Supporters flooded into the Orpheum Theater Wednesday as Bernie Sanders took to the stage to bash Gov. Scott Walker’s voter ID laws and America’s “rigged” economy.
Sanders said he wants to provide more support to the dwindling middle class and urged supporters to get out and vote. He repeatedly attacked the top 1 percent and leveled a few shots at Republican front runner Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Calling for a “political revolution,” Sanders asked people of all ages to get involved in the political process. He said the increased participation could make the nation focus on the entire country and not just the top 1 percent.
Citing the thousands of voters in Arizona’s primary who had to wait hours to vote as “an absolute disgrace to the democratic process,” Sanders chastised legislators, including Gov. Scott Walker, who he said try to inhibit citizens from voting.
“You have a governor who appears to be working over time, trying to suppress the vote,” Sanders said. “That is an absolute outrage. It has never occurred to me for one minute, to try to figure out how I can deny the right to vote to someone because they might vote against me.”
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Sanders told Walker and other Republicans to “get out of politics” if they didn’t have “guts” to participate in fair and open elections.
On revitalizing involvement in the democratic process, Sanders addressed the process of begging “wealthy people” for campaign money as an issue. Sanders said it is more than just a corrupt campaign finance system and voter suppression that are causing problems — it’s the entire economy.
“A rigged economy is not just massive levels of income and wealth inequality, it is taking from the middle class to support the rich,” Sanders said.
It is a harsh fact, but the middle class is working to essentially subsidize the wealthy, and that needs to change, Sanders said.
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Sanders also called for a closer look at America’s criminal justice system. He said more attention needs to be paid to the number of people who are currently in jail and arrested for marijuana use.
Sanders then shifted his attention to his competition: Clinton and Trump.
Distancing himself from Clinton’s values, Sanders rebuked her for establishing a super PAC, saying his campaign did not take money from the wealthy. He said his financing comes from the contributions of the hardworking middle class to stand up to the wealthy.
“Secretary Clinton has chosen to move in a different direction, she has several super PACs,” Sanders said. “The question we have to ask not just to Secretary Clinton, but to any special interest that puts millions of dollars into a campaign, [is] why are they doing that? What do they want in return?”
Sanders told the audience not to worry about Trump, a person who insults someone every single day. He assured the audience Trump would not become president.
Sanders also poked fun at the nature of the Republican campaign in general. He said America has incredibly important issues to face and the Republican candidates are attacking each other’s wives.
Even “sane Republicans” are looking at the Republican candidates in disbelief, Sanders said. Sanders cited several polls in which he has emerged far ahead against Trump and the other Republican candidates.
But to ensure a Sanders victory over Clinton and Trump, Sanders said people need to vote.
“We will win [Tuesday’s primary] if there is a high voter turnout, we will lose if it is low,” Sanders said.
