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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships Ashland downtown beautification project underway on Lithia Way Memorial Day rites set for Monday Grizzly earns prestigious UO academic scholarship Police Reports Education Grizzly earns prestigious UO academic scholarship The battle for the Earth Bowl Principal Zundel looks to next challenge Youth Activities and Academics Levy rolls in early returns It takes a village to raise a child Environment Demonstrators hope to save tree Documentary 'When Giants Fall' tells tragic story of elephant poaching Mt. 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Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships ... Memorial Day rites set for Monday ... GOP's war on the poor ... Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships ... Memorial Day rites set for Monday ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: The Bernie Sanders factor DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted May. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Since Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) threw his hat into the ring as a presidential candidate in April, his base of Democratic support, according to Iowa polls, has gone from 5 to 15 percent. With Hillary Clinton running at 60 percent, it's unlikely Sanders will get remotely close to her as a serious contender. But there's every possibility that he will serve as a spanner in the works of the Clinton campaign when it comes time to convert the stragglers. Among young people, millennials in particular, Sanders stands in stark contrast to the Clinton and Bush dynasties, both of which are already bloating their coffers with corporate cash. Jeb Bush claims to have raised "record funds" through his Super PAC. The Clintons announced last week that they have earned over $30 million in the past 17 months. Sanders, by contrast, earned just under $2,000 in speaking fees for 2014. He is seen by many as a warrior for the people, a staunch advocate of principles often talked about, but long dead, in both of the mainstream parties — principles like opportunity for all, a level playing field, a strong middle class, and a vision for every American, not just for those who can "pay to play." As an independent who can caucus wherever he likes (although Sanders has a long-standing gentleman's agreement with Harry Reid that he will side with the Democrats as a general rule), the senator can vote as his conscience sees fit, and he has. He has spent many a long night filibustering corporate handouts, fighting for climate protections and championing workers rights; his most memorable moments came when he lambasted the renewals of the Bush II tax cuts in 2010, spending eight and a half hours speaking on the floor of the Senate. That tenacity and conviction provides him an enormous amount of sway among his colleagues, and gives him a power position that would require him to be taken more seriously whether he makes it onto the ticket or not. Despite his strong socialist roots and his lambasting of the "1 percent", Sanders managed to raise $1.5 million (mostly in small donations) in his first 24 hours as a candidate, trumping the amounts raised by Republican candidates Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul on their first day out. As the current era draws to a close, there has been some speculation that the real enduring legacy of the Obama presidency will be the ability that the president has had to come across as sincere, empathetic and engaged. It might be suggested that many Americans would like to see another candidate who is authentic in his or her convictions, and not to go back to the retail politicking of yesteryear — the sort of cheesy, stale, poll-tested discourse that is all but guaranteed from the Bush and Clinton camps in 2016. The smarter speculators are suggesting that Sanders is running with a singular motive, which is to get onto the televised debates; a positioning tactic that will put him front and center in American living rooms and will give him a far larger platform to operate from when he is, inevitably, sidelined by richer candidates later in the process. For his voice to be heard nationally could provide some much needed truth-to-power language not often seen in prime time. Even though Sanders will likely get trounced, it would be nice to see someone on the debate platform, however briefly, who says what he thinks and believes what he says. It would be nicer still if Sanders' words could keep his colleagues honest enough to consider running a campaign of conscience — even after the senator from Vermont has been sent back up to the Hill. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 22, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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