Dick Van Dyke Serenades Crowd at Bernie Sanders Rally After Endorsing the Presidential Hopeful Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke gave Bernie Sanders supporters in Los Angeles a moment to remember when he broke into song at a campaign rally for the Vermont senator.
The 94-year-old actor took the stage at the LA Convention Center, delighting the crowd with a playful rendition of “We Love You Conrad” from Bye Bye Birdie, reworked into a heartfelt tribute: “We love you, Bernie, yes we do. We love you, Bernie, and we’ll be true. When you’re not near us, we’re blue. Oh Bernie, we love you.”
The audience roared with applause as Van Dyke grinned from behind the podium, later joking about the attention on Sanders’ age. Introducing himself as “what’s left of Dick Van Dyke,” he quipped, “I’m 15 years older than Bernie!” Van Dyke praised Sanders as a lifelong patriot rather than a career politician, saying:
“He’s never been — to me — a career politician. He’s just a patriot who worked as hard as he could.” Winning Over the Crowd Social media lit up with reactions to the impromptu performance. One attendee tweeted that the Mary Poppins star “just charmed the pants off 35,000 people.” Another wrote: “Dick Van Dyke absolutely crushed it. What an incredible moment to see this 94-year-old genius LIVE!”
A Formal Endorsement The rally appearance came just days after Van Dyke formally endorsed Sanders in a campaign video. In it, he urged older voters to support the senator, dismissing concerns about age.
“I know I’m 20 years older than Bernie. I have all my marbles! I could run for office if I wanted to,” he said. “So I don’t think age really matters, except for his experience and the years he’s put in.” Calling the 2020 race “the most important election since the end of World War II,” Van Dyke argued Sanders’ consistency and honesty make him the right candidate. “Another four years of the current administration and we won’t have democracy anymore,” he warned. With his humor, warmth, and heartfelt plea, Van Dyke reminded the audience that even at 94, he still knows how to steal the spotlight — and rally a crowd.
