UW-Milwaukee Students, Others Organize for Bernie Before Democratic Debate

After a big win in the New Hampshire primary and a local visit to UW-Milwaukee for the Democratic debate, an estimated 300 people turned out to an Organizing Rally for the Bernie Sanders Campaign Wednesday night at the IBEW Local Union 494 in Milwaukee.

The event was led by Samm Briggs, a National Bernie Sander’s Campaign Staff, who spoke to supporters – including local college students – about the significance of this election and stressed the importance volunteering plays for Sanders in this election.

A major part of this organizing rally was coordinating volunteer phone bank hosts and having supporters sign up for them.  UWM Sophomore Gabe Cole-Brant signed up at the rally as a phone bank host.

“I really support Bernie,” said Cole-Brant. “I think that he is one only of the candidates that really believes what he’s saying.”

This is the first time Cole-Brant can vote in a Presidential Election. This is also the first time he’s volunteered for a campaign. Cole-Brant plans on hosting a phone bank in the UWM Union. Engel says many of the people at this rally have never met each other before. Cole-Brant is excited to host a phone bank and meet Sander supporters

“Well, I think that anybody that would support Bernie is I think someone I could get along with,” said Cole-Brant. “They aren’t going to be crazy because they believe in real change.”

Kim Engel, local graduate student and parent, was one of the five volunteers who organized the rally.

“We wanted to get actual concrete volunteer events scheduled in Milwaukee. A lot of people say I want to help, but it’s hard for them to know what to do,” said Engel.  “It’s hard for them to be motivated for them to go to BernieSanders.com and schedule an event. So if we can get them all to come here, we actually have event sign-ups. That way people can sign-up on the spot for event, so it’s a volunteer recruiting exercise.”

Engel wants to harness the momentum and energy with Sanders’ win in the New Hampshire Primary Election, strong showing in Iowa, and visit to Milwaukee for the Democratic Debate. The rally crowd was a mix of college-age and older adults, ranging from Milwaukee to Pleasant Prairie to Green Bay and west to Watertown.

“We’re trying to get the Milwaukee folk involved in recruiting people in South Carolina, Nevada and the Super Tuesday States,” said Engel. “It’s about turning out volunteers and try to take his campaign to the next level in the next few weeks.”

Both Briggs and Engel stress the significance volunteering plays in the Sanders Campaign.

“He’s funded by us,” said Engel. “He also doesn’t have a lot of campaign staff. He can’t afford as much as other candidates. So he’s relying on grass root volunteers.”

Next to Cole-Brant was former UWM student Austin Kieler. He and Cole-Brant met each other through another political event and carpooled together from Milwaukee’s East Side.

Engel is pleased with the amount of Sanders’ supporters coming together.

“It’s really amazing, for me, to see how many people stepping up to the plate, who have never worked on a campaign before or haven’t done it for a long time and looking to get involved,” said Engel.

Engel currently spends about four to seven hours each week volunteering for this campaign; she also volunteered for the Obama Campaign as a college undergraduate.

“We have some of the same energy now that we had for Obama’s campaign,” said Engel. “I think some people are frustrated, didn’t feel that Obama didn’t deliver as they wanted him too so a lot of those people now are putting their faith in Bernie, hoping he can deliver on those progressive promises that Obama wasn’t able to do.”

There are other reasons why these volunteers support Sanders.  For Cole-Brandt, it’s Sander’s honesty.

“I really support Bernie,” said Cole-Brant. “I think that he is one only of the candidates that really believes what he’s saying, tells the truth and he has been thirty years.”

Kieler likes Hillary Clinton too but believes Sanders is the better choice for the Democratic Nomination.

“I think he is the right choice for president, said Kieler.  “I really like Hillary too though, which I know a lot of people don’t. I think Bernie supporters need to be a little less harsh on her because we need to understand that we also need to unify as Democrats once we have a nominee and make sure the Republicans can’t win.”

Sanders and Clinton debate tonight at 8 p.m. in the Helen Bader Concert Hall in the Helene Zelazo Center for Performing Arts at UW-Milwaukee.