On Feb. 24, presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders visited Kansas City for a rally. The self-described Democratic socialist, speaking to a rapturous crowd of several thousand at the Kansas City Convention Center, promised a massive federal jobs program, student debt relief and a higher minimum wage. He also took strikes at the wealthy elite, Wall Street and Governor Sam Brownback.

“In Kansas, you’ve got a governor who likes to beat up on the poor,” Sanders said.

That prompted a chorus of boos among the crowd.

Sanders has done exceptionally well among young people and the rally showed sure signs of a promising young voter base. It was not really expected that that many people would show up. Kansas and Missouri are decidedly red states and Sanders is very much not red. In fact, the term “democratic socialist” tends to scare people off, especially in more conservative states such as these.

Sanders talked of bringing a change in politics and getting the people more involved with their policymaking.  

“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” Sanders said followed by a lengthy applause.

But when it came down to it, his message was clear: it doesn’t matter who you’re voting for; political participation is important on either side of the spectrum.

Just to add to his political momentum, Senator Sanders won the Democratic primaries in Kansas and Nebraska on March 5.