Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane Sanders arrive at a campaign rally in San Francisco.Noah Berger/AP
My parents’ first date was a George McGovern political rally. And if that strikes you as strange, well, you probably are not a Bernie Sanders supporter.
In San Francisco this evening, thousands of young Berners are gathering on a grassy field next to the Golden Gate bridge for a political love fest featuring acts such as Fishbone, Fantastic Negrito, and the Dave Matthews Band—not to mention Hollywood celebrities, lefty intellectuals, and one wild-haired democratic socialist. Officially, it’s the Sanders campaign’s A Future To Believe In GOTV Concert. Unofficially, it could be an epic last hurrah, the sort of thing that gets mentioned to the kids decades later—like Woodstock!—to prove you actually did something in your 20s besides sit on your ass and smoke pot.
Not that there won’t be joints and vape pens—maybe oil rigs. But you get the point: This isn’t a regular political campaign, it’s a “revolution,” and revolutions come with their own culture. Like Feeling the Bern. Or wading through the Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Stash. Or wearing an adult-sized Bernie onesie. Or joining the Bernie Love Wave. There has not been a campaign like this in America, since, well, Matt Gonzales ran for mayor of San Francisco. And I mean that in the best possible way. A Bernie Sanders get-out-the-vote concert in this town is not something you want to miss.
And you don’t have to, because we’ll be live-tweeting the event and posting updates here for as long as our batteries last. So check back regularly to get your Bern on from the comfort of your living room sofa—which is probably filled with nasty flame retardants. (Now if Bernie were president…)
Heading to the Bernie Sanders rally in SF featuring Dave Matthews, Fishbone, Danny Glover, Cornell West, and @SenSanders. Should be epic!
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 6, 2016
Fabulous Negrito kicking things off at the Bernie Sanders GOTV rally in San Francisco pic.twitter.com/mkC9y2yE4w
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Mother Jones doesn’t have a chair in the press section so I figured Fox could spare one. pic.twitter.com/y0yI6P5xDD
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
I think the Fox chair may be empty because it is an actual physical hazard sitting here.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Unlike at Coachella, the press section offers a great view, but blocks it for regular people. I feel kind of lame sitting here.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Jane Kim, state senate candidate endorsed by Sanders, is supporting Bernie because he “believes housing is a right, not a privilege.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Kim, as supervisor, has introduced a “mansion tax” in SF and a proposal to make City College in SF free to all residents.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Fishbone now on stage at the Bernie Sanders rally in SF, trying to clear the fog https://t.co/WK5BHqAAo9
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
No mention here of the AP report that Clinton has enough superdelegates to cinch nomination. But I can see other reporters reading about it.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
You can read all of my updates from Bernie Sanders’ epic rally in San Francisco here: https://t.co/UZuXhrDDIX
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
.@CornelWest now on stage: Bernie as “some John Coltrane Love Supreme in him” + MLK, Dorsey Day, Cesar Chavez… “He represents the best…”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Cornell West: “Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love looks like in private.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
“And if you are on the Bernie Sanders campaign, you are on the love train.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
“Let us vote up-swinging. And when we go into Philadelphia, we gonna go in swinging too.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard now talking about serving in Iraq, where she realized we need a commander in chief who has good judgment.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Gabbard: “We need a president who knows when NOTto take military action. Bernie Sanders is that candidate. Because he has that foresight.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Gabbard, who resigned from DNC to back Sanders, is seen as a rising progressive star in the Democratic Party. Lots of love from her here.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Charlottsville local Dave Matthews is up next, which, combined with the crowd, will really close the loop for me on being in college.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews: “It’s so great that we all get together and talk about sanity in a world that has lost its way.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews playing the Bernie Sanders rally in SF https://t.co/HpRy4zYLy5
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews: “Virginia didn’t go quite that far for Bernie, but a little town named Charlottesville voted for Bernie.” (cheers)
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews now playing All The Little Ants Are Marching, completing the time warp to the 90s. Gen Xrs are psyched!
