Bernie Sanders' secret weapon: 'Fire and brimstone' doomsday appeal

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

published 17 September 2015

Bernie Sanders' revolution isn't so far from Revelations — in a new profile on the Vermont senator, Time writes that Sanders is "preaching" an appealing rhetoric of "fire and brimstone" for many voters:

[Sanders'] numbers have an apocalyptic feel: the 15 wealthiest people in America saw their net worth grow $170 billion in the past two years; 99 percent of all new income today goes to the wealthiest 1 percent. Meanwhile, the Earth trembles in the face of global warming — "more drought, more floods, more extreme weather disturbances, rising sea levels," Sanders preaches. "It means more acidification of the ocean with calamitous impact on mammal life." [Time]

Of course, "fire and brimstone" rhetoric is not such a far cry from Sanders' avowed Republican enemies (following Wednesday night's debate, Politico jokingly termed the GOP as the "Everything is Bad Party"). Oddly, that's part of the appeal: Sanders, a self-proclaimed non-expert on the Bible who boldly sought support at the ultraconservative, religious Liberty University, attracts both idealists as well as those who fear an apocalypse is around the corner.

[...] Stories of abandoning careers and setting aside studies to join the Sanders brigades are common. Stephanie Rountree, a 17-year-old high school senior in Baltimore, spends upwards of 20 hours a week analyzing data and helping train volunteers. In Concord, N.H., palliative-care doctor Bob Friedlander left medicine to volunteer full time, rallying health care workers. Alayna Josz, a manicurist in nearby New London, N.H., paints red, white and blue Bernie slogans on her customers’ nails. "He says the things I always wanted to hear, that I knew were true," Josz, 27, gushes. "All day long, I find myself thinking about Bernie and this revolution." [Time]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.