Tuesday afternoon, Senator Bernie Sanders spoke at a campaign rally in Alumni Hall to a crowd of several hundred people, endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and urging students to vote on Election Day.
New Hampshire Congresswomen Annie Kuster and Governor Maggie Hassan opened for Sanders. Both also encouraged students to vote on Nov. 8, and stressed the significance of this election cycle.
Sanders condemned Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for his behaviors toward women.
“This is the year 2016, and we have come too far in this country to elect a president who brags about his sexual assaults,” Sanders said in his opening remarks.
Acknowledging Trump’s billionaire status, Sanders criticized private funding for campaigns, which he and Clinton are proposing to end with by publicly funding elections instead.
He also expressed fear of the country moving toward an oligarchal society, noting that large businesses and wealthy individuals can influence elections by donating large sums of money.
“In New England, we have this crazy notion that one person means one vote,” Sanders quipped.
Sanders also emphasized the need to make college more affordable for all, asking audience members to raise their hand if they had college debt – most of the students in the room did. He emphasized the importance of higher education, and pointed out that part of Clinton’s plan is to address the “crisis of student debt” by refinancing their student loans.
Many attendees expressed excitement at seeing Sanders speak in person, despite his loss to Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
“I really want to see him speak about Hillary, especially after the tough primary,” Amauri Ross ’19 said as he stood in line for the event.
Jonathan Gliboff ’20, while not a Sanders supporter, also enjoyed hearing him speak, citing his charisma and genuine concern for issues affecting students.
The event was the second of the day for Sanders, who spoke at another rally for Clinton earlier at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH.
