Sanders turns the mic over to audience

IOWA FALLS, Ia. — What started out as the conventional Bernie Sanders stump speech Monday morning quickly spiraled into an emotional indictment of the state of health care, disability coverage and Social Security benefits.

Sanders frequently calls for increasing Social Security benefits by lifting the cap on taxable income — a point he tries to position as a mark of distinction with his chief rival, Hillary Clinton. In the middle of his stump speech Monday, Sanders said too many seniors are struggling to live off of annual Social Security incomes of $12,000 or $13,000.

“Can somebody 80, 85 years (old) make it and live in dignity on $12,000 or $13,000 per year?” Sanders said.

The crowd of about 215 answered with a resounding “no.”

But Anne Gordon, a 65-year-old Iowa Falls woman, took the microphone and told the crowd that she lives on less than $10,000 per year in Social Security benefits.

“What does it mean to try to live on $10,000 per year?” Sanders asked her.

“You don’t go out. You don’t buy any clothes,” Gordon said. “You wear shoes for three or four years. You don’t buy presents for your grand kids.”

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At that point, the Vermont senator set aside his stump speech and opened up the floor to the crowd. Audience members shared tearful stories of long waits for disability benefits and struggles to afford medications ranging from insulin to anti-depressants.

Sanders told Gordon her story is replicated "all over the country.” He said it isn’t easy for people to stand up and such stories, but he said nothing would improve until millions of people do like Gordon and share their stories.

“I thank you for standing up and telling us what’s going on in your life," he said.

The anecdote stuck, as Sanders invoked Gordon’s struggle later in the day, when he stopped at a campaign office in Newton, where he was accompanied by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

“We heard from elderly people and what it means when you can’t afford prescription drugs, what it means to try to live on $10,000 a year (from) Social Security,” Sanders said in Newton. “And all over this country, what young people are saying, what working people are saying, what seniors are saying is we can do a lot better. We can do a lot better. That is what this campaign is all about.”

AT THE EVENTS

SETTINGS: Ellsworth Community College gymnasium in Iowa Falls; Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University; Sanders campaign field office in Newton

CROWDS: About 210 in Iowa Falls; nearly 2,000 in Ames; about 75 volunteers in Newton. 

REACTIONS: Sanders' crowds were enthusiastic and supportive, though the student-heavy crowd in Ames topped the charts with deafening applause and cheers. 

OTHER STOPS: Sanders also campaigned at Grinnell College Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT: On Tuesday morning, Sanders will campaign at a private event at the United Steelworkers Local 310L in Des Moines. He’ll return to Iowa Wednesday evening for a Mason City rally with actress Susan Sarandon. For complete details, visit DesMoinesRegister.com/CandidateTracker.