On Monday, Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders drew over 7,500 people at a rally in Portland, ME, his fourth crowd of thousands in recent weeks. The morning news led with Sanders’ momentum and the trouble it spells for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Reporter Cecilia Vega told Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos the Portland crowd “felt more like a rock concert,” adding: “there is worry in Hillary-land.”
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Mark Halperin highlighted the huge gap in authenticity between Clinton and Sanders. “Ask Bernie Sanders a question, he will answer it the same every time,” Halperin said. “Ask her a question…there will be a 90-minute conference call and then another one while she decides what to say.”
Even Hillary Clinton’s allies are worried. On CNN’s New Day, Paul Begala admitted “Bernie is real,” adding “this is going to be a real race.”
The Portland rally also made several front-pages. Maine’s Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun Journal, and Bangor Daily News talked up the rally.
A New York Times front-page headline read: “Sanders Momentum in Iowa Leaves Clinton Camp on Edge.”
Friend, foe, or in between, everyone agrees: Bernie Sanders is no fluke, and he’ll continue to cause trouble as a more authentic alternative to Hillary Clinton.