I just dug out an old email I sent to my family on March 7th, 2014. I titled it “I wouldn’t bet the house on him but …”In the mail I wrote about my enthusiasm for Bernie Sanders joining the fray for the 2016 presidential nomination after having read the following article.
When I think back to that time and all that has happened in between, I am absolutely amazed where things are and would love more than anything to have my earlier prognostication proven wrong. I continue to prefer to take the long view on his candidacy and whether or not he becomes the nominee, I think he has shown that there is a large percentage of the population to which his message resonates and those people will still want leadership whether Bernie ends up being the nominee or not.
But looking at things with a shorter lens, it’s still amazing to think of where we are. Essentially, a tie in Iowa and very encouraging poll results from New Hampshire and nationally so far in February. I wonder if there are a messaging alterations he could consider to try to get current Hillary supporters to consider converting. It seems that he has picked off all the low hanging fruit and if he is to keep getting larger and larger percentages of people to vote for him, he is going to have to convince some Hilary supporters, and or moderate/establishment democrats, to join his camp. It could be challenging, but I also think that this may be a more critical point of his campaign, than it will be when he faces the Republicans and or Bloomberg in November.
None of my suggestions mean he should change the content of his proposals ideas, but perhaps some of the wording, framing or tone to expand the depth of his message and draw a clearer picture for everybody listening.
1. One idea don’t just call it a “political revolution” but “a political revolution back to common sense”. The image of revolution is one of mobs, clenched fists and government facilities in ruin. Such an image is defined as radical or extreme and Bernie and has spokespeople are often defending themselves from that label. But the revolution Bernie is talking about is simply breaking through the walls of our imprisoned thought system that tell us - in Hilary’s own words no less - that universal healthcare is a theoretical idea “that will never, ever, come to pass”. The key word in my amended version is “back”. We were before (pretty much) the country Bernie wants us to become again and that makes this all the more attainable with the correct paradigm shift.
*Let me just add a side note about healthcare. As my family lives in Japan and am enrolled in Japan’s mandatory universal healthcare program I must say that is one of the main reasons I stay here, even though I would love for my kids to spend some of their formative years growing up in the U.S. Is it perfect? No, but when it is free for your kids - yes, free for hospital stays, meds, everything - until they get out of Junior HS, and costs for adults are very reasonable too (In 2015 two surgeries with hospital stays for a total of three nights in private rooms totaled $1,500 ) it makes it very hard to leave because that safety net is there, it works and it helps me feel… wait for it… free and independent.
2. Secondly, I would love for the Sanders campaign to start using the word “consistency” more. The word is so appropriate because it sums up the key difference between Bernie and his willingness to keep saying the same things vs. Hillary’s historic weather vaning on just about every issue. Look at old videos of what Bernie said years ago and what he says now, then also look at old videos of Hillary, and all of the Republican candidates for that matter, about what they said before and what they say now. It can’t be expressed in more simpler terms; People trust Bernie. They trust him because he is consistent. Everyone knows where he stood, stands and will be standing on January 20th 2017. That counts a ton for me, especially because it seems today’s politicians are willing to contradict themselves from one appearance to the next.
All that said, Bernie’s gotten further than I thought he would when I penned the original email two years ago, and no sense fixing something that ain’t broke. I am starting to wonder if this is something that will boil over beyond anybody’s wildest imagination, and if that’s the case, we will need Bernie’s common sense and consistency to make sure we stay on track.
