Okay, Sanders makes national news with a turn out in liberal Madison, Wisconsin with 10,000 supporters.  That was expected.

The Donald's Phoenix rally drew a respectable 4,000. 

Sanders trumped him in the same town with a rally of 11,000.  This in a "red state". 

Then, Sanders followed up addressing 15,000 during stops in Dallas and Houston. 

What's going on here?

The choir loves to hear Sanders preach about starting a new political movement, focused on the needs of the 99 percent, and since he's entered the national spotlight, other candidates have taken up the themes of "obscene wealth disparity" and the need to reform a criminal justice system that incarcerates more persons that any other country on earth. 

But what's really at the core of his message? 

Sanders call for a participatory "political revolution" envisions voter turnouts of over 70 percent, in place of our recent 72 year low of only 37 percent. 

He claims class warfare has been going on a long time, and that his followers have been losing. He lectures that a redistribution of wealth has been actively eroding the middle class while enriching the wealthiest Americans. 

He highlights the unemployment rate among Black youth of over 50 percent.

He derides Republican calls for family values as attacks on gay marriage and a woman's control of her own body, while his version of family values includes raising the minimum wage, paid vacations for quality family time and paid maternity leave. No wonder he's popular with some potential voters. 

Sanders supporters love that he demands aggressive action to reverse global warming, providing universal medicare-styled health care as a right for all citizens, and a trillion dollar investment to revitalize U.S. infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc) that would potentially create millions of new jobs. 

Students applaud his offer of tuition-free four year public college education, and all his fans agree on more taxes for the top 1 percent of wealthy Americans. 

I'm sure some will find a lot to like while others hate much of the Sanders stump speech, easily found on You Tube. Local supporters have started a Meetup group and Facebook page, and plan to hear Sanders speak live during their upcoming meeting July 29 at the Hamilton County Democratic Party headquarters. 

I wonder if anyone can bribe me to attend. 

Matthew Hine, M.D.
Chattanooga 

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Bernie Sanders is the only presidential candidate who doesn't take donations from mega corporations. He's the only candidate not bought out by Wall Street. He's the only candidate who wants real campaign finance reform.  

If we want real change in this country, we need to support him. Supporting anyone else will get us more of the same corporate control of our country. 

David Ingle 

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Bernie Sanders is a legitimate candidate for president of the U.S.A . To those smirking at his ability to draw very large crowds versus trash talking Trump, I can only say that money can not buy everything and sure can't buy Bernie nor his followers.  

Sorry rich boys, bigots and Republicans, Bernie's for real and has been for decades. Eat your hearts out at a political class act . 

Chuck Mehan