Like many Berners, I have been nose to the grindstone, finding time to help the campaign when and how I can. This year, I am donating $27 / month, and $2.70 when asked.
And I have been asked a lot. Good.
History just got made today. No candidate, in a competitive primary from either party has won the popular vote in all three early States, until Bernie did. And he did by almost 40 points!
But this diary is not about that. Nor me.
The politics have changed.
People aging into politics have experienced a very different world than those who have been at this a while. In the most basic sense, they do not see the product of the last four decades as something to believe in, to be excited about, a cause to get behind.
Many are jaded, checked out of politics too. Some 40 percent of us do not vote, or will vote very infrequently.
Major party mindshare is down, with indie voters nearing 50 percent of us today.
Fact is far too many Americans to ignore are seeking dramatic change!
They are downtrodden economically.
They are ignored by the major media.
They get nothing but blame and shame from others too.
"Why didn't you vote?"
, or
"You have to vote, because Trump."
Expecting downtrodden people to vote for more of the same politics that lead to Trump, because Trump is madness!
This election is an establishment referendum election. In the most basic sense, it is corporations and big money in politics vs ordinary people looking to improve their lot.
One could also say it is progressives vs everyone else too.
You have a basic choice to make.
Are you willing to fight for someone else as much as you would yourself?
Are you really willing to do whatever it takes to defeat President Trump?
Should you say yes to those things, realize this election is probably not about you as much as it is that massive number of Americans who have had enough.
This election is not about who people voted for in past elections. This election is not about judging other people either.
It is all about the votes we all will cast this time!
It is about those downtrodden people!
It is about those of us who need help the most!
It is about real change too.
Most importantly, it is about change coming whether we like it or not!
There is no going back to the familiar politics of our lives. Electing Donald Trump put an end to all that.
In a very real sense, that dramatic change is upon us!
This election is all about the kind of change that will endure, not any sort of return to politics of the past.
Will you join us?
Yes, I mean get behind Bernie Sanders and millions of hard working Americans donating all they have in some cases, and in all cases, working their asses off to not only defeat Trump, but do so with strong policy ideas aimed right at a brighter, more equitable future for everyone.
We can win.
Sanders is running on, "Not me, US!" and means it.
There is a basic difference between the Sanders style of politicking and that of everyone else in the Democratic Primary race today:
Sanders is organizing for change while the others are in sales, essentially.
The basis for our campaign, and I say "our" in the sense intended here: Sanders knows damn well a single person cannot do what needs to be done. But millions of people can!
And we are too. One donation, one phone call, text message, conversation, shared story, downtrodden person heard, spoken with, not at a time.
Will you join us?
I hope you will. Again, the past does not matter. Who you supported, why, battles fought, barbs thrown…
All that really matters is that we get this right. And to do that, we need to fight for others, hear their stories, share our own and come together for common cause.
Medicare For All
You want UNITY? Even the enemy needs to see the doctor. Polling in Nevada today showed 60 percent or better support for Medicare for all.
Know what the culinary union members said?
"We want our relatives to have the same care we get."
Powerful!
Will you join us?
Should you join us, know you will be a part of history! This campaign has been in the works since the very day Trump took office. From day one it has, and will continue to be about that 40 some percent of us jaded, non voters, chewed up, worn down Americans who need help the most.
From day one it has been about the least of us.
From day one it has been about a brighter, more equitable, more livable future for everyone.
Even the enemy.
Will you join us?
We can win big! Epic. No other campaign has what we do, and that is a movement, that sense of being part of something bigger than we are, that crackle of excitement that can get doors to open, people motivated, eager to participate!
Please join us!
We will defeat Trump and bring the kind of dramatic change so many struggling, downtrodden Americans need, and we have another thing the others do not have to make it endure!
We do not go away.
And that is why the politics have changed. The hard truth is the politics of the last several decades simply did not work for enough Americans. And now that the number of us left out to struggle, die early, work too much for too little have grown high enough to justify change, we simply are organizing to garner power and advance necessary change!
Sanders will continue the movement elected POTUS or not. Naturally, being elected is the better scenario, but if somehow that does not happen, nothing really changes.
We will continue after Bernie is done too. The next wave of progressives are learning all they can right now, and building for the future right now.
Millions of us will still be organizing for change, taking seats in Congress, talking to people about the ideas, creating new media voices, getting in the streets if need be.
2016 showed all of us one does not need to be POTUS to lead!
We know when we continue to do the work for a better, public good, that public good can and will happen.
So we will just keep doing the work. We have to! Nobody else can or will do that work, or it would have already begun.
Please join us.
Make this historic effort be the start of a brighter, more equitable, heal the planet era of prosperity and continued social progress for everyone!
We all really do mean it.
One last thing:
I want you to think really hard about what: "Not me, US" really MEANS!
It does not mean a thing to be traded, or sold, or dictated.
Votes do not work like that, nor do movements.
Just stating hard facts for your consideration.
Please join us. Will you join us?
Hope to see you out there making history! It feels amazing! It will be worth it.