Bernie Sanders recently spoke before 100,000 fans. 'That doesn't mean much,' says The Washington Post.


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is drawing really big crowds to his presidential rallies — 28,000 in Portland, Oregon, on August 9; another 28,000 in Los Angeles a day later. In all, notes Philip Bump at The Washington Post, the Vermont independent and Democratic presidential candidate has drawn 104,000 to his events since July 1.
"So what does this mean?" Bump asked Wednesday. "I hate to say it — and I hate to rain on Sanders' well-attended parade — but: It doesn't mean a whole lot." At this point, Sanders is partly just the leading "Not Hillary Clinton" in what's essentially a two-person Democratic primary, Bump argues. He continues:
Let's say the Republican field more closely mirrored the Democrats. Imagine there were two Republicans running for president, Jeb Bush and Not Jeb Bush, where Not Jeb Bush did a better job appealing to the outer boundary of the party. Do you think that Not Jeb Bush couldn't roll up 20,000 people at a campaign stop in, say, Houston? [The Washington Post]
Sanders has the grassroots energy and newcomer enthusiasm, Bump concedes, but Clinton doesn't want to draw huge crowds just yet. "Could Clinton fill an arena in Los Angeles if she wanted to?" he asks. "Of course she could. Unquestionably.... If Sanders fills Cowboy Stadium or the home field for the Utah Utes, I'm happy to revisit the numbers." Read Bump's entire analysis at The Washington Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
How the AI takeover will likely affect women more than men
The Explainer The tech boom is a blow to gender equality
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill
speed read The bill will provide a $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and 'cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs'
-
Trump DOJ said to pay $5M to family of Jan. 6 rioter
speed read The US will pay a hefty sum to the family of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot on January 6
-
Trump DOJ charging House Democrat in ICE fracas
speed read Rep. LaMonica McIver is being charged with assault over a clash outside an immigration detention facility in Newark
-
Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
speed read The diagnosis hits close to home, as the former president 'dedicated much of his later career to cancer research'
-
Supreme Court weighs court limits amid birthright ban
speed read President Trump's bid to abolish birthright citizenship has sparked questions among federal judges about blocking administration policies
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war