Rocking the Caucus

Our two female delegates, Mary and Kay, flank "Bernie" on either side, while Alecia and I take the ends.

Rocking the Caucus

by Cindy A. Matthews

I'm not a political animal by nature. Never in a million years (not an exaggeration) would I have thought I'd "volunteer" to run as a delegate for Bernie Sanders to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer. But when I told another Bernie campaign organizer back in early December which district I was in, he said, "You've got to be a delegate!" 

"Okay," I thought, "If Bernie needs help to win our state and I live in a mostly rural, heart-of-Republican-country congressional district, then I'm willing to go out of my comfort zone and do it for him. It'll be a learning experience."

One thing to be said for being a Bernie supporter: You learn a lot of new things in a very short period of time.

My husband and I drove approximately 50 miles to our district caucus site at a Knights of Columbus bingo hall in Marion, Ohio and only got lost once. Yes, we had to travel that far--so did many others, if not further. Some traveled upwards of 95 to 100 miles, one way. Looking at a map of the 4th Congressional district of Ohio, the word "gerrymander" springs to mind. 

Ohio U.S. District 4

You would be shocked to see that it begins in the Northeastern quadrant of the state just outside the western suburbs of Cleveland, zigs, zags and serpentine-crawls it way through the middle of the state hitting our Northwest county of Seneca, dips southeasterly again through Marion in the central area of the state and then makes it way westerly to Lima and then dives south to Sidney, just north of Dayton. In this manner, the Republicans have been able to carve out a niche and install a Tea Party/Freedom Caucus idiot--excuse me, gentleman--named Jim Jordan as our U.S. House representative. We are predominately rural, small town and suburban, yet in one Congressional district we touch upon the outer Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Dayton metropolitan areas. 

Not bad. All we're missing of the top five largest cities in Ohio is Cincinnati, and I'm sure Republicans are working on a way to zigzag in some of their 'burbs. You realize they can't have us rural/small town folks hooking up with an actual big city, don't you? Oh, no! We might be influenced to vote against the G.O.P. if we ever had contact with our big city neighbors.

Dave, one of our delegates.

The well-paying union jobs in our district have long gone to Mexico with NAFTA, and the family farms have all but withered away in the agribusiness takeover explosion of the last decades. You'd be pardoned to believe the Democratic base in this gerrymandered nightmare of a district isn't perhaps the strongest. I believed it, too, until I saw the enthusiastic Bernie supporters in the K. of C. bingo hall. People in our downtrodden district really love Bernie Sanders!

As we came into the hall, the Bernie supporters didn't appear to be in majority, but I learned later that the Hillary supporters had been provided transportation to the caucus by chartered bus, courtesy of a national union whose leaders have endorsed her. Even if we were slightly outnumbered, I can say for certain we were the liveliest and most enthusiastic group there. (Martin O'Malley's campaign failed to get the prerequisite number of signatures to be qualified for the Ohio primary ballot. I wasn't sure if any of his supporters were present or if they had migrated to one corner of the room or the other.)

The "Hillary corner" of the caucus had about twenty more people than our group my husband estimated, but they didn't strike me as the happiest of souls. The word "lethargic" comes to mind. Many were well-dressed. They didn't look like they were "working class" individuals but older, retired couples who enjoy a weekly steak dinner and a drink or two at their local country club… Not exactly working farmers or blue-collar factory workers or high school science teachers or nurses or college students struggling with overwhelming loan debt.

Jamie gives delegate Mary's Bernie stand-up sign a thumbs up!

Frankly, Bernie fans are my type of people. They're animated and came dressed in their t-shirts, hats, hoodies and wearing badges and carrying signs. They can't contain their enthusiasm for Bernie and how much they admire him and his progressive agenda. If I were throwing a party, I'd invite the "Berners" any day of the week. They're fun and friendly people. In direct contradiction to the mainstream media political pundits, we had a much higher percentage of women in our group than the Hillary camp. 

