Grand Rapids ‘feels the Bern’ at Sunday afternoon rally

SUNDAY, March 8 — Lee Vandenberg’s head wants to vote for Joe Biden, but her heart is with Bernie Sanders.

Vandenberg, 67, of Walker, strolled toward Sanders’ latest campaign rally in Grand Rapids earlier this afternoon as an undecided voter. She, among many others, said she supports Sanders’ “revolutionary ideas” for the future but worries that such a “radical” political shift might make it difficult to take down President Donald Trump.

Sanders’ platform is ambitious and undoubtedly requires tax increases. It’s a sell that Vandenberg worries might be too difficult for Michigan’s moderate voters. But his ideas — including Medicare for All, free college tuition, the national legalization of marijuana, immigration reforms and more — are worthy of consideration, she said.

“It all depends on whether I follow my head or my heart. My heart is for Bernie but my head is telling me, I don’t know, Biden might be more electable,” Vandenberg said. “With some of the things that Bernie wants to get done, I wonder whether he can actually get them done. And if not, does that mean nothing will be done?”

Vandenberg, who supported U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar before she suspended her campaign last week, plans to support the Democratic nominee regardless of whose name is on the ticket. She was among the thousands who helped Sanders win over Michigan in 2016, but four years later, she’s no longer sure if he’s the best choice.

“I wish I knew who the VP picks are going to be. That would make all the difference to me,” Vandenberg added. “I think it’s going to be very important to get a woman or a minority — like a black person — on the ticket.”

With 573 delegates to Biden’s 664, Sanders arrived in Michigan this weekend, at least for now, as an underdog. But with Super Tuesday II lined up this week, Sanders’ success in the Midwest — with 125 delegates up for grabs in Michigan alone — could restore some much-needed momentum to move on to the General Election.

The line around Calder Plaza stretched across multiple downtown intersections as thousands poured in to hear Sanders speak this afternoon. Many had already been “feeling the Bern” for years, and were anxious to push Sanders past November’s finish line. Others were new supporters. The overarching consensus: Anyone is better than Trump.

“He might have ideas that are on the radical side, but I think we need some change,” said Nancy Hively, 63, of Kalamazoo. “Bernie has a better chance of getting something done, even if it’s with radical ideas. Let’s go for it. This is a turning point where something needs to change, otherwise I’m afraid for the future of this country.”

“He’s working for systematic change,” said Mark DeLong, 56, of Mount Pleasant. “That’s really the root of it. He’s an idealist. He has the right things in mind. If we have the House and the Senate to back him, I think he’ll go far. It’s Bernie’s time. It’s all of our time. It’s time for serious change for all the generations of this country.”

“And to be honest, President Trump really just fucked this country up,” DeLong added.

“I like his consistent voting record,” added Eric Livingston, 20, of Grand Haven. “He has been fighting for things that a lot of the other candidates have not. He was arrested at civil rights rallies. He has a fantastic LGBTQ track record. He did a lot as the mayor of Burlington. I just really appreciate his entire political history.”

As a two-man race for the Democratic ticket reaches a head, some voters are also concerned whether Biden is capable of going head-to-head with Trump on the debate stage. Many criticized the former vice president as being too far entrenched in the Democratic establishment to drive forward any sweeping national reforms.

“Biden’s record on LGBTQ issues isn’t the best,” Livingston added. “He has been against changing the definition of marriage. He also supported the war in Iraq. I’d support Biden if he won the nomination, but I really wouldn’t be too happy about it. I just wouldn’t want to risk the alternative of four more years of Trump.”

(As vice president, Biden came out for gay marriage, which some have said prompted Obama to follow his lead.)

Bree Flores, 30, of Grand Rapids, plans to vote for Sanders but would also grudgingly support Biden if needed.

“I mean, Biden is fine. He’s a good human. I just don’t agree with a lot of the things he did previously,” Flores added. “I get the whole Obama association, but that’s really not everything. I think he is a little out-of-touch with our generation when it comes to a lot of important issues like marijuana legalization and healthcare.”

“This race is about the young people,” added Lee Sanchez, 20, of Grand Haven. “If young people go out and vote, then Bernie has a really good chance. Otherwise, it might be Biden. I think people are scared of change.”

Other diehard Bernie Bros were simply unwilling to accept any other alternative to President Sanders.

“Joe Biden might have dementia. I think he’s a psychopath,” said Joe Faccio, 26, of Grand Rapids. “I would not vote for Biden if he wins the nomination. It’d have to be a write-in for Bernie. I just can’t get behind Biden.”

Civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. introduced Sanders to the stage this afternoon after formally endorsing him via press release earlier this morning. Sanders said Jackson had long been his personal “hero” and has served as “one of the most transformative figures in American history.” The audience roared with applause.

“I stand with Bernie Sanders today because he stood with me,” Jackson said, noting Sanders has plans to revive the Civil Rights Commission and give “real consideration” to a diverse vice presidential candidate. “I stand with him because he never lost his chase for justice for the people. I stand with him because he stands with you.”

Jackson also led the crowd in a chant: “Keep hope alive. Bernie Sanders can win, will win, must win.”

Sanders, in a possible concession to Biden’s widespread support among black voters in the rural south, had opted to cancel rallies in Mississippi to double down on his message in Michigan ahead of Tuesday’s vote. A loss in Michigan, after his success in 2016, could be damaging — if not fatal — for his campaign against Biden.

His speech, although fiery and energetic, was mostly business as usual and lasted less than half an hour.

“Together, we can, we must and we will defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country,” Sanders said. “You don’t have to agree with everything that Jesse Jackson said or that I said, but understand, we cannot continue to have in the White House, dishonoring our country, someone who is a pathological liar.”

Sanders — after brief remarks from Jackson, former gubernatorial candidate Abdul Al-Sayed and former UAW President Bob King, among others — focused largely on familiar talking points. If elected, he’ll raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, advocate for $60,000 salaries for schoolteachers and of course, “eat” the rich.

“I will tell you how you unify the American people,” Sanders added. “You give them an agenda that all working people support. And that agenda says that in the richest country in the history of the world, we’re not going to continue to have three billionaires owning more wealth than about half of the American society.”

In addition to offering free tuition at public colleges, Sanders also boasted plans to end tax breaks for the wealthy, stride toward criminal justice reform, restore legal status for thousands of immigrants, end destructive policies at the border and enact comprehensive gun control legislation with universal background checks.

“This is a president who believes that climate change is a hoax. Well, we believe that Donald Trump is a hoax,” Sanders added. “Are you ready for a radical idea? This looks like a radical audience. Are you ready? Hold on. I don’t want anybody fainting. Our administration will believe in science, not right-wing extremism.”

While Sanders remains 91 delegates below Biden, his supporters today made it clear: As Super Tuesday has shown, a lot can still change and the race is far from over. And Michigan — the first state in the industrial Midwest to vote — could be a key political battleground in determining the eventual Democratic nominee.

“This is not about me. It’s about us. It’s about understanding that we are more human, that we are better human beings, when we care about each other, when we don’t turn our backs on human suffering,” Sanders concluded. “Every family in America has its fair share of problems. We are in it together. My family has got to care about your family. Your family has got to care about my family. That’s how we improve life for all of us.”

Check back on Monday for coverage from Joe Biden's upcoming rally in Grand Rapids.

(This story has been updated to reflect accurate delegate counts as of Sunday evening.)