Bernie Sanders: Seattle Feels the Bern

A record setting 20,000 attend a Bernie Sanders Rally at Seattle’s Key Arena

by Charlette LeFevre

The Charlette Report

Updated 3/21, 2016

Feeling the Bern

Thousands waited in line today with some arriving as early as 5am to see Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders at Seattle Center’s Key Arena. This is the same arena another Presidential Candidate by the name of Barack Obama had made an appearance before he won the 2008 Presidential election. The rally appeared to set a record attendance packing the arena with close to 18,000 and a couple thousand other attendees waiting outside in a light rain extending back as far to the other side of Seattle Center to the Space Needle.

An overflow area was already set up that morning with a large screen in anticipation of overflow but attendees who were shut out were none the less treated to Bernie Sanders making an appearance and speaking just outside the arena surrounded by security. Even Mike O’Brien, Seattle City Council couldn’t make it inside but sent out a message that Bernie was able to appear and talk briefly to the outside crowd.

Update: 3/23/2016: Key Arena has stated via e-mail it “was not full due to the time it took to get all attendees through the metal detectors and vetting by the Secret Service. ”

“This is a Landslide for Bernie because of his solid Constituency.” – Ryan Bowman, Bellingham

Bern Baby Bern

Poll shows Bernie Blazing ahead in a Disco Inferno

Bernie started his rally by pointing out by saying “We’re ahead in Utah by 11 points” citing the recent Deseret News/KSL poll, that shows Utah voters would favor Sanders over Republican Candidate Donald Trump whereas Clinton would led Trump by only two points. Remarkable because Utah hasn’t voted for a Democratic Presidential Candidate since 1964. Is Utah feeling the Bern? If Seattle is setting the tone, then Bernie Sanders is set to take most if not all of the coming primaries in the next two weeks for Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

A short clip of Bernie Sander’s speech, crowd rally

Highlights of the Speech

The crowd was entertained by singers and speakers before Bernie Sanders arrival including the Tulalip Tribe.

Bernie Sanders was introduced by Charles J. Adkins on the center stage to a packed arena.

“I think Seattle is ready for a political revolution”. Referring to Donald Trump: “The American people are never, ever going to elect a president who insults Mexicans, who insults Muslims, who insults Women, who insults African Americans.” “…And most importantly the American people understand, is that we are strong when we come together. When black and white and Latino and Asian American and Native American stand together, when gay and straight and men and women stand together, that will always trump divisiveness and tearing us apart. And the American people understand that togetherness, helping each other, supporting each other, will always trump selfishness. And perhaps most importantly the American people know what every religion on earth Christianity, Judiasm, Islam, Buddism has taught us and that is that love always trumps hatred. “

Bernie Sanders also talked of free education for all public colleges, police accountability, ending mass incarceration, supporting equality and stressed health as a right calling pre-existing exclusion an “obscenity”.

Bernie also mentioned how we need to thank the Native American community for teaching us how to take care of our environment.

Bernie applauded gay marriage and equality.

The World Loves Bernie

Bernie Sanders Leads Big with the Democrats Abroad Primary

It also turns out Bernie is ahead with Democrats Abroad who just voted in the 2016 Democratic Party global presidential primary which took place March 1–8, 2016. Bernie Sanders came in at 69% compared to Clinton’s 30%

.

Susan Shaffer, age 72 proves not all of Bernie Sanders are young people. Susan says she born during the FDR era and “We need another one and Bernie is it.”

Ryan Bowman who came all the way from Bellingham stated he believes: “This is a Landslide for Bernie because of his solid Constituency.”

That both Bernie and Trump are very much against the establishment but both are polar opposites in that “Bernie is very positive and Trump is very negative.”

Bo Jordheim who was first in line at 5am said “Bernie has a history of sticking to his morals.”

Carmelo Quetell, of Puerto Rican background and a USAF Veteran, said he likes Bernie because of “His consistency throughout his life, his long fight for social justice along with this stories on socio-economic and geo-political issues”.

Man does Happy Jelly Fish dance and Invents the Bernie Sanders Dance

A very enthusiastic and very limber Bernie Supporter named Radek Polomik is doing his “Happy Jelly Fish” Dance (that I will also dub “The Bernie Sanders Dance”) entertains the crowd waiting for Bernie to appear at a Seattle rally March 20, 2016 at Key Arena. Radek’s infectious dancing was exempilary of the excitement that was building in anticipating Bernie Sander’s arrival. Indeed, another man joined him in some “Magic Mike” rail dancing to the delight of the crowd. Will the “Happy Jelly Fish” dance spawn a group “Bernie Sanders Dance”? Most of Seattles major media’s high zoom cameras were directly across from Radek so hopefully in the upcoming days we will see some more video.

Indeed it looks like Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign has picked up steam here in rainy Seattle.



The Charlette Report is written by Charlette LeFevre

Charlette got Berned

Addition or correction of names, Please drop me a line at seattlecharlette@gmail.com

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