Elections

Senator Bernie Sanders’ message for young voters was clear; vote. The Whittemore Center in Durham, New Hampshire, housed over 7500 people for the Bernie Sanders and the Strokes rally; the largest rally event New Hampshire has seen during this primary. 

The line wrapped around the track at 5 p.m. despite the 7:30 p.m. start time. People came from far and wide to show their support for the Vermont senator. When Matt and Ashley, long time Bernie supporters from Connecticut and New Jersey, were asked why they made the journey, their response was “we wanted to finish what started in 2015.” 

The testimonies and praise did not stop there. Margot from Providence, Rhode Island simply said “[Bernie] gives me a glimpse of hope.” When asked why she came to the Whittemore Center on a frigid Monday evening, Susan Nichols of Rochester, New York said, “We love Bernie. He stands for society, for my children.”

Sunflower Bean of New York kicked off the night in Durham with a song they wrote specifically for Sanders. Their energy ramped up the crowd for the list of speakers to follow. 

Senator Nina Turner of Ohio garnered the most enthusiasm from the crowd. After every poignant, “Hello somebody,” the crowd would go wild. “We need somebody who’s gonna go ham on this system,” she called, “Bernie Sanders is that champion.” She ended her speech with a quote from Helen Keller she attributes to the core beliefs of the Sanders campaign; “Alone we can do very little. Together we can do so much.”

In one of the most shockings events of the evening, Cynthia Nixon recounted her past endorsement of Hillary Clinton. When boos from the crowd ensued, her response was “We are not gonna do that here,” as a subtle dig at Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who received criticism for booing Hillary Clinton during an interview. Despite this, her message was clear; “Who’s America do you wanna live in?”

Doctor Cornel West referred to President Donald Trump as a “neofascist gangster” during his speech and subsequently received a standing ovation. 

“Bernie has not committed to what is right when it was popular.” This was the basis of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s speech to voters in Durham. The crowd stood when she entered, erupting into applause that barely died down her whole speech. “This matters.” 

In a non-typical fashion, when Sanders ascended the stage, he introduced his entire family. The candidate, who many refer to by his first name, became even more intimate with his supporters. Sanders himself was impressed with the showing in Durham. “This turnout tells me why we’re gonna win in New Hampshire.” The crowd continued to erupt in applause as Sanders laid out his campaign, and what he planned to do in office. “The current system is dysfunctional and it is cruel,” he said, and in a direct message to New Hampshirites, “the whole world is looking at New Hampshire. Get out and vote.”.

The general consensus was the Strokes were just an added bonus. They have name recognition, and so did Sanders. “We are honored to be associated with such a dedicated, diligent, & trustworthy patriot—and fellow native New Yorker,” said lead singer Julian Casablancas in a statement. After the list of speakers preceding the headliner, a decent amount of people exited the stadium. 

People leaving the event praised its enthusiasm and energy. As David from Connecticut succinctly put it, “I think it got a lot of people motivated to go out and vote tomorrow.”

The rally kicks off a tight race in New Hampshire on the eve of the primary. After what could be considered a tie in Iowa with Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Sanders needs to come out strong in New Hampshire. 

A Quinnipiac University poll states Senator Sanders beats President Donald Trump 51 to 43 percent in the nation for the presidency in 2020. On the eve of the primary The New York Times forecast Senator Sanders to win New Hampshire. 

Submitted by: the Operator
 

(Manchester, NH)-- ‘This Is Shaheen Country’ lit up the Southern New Hampshire Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire Saturday evening for one of the biggest fundraising events of the state’s democratic primary. At the 2020 McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, hundreds of Democrats from far and wide came to see what would be one of the last chances for the candidates to make their case for presidency of the United States. With only seven minutes each, not much time was allowed for a convincing argument.

Every candidate spoke at the dinner, but endorsements from high profile New Hampshire Democrats, such as State Representative Annie Kuster and Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess kept Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana in high spirits. 

