We’re on the road this week in Iowa, documenting the run-up to the Iowa Caucuses on February 1 and how technology and innovation are changing longstanding traditions in American politics.
It's ok to say "fuck" at a Bernie Sanders rally. But it's better if you sing it, like Jill Sobule did on stage at Sanders' indie-star-studded rally at the University of Iowa on Saturday night.
Sobule and her acoustic guitar kicked off the show with a lyrical dig at right-wing opponents. Then, she asked the nearly 5,000 people gathered—most of them college students, all of them #feelingthebern—to sing along, and so, from the college girl in the black Bernie t-shirt perched on a guard rail to the middle aged man with the sleepy toddler swaying on his shoulders, sing along, they did.
It was as close as we may ever get to knowing what Sesame Street for Democratic Socialists might be like.
Sobule was a hit with the crowd, but she wasn't the reason they turned out that night, or the reason that the green cinderblock field house was filled to capacity, leaving a labyrinthine line of students on the sidewalk waiting, just hoping, to get inside. The reason they came was to see Sanders, the politician turned unlikely 74-year-old Internet icon, whose once long-shot campaign has risen to viability over the last few months on the backs of the millions of tweets, Reddit stories, and Facebook posts that his predominantly young fans have shared.
Sanders would be joined on stage that night by real rock stars, like Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, and Josh Hutcherson of Hunger Games fame. And yet the roar of the crowd was twice as deafening at the mention of the gruff septuagenarian's name.
But of course, like any headliner worth his salt, the man of the hour wouldn't step on stage for several more hours. First, the audience would be treated to more opening acts. There was identical twin comedy duo Kenny and Keith Lucas who both said they support Bernie because, "He's dope."
There was Hutcherson, his 5'7" frame barely clearing the podium, who described Sanders as "adorable" and praised his consistency throughout his long life in public office. (Hillary Clinton would no doubt disagree.) Each compliment he paid Sanders was met with a resounding cheer, prompting even Hutcherson (friggin' Peeta Mellark, people) to marvel: "It's awesome, this is so easy!"
There was Mark Foster, lead singer of the band Foster the People; and Dr. Cornel West of Princeton University, who delivered a short sermon on Sanders; and Koenig, who was joined on stage by members of another band, Dirty Projectors; and the University's own acapella group, the Hawkapellas.
"Thank god we have YouTube. We can go back and watch Bernie's speeches," Koenig said between songs, "1991. What's he saying? Same thing he's saying today. 2002, saying the same thing he's saying today. And it's not boring. It's amazing."
Each act emphasized the feel-goodsy optimism of Sanders' platforms and reminded the Iowans in attendance that Monday night is Caucus night, and that none of this matters, if you don't vote, as I'm-not-quite-sure-which Lucas brother pointed out.
During breaks, videos about caucusing played on large overhead screens. One featured actor Justin Long, who warned, "Don't be a Caucus block-us." Another, produced by the Sanders campaign, explained the somewhat complex process of caucusing. On YouTube, that – video has been viewed more than 100,000 times.
The goal of this night was not simply to persuade young Iowans to caucus for Sanders but to convince them to caucus at all, and to become so downright in love with him that they'd try to convince their friends to caucus for Sanders, too. The Sanders campaign is hoping a massive youth turnout on Monday night will help secure his win, just as it did for President Obama in 2008. At least here, the affection ran thick. When asked what "feeling the Bern" means to him, 28-year-old correctional officer Jacob Lackey said, "It's almost spiritual at this point."
Finally, hours after the doors first opened, the main attraction stepped on stage to give the people what they wanted. Sanders started off with an old classic, saying that this campaign is not just about electing the President of the United States. "It is about a political revolution," he said, the crowd drowning him out with their cheers. It's the line they'd been waiting all night for, like the opening chords of "Born in the USA" at a Springsteen concert.
Sanders went on to play all the hits: "Billionaires are able to run elections," "Climate change is real," "Healthcare is a right for all people, not a privilege," "Take marijuana out of the Controlled Substance Act," and more. But perhaps his biggest hit was what he did not say: he didn't once attack Hillary Clinton, who is still just barely beating him in the Iowa polls, a tendency his supporters have grown to admire.
As the night was coming to a close, Sanders' opening acts looked on adoringly from a side stage as he talked about how political pundits doubt the commitment of young people and accuse them of showing up to rallies, but not voting when it counts. "How would you like to make the pundits look dumb on election night?" It was a challenge the audience seemed more than willing to take on.
Sanders left the stage soon after with his wife, Jane, by his side, only to pop back up on the side stage minutes later. For his encore (What? You thought there wouldn't be an encore?) Sanders would join Koenig and company for a singalong of "This Land Is Your Land." By Sunday morning, video of the jam session had gone viral.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/DEXAUZrMvSE
