(CNN) - America is suddenly feeling "the Bern" -- the political momentum that seems to be lifting Bernie Sanders, who is drawing huge crowds wherever he goes, including roughly 28,000 fans in Portland and over 17,500 in Los Angeles. Celebrities such as Sarah Silverman and Mark Ruffalo are singing his praises, and California rapper "Lil B The Based God" this week pulled away from Hillary Clinton and is endorsing Sanders.
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I've lived in Vermont for nearly four decades, and I've watched Bernie (everyone here calls him Bernie) at work, listening to him carefully since he first won the mayor's job in Burlington in 1981. I've read his position papers, listened to many of his speeches and attended his town hall-type forums, even talked to him personally about the issues that concern him. Most Vermonters know him well, and we have a pretty good idea about what he might attempt to do in the Oval Office.

... much more here:

http://www.kesq.com/news/imagine-a-president-bernie-sanders-opinion/34661248

http://www.trbimg.com/img-55c98a65/turbine/la-2435477-me-0810-bernie-mwy-0174-jpg-20150810/900/900x506

Marilynn Manderscheid is a retired elementary school teacher who drove from Orange County to hear Sanders speak Monday night. She said that despite polls that show Sanders trailing Clinton, she believes he's a serious challenger.

"I remember when John F. Kennedy won when everyone said a Catholic couldn't possibly be elected. I walked precincts for Barack Obama when people said a mixed-race man could not win but he did," Manderscheid said. "So, yes, I think Bernie — if he sticks to his message — will have a strong chance at winning the primary."

Ledbetter, the 17-year-old, said she thought Sanders was taking the right approach to women's rights issues and income inequality.

"He's the first candidate I've really felt a resonance with," added Ledbetter, who said she had followed politics since she was 10.

Streety, of Orange County, said she had been discouraged by politics and had stopped voting. She didn't cast a ballot during the last presidential election.

"I was politically stagnant," she said. "I felt like my vote didn't count."

But she said Sanders had resurrected her faith in elections. She was also moved by the young faces in the crowd.

"These kids are elated. I can feel it," Streety said. "These kids are going to vote."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sanders-california-20150811-story.html#page=1
(Lots more good photos of the event in the article also)

Google Hangout live feed on youtube


Starts 7pm PDT at Memorial Sports Arena - Capacity @16,750
Local news reports long lines and probable full house.

A labor organization that represents nurses nationwide -- composed predominantly of women -- endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday, the first union support he’s received in his long-shot quest to capture the Democratic presidential nomination over Hillary Rodham Clinton.

National Nurses United praised Sanders for his “uncompromised activism” in its endorsement at an Oakland gathering, ahead of his trip to Los Angeles where he’s set to hold a nighttime rally at Memorial Sports Arena.
...
For Curtis Chin, the Vermont senator is appealing to progressives because he represents fundamental change. Chin lives in Los Angeles and is a member of Asian Americans for Bernie Sanders, an informal grass-roots group that is separate from the campaign.

"He's really trying to change the system," Chin said. "We need a government that works for the people, and I really think he'll do it."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-bernie-sanders-los-angeles-20150810-story.html

Bernie speaks to 12000+ @ George Washington Univ in Seattle

Live Feed:

Everyone was trying to get a few more words in during last night's Republican debate, and that included the Democrats, who were chiming in on Twitter — apparently to some success. Twitter says that Bernie Sanders ended up with the most retweeted tweet of the night, out of all presidential candidates. It's no surprise given that Sanders continues to draw huge crowds by tapping into the issues that Democrats care about. The same goes here, where he literally just lists things Democrats are concerned with:
Bernie SandersVerified account
‏@BernieSanders
It's over. Not one word about economic inequality, climate change, Citizens United or student debt. That's why the Rs are so out of touch.

Sanders is, of course, right.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/8/7/9116809/bernie-sanders-most-retweeted-during-first-gop-debate

According to Twitter, the hashtag #DebateWithBernie was used 56,748 times and @BernieSanders was mentioned 59,935 times during the debate.

