GREENFIELD — Attention, cave dwellers: There are presidential primary elections on Tuesday.
Twelve states and one territory (American Samoa) will hold primaries or caucuses, making for such an epic election season day it is unofficially called Super Tuesday. Massachusetts is one of the states that will hold contests for the Republican and Democratic candidates vying for their party’s presidential nomination. The buzz is all around Franklin County and there is no shortage of enthusiasm for the Democratic candidates in the Bay State.
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a senator from neighboring Vermont and the former mayor of Burlington, appears to be a popular candidate among voters in Franklin County, a traditionally left-leaning area in an already blue state.
When driving throughout western Massachusetts, it isn’t uncommon to see “Feel The Bern” bumper stickers or hear residents talking about the “political revolution” that Sanders promises.
The senator’s campaign has taken him to UMass Amherst at least twice, where he was greeted by large crowds of supporters. Promises of increasing the minimum wage and providing free college to all, appear to appeal to liberal voters in the area. The self-identifying democratic socialist promises to enact change in the country and voters seem to be listening to his message.
A passionate Sanders supporter, Doug Mayo, chairman of the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee believes in the senator’s message. “He gives fresh, new ideas and I think he can do something. It’s just refreshing to hear him speak,” Mayo said immediately before the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee caucus at the Greenfield Housing Authority on Saturday. “Not since we had Robert Reich running for governor here in Massachusetts have I heard that kind of fresh ideas and some thought behind it and some wisdom behind it, too.”
Mayo hesitates to call Sanders an anti-establishment candidate, but said the man offers something special.
Mayo said he is confident Sanders will fare well in the Northeast, but worries the senator’s message will be lost in the south, where people are less likely to vote for an extreme leftist. The chairman said, however, he would support Hillary Clinton if she got the nomination.
“Currently, I’m a Bernie supporter but first and foremost I’m a Democrat. So whoever is the nominee, I am going to be behind 100 percent,” he said. “I just like the message that Bernie is bringing and my hope is that if Bernie doesn’t make it, he is able to shift things more to the left.”
Danielle Letourneau, who attended Saturday’s Democratic Town Committee caucus, said she is a Clinton supporter because Clinton has spent her career fighting for women and children and for abortion rights.
Letourneau said Bill Clinton was the first president she ever voted for and she marveled at how Hillary transformed the first lady role before moving on to elected office.
“I am excited because I feel like she is the best qualified candidate that I’ve ever been able to vote for. If you look at everything she’s done from the beginning of her career — she’s been secretary of state, she’s been a senator of a huge state (New York) — I just feel like I’ve never been able to vote for anybody so qualified,” Letourneau said.
She was quick to say she wouldn’t vote Republican even if Hillary fails to get the Democratic nomination.
“I’ve got nothing but love for Bernie Sanders. I just think Hillary Clinton is the best choice for me,” Letourneau said.
The big surprise in this election season for many Americans is the growing strength of Donald Trump’s campaign. The billionaire real estate mogul announced his candidacy in June 2015 and has created a firestorm of controversy for his politically incorrect rhetoric and inflammatory statements.
Support for Trump in Franklin County is sparse, but existent. The Recorder identified a handful of supporters but all asked to not be named in the newspaper. One of these individuals is a 38-year-old Turners Falls man who said Trump is his top choice.
“I want to go back to how it was in 2002, when if you had a two-page résumé and 10 years of experience, you could actually get a job,” he said. “I’m a hardcore old-school American. I’m very pro-American. The people who are in charge right now aren’t necessarily pro-American.
“(Trump) is a multi-billionaire. He is monstrously successful. He has nothing to gain here,” said the Turners Falls man. “He’s doing this because he wants to see real change.”
The Turners Falls man said he has been harassed and has lost several Facebook friends for his support of the candidate many call “The Donald.”
Oddly enough, he said Bernie Sanders is his favorite candidate after Trump. Republican voters will also have the chance to vote for candidates Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz or John Kasich. Nearly half of the Republican candidates have dropped out of the race. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropped out of the race and recently endorsed Donald Trump. After his popularity plummeted in the polls, Jeb Bush also dropped from the race.
Polls throughout Franklin County will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday night. First-time voters in a Massachusetts election must show identification. Those who would like to request an absentee ballot, may submit an application or a signed letter to their local election official, typically the clerk in the area municipal building.
All Greenfield residents can cast their ballots in the Greenfield High School gymnasium on Barr Avenue. Other voters can find the correct polling location by visiting wheredoivotema.com/bal/MyElectionInfo.aspx.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-77-0261, ext. 257 On Twitter, follow @DomenicPoli