Sanders supporters canvass, spread ‘feel the Bern’ message
Navona Gallegos and Stephen Canty traveled 700 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Las Vegas to canvass neighborhoods as volunteers for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.
These two appear pretty representative of the spirit of Sanders' upstart run for the White House. They came this past weekend to encourage voters to feel the Bern in the run-up to Saturday's Nevada Democratic presidential caucus. But they learned a few things, too, while walking through some of Southern Nevada's poorer streets.
They came prepared to make their case for their man, Bernie, whose anti-Wall Street message continues to reverberate with progressive voters. At some moments, though, they found themselves compelled to introduce the candidate's name to potential voters unfamiliar with the independent U.S. senator from Vermont despite all the media associated with the presidential race.
It's a reminder that immigrants and the poor have priorities far more immediate than political discourse — and not much faith in the system even when they're better informed.
But they share something in common with their fellow citizens from every station in American society: They want a better future for their children.
"They were excited that we were there to talk to them about the candidate and tell them our personal reasons for supporting him," Gallegos says. "The economy was on their minds more than climate change or any other issue."
Along the way, a funny thing happened. The Sanders volunteers appeared to make some converts — and then began to receive cookies and snacks — even some deliciously gooey monkey bread.
"Whatever people had in their fridge and wanted to get rid of," she says, laughing. They appeared grateful someone was actually walking in their neighborhood paying attention to them.
"By the end of the conversation, they were excited about the possibility of Bernie to change the country," Canty says.
Gallegos, 24, grew up in a liberal political household, but hadn't focused on elections much until hearing Sanders' progressive call to arms. Canty admits he also hadn't given campaigns much thought until he met his partner, Gallegos. Sanders' progressive vision and stance against the Iraq war resonated with Canty, who served two tours of duty as a Marine in Afghanistan.
Whether that energy will turn the tide for Sanders in a race considered even one week out and predicted to be very close remains unknown. Clinton has her own army of volunteers sojourning to Nevada to make her case. But the message of change has added meaning in the poorest neighborhoods.
"I think a lot of what we heard is that people are kind of tired of the same old, same old," Canty says. "It's kind of a given that money rules the political process, and people are tired of that. They want to see change in that regard."
Time after time they heard potential voters talk of improving the future for their children and grandchildren.
"A lot of people said they want a better life and want a political system that better represents them," Gallegos says.
Canty turned 18 while serving in Afghanistan. Now 26, he's a filmmaker who shares an interest in politics with his partner and approaches the presidential campaign with a military veteran's sensibility. It's made even more personal because Canty's younger brother is now an enlisted man.
"I became eligible to vote in country," he says. "When I came back, Obama had won the election and became president. I fought in a war under both Bush and Obama, and didn't see the kind of change I wanted to see."
After hearing Sanders' message to veterans, he concluded, "He voted against the war in Iraq. He's on the committee for veterans issues. He seems to really care about our veterans and will think twice before sending them into a quagmire in the Middle East. That really appealed to me."
Canty listened to one local in a careworn apartment complex, who pleaded, "This is where I live. I obviously don't have any money. I want a democracy that represents my kids' interests because I don't believe it will ever represent mine."
Variations of that theme were repeated time and again.
And then, of course, there was monkey bread (a large cinnamon pull-apart the shape of a deflated soccer ball.)
The lady who delivered the treat told Gallegos, "I'm a woman, and I'm 65 years old, and it's not just young people who are supporting Bernie. It's people like me."
The Nevada caucus may be very close, indeed.
John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Contact him at 702 383-0295, or jsmith@reviewjournal.com On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith
