ROLLINSFORD — At the Strafford County Democratic Committee’s Fall Celebration Saturday, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told the gathering that most Americans agree on the issues but are alienated with the political process and are not voting.



“In this coming elections it is projected that 60 percent will not vote and if you drill down a little bit, 70 percent of low-income workers will not vote, and 75-80 percent of young people will not vote. Meanwhile, the Koch brothers and other billionaires are prepared to spend hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in New Hampshire and all over this country to elect candidates who have pledged to defend the interests of the wealthy and the powerful.”



More than 200 packed the hall at the Martel-Roberge American Legion Hall in Rollinsford Saturday to hear from independent senator from Vermont. As he travels around the country Sanders says many are calling for a political revolution. He said a revolution is when ordinary people, working people, and low income people understand what is at stake.

“Politically this is a very demoralized society right now, so it’s up to Democrats to get people to the polls. If we did nothing more in the next five or six weeks but raise voter turnout from 40 percent to 50 percent not only would Republicans not gain control of the Senate but they would lose control of the House.”



Sanders read from the 1980 Libertarian platform when David Koch ran for vice president on the Libertarian ticket. The document calls for the repeal of just about every federal program, elimination of federal agencies and the repeal of campaign finance reform.



“Their vision of America is to do away with every major piece of legislation passed since the 1930s that protects working families, the elderly, the sick and the poor,” Sanders said. “I mention this all because what we are dealing with is deadly serious; this is not an argument about what how much is put into education; this is a debate about the absolute future of America and the rights of the people.”



Sanders says Americans are not having the serious conversation that’s needed and although divided on issues like abortion and gun control, on the economy the vast majority of Americans are united. The senator says Republicans cannot run on a platform of doing away with social programs and supporting the rich so they change the conversation. “How do you win elections — you change the subject. They do it well and they do it brilliantly. Their job is to divide the American people. Our job is to bring them together.”

The senator has made a number of visits to early primary and caucus states. When asked if he plans to run for president, Sanders admitted he is thinking about running but recognizes the challenge.



“I have throughout my political life taken on virtually every powerful special interest; energy companies, drug companies, Wall Street, military industrial companies and these people have unlimited resources,” Sanders said. “And what I do not want to do is run a campaign in which we are unable to mobilize people.”



He said anyone who dearly wants to be president is crazy. Unlike some of his friends in Washington, he says he doesn’t wake up every morning thinking how much he wants to be president. So he is going around the country to see if millions of people really are willing to become involved. As to whether he would run as a Democrat or an Independent, he said that he would not use his candidacy to elect a Republican.