Bernie attracting Bigger IOWA Crowds than Before. 2,500 Showed Up Friday Night in Iowa

[sabrina 1]

Bernie Sanders urges Iowa crowd of 2,500 to 'think big'


Supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gather in the staging area before the Denison Independence Day Parade on Friday afternoon.

One audience member, 59-year-old Council Bluffs Democrat Richard Grondek, said he didn't think Sanders had a realistic chance of winning the Iowa caucuses "until he started drawing crowds like this."

Grondek recalled going to see three candidates in Council Bluffs on New Year's Day just days before the 2008 caucuses: Clinton in the morning, Obama in the afternoon, John Edwards at night. "And none of the crowds were this big," he said.

Sanders drew 800 at an event at Drake University last month, and as his popularity climbs with Democratic voters, he has drawn stadium-sized audiences outside of Iowa — including 5,000 in Minnesota and 10,000 in Wisconsin recently.

A supporter in Denison holds a sign refering to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was active in the 1960s Civil Rights movement.

In Denison, local plumber Brian O'Neal convinced Sanders to climb aboard his antique John Deere tractor to pose for a picture. He said Sanders seems to be more down-to-earth than other candidates, especially those running on the right.

"Most of the GOP candidates tell you what you what they think you want to hear," O'Neal said. "But Bernie tells you what you ought to hear."

And then there is this:

None of the other three Democratic White House hopefuls — former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and former Virginia U.S. Sen. Jim Webb — have logged crowd counts as big in Iowa. Clinton attracted 700 in Des Moines last month when she held her first public rally. O'Malley was also in Iowa on Friday, and his biggest event of the day was at a coffeehouse in Newton, where he drew about 60 people.

More and more people are feeling the Bern!

[chillfactor]

1. I hate to break it to you....

but crowds do not necessarily translate to votes...for any candidate....it is the voting booth that counts....

[sabrina 1]

2. Crowds don't come out in such large and growing numbers to waste their time unless they

are intending to vote and are finding certain candidates more interesting than others

As one person interviewed in this article stated it reminded him of Obama. The crowds there kept increasing each time he came.

It's not like he's a famous person that people might come to see just out of curiosity.

It's funny a few weeks ago the 'conventional wisdom was that he would fade away, he wasn't viable, not electable etc .

No one expected him to draw MORE crowds than the front runner.

Now the 'conventional wisdom' is shifting to 'well, just because he is raising so much money, drawing all these crowds, that isn't signifacant! Lol!

I kind of like watching the goal posts moving and how fastthey have to be moved as Bernie keeps the goal post movers very busy.

[Kalidurga]

3. I like them moving the goal posts

and sticking their fingers in their ears and covering their eyes. I like it a lot. It's not like they can change anything by doing those things. No one knows what is going to happen. People comfort themselves by thinking they know what is going to happen. That is what Hillary supporters are doing. La la la not listening, the numbers mean nothing, Bernie can't win the primary, well if he does he won't win the general, he is Kucinich, Mondale, or McGovern or something something because an election that happened 40 some years ago or even just 30 years ago is so relevant today. It's almost like they think people are still watching black and white television and reading newspapers.

[sabrina 1]

11. I'm just curious to see how far the goal post movers will go after he wins the Primary.

I'm guessing it will be something 'just because he won the primaries doesn't mean he can defeat the Republicans. Look what happened to Kerry etc etc.

I have a vision of them running back and forth as Bernie just keeps going as they try desperately to find out where his next goal might land.

[Kalidurga]

14. That is what they are doing already I expect they will double down after the primaries if..

Bernie wins. They insist that Bernie can't win the general election. They think we should be afraid to nominate him because the Republican Koch machine will eat him alive. It won't, we won't let it. We are at least 300,000 strong now (volunteers and donators), I expect that number to double by the end of the month.

[merrily]

4. Small groups don't necessarily translate to lots of votes, either.

BTW, this is the Sanders Groupm a safe haven group for posters who want to see Sanders win the primary. Please respect that.

[peacebird]

7. Hi chillfactor, you probably didn't notice but you are posting in the Bernie Sanders group

Just thought I would point that out. Oh, and tell you that your 'concern' is duly noted.

[demwing]

10. Im sure you're all broken up

that you had to be the one to deliver that message...

[merrily]

6. Only 2500? He drew 10,000 in Madison. Shrinking numbers is not an encouraging trend.

[me b zola]

8. OMG! Look at all of the old people

Wait, wut?

[Cheese Sandwich]

9. Great post

Here's your reward



http://www.wsj.com/articles/bernie-sanders-outpaces-martin-omalley-as-hillary-clinton-alternative-1436064697

[sabrina 1]

13. Noting between Bernie and the people, no Corporate funding, no ropes, no heavy security, no

affectations, what a great photo, thanks for posting it.

[SoapBox]

12. At least he's not roping himself off!

That thing about HRC was so bizarre.

Keep mingling Bernie!