Bernie Sanders Points to Crowd Sizes as Sign of Strength for 2016

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/34387-bernie-sanders-points-to-crowd-sizes-as-sign-of-strength-for-2016

“Often as not, the turnout has been double what we expected,” the Vermont senator told an overflow audience at a New Year’s Eve party he hosted here at a downtown hotel, capping off a three-day swing through eastern Iowa.

Aides distributed a tally showing that more than 34,000 people have now attended events hosted by the Sanders campaign since May, a figure that is certainly higher than either of his Democratic rivals. Sanders said he believes he’ll have reached close to 50,000 people by the Feb. 1 caucuses.

The question at the heart of his campaign remains much the same as it has for months: whether Sanders can harness the enthusiasm of his rallies and boost turnout enough on caucus night to upset Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Most analysts are betting against that.

Clinton has consistently led in the polls here since the fall, including a survey last month by the Des Moines Register and Bloomberg Politics that had her up over Sanders by 9 percentage points. Other surveys have showed somewhat larger margins.

Many of those attending Sanders’s rallies have never participated before in a caucus, which requires a commitment of several hours on a night when the winter weather can be an issue. And younger voters, who tend to participate in lower numbers, have been among the most enthusiastic supporters of Sanders’s call to take on the “billionaire class.”

[left-of-center2012]

1. Crowd Sizes Only Matter in HRC Rallys

[daybranch]

2. We older people will help get younger ones to polls for Bernie.

We too love Berniie-the candidate for democracy!

[sonofspy777]

3. There is no question that he

has succeeded in motivating those who attend his rallies to vote.

There is no doubt.

[Proserpina]

4. A young person with the right attitude will overcome "weather issues"

It's the elderly that I worry about.

[thereismore]

5. A lot of people will be surprised by how many young people

will turn out to caucus.

[Plucketeer]

6. Way out here in the left coast

I'm grinning big. This is going to be SUCH a delicious upheaval ! C'mon Iowa!

[Left Coast2020]

7. I was really rooting for Iowa in the Rose Bowl.

Mainly because I hate Stanford. And I'll root for them 4 weeks from now.

I O W A! Lets Go! I-O-W-A!