First published 2015
Bernie Sanders stands alone on the Senate floor on a cold December morning in 2010. The Vermont senator has decided to make his stand against a tax deal he believes betrays working Americans. He begins to speak at 10:24 AM, with only a few colleagues present and C-SPAN cameras rolling. As Sanders continues hour after hour, his voice grows hoarse but his conviction strengthens. Outside the Capitol, snow begins to fall. Inside, Sanders fights fatigue and parliamentary rules while delivering an unscripted plea for economic justice. His words reach beyond the nearly empty chamber as millions discover his marathon speech online. The global audience grows as Sanders pushes through his eighth hour, transforming a procedural delay into a moment of democratic theater. At its heart, this is a story about one person's belief that speaking truth can still matter in American politics.
Genres: political-science, biography-memoir, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: lone-voice, underdog
Setting: Capitol, Senate, Vermont
Period: 2010
126 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform