Youth Flocking to Sanders Because 'You're Right, Bernie, You're Right!' [View all]

[Jesus Malverde]

If you're wondering why the campaign continues to build momentum and attract big crowds, one person among the many thousands in Portland shouted his answer.

Continuing to draw large and enthusiastic crowds wherever he goes, Sen. Bernie Sanders attracted approximately 9,000 people to a downtown sports arena in Portland, Maine on Monday evening as throngs of people—with a noticeable presence of students and young adults—waited for more than an hour in a line that stretched around the building in order to hear the presidential candidate's populist message.

Though the campaign only put the number at 7,500 in the crowd, those familiar with building—which was filled to capacity—placed the number well over 9,000. Though not quite so many as the record crowd of 10,000 that turned out in Madison, Wisconsin the week before, many noted that the coastal New England city of Portland has less than half the population. And with other big turnouts recently in Iowa, Colorado, and elsewhere—this is becoming the new normal for the campaign.

"In case you didn’t notice, this is a big turnout," Sanders told the excited crowd as he took the podium. A longtime political observer in the state told this writer that never in his long history of attending rallies in the state—from Barack Obama to Bill Clinton to Jimmy Carter—did he ever see such an enormous showing for a presidential candidate at this stage of the campaign season—or possibly ever.

On the topic of the energy his campaign is generating, Sanders continued his speech by saying that national media outlets are increasingly asking him: "Well, Bernie, Why are so many people coming to your events? Why have hundreds of thousands of people in every state in this country volunteered to play a role in the campaign? Why have 250,000 people made small donations to the campaign? Why are grassroots organizations popping up all over America?—"

And at that moment, a young man in the crowd shouted: "Because you're right, Bernie, you're right!"

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/07/youth-flocking-sanders-because-youre-right-bernie-youre-right