Dems plan Saturday watch debate party; Sanders group finds momentum

By Kelcy Dolan
Posted 11/12/15

For the Rhode Island Democratic Party it has been a “tradition” to gather as a party to watch the Democratic Presidential Debates, the second being this Saturday.

Representative Joseph …

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Dems plan Saturday watch debate party; Sanders group finds momentum

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For the Rhode Island Democratic Party it has been a “tradition” to gather as a party to watch the Democratic Presidential Debates, the second being this Saturday.

Representative Joseph McNamara, chair of the Rhode Island party, said by coming together the party is able to build “party unity, identity and support.”

“Watching together gives us a chance to look at and familiarize ourselves with our candidates and the issues they are focusing on,” McNamara said. “We want to get everyone involved and excited for the election.”

He said that watching the debates together allows party members to see the “stark contrast” between the issues Democrats and Republicans are focusing on throughout the campaign.

“Our candidates are talking about higher education affordability, preserving Social Security and climate change, where Republicans want to build a wall, and the very same economic strategies that crippled our country,” McNamara said.

He said the watch parties often act as a small “pep rally” for the party and gives party members the opportunity to express their support and cheer on those candidates they feel strongly for.

Although some individuals within the party have endorsed one of the three candidates: former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, McNamara said it is too early to endorse any candidate.

Just because the party hasn’t sided either one way or the other doesn’t mean Democratic Rhode Islanders haven’t. One group that has been gaining popularity throughout the campaign so far is Rhode Island for Bernie Sanders.

Jeanine Calkin, a Warwick resident and organizer of the group, helped to start the supportive campaign after traveling to Burlington, Vermont to see Sanders after announcing his candidacy in May.

The group, which has more than 1,300 people on its Facebook page and more than 3,000 Twitter followers meets regularly to discuss the issues, voter registration events, watch debates and organize flyer drops as well as “Honk and Wave” events to garner support for the presidential candidate.

Their latest effort was last weekend when 120 members gathered in Providence to flyer the Rhode Island Comic Con.

“Our members support him for a lot of different reasons, but for a lot of us it’s his authenticity, his unwavering stance on the issues,” Calkin said. “It means a lot to the people that he doesn’t have a Super PAC. He’s raising money $30 at a time.”

She said that members feel he’s the best candidate out there and on that will “genuinely represent” the people.

At many of their events, Calkin said when people hear about Sanders’ positions on the shrinking middle class and financial inequality, they often want to know more.

“Those issues hit home with people on a daily basis,” Calkin said. “We haven’t seen any other large group like this backing any other candidate in the state so far, but it’s still early.”

For more information on Rhode Island for Bernie Sanders or their events visit their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Rhode Island Democratic Watch Party for the second Democratic Debate will be this Saturday, November 14, at Trinity Brewhouse, 186 Fountain Street in Providence. It will begin a half hour prior to the start of the debate at 8:30.

The Democratic Debate, featuring candidates Clinton, Sanders and O’Malley, will begin at 9 p.m. and takes place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. It will air of CBS.

For more information about the watch party, call the R.I. Democratic Party at 272-3367.

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