understand democracy is not a football game,” he said. “People in this community, where you have a strong military, you understand that people have fought and died to defend American democracy. … You are that democracy.”
The Cape Charles Mirror did interview one of the event’s attendees (the Editor’s daughter).
Mirror-“So, Rachel, was there a big crowd?”
Rachel-“Oh,yeah, every section at Scope, except for two were completely filled.”
Mirror-“Really? It was reported by the other news outlets that only 3500 or so showed up. It sound’s more like 7500 to 8000.”
Rachel-“At least that. That report is typical of what they say, trying to discredit Bernie.”
Mirror-“Did you get any pictures I can use with the nice new camera you got for Christmas?”
Rachel-“No.”
Mirror-“Why not?”
Rachel -“I was too busy listening to Bernie.”
Mirror-“How was he?”
Rachel, -“Dad, Bernie rocks!”
I was there, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of young people that turned out. It seems to me that they’re not necessarily apathetic, they just haven’t seen a candidate that they could trust in a very long time, and one with a philosophy that they believe in. It’s easy to be apathetic when you’re voting for the lesser of two evils, it’s still evil. Bernie stands for really changing the status quo.
I was a bit disappointed in the relatively small minority turnout. In my canvassing for Bernie, I’ve found that many are simply voting democratic, or for a woman in the white house, as they don’t really know much about the senator from Vermont. This illustrates the power of campaign money. Big money candidates can get on prime time, and get more positive mainstream media coverage, while the grassroots movements rely more on social media like Facebook, etc. Who are most tied into that?
I’m also disappointed to see the lackluster support from people who replied via the internet that they’d like to help with the campaign, but when it came down to canvassing, I had one volunteer out of the many that I called, actually come out and go door to door with me. Thanks J! I’m trying to spread the word, and educate anyone who is willing to listen, as to what Bernie is all about. I have some bumper stickers left for anyone who’d like to show their support. I can be reached at 203-948-1413, or at my shop, The Fabman at 22071 S Bayside Rd in Cheriton.
Tom Kaufman