By contrast, the Clintonistas acted subdued, orderly. They just didn't display much pep. We didn't see any t-shirts, hats, badges or anything else that would designate them as fans of the former secretary of state. When an elderly couple wandered in a little later in the evening and sat in the back of the room (not huddling with either group), I thought perhaps when they saw all the cars in the parking lot they thought it meant it was Bingo Night instead of the Democratic delegate caucus. Maybe they really were a part of the Hillary caucus? Their subduedness and apartness fit in with that group's vibe.

To the detriment of all, the bingo hall had terrible acoustics. At half-basketball-court size, it wasn't big enough for the approximately 80 people present. Delegates were given 60 seconds to give their "stump speech" to persuade people to vote for them. Of course, the Clintonistas were doing likewise just a few feet from our tables… Bedlam! Neither side had a mircophone or a megaphone. Talk about challenging for the hard of hearing. I really had to concentrate to hear any of the speeches. 

When I caught one of the Hillary supporters behind us bellowing "I'm a FDR Democrat!" I just had to wonder why this older gentleman was sitting in the other corner of the room. Hadn't he heard Bernie's latest speech on Wall Street? It would have made FDR proud. Of course, an elderly voter probably doesn't watch You Tube or get online very often. More than likely, he watches the local news or gets his political fix from CNN or Fox. Another on-the-fence older couple I talked to earlier in the evening stated, "We love Bernie, but he's not going to win the primary." When I asked them if they'd watched any of his speeches or rallies online and did they know anything about the large number of people attending his events and how inaccurate the mainstream media polling data was, they looked at me with quizzical yet hopeful eyes. I'm happy to say they ended up caucusing with the Bernie group.

Our district gets to select four delegates per candidate--two male and two female--to be sent to the national convention. And what a long slate of names we had! We had eight women and at least six men to choose from--all very intelligent and enthusiastic candidates. It was a tough choice.

How did I do? Since I couldn't hear the first two ladies at all in the noisy hall when my time came to speak, I did like all mothers and schoolteachers everywhere do to get attention: I stood on my chair and projected loudly to our group. I got a nice round of applause, too.

Unfortunately, I came in third place in the female delegate election. I lost by one measly vote. Oh, well. At least I don't have to come up with the two or three thousand dollars to cover the costs of the hotel and travel to the convention in Philadelphia. (Whew!) I can cover the convention online and write about since I know four people from my area who can give me their insights. Odds are, not all four of our delegates will be able to attend, but you never know. Bernie could get 75% or more of the primary vote in Ohio. (Fingers crossed!)

We drove home after the caucus tired but energized. Later I learned that as the Hillary charter bus pulled out, they all "honked and waved" at a Bernie Light Brigade LED sign one our group was demonstrating in the parking lot. It seems everyone in the 4th Ohio Congressional district loves Bernie.

 *  *  *

Are you attending a debate watch party on January 17? Are you planning a Bernie meet-up for the live stream event from the man himself on January 23? Go to the national events page and type in your zip code to find an event nearest you. Better yet, sign up to host one yourself and invite all your friends, family members and fellow Berners.  #FeeltheBern and spread the word--Bernie's our next president!

Bernie's Light Brigade is planning another light up the night for Bernie, January 16. Find out how you can help out at the Reddit link and join in the fun.

The Rockland County BLB mix and matches signs to advertise Bernie.

An Honest Socialist

Does this mean Bernie can count on your vote, Gov. Jindal?

An Honest Socialist

by A. J. Matthews

Why shouldn't a person be honest about holding socialist views? Why is being termed a "democratic socialist" seen as a negative thing by politicians like Bobby Jindal? Mostly the word "socialism" suffers because of 70 year old rhetoric still being bandied about today.

