Sanders fires up supporters in Iowa

WEST BRANCH, Iowa – Bernie Sanders talked himself hoarse on his second day officially courting Iowa voters.

The independent Vermont senator, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, ended the day with a speech at the West Branch home of Dave Johnson and Jennie Embree. Though Sanders' voice was audibly taxed, he spoke with passion and the crowd listened attentively aside from periodic applause.

No less than 175 people showed up for the backyard picnic-campaign event, according Pete D'Alessandro, Sander's Iowa campaign organizer.

Johnson, who works for the University of Iowa, said that Sanders won him over few years ago at retired Sen. Tom Harkin's Steak Fry event, a meat-laden political affair.

"That was the first time I heard a candidate talk about the excess given to big corporations," Johnson said while sitting at his dinning room table before too many guests arrived.

Johnson said that he witnessed those tax breaks while serving as a West Branch city councilor.

When Johnson heard that the Progressive Democrats of America, a grassroots organization, was getting behind Sanders, he reached out to help the campaign.

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Help came in the form of opening up his home to a crowd of known and unknown visitors who ate food in his backyard and used his bathroom.

While Johnson is fully behind Sanders, his wife, Embree, said that she's still undecided — though Sanders is probably her favorite so far.

Embree said that she learned from the election of Barack Obama that you can miss out by choosing a candidate too early. Last election, her husband held off on his decision to support Obama and he "got wined and dined." Embree said she wouldn't mind being courted by a candidate this time around.

Embree wasn't the only undecided voter at the party. Larry Hodgden, the local Democratic chair, said that he would wait to make his caucus decision until he met all the candidates. He and his wife showed up to the Johnson-Embree house party early to help set up.

Sanders arrived at the house party at about 7 p.m. after spending the afternoon stumping in nearby Muscatine.

Before the event at Muscatine Community College, campaign organizer D'Alessandro said that he was expecting two-dozen local Democrats and activists.

A crowd of 87 showed up to hear Sanders speak. The Vermont senator took of his jacket and tie — and rolled up his sleeves — to deliver a speech about jobs and education and the importance of grassroots involvement in the political process.

Earlier in the day, Sanders had coffee with Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, who governs Iowa's third largest city.

Gluba said that he was "impressed" with Bernie Sanders' performance at a town hall meeting on the previous night. Sanders had packed an auditorium at St. Ambrose University.

After spending half an hour with Sanders, Gluba gave his impressions of the candidate while sitting in office adorned with photographic evidence of meetings with other well-known Democrats — including a handshake with President Barak Obama and Gluba chauffeuring candidate Robert Kennedy in a convertible 10 days before he was shot.

Gluba, 72, said that Sanders speech was reminiscent of Kennedy's message.

"He's talking to people," Gluba said. "But he's really listening."

A woman who attended the St. Ambrose event but declined to give her name because her job requires neutrality said that she liked seeing all the young people turn out to Thursday night's event. After hearing Sanders, she said she can better understand why Sanders seems to have mobilized a young Internet savvy audience.

She also said that she agreed with Sanders message but thought that at some point a candidate needs to recognize that they can't be adversarial toward Wall Street.

While Gluba said that he plans to stay neutral in this election (he was a strong supporter of Obama) as his mayorship is a nonpartisan post, he said that Sanders had the most powerful message he's heard so far.

"If he keeps at it, he is going to capture the hearts and minds of Iowans."

Gluba governs the third largest city in Iowa (with a population of about 100,000) and said that the message of income inequality and student debt hits home. He said that one fourth of Davenport's children come from poverty.

Gluba said that his city needs jobs to solve poverty, and he heard Sanders address that outright in the town hall meeting.

"He became a serious player in the Iowa caucus last night," Gluba said.

Johnson and Embree, the West Branch couple, agreed that Sanders should be taken seriously.

"There is a little bit of magic about him, like there was about Obama," Johnson said.

The magic, Embree explained, happens while watching an underdog candidate succeed.

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Contact Emilie Stigliani at 660-1897 or estigliani@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EmilieStigliani.