Bernie Sanders' Southern Strategy

Why is the Vermont idealist taking his campaign across the deep South? One reason is to show the voters of New Hampshire and Iowa he's serious.

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By Arit John

July 29, 2015 at 8:59 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Bernie Sanders is taking a General-Sherman approach to his summer, barnstorming across a deep South that is definitely enemy territory for Northeastern liberals. But unlike Sherman, the strategic purpose isn't clear. In fact, at first glance, it seems to be among the most Quixotic ventures of his young campaign, given the degree to which Democrats are outnumbered there.

Before a Sunday rally in Kenner, Louisiana, a suburb about 12 miles outside of New Orleans, the candidate held a small house party at the home of Dr. Gilda Reed. Reed, a psychology professor who’d once run for Congress on a platform similar to Sanders’s, had been selected to host the event that Wednesday, after offering her place up to a Facebook friend who’d been tasked with finding a venue. “Who’s as excited as I am that he’s coming?" Reed said in a status update. "Private message me.”