Reprinted from Reader Supported News
Just two days before the Iowa Caucus, Bernie Sanders joined popular pop band Vampire Weekend onstage in Iowa City and sang along to "This Land Is Your Land." It was the close of a concert for Bernie on the campus of the University of Iowa. A few minutes before, Sanders wrapped up a spirited address to 5,000 Iowans. Nearly 4,000 people were allowed into the venue. Another 500 listened in an overflow area, and 500 were at a watch party set up by the campaign.
It was the largest event put together by any campaign on their own in Iowa this year.
Lead singer Mark Foster of the indie pop band Foster the People performed an acoustic set just before Dr. Cornel West took the stage to introduce Vampire Weekend. West asked the crowd if they were ready to make history on Monday night.
Hunger games actor Joshua Hutchinson also gave an impassioned plea to the crowd to caucus on Monday. Hutchinson talked about how lucky he is that he could pay his younger brother's tuition at Georgia Tech. He said Bernie Sanders will make sure everyone can afford a college education.
Sanders has surrogates fanned out across Iowa. Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison is stumping throughout the state. "I certainly think that Iowa will start a chain of events ... I think you can assume if it's playing in Iowa, it's probably playing in Minnesota," Ellison said, adding that the two states share "common sensibilities."
Arizona congressman Raul M. Grijalva and Cook County commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia are leading the senator's Latino outreach in the last few days before the caucus. Commissioner Garcia said it was Sanders' plan to address economic inequality, immigration, and unemployment among the nation's youth that won him over.
"The role for the Latino community is not to be left watching on the sideline," Grijalva said. "The role for the Latino community is to be driving change." Sanders' campaign, he said, is "nurturing a new crop of Latino leadership."
