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Bernie Sanders hosts Detroit rally ahead of Michigan primary

March 8, 2020

DETROIT — Friday night marked the beginning of Bernie Sanders' four stops in Michigan before Tuesday's primary election.

Sanders is trying to rally support in the state while just three of the original 28 Democratic candidates remain in the race for the nomination.

Former vice president Joe Biden is hosting two events before the election – one in Detroit and one in Grand Rapids, according to MLive.

Sanders is scheduled for a March 7 rally in Dearborn at 11 a.m., a Flint town hall at 7 p.m. and two March 8 rallies in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids.

Prior to Super Tuesday, Sanders was leading in delegates. Now, Biden leads with 664, while Sanders sits at 573. In order to secure the Democratic nomination, a candidate is required to have 1,991 delegates.

In 2016, Sanders defeated Hilary Clinton in Michigan. He got 67 delegates over Clinton's 64. Sanders needs another win in Michigan to keep his campaign alive.

Throughout the rally, Sanders spoke about healthcare, gun reform and defeating Donald Trump.

Sanders said, similar to other Democratic candidates, he would support whichever candidate ultimately received the nomination.

"Together, we are going to defeat the most dangerous president this country has ever seen," Sanders said. "We are going to defeat Trump, because the American people — no matter what their political views may be — understand we cannot have a pathological liar, they understand we cannot have a President who is running a corrupt administration."

Sanders stated his case for how he would be be able to defeat Trump, but in order to do that, he would have to first beat Biden in the primaries.

Throughout the rally, Sanders discussed the differences in voting history between himself and Biden.

Sanders first spoke about their histories when it came to supporting abortion rights. He stated that he was "100% pro-choice," and went on to say he would not nominate anyone to fill a spot in the Supreme Court unless they also supported abortion rights.

He quoted Joe Biden in a 1974 interview with the Washingtonian, "I think Roe v. Wade went too far. I don't think a woman has the sole right to say what should happen to her body."

Sanders also said he was dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, saying he supported the community 25 years ago when it was considered a "political risk," voting against the Defense of Marriage Act, a bill that allowed states to be able to deny recognition of same-sex marriages that may have been conducted in other states.

He said Biden's record was inconsistent in regard to the community, voting both for and against the expansion of their rights.

Sanders was quick to mention his votes against the Trans Pacific Partnership, or TPP, and the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, and Biden's support for it.

Beyond discussing the differences in voting records between himself and Biden, Sanders spoke about the topics that have helped him maintain a consistent platform.

From ending climate change to taking down "the one percent," Sanders spoke about his plans and how they separate him from the pack.

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Sanders touched on his support for equality of the sexes and stated he believes that women deserve equal pay for equal work. He also spoke about his support for the civil rights movement, referencing a protest in which he marched with Martin Luther King Jr.

Sanders discussed immigration, and his plans to create legislation resulting in a total reform. He referenced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. The program was implemented under Barack Obama's administration; Trump's administration has plans to phase it out and replace the act.

"On day one, we end the demonization of the immigrant," Sanders said. "On day one, we will restore full legal status of the 1.8 million young people eligible for the DACA program. On day one, we begin to change our border policies so that they will never again have federal agents snatching babies from their mothers."

On the topic of racism, Sanders also spoke about his plans to reform the criminal justice system.

"Together we will invest, and help people get jobs and education," Sanders said. "Not more jails, not more incarceration."

Sanders referenced the thousands of people currently in jail for recreational marijuana usage, and said that he plans to legalize recreational marijuana usage nationwide by executive order. He said he plans to expunge the records of those in jail for marijuana.

Beyond the war on drugs, Sanders said he plans to reform the criminal justice system by getting rid of cash bail.

"They are in jail for the crime of being poor — they can't afford cash bail," Sanders said, referencing people who are in jail without convictions awaiting their sentencing. "We're going to end cash bail in America."

The final subject Sanders touched on was the "top one percent" or the people who hold a majority of the wealth in the United States. He spoke about how he would support the average person more than career politicians who accept money from political action committees.

Sanders spoke about the power they hold in America and their ability to be able to determine where jobs go. He is calling for a more even distribution of wealth in America.

"I don't have a PhD in economics," Sanders said. "I don't have a PhD in math, but this I do know: at the end of the day, 99% is a hell of a bigger than one percent."

He called for people to get involved, and encourage people around them to get involved too.

"Our goal is to transform this country so that we have a government that respects and fights for ordinary people, not just the wealthy."

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