(I originally posted this, most of it anyway, as a comment to one of OPOL's posts / diary / blog entry / article / what-ever-we-call-it-now-thingies. I have added a few things, so be sure to read and watch.)
Here are a couple of videos I wanted to share with you about Bernie and hope that you, with your ability to articulate much much better than I could, will write a post. These are videos I don’t think many on here (Daily Kos have seen)
As I watched these videos, I wondered to myself, where the fuck was Hillary? She sure wasn’t speaking out against war, income inequality (way before OWS made the 99% message popular) and possible alternatives to war.
Some of these are a bit long but most often Bernie, in his usual way, get’s to the point quickly and the expands on detail from there.
All of these are early, early videos that clearly show, 1) his consistent message 2) He’s been doing this almost his entire life (fighting for the people, ALL PEOPLE) 3) he doesn’t have to evolve on issues over time as the political winds (focus groups) dictate or change, he was SPOT ON WAY BACK THEN!
I think the last point is the most salient, he was ahead of the issues way before everyone else. 30 years later, mainstream America is finally, actually getting close to catching up to even understanding the issues.
GO BERNIE GO!
1985 — Bernie Sanders + Noam Chomsky: Deciphering Foreign Policy Jargon
1985 — Bernie Sanders Press Conference about His Nicaragua Trip
For those of you who don't think Senator Sanders has any foreign policy experience, answer me this, where was Hillary Clinton in 1985?
1986 — Bernie does a Q & A with West Point Cadets
When was the Last time Hillary Clinton advocated an alternative to war? (Don't even get me started on Syria, ugh!)
1986 — Bernie addresses the National Rainbow Coalition
1988 — Bernie Sanders Condemns Israel's "Reprehensible" Attacks on Palestinians, Praises Jesse Jackson
Oh Gee, in 1988, who’s campaigning for a Black President? (Where was Hillary?)
1988 - Bernie Sanders' First Appearance on C-Span, Answers Questions from Callers
Yes in 1988, Bernie Sanders was advocating for equal pay for women! (Where was Hillary?)
1990 - C-SPAN Interviews Bernie Sanders Right After He Becomes a Congressman
1991 - Bernie Sanders: NAFTA and National Priorities
1991 - Bernie Sanders Vigorously Opposes the Gulf War, the First Iraq War
It was this first speech (in the video) on the floor of the "empty" house, that captured my affinity for congressman Sanders (at the time) and it was love at first sight (so to speak).
I was working at an engineering company, mentoring under an electrical engineer who had fought in both WWII and Korea, as well as served as adviser during the Vietnam war, and became a Texas Sheriff for 12 years. He talked me out of re-enlisting to go fight, by telling me about Bernie Sanders. (I had originally enlisted when I turned 18, over 30 years ago during Reagan's time in Office, ugh!)
1991 - Bernie Sanders on the S & L Bail Outs (I thought we just did that in 2008/2009, a pattern, bailing out banks, that has been repeating for sometime.)
1995 - Bernie Sanders goes after Duke Cunningham on remarks he made about "homo's" in the military
(In supporting an amendment to a water bill helping protect the environment none the less. Gee in 1995 supporting gays in the military and environmental protections.
Bernie Sanders hasn’t evolved on the issues, the world has finally evolved to where Bernie is, which was, and is, light years ahead of the majority, of all of us.
I saw a comment by someone on here (DK) about the lack of financial wealth of Bernie and that he (Bernie) was a bad financial manager, to only have a total net worth $500K. I reckon to someone who worships money that maybe the case, those of us that money (obscene wealth) isn’t that important, will have a bit less total net worth than those that do and won’t be ashamed for it.
That comment represents what is truly wrong with the democratic party today. It’s become all about money. Lots of money = success is the logic, everyone else, well fuck you, get a job paying 7.50 per hour paying off that 50K college debt for a degree the market doesn’t give a shit about.