On May 11th, Bernie Sanders spoke to almost 10,000 supporters in Missoula, Montana; which is an impressive turnout given that there was only a three-day notice. Given that the media often writes that Sanders has no chance against Clinton, it was surprising to see so many supporters. The energy in the crowd was not deterred in the slightest by the fact that many feel Bernie is the third wheel in this race, or that Hillary has a significant lead in super delegate numbers. In fact, those factors only seemed to make supporters at the rally more determined; if anyone can face impossible odds and win, it is Bernie Sanders.
Clinton's win makes it all but mathematically impossible for Sanders to catch up, especially with Clinton's dominance among the "superdelegates," elected officials and party bigwigs who get a say in selecting the nominee at the convention. But Sanders has shown no indication he will drop out of the race, a move that would allow Clinton to focus on the general election but take the once-relatively unknown Vermont lawmaker out of the national spotlight. - World News
My team and I lined up for this rally at 6 a.m. While millennials are known for being a little lackluster at the polls, with only about 10 million out of a possible 46 million showing up for midterm elections, we are enthusiastic about politics. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm has shown more so in volunteering and creating controversy on social media rather than showing up to the polls. However, if these huge turnouts for Bernie rallies say anything, it's that millennials can be just as involved in the political sphere as any other generation-- we just need someone who believes in us. University of Montana student Brianna Kretske had something to say about this topic:
Well it's the most involved I've ever been in an election. It was exciting to be around so many people passionate about the same message, especially so many young people, as we're often considered the most apathetic voting demographic. It's exciting to see people my age really fired up about politics.
Not only was I the only one excited that early, I also got interviewed a few times.
One of the most notable things at the rally was the incessant chanting concerning free college--and just free stuff in general. UnMa student Zach Alexander touched on this topic when asked his thoughts on the rally:
I appreciated the high energy at the rally, but one thing that concerned me was a group of younger supporters shouting "free college!" I even heard one say "give me free stuff!" While it could be them joking around with stereotypes of Bernie supporters it could also be that they legitimately think Bernie wants to give them free stuff. This misconception is largely why Bernie has been labelled and written off with no proper consideration by right-wing voters. I worry that these supporters, while energetic, are having an overall damaging effect on the potential conversation about different policy ideas by proliferating these stereotypes. Whether intentional or not it serves only to give those in opposition to Bernie more ammunition to level at his campaign.
The crowd in Missoula was extremely diverse, by Montana standards that is, and it was curious to see that Sanders had supporters from so many minority groups, all of which had the same thought: Bernie Sanders is for the people. Not just the white people, the rich people, or influential people--but for everyone. UM student Sean Kirkpatrick joined the conversation on this subject:
The curious thing about the Bernie Sanders rally was that, even though I lined up at 6 a.m., I was not a through-and-through Bernie supporter. While I am definitely more liberal (go gay rights!), I was pretty on the fence about Senator Sanders. If he didn’t win the nomination, surely Hillary Clinton would do an adequate job as President. However, I left the rally very much #FeelingtheBern – partly because I was sunburnt beyond recognition for the next couple days – but mostly I was energized by a politician who seemed to actually care about the people he aimed to represent.
Not once have I ever seen a human being groveling for my support who recognized the validity of every marginalized group from ethnic minorities to transgender individuals. Bernie Sanders had solid plans to counter all the issues that affect the people I know and love, and other issues that I’ve recognized but am not affected by. For the first time I actually wanted to be close to a lawmaker, to let them know that me – a young #MillennialQueer was in support of him, which is important. This current generation outnumbers Baby Boomers by almost half a million.
The most striking thing was that Senator Sanders has been able to unite so many disparate groups through one simple thing – this country is broken, and we need to fix it; not by alienating the differences in the population, but by uniting as one. Our differences make us stronger. E Pluribus Unum, Senator Sanders. Out of many, you are the one.
The Missoula Odyssey team with front row spots at the rally.
Missoula is a town full of liberals, and therefore many are torn between the two Democratic candidates. UM student Lexi Framness points out that this rally was helpful for a lot of people who were on the fence with their vote:
I thought the Bernie rally reached my expectations and beyond. He pinpoints important subjects like college, health care, and minimum wage. Missoula is a place where I feel many are confused about who to vote for, so I hoped this made a lot of people's choices easier. Waiting in line was worth it!
After 6 and a half hours of standing in line, Bernie took the stage and energized everyone listening. He made it very clear that he was tired of bought-out politicians running the country and the rich getting richer; that everyone deserved basic human rights, and that the government should be for the people. He brought up the fact that when polled against Republican candidate Donald Trump, he almost doubles Hillary Clinton's numbers. Simply put, Sanders has a better shot at winning over Trump than Clinton does. Bernie is a candidate for the people, and the people can see it-- while the super delegate numbers may not show it, the people support Bernie Sanders, and he is nowhere close to being out of the race.
Bernie truly gives Missoulians a "Future to Believe In."
