[N]EW YORK — Bernie Sanders wrapped up a scrappy week of campaigning in the Empire State with a rally Monday evening on the shores of the East River, condemning Wall Street against a backdrop of business towers, corporate skyscrapers and other pillars of New York wealth.
The companies occupying the overlooking buildings represented some of Sanders’ sworn enemies: Bank of America, Barclays and numerous pharmaceutical firms.
Perhaps hoping to erase any irony, Sanders hit a bit harder against big business Monday night than in his normal stump speech.
“I say to corporate America, get nervous if Bernie Sanders is elected president,” he said. “Corporate America will not continue to cut the wages and benefits of their workers, will not continue to send jobs to low-wage countries, will not continue to destroy our environment. They will become good private citizens whether they like it or not.”
Sanders again demanded rival Hillary Clinton release the transcripts of her paid speeches made to financial heavyweights on Wall Street. Shifting into sarcasm, he then explained how he would handle a speaking request.
“My cellphone remains on and I’m awaiting that call from Wall Street,” he said. “Because I would like the opportunity to explain to Wall Street the horrible things that they have done to the American people.”
Sanders has projected optimism in the past days regarding the results of Tuesday’s primary, but if polls are to be believed, it will be a tough win to clench.
Sanders has closed the gap with Clinton in recent weeks, but a spate of recent polls suggests the former secretary of state retains a lead of roughly 10 points in New York.
In his Monday remarks, Sanders warned that only a huge turnout could secure a win.
“Tomorrow, let us all do everything we can to make sure that New York state has the largest turnout in a Democratic primary in its history,” he said.
Before his evening rally in Queens, Sanders traversed much of the city by foot and car in a mad-dash race for handshakes and votes.
He started the morning with a media blitz: NBC for the “Today” show. CBS was next, followed by a CNN Facebook chat.
He then walked city streets, dashing from Jackson Heights to the Bronx and then Queens. Sanders was greeted with much admiration in his long stroll. According to The New York Times’ Yamiche Alcindor, one man yelled to Sanders, “If I wasn’t a felon I would vote for you.”
Sanders has also held huge rallies around New York over the past few days, including one Sunday afternoon in Prospect Park. More than 28,000 people showed up, including a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty.
The attendees at Sanders events over the past few days have included a large number of his core backers: young white people. But many other races and ethnicities have been represented, as well as people of various cultural and economic backgrounds.
There were tattooed hipsters from Brooklyn, middle-class residents from Queens and hundreds of disgruntled blue-collar Verizon workers, who have been picketing all week for better pay and health care and who seem organized to vote for Sanders.
In talks with New Yorkers who support Sanders, they consistently say his most admirable trait is his blunt, genuine demeanor. And his indignation toward Wall Street and other big business.
“(Clinton’s) corporate. Bernie is more for the people,” said Jason Pearson, 42, of Queens. “She’s big business, she doesn’t want to release any of her discussions that she had with Wall Street.”
Another Queens resident, Jacinto Romero, 21, said Sanders’ consistency of thought over many decades won him over.
“It’s about doing the right thing, and Bernie has consistently been on the right side of history,” Romero said.
Yvonne Houston, 46, of Brooklyn, said her past support for Clinton eroded after seeing her shift her words on a number of issues.
“Bernie is trustworthy,” she said. “After seeing him on the Internet, what he’s done in the past for the community and the culture, I know he will do a great job.”
The fans at Monday’s rally cheered throughout Sanders’ remarks. The warm day shifted into a cold night, and a nearly full moon appeared.
Speakers carried his voice for a couple of city blocks, and interested neighbors watched the speech from their apartment complexes.
“Tomorrow, New York state can help take this country a giant step forward for the political revolution,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
