Amid criticism that his goals are unrealistic, Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on Friday called for a “political revolution” to upend the current debate about what’s possible and what’s not.
“No president, not Bernie Sanders or anybody else can bring about the changes that the middle class and working families desperately need,” Sanders said at at the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Celebration in Manchester, N.H., according to the Times-Picayune.
{mosads}“And the reason for that is the powers that be — Wall Street, corporate America, the corporate media, the Koch brothers — are so powerful that the only way we create the change that we need is through a political revolution,” he added.
The self-proclaimed democratic socialist said the first shots of that revolution can be fired Tuesday at the New Hampshire primary.
“That means that the millions and millions of people throughout our country, including many who have given up on the political process, the many who think their vote, their voice no longer matters … need to, with a very loud voice, be heard on Tuesday in New Hampshire and heard all over this country,” he said.
Rival Hillary Clinton, who also spoke at the rally hosted by the state Democratic party and attended by more than 6,000 Democrats and activists, acknowledged she’s trailing in the polls, but said she’s not ready to give up on New Hampshire.
“Some people have looked at the polls that show Sen. Sanders with a big lead here and suggest that’s a fact and suggested that I should just look past New Hampshire and focus on the next state,” she said. “Well, New Hampshire’s never quit on me and I’m not going to quit on you.”
In a veiled jab at Clinton, Sanders pointed to his opposition to the Iraq war and longtime support of same-sex marriage.
“Leadership is about standing up and being counted when the times are rough even when you are in a minority situation,” he said.
Although Sanders leads by double digits in the Feb. 9 primary, several polls show Clinton closing the gap.
The former secretary of State is within 15 points of Sanders, according to a WBUR poll released Friday.