When The Underdog Speaks, Most People Listen
The devastating blow in Iowa and the speech that revolutionized Bernie’s campaign.
We all want to win. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, most of us have even practiced our acceptance speeches for the Oscars or Grammys in the shower. And why shouldn’t we? Winning even tastes good. It feeds an unwavering hunger for community recognition.
Even before YouTube live streaming or before we crowded the living room to watch the TV’s breaking news, we’d crisscross hundreds of strangers to reach the stage and catch a taste of the winner’s victory speech.
We’ve gone as far as associating famous people with their most famous speeches. So are the only speeches worth giving those that celebrate a win? Absolutely not. Actually, I believe that the most impactful speeches are those given by the ‘losers’ or the ‘almost-losers’. Why? Because when an underdog speaks, most people listen.
The most famous speakers, from eighteen-year old Noble Prize laureate Malala, to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, have delivered memorable speeches at their careers’ low points. Apart from their polar opposite views, why were these speeches remembered? Because at their deliverance, they came from an underdog.
MLK’s iconic phrases still flourish in today’s society because people still find solace from the man who changed the world, when no one thought to look. Anne Frank was able to carve empathy into international hearts because she wasn’t writing for an audience, she was just writing in her diary.
So what the hell does this have to do with present-day? Well, in case you haven’t hear, last night New Hampshire felt the ‘Bern’ and Senator Bernie Sanders took the stage to deliver his highly anticipated victory speech. Just a week ago, in Iowa, Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered her own victory speech, except the margins between winner and loser were much wider New Hampshire’s time around. Hillary took the Iowa Caucus with a victory of 49.9%, against Bernie’s 49.6%. Last night, New Hampshire went as far as delaying traffic to offer their overwhelming support to Bernie. His campaign won the New Hampshire primary with a victory of 59.7%, against Hillary’s 38.6%. So the question needs to be asked… what the hell happened?
Senator Sanders’ New Hampshire victory could be attested to a myriad of overlapping reasons. Could it be that he’s a solid progressive candidate with a consistent political record? Maybe. Did he mention a recurring desire to lead a revolution on Wall Street, rising college tuition and America’s health care. Sure, thing. Did all those ‘average $27 contributions’ have something to do with this? It sure didn’t hurt him.
It’s true that all these factors could have contributed to his win. So what sealed the deal, in my opinion? It was his Iowa concession speech that had even some Hillary supporters turning up their TV’s volume.
Nine months ago, Senator Sanders’ race to the White House had most people wondering if he’d even live to see Secretary Hillary be inaugurated. This independent senator from a low-key state was laughed at by major news networks for lacking super PACs and substantial political resolutions. However, just last night, he celebrated that ‘what began in Iowa, was confirmed in New Hampshire’.
I am not proposing that Bernie’s loss in Iowa was the sole reason he won the New Hampshire primary, but his powerful concession speech convinced the undecided voters that he was the right individual for the toughest job in the world.
A speech that began by shamelessly admitting that nine months ago his campaign had no money, no name recognition and was taking on the most powerful political organization, had now managed to elevate Bernie Sander’s personhood to a whole new level.
He was no longer the outspoken, mildly insane white man, trying to rally up the young and ethnic. No, he was Bernie Sanders. He was the man delivering a bittersweet speech to a sea of loyal supporters, while also trying not to drown under the pressure of the flashing lights of the news networks that once ignored him.
He was vulnerable and small, and something inside us, made us like that. For the first time, he seemed like a real human being. He could bleed and he was bleeding. He could ask for our help, and he was asking for it, only this time, we finally realized his plea was real.
When he mentioned in his concession speech that he was fighting to protect an American democracy of one person, one vote, not billionaires buying elections, thousands of Americans immediately logged onto BernieSanders.com and donated the average contribution. Can you guess it? Yes, $27.
It was the shot heard around the world, so much so that the next day Hillary’s campaign emailed supporters with a headline that read “Bernie raised $3 million in 24 hours.”
A week after a devastating blow, Bernie’s campaign is now feeling on top of the world. What may have come as a surprise to their team is that showing a little bleeding did not attract more sharks. Instead, it proved that in political races, loyalty sometimes runs thicker than blood.
