I know criticizing Bernie is asking to get flagged and man-splained with eight paragraph long comments around here but I really don’t care. He’s supposed to be our Outreach Chair. How hard can it be to do Outreach during the Resistance, when so many are taking political action that they’ve never done before? And please don’t give him credit for the people in the streets. There are brilliant activists and organizers out there making that happen.
I just watched him give the same interview he’s given 10,000 times on All In With Chris Hayes and...he spent the first segment complaining that his Town Hall was canceled in WV tonight. So his latest appearance on a cable news campaign-like event isn’t going to happen. Is that the main thrust of the Outreach we want the Democratic party to be doing? Debating Ted Cruz and talking to Trump voters to try and feel their pain? The majority of this country thinks Trump is awful, even people who voted for him at this point. Second segment he mentioned how he expects more ACA Town Halls, Trump is a pathological liar and finished up with Trump not draining the Wall St swamp.
I give Bernie some credit for seizing the moment and getting people fired up last year. Like many people, I rolled my eyes as he made HRC into the mascot for corporate greed/gov’t. corruption (in the era of the Koch Bros) and questioned her qualifications. But I volunteer with my local Dems, I’m not ignorant to the fact that he inspired a lot of people. To this day I think if the Democratic Party ran feel-good PSAs about voting 365 days a year, in the vein of his America ad, we could inspire more people to get registered, talk about voting with their kids and show up at the polls.
That’s why I’m expecting more. If he took on the job of Outreach Chair he must agree we need more, and more active, Democrats. As a volunteer in the field, I’m confident in the changes my state party has made. I see things happening. Heads have rolled, there is a game plan, emphasis where it seems it should be (WI). Now I’m waiting for the DNC Chair race to conclude so we can see what will come down the line in terms of organizing and money for offices, etc. I don’t really know anyone in real life who truly cares about or talks about the DNC race, even fellow Dems. Whoever wins will be our leader and we have some good options.
But in real life almost everyone I know talks and posts on social media endlessly about what the role of the Party should be in the Resistance. Versions of: take the high road, work with them if we can, Obstruct, Shut Him Down, Impeach...there are a lot of opinions there. You can see our leaders trying on different messages, some going hard at Impeach and others working to bring these circles of activism together with pressers and speeches. Many Dem legislators are showing up at Events, marching in their districts (at least they are where I live).
One of the DNC candidates said at a forum that the party should fit into the Resistance, stop trying to lead it. I agree. At this point, Outreach should be articulating to the people marching and and showing up at Town Halls to shout down their GOP legislators that we are with them legislatively. There is a way to do this without co-opting other movements. Are there leaders among the Resistance we can approach about running for local offices? Do we talk to and ask marchers to register and volunteer with our county parties and precincts? Do we have their email for action alerts — making calls to oppose or support legislation? Are we doing Outreach to women as leaders? Women are clearly leading the grassroots resistance.
From Bernie on MSNBC tonight it would have been nice to hear about the massive Dia Sin Latinos in MKE today, maybe something about the Planned Parenthood marches across the country this weekend or refugees crossing over to Canada because they’re scared to be in our country. There was no push to sign up and get involved with the Democratic party. There wasn’t even the suggestion that people who are getting politically involved for the first time in their life due to the massive Anti-Trump Resistance should also Vote Democrat. To me this is 101 every time he’s in front of the camera...as Outreach Chair. I feel like his anti-Wall St, populist message has been enhanced by intersectionality and the recent focus on protected marginalized communities (which our voter base clearly is passionate about), not diminished. If we only chose him to do Outreach for the rural white Trump guys that live on my street, we are losing out.