Fox News Democratic Town halls

[ehrnst]

55. Of course you didn't see that anyone walk out. They were required to attend.

They were polite to the news media. You seemed to see some "piercing of the bubble" - what does that mean? That they didn't speak like you anticipated that they would? That they would feel empowered or permitted to boo him at a required convocation?

So, nothing they said indicated that they indeed articulated that they had changed their mind on climate change.

I just wanted to clarify that this is something that you "seemed to see" - that they were saying things to a media person you didn't expect them to say. You are making a lot of assumptions, and giving much, much credit to Senator Sanders that isn't really backed up by evidence about the ability to "make inroads."

What is "making inroads?" Other than being polite when asked by the media what they thought of a speaker? Especially one that LU wanted there specifically to prove that they weren't "an echo chamber."

Even your language describing what you saw as definite evidence of "bubble piercing" and "getting through to" these conservative Christian college students is very vague. Perhaps you expected them to boo him? To talk about him in a way that would be bad manners? "Disruptive behavior" is not permitted, along with "Causing public embarrassment to the College, the University, or its representatives or employees." - which would cover being rude or commenting poorly on a guest speaker (Especially an older man) in front of the media. .

You may want to have seen this effect he had on these students, but it's not something that's really quantifiable, or based in fact, but your subjective feelings about Senator Sanders. That's fine, but you just need to acknowlege that it's something you feel, not something objective and quantifiable.

It would be hard to believe that Bernie Sanders won many votes after his speech, but his very appearance seems to have made a difference. It legitimized the more liberal or progressive minority on campus — certainly to themselves and possibly to the University at large. It was a catalyst to come out into the open. Dylan Childers, a political science major with a “Bernie 2016” sign, said, “Over 90 percent right-wing here, but they are more open to opinions than you imagine. “

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/09/18/bernie-sanders-spoke-at-jerry-falwells-college-heres-the-reaction-he-got/

Maybe, despite your assumptions about the "bubble" there are those who were already thinking that way before Sanders came to speak.