If Bernie is for real, he missed a great opportunity to explain his campaign. He talks about a revolution — millions of people rising up to take back the country. If he truly believes that, he missed the boat completely last night with his answers to audience members questions.
There is no question Republicans have screwed over the state. Snyder imposed Emergency Managers have run roughshod over elected officials to impose austerity measures time and time again. Their criminal action with Flint’s water is just one of the latest cases of mismanagement. So when asked by an audience member
Q on Detroit schools and issues with rats, mold, non-certified teachers, etc. Our students need help. Who's going to step up and ensure that Detroit schools will perform for the students?
Meteor Blades summarized Bernie’s response
Sanders thanks the mom for standing up and fighting back. He agrees that a great nation is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable and adds "we should be ashamed" of how we treat kids and elderly. Says the Rs in Congress are trying to give tax cuts to billionaires but somehow we can't provide a decent education to our kids. He says we will invest in our education system and have the best in the world…
If he’s gonna lead a revolution, this is exactly the wrong thing to say. He sounded like, as Republicans love to say, a typical Democrat politician, talking about Federal government handouts.
Now I’m no politician. And I have little tack. But if he wants and needs a revolution, it seems to me he should have said something along the lines of the following.
“You’re not gonna like my answer. But I’m speaking to all members of this audience, now, and all viewers of this debate and all people who read morning newspapers. You ask, ‘Who's going to step up and ensure that Detroit schools will perform for the students?’ The short answer is, ‘You are.’ ”
“A famous man once said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.’ We’ve lost sight of that admonition in the 50 years that have passed. Last I saw, Michigan has a Republican governor and a legislature controlled by Republicans too. You need a government that works for you instead of the millionaires and billionaires. I can’t give that to you. I can help, but only you can vote. Only concerned Michiganders can organize, knock on doors, drive people to the polling places and vote! Yes, vote. And it starts at the local level. It starts with the school board. But as we’ve seen here, it goes all the way to the top — to the governor’s chair.”
“Now, to be fair, you’ve been in a war, and you probably didn’t know it. There’s a couple of billionaires, who’ve organized two or three hundred other millionaires and billionaires who are out to take over the country. And I can hear people saying, ‘Oh, here comes the class warfare thing.’ Well, in 2008, Republicans started Project Redmap. Look it up. I’m not making this up. They even have their own website that explains everything I’m about to tell you — in detail! What was Project Redmap? Well, I’ll tell ya. (Can’t you hear Bernie saying that?) Project Redmap was a concentrated effort by a group of well funded Republicans to take control of state legislatures. Not just all legislatures, just the legislatures that were losing or gaining Congressional seats so that they would have to go through redistricting in 2010. And only in states where the legislature draws the new maps. It was hugely successful. They caught Democrats sleeping. Republicans did take over something like 27 state legislatures. They did redraw Congressional and state legislature boundaries to give Republicans majorities. It’s called Gerrymandering. And that’s a major reason why today, we have a Republican House when more people voted for Democrats than Republicans. Republicans stole your vote! And that’s why it’s clear to informed citizens, that Republicans are waging war. On you! And it’s time you stood up and voted. Less than half the people who could, vote. If we get half of that half to get to the polls to vote for candidates who believe in democracy, and by that, I mean Democrats, even in these Gerrymandered states, we can elect the democratic government we need and deserve.”
“I believe this is a powerful message. Republicans like to say, ‘I built that.’ Let Michigan be the shining example of what that phrase really means. Let Michigan be the beacon to the country, ‘This is what Republican rule, means. It means Emergency Managers — destroying democracy. It means poisoned water. It means Corporations and billionaires in control, destroying our environment, our economy.’ And let’s fix this come November!
“Now, what can I, as President, do? The most important, immediate job of the next President is to nominate a liberal candidate for the Supreme Court. A Sanders Justice Department will sue these Gerrymandered states for defeating equal protection. We must pursue justice through the courts. Second, a Sanders Justice Department will sue states to get rid of Emergency Managers and restore democracy so that your vote will count. Not just on school boards, but on all levels and areas of state government, such as water districts. The most powerful thing President Sanders can do is to restore your vote so you can fix it yourself and throw the bums out!”
The point is, he says, “we need a revolution” but is doesn’t call on people to rise up. He doesn’t seem to want to be the leader of that revolution.