Bernie Sanders excites crowd in Houston, Texas

[Spitfire of ATJ]

[daleanime]

1. Now, this is how you do it......

I would love to see more of the candidates stepping into to the 'red' states and challenging republican policy.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. It's like the Dems are afraid of being charged with trespassing....

I get the feeling the two parties decided "this is yours and this is mine" around the time of Clinton.

California voted for Nixon twice, then Ford, then Reagan twice, then Bush I.

But then it voted for Clinton and the Republicans suddenly wrote off a major state that had consistently voted for them in the last 6 elections over a period of 24 years just so they could use the term "The Left Coast" to inspire hate in all things Liberal.

EVERYONE in the country LOVED California prior to that. Every fad and fashion started in California. People from all over the country dreamed of living there. Kids running away from home would hitchhike to California. Suddenly Republicans were claiming it was a nest of commies and perverts and illegals out to destroy "real" America.

[dotymed]

2. The TRUTH

cannot be bought and suppressed by the wealthy as long as great people, who have lived in a much different America, pass it to a new generation.
Combine what FDR was able to accomplish with the reality that Bernie is speaking (which is more of what FDR wanted plus restoring his accomplishments) give that to a majority of oppressed, enthusiastic Americans and you have a recipe for an America envisioned by our greatest founders.

[Dustlawyer]

3. Thank you Bernie for coming to Texas and showing that we have a lot of Democrats here!

Anyone get a crowd estimate?

[KoKo]

4. Here's article from Houston Tribune with estimates....

In Dallas, Sanders' Tough Talk Fires Up Thousands

DALLAS — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent running for president as a Democrat, rallied thousands of Texans here Sunday afternoon with a progressive clarion call that included some tough talk for Democratic opponents who may be overlooking solidly red Texas in their campaign calculus.

"One of the problems that exists in American politics today, in my view, is that the Democratic Party has conceded half of the states in the country at the national level, and that's wrong," Sanders told a raucous crowd inside a downtown hotel ballroom. "We've got to fight them in 50 states, including Texas."

"If we are serious about change in America, we can't just do it in blue states," he later added, emphasizing the need for Democrats to have a "50-state strategy" to win the White House.

Organizers estimated the rally drew more than 7,000 people, though a more official count was expected later in the day. In any case, the event appeared to be the largest held by any presidential candidate in Texas so far this election cycle.

Sanders, who has emerged as the most popular alternative to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, won loud applause for touting a host of items on liberals' wish lists, including a $15 minimum wage, higher taxes for the wealthy and a constitutional amendment overturning the Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that gave rise to a new era of campaign finance.

Sanders was scheduled to headline another rally Sunday evening in Houston.

http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/19/sanders-rallies-thousands-tough-talk-democrats/

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. As I said in another thread. They can get VERY accurate on count based on the sign in books....

When you go to one of these events you sign in. Each full sign in book holds x number of entries times y number of books.

They bring enough books for the capacity of the venue and a few extra. Once the books are full they have to turn people away to the overflow area. Those people aren't recorded so it's more loosely based on head count.

Some folks here are claiming the numbers are wildly exaggerated but there's DOCUMENTATION to back up the numbers.

[KoKo]

6. Here's a report from the Dallas Event from a DU'er and Spouse who were there:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=460924

This is a post from DU'er and Spouse who were there at the Dallas Event.. One as a volunteer signing up Bernie Supporters...in the Overflow Room the other in the Ballroom.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=460924

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Star Member 7wo7rees (1,803 posts)
11. The place is huge.

Last edited Mon Jul 20, 2015, 01:02 AM - Edit history (1)
Ballroom capacity, 3500 to 3800K, mostly standing. Flows out into another equally as large space with screens set up.on both ends of room.

The convention/ballroom area.is about a very large city block in downtown Dallas.
The Sheraton Downtown was the Adams Mark, in its 1st lifetime was the Southland Bldg. Hdqtrs for Southland Corp/ 7-11's.

Talked with hotel security person at end who gave me numbers. Volunteers collected over 6K names and e-mails as people streamed in. We stopped at 1pm, people were still coming in......



This photo shows the stage in the back corner of a double ballroom. See the seam in the center of the ceiling for the midfield divider (top right corner of pic). This room held 3,500. The outside waiting area was identical and was filled with standing throngs of the same number watching video with loudspeakers.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. I went to a town hall event in Vegas very early on....

It was on a Friday at 9AM. They had to move it to another venue. They were expecting a few hundred and got triple the RSVPs they expected. There were over 700 people there.

[KoKo]

8. Its amazing the crowds just keep coming...

And, the applause in clips I've seen from some of the other events seems to be loud and enthusiastic about his message.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. He's saying what people have wanted to hear....

People voted for Obama BECAUSE he was called a Socialist. They felt let down to discover he was another moderate.

People vote for reformers. Remember Reagan ran as a reformer. He was going to take on the massive bureaucracy and waste in DC that America has since learned only exists in Republican's heads.

[zebonaut]

11. "I Welcome Their Hatred"

Reminds me of FDR. This is how you win.

I just don't see these kinds of crowds for Queen Hillary

Possibly clearer link: