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By Miriam Raftery
Photos by Ron Logan and Miriam Raftery
April 23, 2016 (San Diego) – Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of over 13,000 people at the San Diego Convention Center last night, informing the crowd that his campaign is doing ”something unusual in politics. We are telling the truth.” He then stated, “We cannot go forward as a nation unless we are willing to confront real issues.”
In his opening remarks of a speech interrupted by frequent enthusiastic applause, Sanders took aim at voter suppression tactics on a day when long lines at minority polling places and other questionable tactics drew strong criticism in Arizona.
“In America today, we are living under a corrupt primary campaign system which is undermining our democracy,” Sanders said.
During his speech, votes were still being tallied in Arizona, Utah and Idaho. Sanders ultimately won Utah and Idaho by huge margins (78% and 74%), bringing his total wins to 12 states. But he trailed Hillary Clinton in Arizona with about 40% of the vote.
In Arizona, however, the big story was voter suppression. The Nation magazine documented that many voters waited in line over five hours because the number of polling machines was slashed by 70% in the Phoenix area, ostensibly to save money. But the cuts were made in heavy poor and minority, heavily Democratic neighborhoods.
Such changes would have been illegal before the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, which previously prohibited states like Arizona, which had a history of voter suppression, from changing its election practices without court approval. On Twitter, many Democratic voters, mostly Sanders supporters, also complained that the Registrar of Voters inexplicably changed their registrations from Democratic to Republican, forcing them to vote using provisional ballots that may or may not ultimately be counted.
Sanders denounced a system in which billionaires can spend huge amounts to elect candidates, then went on to state pointedly, “Democracy is not about powerful Republican governors trying to suppress the votes of poor people, people of color, young people, old people…I say to those cowardly governors, if you are not prepared to engage in democratic elections, then get out!” He further noted that the U.S. has one of the lowest voter turnouts of any nation.
He then launched into his familiar theme of faulting a “rigged economy” in which “one tenth of the top one percent owns 99 percent of the wealth” in America . He pledged to “stop subsidizing the wealthiest families in America. “ As an example he cited the Walton family, which owns Walmart, yet pays employees so little that many are forced to get food stamps and Medicare. “That is crazy and we’re going to end it,” Sanders said.
Sanders struck a chord with many present when he talked about millions of workers across America working longer hours for lower wages, some working two or three jobs, with both parents working in many families. “Marriages are stressed out and kids are not getting the attention that they need,” he said, pledging to change the “broken economy.”
He also promised to reform a “b
roken criminal justice system,” saying it’s not acceptable for the U.S. to have “more people in jail than any other country on earth.” That disproportionately impacts African-Americans and Latinos, he noted, adding that he is also “tired of seeing unarmed people, often black and Latino, shot by police.” He added that the “vast majority of police officers are honest and hard working, but when a police officer breaks the law, he must be held accountable.” He called for ending the “militarization of police departments” adding that police should reflect the communities they serve, with greater diversity.
His embracing of African-American voters and their issues comes in stark contrast to the violence seen recently at Republican rival Donald Trump's rallies, where African-American protesters and even peaceful rally attendees have been repeatedly roughed up, expelled, and even punched in the face; Trump himself has engaged in hate speech and has support from white supremacists including KKK leader David Duke.
At the Sanders rally, by contrast, one African-American fan wore a T-shirt offering "free hugs," and Sanders delivered mesasges of caring and compassion.
Sanders also said it’s time to rethink the war on drugs. He noted that heroine and opiate addiction is now an “epidemic” and said addiction should be treated as a health issue, not a prison issue. He also said marijuana should not be listed as a schedule one drug alongside heroin, and called for removing marijuana off the schedule one list.
He then addressed the terrorist bombings in Brussels, Belgium, extending sympathy to the people of Brussels. “We will stand with our allies all over the world and we will crush and destroy ISIS,” he pledged. Sanders added that this must be done through a coalition in the Middle East that would be led by Muslim nations with support from the U.S. and other nations. He quoted the King of Jordan, who stated, “This is a fight for the soul of Islam.” He added that combating ISIS should be accomplished “without getting our brave men and women of the armed forces into a perpetual war.”
He called the war in Iraq “one of the worst foreign policy mistakes” in U.S. history. “I voted against the 
war and I will do everything I can to make sure the U.S does not get involved in a similar war in the future,” he pledged.
