More than 239,000 people participated in the Democratic caucuses in 2008, about double the typical turnout. Clinton finished third that year.

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Sanders has been telling audiences in recent weeks that he thinks he can win in the nation’s first caucuses if he succeeds in attracting enough “non-traditional” voters, including more college students and blue-collar workers than typically show up.

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Sanders repeated that assertion here and said that if turnout out is light Monday night, it will be an indication that he is “struggling.” Recent polls have shown a very tight race.

Sanders acknowledged that Clinton had gotten an earlier start organizing Iowa than he did and said she benefits from having run for president before.

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“She has a very strong organization, and I applaud her for that, but I will tell you in the last couple of months, we have gained a whole lot of ground, and I think we stand a real chance to create a larger voter turnout,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, Sanders also said he continues to have “absolutely no regrets at all” about having said in the first Democratic debate that he was sick and tired of hearing about Clinton’s “damn emails.” The controversy over Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of state has waned since then.

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“In fact, I would argue that the reason that we are doing well,” Sanders said, “is that we are trying to run a different kind of campaign, not one of personal attacks, one of dealing with the real issues facing the American people, and the real issue is that the American middle class is disappearing, that almost all new wealth and income is going to the top 1 percent and that we have a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy elections. I will talk about the issues impacting the middle class and working families.”

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Sanders also brushed aside a reporter’s question about whether he agreed with an audience member from a town hall meeting broadcast last night by CNN who said Clinton is perceived as dishonest.

“That’s the same question,” Sanders said. “Guys, I’ve got to tell you this, with all due respect, and I mean this, it’s not what the American people want to hear.”

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Inside the United Steelworkers Local 310L union hall, Sanders continued to press what he argues are important policy differences with Clinton on two issues: expanding Social Security and trade policy.

Sanders backs a plan to expand Social Security benefits by increasing the taxes paid into the system by those who make more than $250,000 a year. Clinton has said she wants to expand the benefits of some seniors but has not endorsed the same approach, which is favored by many progressives in Congress.

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Sanders also stressed his long-standing opposition to trade deals, which he argues have hurt American workers, including those in the union hall Tuesday. Sanders touted his early opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a major trade deal being pushed by President Obama that Clinton has more recently said she would oppose.