The North-East Loves Bernie - We Would be Wise to Listen
Recently, there has been some speculation that Bernie Sanders is holding a lead in the polls in New Hampshire only because he has been a representative in a neighboring state for many years. While on the surface this seems as though it can easily be dismissed, if one digs a bit deeper it should be seen as troubling for the Clinton campaign, and should go far in easing the fears of Bernie’s doubters.
What this lead for Sanders in New Hampshire means to those only looking casually at the numbers & the headlines, is that the voters in that area know him. It’s one of the few areas of the nation where he has name recognition on a large scale, as opposed to the way he’s appeared to come out of nowhere to many Americans. Casual onlookers see it as a home-field advantage, and seek to discount his appeal and write him off. This is problematic for a few reasons.
First, a home-field advantage is what Hillary Clinton enjoys nation-wide. Her national name recognition goes back to the 1990’s, and her regional recognition even further than that. No one discounts her early polling leads because of her name recognition; it’s a given that people know her. We accept it and don’t hold it against her. The same cannot be said about Senator Sanders. While nationally his name recognition is more recent to all but the most involved political spectators, to those in the North-East, he is a fixture of left-leaning politics going back decades. The people in that region appear to appreciate his efforts there, based on current polling that has him outperforming Hillary by a margin of 2-1 in New Hampshire.
This brings me to my next point; those who know Bernie Sanders tend to love Bernie Sanders. If a home-field advantage is present in the North-East, it should tell you that the residents of the North-East, having had a chance to learn about and witness Bernie Sanders’ political efforts over the years, are overwhelmingly supportive of his candidacy. This bodes well for Senator Sanders, because it means that his constituents and those who know his constituents seem to really like and appreciate him. They can see that his stances are matters of conviction and deeply-held beliefs, as opposed to the cynical political posturing that is seen from Hillary Clinton. His honest attempts to lead by example contrast well with Secretary Clinton’s changing stances that shift with public opinion one day to the next.
Bottom line, if the people that know Bernie Sanders the best are overwhelmingly supporting him, the nation should take note. This is our opportunity to see past the media blackouts, the dismissals, and every other obstacle that has stood in the way of our getting to know him. This is our chance to find out from the people who have witnessed his tireless work over the past several decades. This is our chance to hear from those who know him best. We would be wise to listen.