Bernie Sanders has been dubbed the “underdog Democrat” in this presidential election. As a committed ally to labor unions and the middle class, Sanders is determined to run a campaign financially unaffiliated with American billionaires.

When he announced his bid for the U.S. presidency, many doubted that he could gain enough momentum to really compete with Democrat likely, Hillary Clinton. However, after raising $15 million in 2 months and pulling 10,000 people into a campaign rally, many are seeing him as a potential threat to Clinton.

For his entire career, Sanders has dedicated himself to being the voice of the average person. He speaks for those who are not often heard due to their lack of capital. Often being described as a socialist, Sanders’ economic policy reflects his constituents’ desires, creating a world that truly gives everyone the chance to be a part of the “American Dream” regardless of race, gender, class or religious affiliation.

Because Sanders’ potential presence in the Oval Office is positive for the U.S. working class and those subject to abject poverty in America, it would also be great for global poverty abroad.

...

Bernie Sanders’ presence in the White House could not only greatly impact those living in the United States, but also those abroad. His aggressive approach to eradicating poverty would be a great asset to those subject to absolute poverty in developing countries.

http://borgenproject.org/bernie-sander-global-poverty/

GOP Debate night coverage from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/07/430318242/inside-hillary-clintons-debate-watch-war-room

While the Republican candidates debated Thursday night, Democratic campaigns tried to make the most of the moment, offering rapid response.


At the Hillary Clinton campaign headquarters on the 11th floor of an office building in Brooklyn, N.Y., about 50 staff members gathered to watch the debate. Some were working. Others were holding beers (at least one wrapped in the "Chillary Clinton" beer koozie sold in the campaign merch store).
...
Hillary Clinton wasn't at her campaign headquarters for the debate, though. She was in California at a fundraiser attended by 250 people. She raised more than $600,000 in 90 minutes. Kim Kardashian (the entrepreneur who is famous for being famous) and her rapper husband Kanye West were among those in attendance. Kardashian blasted out a selfie she shot with Clinton to all her social media channels. West looks to be photo bombing in the background.


...

Meanwhile, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders watched from Washington, D.C. His spokesman says they "splurged" and got pizza.

"Tonight, follow the debates live with me and use the hashtag #DebateWithBernie to join the conversation."

According to Twitter, the hashtag #DebateWithBernie was used 56,748 times and @BernieSanders was mentioned 59,935 times during the debate.

A lot of Portlanders want to see Bernie Sanders this weekend. How many? Too many to fit in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The rally for the Vermont senator and surging Democratic presidential candidate is this Sunday, Aug. 9—and the campaign just announced a change of venues.

Sanders was originally scheduled to speak at the 12,888-seat Coliseum, but Sanders’ campaign today announced it's progressing (get it? GET IT?) to the nearby Moda Center, which seats 19,980.

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-33564-bernie_sanders_is_too_big_for_veterans_memorial_coliseum.html

Another brief local News Site article (Portland, Oregon) ... again with a surprisingly long readers' comments section, with a few detractors and many enthusiastic Sanders supporters.

Sanders will be at Westlake Park in Seattle Saturday afternoon to speak at a "Social Security Works" rally, followed that evening by a campaign rally at the University of Washington. He's also scheduled to hold a rally at Portland's Memorial Coliseum Sunday night, before heading to an event in Los Angeles Monday.
http://www.khq.com/story/29728522/bernie-sanders-brings-campaign-to-west-coast

If anyone has (or finds) Live Feed links for any of these big events, PLEASE POST THEM

1st EDIT:In anticipation of large crowd, Bernie Sanders Portland's Memorial Coliseum rally moved to Moda Center:
According to KATU's news partners at Willamette Week, the coliseum has a capacity of 12,888, while the Moda Center can seat nearly 20,000.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 7 p.m. We'll be streaming it all on KATU.com.