Sanders fires up Augusta crowd

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders brought a message of restoring power to the American people and away from the “one percent” in a rally in Augusta on Saturday.

Spotted: See photos from the Bernie Sanders rally

The independent senator from Vermont, the first major presidential candidate to appear in Augusta in many years, spoke for about 40 minutes in the 93-degree heat at Jessye Norman Amphitheater. The amphitheater, which seats 1,800 people, appeared about three-quarters full. The campaign said it had tallied 1,576 attendees.

Sanders said that if the American people unite, they can defeat the heavily financed Trump administration in next year’s election.

“This is a difficult and unprecedented moment in American history, and our job is to run an unprecedented campaign,” he said. “At the end of the day, people power defeats money power.”

Sanders said Americans must “rethink who you are as citizens” rather than allow “people with the money and the power” to control the country.

“You have a government and an economy that is owned and controlled by a handful of billionaires,” he said.

“Here in the beautiful state of Georgia, we intend to win the Democratic primary here and after we win the Democratic primary, we damn well intend to defeat and defeat badly the worst president in the history of the United States,” he said.

Sanders said the younger generation is the country’s first to have a lower standard of living than their parents. He said changing that means a $15 minimum hourly wage, "Medicare for All," increasing teacher salaries, taking on the pharmaceutical and insurance industries that keep health care costs high, election reform, addressing climate change and overturning Citizens United, the Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to fund political candidates.

“In America today you have cowardly governors who in some places close to your home who think the only way they can win elections is by suppressing the vote,” he said.

“And I know that Gov. Abrams agrees with me,” he added in a reference to Democrat Stacey Abrams' close loss to Republican Brian Kemp in last year's race for governor.

Sanders said he isn’t “radical” but is “talking about ideas that the majority of Americans support,” such as health care for all, which he said 70 percent of Americans support.

He called climate change the “major national security threat,” ahead of terrorist groups and other threats, and said it must be addressed “in an extremely aggressive manner” before the planet sustains irreparable damage.

Cornel West, the Harvard University professor and author and Planned Parenthood Southeast President Staci Fox were among those introducing Sanders.

West said Sanders’ campaign was about truth, justice and “love across the board. If you talk that way in the age of Trump, you better be ready to cut against the grain,” he said.

Behind Sanders stood rows of supporters, including several local Democrats. The campaign reached out directly to the local party, said Jordan Johnson, the chairman of the Richmond County Democrats.

“Sen. Sanders did a great job energizing the crowd here in Augusta and thoroughly explained the issues that we’re facing in this country,” Johnson said. The party will support whoever wins the Democratic nomination, he said.

William Nauck, who came to the rally from Stockbridge, Ga., said it was the first time he had been invited to stand behind Sanders on stage. The former Teamster and New Orleans native said he liked Sanders’ platform and consistency.

“He hasn’t changed – he’s been consistent for his whole political career. As far as I’m concerned, his support for unions, the idea of 'Medicare for All' and the other items that he’s pushing, I believe he means what he said and he’ll follow through,” Nauck said.

Jessica Wright, an officer with the Columbia County Democratic Party, said “it was absolutely refreshing” to hear a Democratic candidate in Augusta.

“Thanks to Stacey Abrams, we are now a purple state on the verge of change,” and of critical importance is appearances by all Democratic presidential candidates in Augusta, Wright said.