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Nobody in the press section applauded Dave Matthews. So coldly professional, people.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews: “Bernie’s bringing frumpy back!”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
I think somebody in the VIP section is smoking pot.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Ouch. https://t.co/VTrdZ5Q8Am
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Dave Matthews lyric: “We’ve gone to far to turn it around … Baby carry on just a little bit longer while I try to give you what you need.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
SF native Danny Glover: “We will remake this democracy in our names … We are climbing Jacob’s ladder.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Danny Glover stumping for Bernie pic.twitter.com/gKRKY1atJm
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
First flick at the AP news onstage, by Nina Turner: “There are some people who want to call this race already…(crowd boos)
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
In short, it’s too early to say that,. https://t.co/mVkYQzuzqr
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Turner now leading the crowd in chants of “Fight on!”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders surrogate Nina Turner: “I’ve got a news flash for some folks, we going all the way to the convention.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Somebody near the front row is blowing bubbles
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Latest RCP Average for California:
Clinton: 47.7
Sanders: 45.7 pic.twitter.com/sIzDHSpZ4p— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) June 7, 2016
Here’s how big the Sanders rally is in SF tonight https://t.co/CYJ1Og5MHq
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Bernie takes the stage. When he was in SF last year I interviewed him. He looks maybe a little older, but just as energetic.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders onstage with his family pic.twitter.com/KhzXx4hngI
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
A giant Maersk container vessel is scooting out of the GG bridge behind Sanders. The ship has already sailed?
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders: “When we began our campaign [it] was considered a fringe campaign with fringe ideas. That is not the case today.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders: “We’re going to go into that convention with enormous momentum.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders: “Donald Trump will not become president of the United States.” Why? “In every poll we beat him.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders is still focusing on criticizing Trump, not Clinton. Is the the beginning of a pivot? “What Trump wants to do is divide us up.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
“We are strongest when we stand together. That’s what this campaign is about.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Nevermind. Sanders is now hitting Clinton again on super PACs, $15 minimum wage, Wall Street.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders’ call for fracking ban gets a huge cheer, as @timmcdonnell predicted it would: https://t.co/snnv8AqnSo
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders goes local: “We are seeing a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires while people sleep out on the streets of San Francisco.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
So far this mostly feels like a standard Sanders speech. He’s hitting all the regular themes of income inequality, crim justice reform etc.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Cheers when Sanders advocates taking pot off Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. But I don’t see any celebratory bong hits yet. . .
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
LIVE on #Periscope: Live ! @SenSanders election night rally in SF https://t.co/KvVmIef8QB
— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) June 7, 2016
Sanders is mostly focusing on the issues in his speech. Still a few attacks on Clinton, but not many. Now’s he’s back attacking Trump.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
A guy from the audience in a fuzzy pink cardigan and Tweety Bird T-shirt is yelling at the press section: “Donald Trump does coke!”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
“We should not see situations like here in San Francisco…thousands of people paying 50 or 60% of their income just on paying the rent.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders: “This is the most important primary that we have had in the entire Democratic nominating process.”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Sanders’ goal is for California to have the largest voter turnout in the history of the state & be “onboard the political revolution!”
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Fabulous Negrito sings This Land Is Your Land with Bernie Sanders https://t.co/HD6m7qkt1O
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Capitalism is still very much alive in the merch section outside the rally pic.twitter.com/FH5FloOHjl
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
This Sanders supporter says the AP story is a media conspiracy aimed at suppressing the vote. pic.twitter.com/mVYnNf4tm5
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
Other Sanders are also telling me they think the AP story is timed to dampen turnout, benefitting Clinton.
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
I’m outta here. Too cold! leave you with this bike, which was all alone and playing Johnny Cash. pic.twitter.com/iJSZGXXQ5o
— Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson) June 7, 2016
