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Many words used by Senator Bernie Sanders in Brooklyn on Saturday to launch his second presidential race were familiar: "revolution," "economic justice," "penitentiary-industrial complex."
But one word was not: "I."
"I was born literally a few miles from here," he told the crowd.
"I lived in a rented three-and-a-half-room apartment," he thundered.
"I have been educated with pride in high quality public schools," he said.
During his last presidential campaign and throughout his political career, Mr. Sanders launched a policy-oriented message devoid of any personal details. At Saturday's rally, however, he did something new: he spoke for himself.
"I know where I'm from!" He shouted as his followers roared. "And that's something I will never forget."
This was a dramatic change for 77-year-old Sanders, who was part of a broader campaign strategy focused in part on the Vermont Senator's persuasion to further reveal his personal story. His advisers hope that by talking more about himself to voters, as he had done at the rally on Brooklyn College campus and as he had planned on Sunday in Chicago, Mr. Sanders will offer voters not only its now known political positions, but also an overview of the education that has shaped them.
And they especially hope to draw a contrast between Mr. Sanders – who grew up the son of a Jewish immigrant who sold paint at hardware stores – and another New Yorker, President Trump.
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Under cloudy skies, as tufts of fresh snow fell from the trees behind him, Mr. Sanders feasted on enthusiastic supporters, who had rushed into every corner of the campus's main quad, with a widely-known plea in favor. of "Medicare for all", a minimum wage of $ 15. and free public college. In no way did he fear his favorite critics of billionaires, big corporations and Mr Trump. He denounced Amazon, Netflix and General Motors.
But it's his personal story – against a backdrop of a snow-covered college campus – that sparked the biggest applause.
"Let me say a few personal words," he said. "As we launch this campaign to the presidency, you deserve to know where I come from."
He spoke about his father, who had immigrated from Poland to the United States at the age of 17 and whose family "had been shattered by Hitler and Nazi barbarism". He talked about his mother, who died young but had dreamed that his family would leave the country. their apartment at "a house of ours."
"I will not tell you that I grew up in a home of extreme poverty," he said. "It would not be true. But what I am going to tell you is that coming from a lower middle class family, I will never forget how much money – or, in fact, the lack money – has always been a stress point for our family. "
He also made direct comparisons between his own youth and that of Mr. Trump.
"No father has given me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs," he said at one point.
"I did not come from a privileged family that prepared me to entertain people on TV by telling workers," You are fired, "he said.
At the same time as Mr. Sanders' rally, Mr. Trump spoke for more than two hours at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a rally of activists just outside of Washington.
The president attacked Democrats as socialists, denounced a "Green New Deal" and warned against a government takeover of health care. Mr. Trump did not mention Mr. Sanders, but he predicted that Democrats would lose in 2020 because, he said, they registered on a socialist platform that will result in the loss of most American voters.
Mr. Sanders is ranked second in the 2020 Democratic race in most opinion polls, behind former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was not transparent, three of his best consultants A few days after announcing his entry into the race, he abruptly broke with his campaign. He also demonstrated the power of the popular movement that he started to create three years ago. In the first week of his candidacy, his campaign had raised $ 10 million, and in a survey released in New Hampshire this week, Sanders was the first choice.
When Mr. Sanders finished his rally, his campaign announced that he would travel to Iowa next week, with stops at Council Bluffs, Iowa City and Des Moines. His campaign also announced that he would visit the first candidate states, including New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.
Many supporters at the rally, many of them students, said they had long been Sanders' fans and were eager to see him run for the presidency of Parliament a second time.
"We supported Bernie," said Isabel Saffioti, 15. "We want to support him again." By her side, her sister, Carmen, 19, a student at Brooklyn College, said she was delighted with the Senator's decision to start her campaign there. "I think it would be cool if he talks more about his roots," she said.
Chris Huth, 19, said he liked Mr. Sanders because "he is human". But he also added that, although he supports the policy of "leftists" like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he had not yet decided whether he would vote for Mr. Sanders. "It's always the beginning," he said. "We will see."
For the most part, the crowd was busy despite the cold. Before the rally, a snowman wearing a Bernie t-shirt had become a popular photo mate. Speakers proposed a playlist of songs on the theme of change: "Uprising" by Muse, "Revolution" by Flogging Molly.
But even as Mr. Sanders seemed ready to introduce himself more to the voters, some supporters suggested that it was his unwavering commitment to politics that was most dear to him.
"It's been consistent since the first day," said 23-year-old Katie McCrudden, who left her New Jersey home at 7:30 am to go to the rally in time. "His policy has not changed."
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