Texas Feels the Bern:
There are two ways to qualify to run for president on the Texas Democratic primary ballot, one can pay a $5,000 fee (Correction — SEE COMMENTS: LoneStarMike found/quoted the actual amount, and the fee is $2,500) or submit 5,000 verified signatures of Texas voters. The last person to qualify through signatures was Jesse Jackson in the 1980s.
Before noon today, 10,420 signatures supporting Bernie’s place on the ballot were walked from the Texas Capitol to the office of the Texas Democratic Party. This is a people-powered campaign attracting everyday folks who want our country to work for all of us, not primarily the 1%.
For anyone who thinks that the power of one person -or just a few people- can’t make a difference in this world, a MAJOR nod is due to one family which did the lion’s share of coordinating the signature-gathering effort. They trained people throughout the state and served as collection central for the entire job. Once signatures were collected and petitions notarized, VIDs (voter identification numbers) had to be ascertained from the various Texas counties until it was eventually possible to access to the system which keeps track for the whole state. The work was labor-intensive, time-consuming and rather mind-numbing, truth be known — but very worth it for the sense of collective accomplishment. Ultimately, there were dozens of signature-gatherers from around the state, but each petition came back to sit alongside all the others and the achievement was accomplished. Congrats, guys, on such successful work, and congrats to the Texas campaign staff supporting the efforts of those working to elect Bernie Sanders as President of the United States!
From LoneStarMike who attended the rally:
I think there were about 75 people who showed up. Some even brought their preschool age children. It was a really good mix of young, middle aged and a bit older. A few members took the signatures to the Democratic Party state headquarters, while the rest of us marched over to where Congress Ave. dead-ends at 11th St. out in front of the Capitol with signs, chanting, etc.
It was a gorgeous day, and at first we got a few honks, but as noon drew closer, the traffic started picking up and we started getting lots of honks. We didn’t get many honks from Cadillacs and other luxury vehicles. Mostly from regular cars driven by regular working people. Some of the people who honked were driving commercial vehicles, like delivery trucks, etc. Two of the cars that honked had rolled down their windows and they waved their Bernie signs back at us. And every honk we got was like a vitamin injection. We’d hear a honk and all wave our signs and yell “Wooooo!”
In addition to Austinites, we had some folks from San Antonio, Bryan/College Station, Houston, and one lady was from Wisconsin. Don’t know if she was visiting and decided to join in or came down specifically for the event.
***Hat Tip Due*** About half the photos are mine, and the other half were taken by a campaign volunteer with a really good eye. Not sure he has a handle here, will update when I find out…
KTSA — San Antonio
There was a time when you might have thought the idea of seeing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders name on a ballot in Texas would be laughable.
That’s not the case anymore.