On Saturday, November 9, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went to the Marriott convention center in Coralville to continue Sanders’ campaign in Iowa. The convention center was crowded with people and erupted in deafening cheers when the two came out on stage. Both of them spoke of solidarity and fighting for others, not just oneself. 

“We aren’t bringing the party left, we are bringing the party home! We need solidarity. All of us have to grow, all of us have to develop, and we all have a connected struggle,” said Ocasio-Cortez.

The two have been on a two-day tour through Iowa, going to Council Bluffs, Des Moines, and Coralville. While Sanders has been in Iowa many times on campaign, this was Ocasio-Cortez’s first visit to Iowa. Orcasio-Cortez started the rally out by taking on corporate greed.

“During the housing crash, when the billionaires who took our homes got in trouble, they got bailed out like that, so why do we have to wait three generations for all of this country to get healthcare?” said Ocasio-Cortez. The banks were allocated $900 billion dollars during the housing crash of 2008, while the people who lost their homes got nothing. 

After Ocasio-Cortez spoke, Sanders came to the stage and spoke about his campaign for the presidency. 

“The message of this campaign is that it is not just me, it is us. We have got to be in it together, if my family hurts, you will be there for me, and if your family hurts, I will be there for you,” said Sanders.

Both congresspeople and the other speakers talked of unity and care for one another; this was made the theme of the rally and every speaker touched on it. Ocasio-Cortez talked about it, but so did Linn County Supervisor Stacey Walker.

“We’ve all got to stand up together and fight for one another and the only candidate who is willing to fight for everyone is Bernie Sanders,” said Walker.

But unity wasn’t the only theme of the rally. Another was fighting against money in politics. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have both spoken out against money in politics, with Ocasio-Cortez running on a grassroots campaign for her seat and Sanders for the presidency. 

“No president can do it alone, without a strong grassroots movement, because we understand that power in this country lies in the corporate elites. I am talking about Wall Street, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military-industrial complex, the prison-industrial complex, the whole damn one percent,” said Sanders.

Sanders has centered his campaign on unity of the working class and everyone in the bottom 99 percent. He finished his rally by laying out his new vision for America.

“When we talk about a new vision for America, we will not allow Donald Trump to divide us based on our color of skin, where we were born, or our sexual orientation. We will bring everyone together,” said Sanders.