Move Over Beto, Booker, and Harris.
Voters Say Bernie’s Number One
(Video)
March 23,2019. Los Angeles, CA. Attracting 15,000 to 20,000 audience voters on a Saturday in Downtown Los Angeles a year before the Presidential primaries is unprecedented. An area was set up for 12,000 supporters at Grand Park across the street from Los Angeles City Hall. An hour before the pre-Bernie program was set to begin, this space was full with the line continuing. Crowds sat on the hill above the designated park and microphones checks made sure that the sound carried more than a quarter of a mile away from the stage.
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Giving high-fives to all entrants to the park, the staff made everyone feel welcome. Among the initial greeters was a face that was well known to 2016 Berniecrats: Carlos Manrroquin, who took supporters to multiple states as part of the Bernie Brigade in the previous election cycle. Supporters noticed the difference in the staff from prior years. This staff was friendlier and more respectful of attendees. They were more grass roots.
Speeches by California Congressman Ro Khanna and Ohio’s Nina Turner led into Bernie’s arrival with Jane. The crowd had been chanting for Bernie for some time and was remained enthusiastic throughout his speech.
The biggest reaction came to statements against war. The audience erupted into chants of “No More War.”
Bernie spoke of the diminishing longevity of Americans as health care costs continue to rise, expressing the need for Medicare for All. He discussed the billions insurance company and pharmaceutical executives make each year off health care dollars while Americans are getting a lower standard of health care than elsewhere in the world and patients are unable to afford the prescriptions their doctors write. While Americans pay a multiple of what other countries pay for health care, the longevity rate in the USA is declining each year. Bernie not only wants to make sure that all Americans have the opportunity to go to college for free, he plans to reduce or eliminate existing college debt. America will move away from fossil fuels under his Presidency. Bernie spoke about the problems with racial injustice and racism in America. The audience was enthusiastic about ending private prisons, along with the prison industrial complex. Bernie plans to legalize marijuana, expressing that sentences for marijuana users are unjust while the government has failed to lock up Wall Street executives.
The biggest reaction came to statements against war. The audience erupted into chants of “No More War.”
Bernie spoke of the diminishing longevity of Americans as health care costs continue to rise, expressing the need for Medicare for All. He discussed the billions insurance company and pharmaceutical executives make each year off health care dollars while Americans are getting a lower standard of health care than elsewhere in the world and patients are unable to afford the prescriptions their doctors write. While Americans pay a multiple of what other countries pay for health care, the longevity rate in the USA is declining each year. Bernie not only wants to make sure that all Americans have the opportunity to go to college for free, he plans to reduce or eliminate existing college debt. America will move away from fossil fuels under his Presidency. Bernie spoke about the problems with racial injustice and racism in America. The audience was enthusiastic about ending private prisons, along with the prison industrial complex. Bernie plans to legalize marijuana, expressing that sentences for marijuana users are unjust while the government has failed to lock up Wall Street executives.
The only faux pas involved his opening comments on the Mueller report that, after a loss of millions of public dollars, turned up no indictments for collusion with Russia. Bernie has gone along with the DNC on this while the DNC has ignored all of Trump’s other unlawful actions. Half of the Berniecrats did not vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and their reasons had nothing to do with Russia. In speaking with members of the crowd, the general comment was that he should move on and stop catering to the DNC.
There was a lot of speculation as to whether Tulsi Gabbard would be Bernie’s Vice Presidential running mate. Many noted that she would complement him in areas where he was weaker. She is the one candidate who has served two tours in Iraq and who has the support of America’s servicemen and women. She also has a great deal of support from the anti-war community, openly opposing sanctions (a form of war) and American-orchestrated regime change in Venezuela, Syria and other nations. Tulsi is also a woman of color and a Hindu, bringing a rounded approach to the team. Throughout the crowd, Sanders supporters said they were planning to donate money to Tulsi to get her onto the debate stage. Most felt that Bernie would be sabotaged by the pro-war candidates without Tulsi at his side to back up his opposition to war.
Despite being injured and receiving stiches as a result of an incident with a shower pane, Bernie has not slowed down and has received massive crowd numbers from all around the country. Bernie showed he is a real trooper as far as the audience was concerned. Some commented that most candidates recovering from injuries would stay home. Many remembered how a younger Hillary Clinton canceled campaign events three years ago over health issues. Bernie’s health and stamina appears to be holding firm. In a time when large segments of the world’s population live late into their 90’s, Bernie may very well have decades ahead of him to continue his work.
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