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The crowd at Bernie’s first SC rally as a 2020 candidate, a half hour before show time. 
Sherrie Parise, 63, left, a former NY state employee, hasn’t voted in years. After Trump she registered and she’s feeling the Bern cus she thinks he has the experience to beat Trump.
Tony Pulliam, 66, right, in above pic, is a former federal employee from Chicago voted for Sanders last time. He says he’s “ready for a change.” Only doubt is over Bernie’s age.
Parise and Pulliam have both retired to metro Charleston. Both will be first time primary voters *in SC* (Pulliam voted for him in Chicago).
The four folks on the right — students at Georgia Southern — drove up from Atlanta for the rally. So did the campaign volunteer at left, but separately (he’s at Georgia State).
The four on the left are firsttime primary voters solidly in Bernie’s corner. They trust his progressive cred because of how long he’s said the same thing. Joe Rocheleau, 18, farthest right, is moderate and leaning toward Harris but really wanted to see Bernie speak.
Audra Rhodes, 33, volunteered for Bernie last time when she was living in NYC. Now she’s back in Charleston near where she grew up as a Harvard Kennedy community organizer.
Rhodes is undecided in this year’s primary and not discussing her partisan views because she’s here to register voters for her new group Charleston FTW. She’d signed up 35 by an hour before event.
Four @charlestondsa members here to get support for an effort to end local cooperation with ICE. @DemSocialists recently voted 76% to endorse Bernie. It was controversial with some members, chapters, but not these guys. Their local backed it by a similar margin.
The two on the right are 16 years old and dating. (This is like a date?)
Tierra Gadsden, 19, left, will be eligible to vote in 2020. She likes Sanders’ stances on health care, free college, narrowing inequities. She thinks Sanders lost SC last time because of fear of socialism.
Tierra Gadsden, 19, left, will be eligible to vote in 2020. She likes Sanders’ stances on health care, free college, narrowing inequities. She thinks Sanders lost SC last time because of fear of socialism.
Musical warm up by Jerell Smalls.
State Rep. Wendell Gilliard fires up the crowd. He’s the 4th state rep to speak, but only Terry Alexander has formally endorsed thus far.
Now Nina Turner is speaking, emphasizing Sanders' trustworthiness -- borne out of consistency.
"Some of these folks just got here on this stuff. But we got receipts for Sen. Bernie Sanders … the most consistent freedom fighter!”
"Some of these folks just got here on this stuff. But we got receipts for Sen. Bernie Sanders … the most consistent freedom fighter!”
Sanders enters.
Opening part of his speech is the classic spiel — “political revolution” not just an election win.
About 1,600 people are in attendance, according to the campaign.
