Sanders Campaigns for Clinton

Senator Bernie Sanders, a former presidential candidate, campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Scranton Pennsylvania.

On October 8, in a show of Democratic Party unity, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders campaigned in Scranton, Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton. The rally felt like one big celebration. There was music, cheering, and even some dancing. Spontaneous chants of “Ber-nie” and “Hil-lar-y” sometimes erupted. 

“Pennsylvania is critical for Hillary to win,” said Beth Holmes, a volunteer for the Clinton campaign. With 20 electoral votes, the swing state of Pennsylvania has provided a “competitive race“ between Donald Trump and Clinton, Holmes added.

FROM SANDERS TO CLINTON

When I arrived at the rally, there was a long line of excited people waiting to get in. Many attendees said that they were there to hear Sanders speak. He was a fiery presence on the campaign trail during the Democratic primaries, drawing thousands of young people to his side.

Emily Ritter and Matthew McDonnell, 17-year-olds from Honesdale wore Sanders T-shirts. Matthew said that he was “heartbroken” when Sanders did not get the nomination. Despite that disappointment, both he and Emily are supporting Clinton. Emily said that the rally was her chance to “be physically involved” in the campaign.

Erik interviews 13 year-old Raymond Perez about his views on the presidential race

I asked Raymond Perez, 13, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, why he was supporting Clinton. “Trump is not what America is about,” he said. “He fuels xenophobic feelings.”

Seth Fluck, 18, of Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, said that he was still undecided about which candidate to support. He had heard Trump and Clinton speak about their education policies, and now he wanted to hear Sanders.

“THE SUPERIOR CANDIDATE”

Sanders laid out why he thinks that Clinton is “the superior candidate for President,” saying: “We have more wealth and income inequality than any other nation on Earth. Hillary Clinton can create an economy that works for all of us, not just the people on top.”

Sanders also spoke about education, health care, and taxes, taking the opportunity to point out what he sees as Trump’s weaknesses. Speaking about how Trump used America’s tax code to avoid paying taxes for a number of years, Sanders said; “In one day, Donald Trump did more to educate the American people about the corrupt tax system than I did in a year and a half.”