Bernie to hold Rally in Springfield Oregon on Thursday 🐦(Birdie's State)
Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate, will hold a rally at noon in Springfield’s Island Park. It will be Sanders’ first public appearance outside Portland in Oregon during this campaign, and the first visit by any presidential candidate to the Eugene-Springfield area since the 2008 race, when both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came to town. The event was organized rapidly, with the campaign first approaching city and park district officials Tuesday afternoon. Sanders’ staffers considered Island Park and the Willamalane Center at 32nd and Main Streets, said Bill Kunerth, spokesman for Willamalane Park and Recreation District.
“They really liked” Island Park, he said. “They kept commenting on how beautiful it is, with the river and the bike path right there. I think it fit in well with their grassroots campaign.” The rally will have a capacity of about 5,000 people, with Sanders speaking from the amphitheater at the park’s northern section. Sanders has ridden a wave of populist, left-wing fervor to provide a much stiffer challenge to Hillary Clinton than most anticipated in this Democratic primary. He has excelled with younger and white, college-educated voters in particular. Sanders matches up very well against Clinton in Oregon and Washington. Two rallies in Portland drew tens of thousands of people — and the March event provided a memorable campaign moment when a small bird landed onstage near Sanders.
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley has endorsed Sanders, the only sitting U.S. senator to do so.
Meanwhile, Sanders was the first presidential candidate to set up a Eugene campaign office earlier this month, and a local group of Sanders volunteers met at Cozmic Pizza/Whirled Pies every Saturday throughout the winter to plan his local campaign. Excitement among some Lane County residents was palpable Wednesday afternoon as news of the event was shared online. “He has helped start a (movement) that I hope in the next few years (will) teach establishment Democrats that we are tired of the same old garbage! Big money has to leave politics!” wrote one commenter on registerguard.com.
“My read is that he came here for a major pick-me-up after Tuesday,” wrote another. “Like thousands of others, I am happy to oblige.”
City of Springfield spokesman Niel Laudati said the city was first contacted Tuesday evening about the event. Organizers wanted to know if Island Park was available for a presidential rally but wouldn’t immediately reveal who the candidate was, Laudati said. “Bernie was not one of our first guesses,” he said. “Maybe they just liked the venue. It’s outdoors and close to the freeway.” “Seven-two hours notice is pretty unusual for a major event like this, to say the least,” he said. “But we made the extra effort to accommodate it.”
People from around the state were calling the city Wednesday afternoon to verify that the event was genuine because they wanted to attend, Laudati said. “When people are excited, it’s great for the area,” he said.
Read more: http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34313766-75/bernie-sanders-will-hold-rally-in-springfield-on-thursday.html.csp
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