Socialism got a bad name during the dark days of the Cold War when it was mistakenly equated with Soviet-style Communism. However, there are significant differences:

1. Socialism is an economic system while communism is both an economic and political system.

2. In socialism, the resources of the economy are managed and controlled by the people themselves through communes or councils while in communism, management and control rest on a few people in a single authoritarian party.

3. Socialists distribute wealth to the people based on an individual’s productive efforts while communists farm out wealth based on an individual’s needs.

4. Socialists can own personal properties while communists can not.

5. Socialism allows capitalism to exist in its midst while communism seeks to get rid of capitalism.

Source: http://www.differencebetween.net/ Read more.

 

These differences were enough to allow the United States from the end of World War II onward to cooperate fully with socialist governments around the world with few qualms since it meant having allies against the Soviet Union. Today, the four Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland can boast of the highest standards of living in the world, and they've had democratic socialist governments for the past seventy years.

Democratic socialists? Who are they?
  

Democratic socialism is a political ideology advocating a democratic political system alongside a socialist economic system, involving a combination of political democracy with social ownership of the means of production. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism

The Cold War is over, and yet there are those who'll use the same rhetoric, inspire that same old fear of "The Reds" to cow the American people into voting against their best interests. As always, follow the money. Certain people face serious problems in making vast sums of money if the American government followed democratic socialist principles. These people are the oligarchs, also known as "the 1%." These people tell us socialism is bad.

Let's face it--the odds that any of us reading this blog will become rich enough to be in that 1% are slim to none. We could work hard our whole lives, save every penny we can, and still we'll have less money at the end of our days than one of these oligarchs obtains in one month.

Think on that. While the corporate bosses, multi-millionaires and billionaires to a man (and yes, they are mostly men) quibble over paying employees a living wage of $15 an hour, most of them have an income that calculates to fifteen bucks or more per second. Most of the 1% place their profits into tax havens such as offshore accounts in the trillions of dollars. It was estimated in 2012 that these oligarchs have funneled at least $32 trillion in financial assets out of the country. 

$32 trillion? Exactly how big is that? Take the digits 3 and 2 and stick twelve zeros behind them: $32,000,000, 000, 000. That's enough to give every man, woman and child currently living in the United States $96,969 each.

Is the hoarding of $32 trillion fair and equitable? No, of course not! It's obscene. Socialism offers a way to place a firm cap on the naked greed of the 1%. It's an honest form of government. To give an example from Bernie Sanders' policies, taxing Wall Street at a tiny .1% per transaction will generate enough money to give everyone who wants to attend college four years free public university tuition, which is in line with many European countries. 

And you read that right--the tax is really that small: just one-tenth of one percent. Consider the kind of wealth Wall Street generates to be able to raise that much money from such a miniscule tax. It's staggering.

There are some folks, usually people who dream of being in the 1% one day, who say, "Socialism means giving someone the shirt off another person's back." This statement is downright misleading and deceptive. The 1% don't care if you have a shirt or not. If you can't afford to buy a shirt from them, the 1% are not interested in you. They've got better things to do, like demanding that their paid-for politicians give them more tax cuts and more corporate welfare subsidies, the money for which comes out of the pockets of the working poor. 

"Shirts for the poor?" asks the 1%. "Who cares about shirts? Who cares about the poor?

There's a lot wrong with this country. Democratic socialism can and will fix it. If the term "Democratic Socialist" still bothers you, perhaps you can use the term "Progressive." Bernie Sanders terms his policies "progressive policies." If you do a little investigating, you'll see how the policies Sen. Sanders has proposed differ very little from those espoused by the Republican Party sixty years ago or those of the Democratic Party forty years ago.

Think about the many benefits we enjoy today, thanks to socialist-oriented policies such as the Interstate Highway System, instituted under Republican president Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Social Security and Medicare benefits for our senior citizens.

If any of this resonates with you, then you'll want to vote for Bernie Sanders!

Bio: A. J. Matthews is an author and artist who says to all his fellow Bernie supporters: #FeeltheBern 

What Do Women Think About Bernie Sanders?

