Fiery Sanders gaining steam

By Scott Lucas

Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 | 2 a.m.

On a recent weeknight, a crowd of dozens hoisted margaritas at El Dorado Cantina, a Las Vegas Mexican restaurant that refuses to serve genetically modified food. The group wasn’t there for tacos and empanadas. They were listening to a webcast of a speech by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The event was one of several Sanders’ campaign conducted recently across the valley, including a house party billed as “Henderson Non-Billionaires for Bernie.” Campaign officials hope to build on the local momentum Sanders generated after he spoke in July at Treasure Island.

As it is for all of the presidential candidates, Nevada is one of the most important states for Sanders to win.

Sanders appeared on the webcast from Washington, D.C., where he called for an increase to the minimum wage and railed against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision that allowed corporations, labor unions and other organizations to freely spend money in the hopes of influencing elections. The event coincided with 3,500 similar rallies throughout the country.

“Enough is enough,” said Sanders, who says he is trying to form a grassroots movement of millions of people to create a political revolution.

The speech reached 100,000 supporters nationwide, campaign officials said.

In Las Vegas, Angie Morelli, a volunteer organizer for Sanders’ campaign, said that unlike most of the other candidates, Sanders has no paid staffers in the state. Morelli views that volunteer-driven organization as an asset.

“Voters would rather be talking to people who live here than someone paid to be here,” she said.

As she spoke, volunteer coordinators took down contact information for people in the crowd.

“The goal is not only to win but also to do it without corporate money,” said Morelli, a Marine veteran who now heads an activist organization called GMO Free Vegas.

Sanders also spoke about the questionable circumstances surrounding the death of Sandra Bland in Texas, calling for reform of the criminal justice system. Sanders in the past has appeared flat-footed on racial justice issues. Last month, protesters with Black Lives Matters forced Sanders from the stage at Netroots Nation, a progressive conference.

Local supporters argued Sanders could be misunderstood.

“He’s not a socialist; he’s a social Democrat,” said James Woodbridge, a philosophy professor at UNLV. “Not a single thing that he’s proposing is socialism.”

Woodbridge also defended Sanders’ sometimes dyspeptic style.

“He’s pissed off, sure,” Woodbridge said. “But he’s pissed off at the right things.”

Could Sanders mount a serious challenge to Hillary Clinton?

Supporters say they’re confident, but Sanders’ taking Nevada would represent a significant upset against the front-runner. Clinton in 2008 received more caucus votes than Barack Obama, although fewer delegates.

Though no recent polling has been done in Nevada, Sanders trails widely in national surveys.

But there is historical precedent for such a challenge succeeding. Recent polls show Sanders closing to within 10 points of Clinton in New Hampshire. In 1968, progressive challenger Sen. Eugene McCarthy forced incumbent President Lyndon Johnson from the race by keeping him within seven points in the New Hampshire presidential primary.

Don’t doubt that Sanders’ local supporters are aware of the parallels. Also paying attention: Vice President Joe Biden, who was rumored this month to be mulling a bid for the Oval Office.