Buttigieg kicked off the night with a jab at Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. “With a president this divisive we cannot risk dividing Americans future further- saying that you must either be for the revolution, or you must be for the status quo.”

The tension was further felt when Sanders and Buttigieg supporters, seated opposite one another in the arena, would chant over one another and heckle each other from across the stadium.

Sanders supporters reacted positively to Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota taking the stage and giving a nod to them with a simple, “Hi Bernie people.”

Klobuchar and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts had the biggest supporter showings in the arena in a sea of green and blue. Buttgieg supporters in bright yellow shirts and plastic clappers drowned the arena with chants of “boot-edge-edge.”

There were many reasons attendees chose to travel to New Hampshire for the event. 

“I currently live in New York State, but my parents live in New Hampshire,” Becca Scheetz said, “I’ve never actually voted in person, and now that I have the chance to be here I’m going all out.”

The event allowed attendees to learn information about candidates, and hopefully help them form their choice for the upcoming primary. Many simply came for the experience.

“I’m a union member in New York and a proud labor activist,” said Lia Rodriquez, “I think the fact that people in New Hampshire are so engaged is inspiring.”

This engagement was felt through the tabling present at the event; Planned Parenthood, New Hampshire Teachers Coalition, and every candidate had one to two tables throughout the arena. 

The event kicks off the final sprint in New Hampshire with the primary occurring on February 11, after what could be considered a disaster in Iowa.

 

Submitted by: the Operator

Last Saturday, the biggest names fighting for the 2020 Democratic Nomination took to the stage of the Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire at the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention.  Thousands of people waited in line to gain entry to the venue, where inside the room was filled with impassioned supporters, each of the candidate they believed could become the next President of the United States. 

Speaking first, Joe Biden referred to the 2020 election as “a battle for the soul of this nation,” a comment that gained generous applause from his supporters in the audience. He continued by making clear his policies, and commenting on the state of affairs, imploring his audience to “lead by power of example, as [they] always have.”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana passionately spoke of unifying the American people, making change, and how the people are “capable of extraordinary things.” He made sure to connect with the crowd, and explain how as President, he would be focused on making changes in regards to the biggest issues the country is facing now.

Senator Cory Booker began his speech in the press room by explaining the pitfall of the last election: low voter turnout. When asked how he planned to get college age voters to the polls, he responded “We have an urgency that young people get, and [their] activism is incredible; I think we have a candidate that can resonate with that spirit, that youth, and that energy, and I believe that we are going to be incredibly fine with young Americans.”

Lightening the mood with her speech, Kamala Harris spoke on President Trump’s tweeting habits, but was also able to speak on the strength of the American people, and how there is “more in common than what separates us.” She reiterated her intentions to fight a good fight, and in the end hopefully emerge a winner.

Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas, began his speech speaking of his love for the state of New Hampshire. He was also able to relay a message of changing the culture of the 2016 election, and focusing on progress in all aspects of the issues the American people are facing today.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont garnered a roaring amount of applause as he took to the stage on Saturday. His popularity shows in the polls among young voters, as a candidate who pushes for student loan forgiveness, a 15 dollar minimum wage and as he says, “a government and economy that works for all of us.” After his speech, many minutes went by before the crowd quieted down and he was able to exit the stage. 

The welcome Elizabeth Warren received as she entered the arena on Saturday was deafening, and showed how passionate her supporters were about her. Her goal was to connect with the people, and working for all Americans, not just “the one percent.” 

Lower polling candidates such as Tom Steyer, Julian Castro, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg explained how they were not worried, or were not paying attention to polls, as they believed over time numbers would shift as they have in the past. 

With such an important election on the horizon, each candidate took the opportunity to reiterate their policies, connect with the American people, and hopefully make a lasting impression. With New Hampshire’s dubious history as a swing state, it is no doubt they will be in the area again, on the long and treacherous road to the Presidency, fighting for what they believe to be best.

 

Submitted by: The Operator, DJ and Chief Announcer Sam Coetzee, airing Thursdays from 8-9 AM and 8-10 PM