A lot of people are probably wondering if Bernie Sanders is attracting the attention (and votes) of female voters. Political pundits go on about how Bernie can only "attract people who look like him" and, therefore, he cannot be drawing women, minority or younger voters to his campaign. 

From what we at The Bernie Blog have experienced, nothing could be further from the truth. (How else can we explain Women for Bernie?) If you are still in doubt, listen to the voices of two women from two very different parts of the country--Hawaii and Ohio--and see what they have to say about Bernie Sanders running for the presidency.

Badge art by Jane Jefferies

Millions are Feeling the Bern!

by Eloise Engman

It’s early in the primary season, and the democratic primary race is getting interesting. I’m excited about Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. His voting record shows he has worked consistently for social justice, the environment, civil rights, and the middle class during his political career. Pundits on the left and right all agree: Sanders is “authentic”, which is extremely rare in politics. He walks his talk consistently.

Sanders is a leading voice on climate change, campaign finance reform, income inequality and getting big money out of politics. Senator Sanders is also outspoken on civil liberties, and has been particularly critical of mass surveillance policies such as the Patriot Act, and spying conducted by the NSA.

Bernie Sanders is rising in the polls, and he’s ignited the internet, especially Facebook. Millions are “Feeling the Bern!” Sanders message is resonating with Americans of all persuasions. I have a libertarian Christian friend who said he may well vote for the self-described “Democratic Socialist.” People are realizing we already live in a socialist society. Most of the institutions we hold dear are socialist programs, such as public funding of the military, highways and roads, bridges, public libraries, police, fire departments, US post office, libraries, garbage collection, public landfills, the EPA, Social Security, museums, public schools, public parks, sewer systems, Medicare, the courts system, and much more.

Please visit https://berniesanders.com/issues/ for more info on Senator Bernie Sander’s candidacy for president of the US. Or visit his official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/berniesanders

Here's what Eloise Engman says about herself: Born and raised in Honolulu, I've lived on Maui since 1977, raising three daughters who are all independent women now. I've also lived in Seattle, Washington, and Pensacola, Florida. I have a special affinity for Letters to the Editor as I started a movement and organization (GMO-Free Maui) with such letters. Aloha!

My Mother Was a Democratic Socialist
by Barb McMillen

A drunk named Snowball was asking kids in the Philadelphia schoolyard for food. I ran home and told our mother, and she made sandwiches for me to take back to him. 

Jump ahead thirty years to Toledo, Ohio, where houses all around me are in foreclosure. It is the result of the government repealing Glass-Steagall (controls on capitalism) and that resulted in a huge corporate bailout. Subsequently taxpayers lost their jobs, homes, life savings. And not one corporatist on Wall Street has gone to jail. Add NAFTA to the mix and all the jobs have gone to China.

Doesn’t that make you angry? 

Bernie Sanders is a Democratic Socialist--think capitalism with a heart. That means he thinks all those people who lost their houses and their pensions and their kids’ college money have value and are not simply collateral damage. It means he thinks all those welfare breaks we gave Wall Street and the corporatists were really bad breaks for American citizens. 

Bernie Sanders reminds me that mom sent me to the schoolyard with sandwiches for Snowball. Not with the police and not with blame. I know in my heart that Mom was a Democratic Socialist. And I know for a fact she would have loved Bernie.

Barb McMillen is a co-creator of The Bernie Blog. She lives in Northwest Ohio and is doing all she can to bring about Bernie's political revolution in the Buckeye state. Go Team Bernie! 

Got an event or a helpful web site link to share?

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Ballotpedia is a web site that tells you more about the voting process. You can find out when your state's primary is, and how and when you need to register to vote in the primary. Ballotpedia -- http://ballotpedia.org/Important_dates_in_the_2016_presidential_race 

Thanks for all your feedback and shares. Keep it coming! #FeeltheBern  We are making it happen--Bernie Sanders in 2016! #Bernie2016