Bernie Sanders has set his sights on New Hampshire after his self-claimed “virtual tie” with Hillary Clinton in the Iowa caucuses, emphasizing that the northeastern state could take the first step towards ushering in a new era of “political revolution” in the country.

The Vermont senator has managed to climb steeply in the polls where once he was expected to just make up the numbers in the presidential race, and his calls for a political and economic upheaval seem to have struck a chord with Democratic voters everywhere, not just in New Hampshire.

So, while his detractors have in the past pointed out that his ideas are too “idealistic” to actually be executed, Bernie Sanders has continued to dream a different future for the United States, saying that it is the voters who have to take the mantle of ushering in a “political revolution.”

Speaking at the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Celebration in Manchester, New Hampshire, Sanders rallied behind his troops — his voters — saying that it is a systemic change that he is after, and it cannot be brought by him alone.

“No president, not Bernie Sanders or anybody else can bring about the changes that the middle class and working families desperately need. And the reason for that is the powers that be — Wall Street, corporate America, the corporate media, the Koch brothers — are so powerful that the only way we create the change that we need is through a political revolution.”

(Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

This is, of course, not the first time that the senator has made calls for a “political revolution.” In fact, his entire campaign is built-up as challenging the commonly-assumed narrative that the ordinary citizen can, under no circumstances, bring about a systemic change in the political structures of the country.

But Sanders believes it is possible. And that, in a nutshell, is partly responsible for the abiding appeal that Bernie Sanders seems to enjoy these days, which has seen him maintain a significant lead over fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire.

It is no surprise, then, that he considers the nation’s first primary, to be held in New Hampshire on Tuesday, as the threshold to judge whether or not his message has resonated with people. According to the Hill, Bernie Sanders said that the state has the responsibility to take the first step towards ushering in the “political revolution.”

“That means that the millions and millions of people throughout our country, including many who have given up on the political process, the many who think their vote, their voice no longer matters… need to, with a very loud voice, be heard on Tuesday in New Hampshire and heard all over this country.”

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton, who also spoke at the rally hosted by the state Democratic party and attended by more than 6,000 Democrats and activists, refused to back down in the face of the overwhelming lead that Sanders enjoys in New Hampshire, reiterating the widely-held stance among Democratic circles that it is she who is the “pragmatic” leader and can get things done if elected to the White House.

“Some people have looked at the polls that show Sen. Sanders with a big lead here and suggest that’s a fact and suggested that I should just look past New Hampshire and focus on the next state. Well, New Hampshire’s never quit on me and I’m not going to quit on you.”

The race for the Democratic nomination is surely expected to heat up even further, but with the New Hampshire primary only two days away now, Bernie Sanders will hope that his message has been heard by those who matter — ordinary American citizens.

[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]