Sanders campaign has defied all initial expectations. A self-proclaimed democratic socialist and the only independent Senator in Congress, Sanders now has about 900 delegates chosen through the primary process compared to Clinton’s 1200, not counting the super delegates (Democratiic office holders) where Clinton has a more commanding lead—though some super delegates could shift their allegiances if Sanders were to overtake Clinton among the popular vote. Sanders has raised significantly more money than Clinton through small individual donations, even topping Obama’s fundraising record.
“We are doing so well because we are listening to the people, not to wealthy campaign donors,” Sanders said. Noting that his campaign rejected calls to start a Super Pac, he then chided Clinton for taking massive amounts from Super Pacs and several hundred thousand dollars for speaking to Goldman Sachs. For that much money, “what a great speech that must have been,” Sanders quipped, then urged Clinton to release the text of that speech. He said his campaign has proven that “we can raise millions without begging billionaires.”
Sanders then pledged help for working families and senior citizens who are struggling. He called for raising the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also criticized Republicans in Congress who want to cut Social Security, nothing that no one can live on the current payment rates. “We’re not going to cut Social Security. We’re going to raise Social Security,” he vowed.
He said his campaign is also listening to women. “Women all over this country are saying they are sick and tired of working for 79 cents on the dollar,” said Sanders. He faulted Republicans w
ho “keep running around talking family values, but what they really mean is no woman should have the right to control her own body and our gay brothers and sisters should not have the right to control theirs.”
Next, he stated, “This campaign is listening to our brothers and sisters in the Latino community,” drawing loud cheers. He noted that many undocumented people are “living in the shadows, living in fear. They are being exploited every day. I am a proud son of an immigrant…We will stand with our Latino brothers and sisters…We will fight toward comprehensive immigrant reform and a path toward citizenship….We will united them, not divide them. We will stop the deportations…and if Congress does not do its job, I will use the executive powers.”
He then took aim at Republican front runner Donald Trump, saying it’s “not acceptable” for Trump to insult people of color, women and anyone he disagrees with. “A candidate for president should not be resorting to hatred and bigotry,” he affirmed.
Sanders questioned the national spending priorities. “How can we spend billions of dollars in Iraq, and how is it that we don’t have the money to rebuild crumbling cities like Flint?” he asked, referring to the Michigan city that has suffered lead poisoning in water that has damaged a generation of children. “Our education is failing kids. Our healthcare is not acceptable, and too many young people instead of getting good jobs are ending up in jail.”
He promised, “We will invest in communities together and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.” He noted that other cities have water problems, too, and that roads, bridges and levies are failing and need repair.
Sanders then addressed Native American issues in San Diego, home to more Native American tribes than any other county in the U.S. He called the historical treatment of Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government a “disgrace,” adding that his administration “will treat Native Americans with the respect that they deserve.”
He voiced concern for young people graduating college with $20,000 to $50,000 in debt. “It’s not good education to just talk about kindergarten through twelfth grade education,” the Senator stated. “The world has changed,” he noted, adding that he wants to make public colleges and universities tuition-free. “This is not a radical idea,” he insisted. “I want very kid who studies hard, who works hard, to be able to go to college.”
A member of the Senate’s environmental committee, Sanders made clear, “The debate is over. Climate change is real and it is caused by human activity. Together we will break our dependence on fossil fuel and build a sustainable economy.”
Smiling, he said, “I have been criticized for saying this, so I’ll say it again. I believe healthcare is a right for all…There is something wrong when every other major nation provides healthcare and we do not. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has done a lot of good, but we need to do more. Today, 29 million people (in the U.S.) have no healthcare and even more are underinsured. Today, we are being ripped off big-time by drug companies…One in five cannot afford prescriptions that their doctors write…It’s time to join the civilized world and pass Medicare for all, a single payer healthcare bill,” he said, drawing cheers.
Sanders , 74, offered some
historical perspective. “Change in America always takes place from the bottom up, not top down.” He cited the rise of trade unions, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the gay rights movement as examples where people stood up together to stand up against inequality, bigotry, discrimination, and “the right to love whoever you want.”
Then he said, “Change takes place in that very profound moment when people look around them and say, `the status quo is not working.’” He called for adoption of a family leave bill to help working families and pledged to fight the nation’s high childhood poverty rate.
“This is a pivotal moment,” concluded Sanders, standing beside his wife, Jane. “California will have a major role to play." He predicted, "If people turn out, I will win in California.”
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