With only three days until the New Hampshire primary, Bushwick arts venue House of Yes threw a massive, nine-hour variety show fundraiser for a certain surging socialist candidate on Friday. Dubbed the "Big Ass Party for Bernie," the fête brought together sword swallowers, heavy metal bands, Bollywood dance troupes, indie rap crews, and hundreds of politically-charged ticket-holders, all in the name of supporting Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders.
The night's most impressive action, however, was concentrated far away from the stage lights in the venue's bar room, where devoted Sanders campaign members and hardcore supporters mingled and worked to sign up attendees for organizing work and email blasts. Overwhelmingly young and fed up with income inequality, these people were more than happy to talk about why the far-left Vermont Senator appeals to them—and why they believe he can win.
Rahel Biru (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Rahel Biru, 28, Bushwick—Democratic Socialists of America
Do you think Sanders can win? Nothing happens overnight, and there's something to be said for planning ahead. The census is coming up in 2020, and I think the Republicans, under the radar, will try to gerrymander things.
There are a lot of socialists, including myself, who are disappointed that Bernie didn't run as a socialist, but tactically running as a Democrat helps him. We don't know how it's going to turn out, and if Bernie can continue to push for grassroots organizing, then maybe in 2020 and 2022 and even 2018, things can change.
If you're feeling trepidation for voting for someone who might not be electable, then that's up to you. But I still see a path to the White House
Steve Panovich (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Steve Panovich, 36, Bushwick—Sanders campaigner
Can Sanders turn his ideals into reality? Yes, it can work. It'll be like Plato's story of the cave, when people leave the shadows and step out into the light. The same exact policies have been enacted for years in Denmark, Norway, and Canada.
Money has just been hemorrhaging up to the 1% for the past 35 years, and so Bernie's policy proposals aren't outlandish at all. In fact, they're much-needed: ending tax loopholes and enacting a progressive tax rate. Basically getting rid of Reaganomics.
What makes you believe Bernie Sanders is actually electable? Since he's not beholden to corporate interests and lobbyists, he can speak truth to power in a way that's totally unique from any other candidate in the race on either side. It's sort of a secret weapon—being honest, essentially. It's so refreshing in politics and people are freaking out over it.
It's not really about him, it's about his ideas. I don't see any of his policy proposals as unrealistic at all.
Joe Crow Ryan (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Joe Crow Ryan, 60, Upper Grandview, NY—Sanders supporter
What would you say to Sanders's naysayers, who claim he's too idealistic? I think there's a way to criminalize unethical behaviors that will be given impetus under his direction. Whether anything comes from it, at least it will be out there.
Do you see Sanders as legitimately electable? Oh yeah, of course. There are fewer Republicans than there are of us, and, electorally, wisdom will prevail.
Lauren Irwin and Jessica Frisco (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Lauren Irwin, 25, Williamsburg—Sanders campaigner
What excites you about Sanders's policies? Our country has such a disparity between haves and have-nots. The establishment is telling us that these policies would never work, but it's because they'd have to undergo a complete face-lift, in terms of how things are done. Bernie's going to stick it to the lobbyists, he's going to break up banks on Wall Street, and he's going to have those people, who we had to bail out, bail us out.
Specifically when it comes to free college tuition, that will come through a tax on Wall Street. That will be them paying us back, in a way that's building our country.
Wouldn't a Bernie Sanders nomination hand the White House to the GOP on a silver platter? That's bullshit, because Ted Cruz is bat shit crazy. He's incredibly conservative. But if no one turns out to vote, and it's, say, Bernie versus Donald Trump, then Republicans will win. But if we're polling the nation, we're much more liberal than people us for.
Our country is a shitshow right now, we have Republicans like Ted Cruz trying to bring down Social Security. I look at my parents—in a couple decades they're going to be sick, and they have no savings because of the housing crash, and there won't be social security, and I'm still going to be paying off my college, and it's just going to be a mess. We need to change things now, and Bernie is talking about significant change.
Jessica Frisco, 23, Upper West Side—Sanders campaigner
Every other major country in the world has affordable education and gives their people health care. They do all these things that Bernie is proposing. His ideas aren't radical at all.
Bernie's really nailing this idea of a political revolution, and that's the only way it's going to happen. He's said repeatedly—it's not about electing me, it's about transforming the whole country.
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Zeroboy (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Zeroboy (age withheld), East Village—Performer, leaning toward Sanders
What about Sanders's platform appeals to you most? It's mostly that, as a politician, he seems to be a straight-shooter, but I do want to find out more about his foreign policy platform.
Ravi Subramanian and Teresa H (Scott Heins, Gothamist)
Ravi Subramanian, 34, Park Slope—Sanders supporter
Can the country rally behind Bernie's ideals? Well, you had the Tea Party, so why not have a liberal version of the Tea Party? People are upset about inequality. I'm furious. For me, the thing I respect most about Sanders is he's flipping the script on how you run a campaign. Hillary is running a very traditional campaign—getting millions from big donors—but Sanders is getting small donations from many people.
If you never give his ideas a chance, then it can never happen. It depends on who he's going up against.
Teresa H, 30, Park Slope—Sanders supporter
Do you think he can win the White House? Right now, nobody wants a politician, they want a person who connects with the people. With Bernie, I do think that there's hesitation and worry about international affairs. Can he handle these huge things? Well, maybe that's not where our attention needs to be focused right now. Maybe it should be turned in, domestically, which I'm really excited about. Maybe that's what our country needs.
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
(Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Zoe Tersche (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Zoe Tersche, 23, Astoria—Independence Party member
What draws you to Sanders? I'm a registered member of the Independence Party, of which Bernie is a part. And that political party is about creating ties between Republicans and Democrats, and basically preventing the stalemate that Congress has been plagued by for the last decade.
A lot of people say that Bernie's ideas are so leftist, and so far-fetched, that no one on the right would ever vote for them. But all that he's done in the House of Representatives, as well as during his term as Senator, has been creating those relationships across the partisan seats.
I'm shouting just to be heard in a factory party in Bushwick! He's definitely electable among people 35 and under.
Mike Rodger, right (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Mike Rodger, 24, Bangor, Pennsylvania—leaning toward Sanders
What about Bernie's policies resonate with you? He has a history of belonging to the values that he represents. He's not just coming out and saying these things to make people vote for him. I like him, as a person.
