Bernie Sanders. (photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
10 June 15
ernie
Sanders officially launched his presidential campaign on May 26th in
Burlington, Vermont. Rolling Stone was there, visiting with Sanders at
his home and capturing Team Bernie's initial campaign stops for our
first short documentary of the 2016 campaigns.
"We're going to win. . .by establishing a very strong
grassroots campaign involving millions of people. That's the only way to
win," the Independent candidate told Rolling Stone before his launch event.
Several issues and themes emerged on the trail.
Election spending: "American
democracy is not about billionaires like the Koch brothers or Sheldon
Adelson being prepared to spend more money in this election cycle than
either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. When you have one
family buying the political process of America, that's not called
democracy, that is called oligarchy, and we're not going to allow that,"
he told supporters at a church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Sanders told Rolling Stone that more than 120,000 people have contributed to his campaign via his website so far, with an average contribution of $40 each.
Income inequality: "There's something
fundamentally wrong when the great middle class of this country
disappears, and virtually all of the income and all of the wealth is
going to the top 0.1 percent, or 1 percent," Sanders told Rolling Stone.
Education: "Young people have given
up the dream of going to college, simply because they can't afford it.
As president, I will make this legislation into law [that] says that
every public college and public university in this country will be
tuition-free," he told a crowd at New England College in Concord, New
Hampshire.
Hillary Clinton: Supporters expressed
both that "it's kind of a long shot, maybe, for him to actually be
elected president" and that Sanders could give Clinton a run for her
money, so to speak. "Why can't we ask Hillary to give up her spot and
give it to you?" a supporter in Concord asked the candidate, to cheers
from the audience.
"I could be wrong," Sanders said, "but I suspect she'd disagree."
Comments
+12
#
2015-06-10 09:20
Hooray for Bernie.
He's the only candidate that gives me any hope at all for the future of
this country, its democracy and its history of support for civil rights
and fighting poverty.
+6
#
2015-06-10 10:03
If young voters could see how important Bernie's positions are for the country, and especially, them, they'd flock to him.
Bernie, can you do a few guitar riffs?
Bernie, can you do a few guitar riffs?
+12
#
2015-06-10 10:45
As stated, Bernie is
not delivering talking points as are the other candidates. He does not
check the polls to see what is popular at the moment like other
candidates. He is real and honest and been fighting for the "common man"
all his political life. He has my support and my vote.
+1
#
2015-06-10 12:40
Just a reminder...All
you Independents have to re-register as Dems so you can vote for Bernie
in the primaries...and also in the general.
Oh! And any Republican who can think beyond his/her nose, that goes for you, too.(Albeit, that is an exceedingly small group...but every vote will count)
Oh! And any Republican who can think beyond his/her nose, that goes for you, too.(Albeit, that is an exceedingly small group...but every vote will count)
+1
#
2015-06-10 13:02
Go Bernie ! If people care enough about democracy in this country we can win this thing.
