As surveying continues in the kickoff caucus state of Iowa, Hillary Clinton is enjoying only a small Iowa lead over fellow Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders, whose campaign has won far more support among American voters than the media is willing to report.

null

Many reports claim that Sanders will actually be president. While Sanders’ air-time on mainstream news stations may be small (2o seconds to the whopping 81 minutes enjoyed by Republican Donald Trump), his support on social media and among ordinary voters is massive.

Perhaps this is to be expected for a campaign that has flat-out rejected the corporate donations enjoyed by Sanders’ rival, Hillary Clinton, who has been criticized for her “complicated romance with Wall Street” and whose grip on Democratic PR is vice-like. Sanders prides himself on building his funds through “a million small donations” and vows to enter the presidency with not a single corporate string pulling at his presidential blazer.

Should he win, the self-described democratic socialist vows to use this independence from big-money interests to act on behalf of the millions of Americans who crowdfunded him all the way to the White House.

null

“I got into politics because I give a damn.” Watch previews for @KillerMike’s 6-part interview with @BernieSanders. https://t.co/R7vKftHLPR — The FADER (@thefader) December 15, 2015

Sanders’ power base was derived initially from the people of the state of Vermont, according to Rolling Stone. Sanders raised $7 million in the small state, then grew his campaign into the national contender it is today, silencing doubters who scoffed that “sums needed to run nationally are far larger.”

Clinton’s numbers have slumped over the last eight years. In fact, Quinnipiac University reports that 61 percent of voters regard Clinton as “not honest and trustworthy.” The same poll found that over 50% of voters have an “unfavorable” impression of Hillary Clinton.

The Huffington Post predicts that Sanders will win Iowa and New Hampshire and then go on to solidify his lead over Hillary Clinton and secure the nomination. CNN agrees, recently publishing an article declaring that “New Hampshire remains a Sanders stronghold.”

Today, no piece of legislation gets onto the floor of the US Senate unless it was bought and paid for. pic.twitter.com/YkbZfoGhvZ — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

We need a societal transformation to make it clear that black lives matter and racism will not be accepted in a civilized country. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

A majority of Democratic primary voters now say they can see themselves supporting Sanders. This has climbed from just 21 percent reporting the same opinion four months ago. Today more than 80 percent of Americans can offer an opinion on Bernie Sanders — impressive when you consider that, last year, more than half of Americans did not recognize the Brooklyn native’s name.

“I got into politics because I give a damn. Because I do think it is an outrage that we have people sleeping out on the streets in this country.”

In the words of CNBC, Sanders made great strides throughout 2015 and managed to “transform himself from a virtually unknown candidate to a plausible threat to Clinton’s march to the Democratic nod.”

We need to stop using prisons as a response to poverty. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

Change never takes place from the top down. It always takes place from the bottom up. #fitn pic.twitter.com/RfrLZX3mpD — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

Hillary Clinton denies that she is in the pockets of banks, declaring during the CBS News debate with Bernie Sanders that she intends to go after not just the banks but the “shadow banking industry.”

“Not good enough. Let’s not be naive about it,” Sanders shot back, before explaining that big-money donations are a perk that candidates cannot detach themselves from when they move from the campaign trail to the senate floor and the White House.

“They expect something in return. Everybody knows that,” Sanders declared of oil, coal, Wall Street, and military-industrial donors who flood establishment candidates like Clinton with funds.

“Why else would they [the banks, etc.] make such big donation?” Sanders asked, scoffing, as Clinton looked on with tight lips.

.@CitizenActionNY builds grassroots power by organizing communities for an America that works for all. Honored to receive their endorsement. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is totally inadequate. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 14, 2015

Will Bernie Sanders be president?

[AP Photo/Patrick Semansky]