As politicians work the campaign trail, one of two things happens: either the stump speech becomes rote and robotic; or it turns into a full-blown, riveting performance.
I've been watching Sanders's speeches since the start, and I think he's in the groove. Though his lack of polish is part of his pitch, he's nevertheless finding ways to work the crowd and deliver his message with ease, confidence and force.
Sanders swept the West Virginia primary yesterday, and as the polls were closing, he addressed this crowd in Salem, OR (starts around the 37 minute-mark). The Oregon primaries are six days away. It's a chimerical state, sporting left-wing bastions like Portland and Eugene as well as harboring a longstanding, hardcore white-supremacist movement. The state's left wing (except when it comes to TPP) Senator Ron Wyden has officially announced for Hillary Clinton; the state's other senator, Jeff Merkley, has pledged for Sanders.
