IOWA CITY — Some of the most popular alternative bands in the country played at the University of Iowa on Saturday night, but to some students they were just an opening act to the biggest rock star there: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Over 5,000 students, Sanders’ largest crowd in Iowa thus far, came to hear Foster the People and Vampire Weekend. Students cheered and danced to the music, but the room grew the loudest when it was the Vermont senator’s turn to take the stage.
“I definitely support Sanders,” student Olivia Loechner said before Vampire Weekend took the stage. “It seems that lot of my friends support him too. He wants to remove student debt and I think that’s a huge problem we’re facing in our immediate future and want addressed in our government.”
She added, “When he speaks I feel there’s a genuineness I don’t get from Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton is so political but he embodies what a normal person does.”
While Clinton is five years Sanders’ junior, she hasn’t been able to bond with young voters in the same way. The democratic socialist leads Clinton in voters under age 30 by nearly fifty percentage points (75 percent-17 percent) according to a recent poll.
“When I hear Hillary speak and watch videos online I just don’t feel as if she cares as much about me as a person and as an individual, but I do get that feeling with Bernie,” concert attendee Emily Hancock said. “I feel like he is more concerned about what we are concerned about as a generation. I feel like that passion connects with younger voters.”
With the Iowa caucus just two days away, Sanders implored the attendees to participate Monday, assuring them that being involved with politics isn’t “lame.” He then turned to policy, tailoring his usual stump speech to his younger audience.
“Now I know none of you know anything about marijuana,” Sanders said as students laughed and cheered. “Stay away from heroin, but in terms of marijuana … it should not be a federal crime.”
At the end of the rally, Sanders joined Vampire Weekend on stage to sing “This Land is Your Land” together.
