But one word was not: “I.”
“I was born literally a few miles away from here,” he told the crowd.
“I lived in a 3 1/2-room rent-controlled apartment,” he thundered.
“I was educated proudly in high-quality public schools,” he said.
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During his last presidential campaign, and throughout his political career, Sanders has offered a policy-focused message almost entirely devoid of personal details. At Saturday’s rally, however, he did something new: He talked about himself.
“I know where I came from!” he shouted as his supporters roared. “And that is something I will never forget.”
It was a drastic shift for Sanders, 77, and part of a broader campaign strategy that is centered in part on persuading the Vermont senator to reveal more of his personal story. His advisers are hoping that in telling voters more about himself, as he did at the rally on the Brooklyn College campus and as he planned to do Sunday in Chicago, Sanders will offer voters not just his policy positions but also a glimpse into the upbringing that shaped them.
And they are hoping in particular to draw a contrast between Sanders — who grew up the son of a Jewish immigrant who sold paint to hardware stores — and another native New Yorker, President Donald Trump.
Sanders regaled enthusiastic supporters, who had jammed into every corner of the campus’ main quad, with largely familiar advocacy for “Medicare for all,” a $15 minimum wage and tuition-free public college. By no means did he shy away from his favorite criticisms of billionaires, big corporations and Trump. He denounced Amazon, Netflix and General Motors.
Sanders has placed second in the 2020 Democratic race in most public opinion polls, behind former Vice President Joe Biden. In the first week of his candidacy, his campaign took in $10 million, and in a New Hampshire poll released this past week, Sanders was the top choice.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.