The only thing burning through the mid-morning fog blanketing the sweeping grassy knoll at City College’s West Campus this Saturday was the voice of Democratic presidential candidate — and Vermont Senator — Bernie Sanders, still vying for his party’s nomination. Sanders made it clear he was not going into the good night of historical and mathematical inevitability ascribed to Hillary Clinton’s eventual victory.
After getting a warm-up from actor Justin Long, Sanders was introduced to almost 6,000 attendees by longtime entertainer Dick Van Dyke, who called the Senator “the sanest man in America.” But SBCC professor and Secretary of the California Democratic Party Daraka Larimore-Hall stole the opening acts with a fiery speech. He urged the crowd not just to vote for Sanders but to phone-bank and canvas alongside him.
The thousands of the Vermont Senator’s supporters turned out on a cold, misty morning, waiting hours in long lines that started winding through the parking lots before 6 a.m. For the first time in most California resident’s lives, this primary has a chance — albeit a slim one — to truly impact the election. With Sanders being down just 270 pledged delegates, a big win in California could be huge for his campaign.