And the Bern Goes On (To Win California, Of Course!)

 And the Bern Goes On
by Cindy A. Matthews
 

Sonny and Cher once sang those immortal words, "And the beat goes on. And the beat goes on..."

And it does.  It's the heartbeat of America. We feel it deeply. We feel the Bern. And the Bern goes on...

 I wasn't sure when we started where we would be one year later, but here we are today still putting out a weekly blog, still going strong. The Bernie Blog started out as a response to the negative media coverage--or rather the lack of any media coverage whatsoever--of Bernie Sanders' campaign, and it has become something much larger than we could have imagined. We've become the meeting of many great minds who hold great thoughts in common: How do we elect Bernie  Sanders to the White House? How do we show the positive aspects of his campaign to other voters so they'll come on board and vote for him as well? How can we play a part in the political revolution to create a future we all can believe in?

It's been quite an adventure, and the journey is ongoing. Thanks for coming along for the ride and sharing your thoughts and ideas with us. We've heard from people from all over the country and the world, male and female, young and old, all races, creeds and political persuasions. I encourage you all to please continue submitting your work to The Bernie Blog  because now more than ever we need to share Bernie with the world. November isn't far away. There are a lot of newly registered voters searching for a candidate. It's not fair to  keep Bernie to ourselves. Let's share him along with our enthusiasm. Let's ensure Bernie wins the presidency.

Our goal in the second year of the blog is to continue bringing you more of what Bernie supporters want to read. Are there certain topics or issues you want us to cover? Drop us a line at thebernieblog2016@gmail.com. Better yet, write what you'd like to read and submit it to the same email address. We enjoy hearing from a variety of voices.

Maybe I could get some stilts?

I know I'd like to cover more Bernie-related events in person. We're planning on going to Philadelphia in July for the DNC convention protest marches. It's  a story I don't want to miss. There's also an opportunity for me to hook up with our friends at Bernie2016TV and help broadcast the events live on You Tube.

I've resisted for some time, but now is as good a time as any to introduce a GoFundMe account to cover travel expenses for yours truly as the unpaid editor/chief writer/cook and bottle washer of The Bernie Blog. If you have an extra couple of bucks or even that magical $27 donation of Bernie's available and don't mind sharing, go here to donate. I sincerely appreciate it. Thanking you in advance for your generosity.  

The Bern goes on and on and on... Hopefully, it will never be extinguished. #SeeYouInPhilly 
 
And now to celebrate our first year as a blog, a poem from our co-founder, Barb McMillen:

Barb's Bernie Bush

Feel the Bern

The BIG THING they don’t get:
we are Leviathans now stirring
our own future, bigger,
even, than Bernie whom
we have become & he us. We have become One.
When he shouts ‘enough is enough’
We roar! The hurricane blows their minds.
Together. We are Bernie. Together.
We are Bernie.
Together, we are on fire.

    

Barb will be representing the Ohio 5th District as a Bernie delegate in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention. Good luck and Feel the Bern on the convention floor, Barb! (I'll be outside making noise with the other marchers.)

*** 

Investigative reporter Robert Parry in his article Waiting for California and the FBI states: "Clinton’s negative rating (is) nearly as high as Donald Trump’s, and with voters not trusting her by a ratio of 4 to 1."   

Our contributor asks a question voters of all persuasions are asking, one that needs to be seriously considered. Should voters expect to trust a political candidate?

How Important is Honesty 
and Integrity in Our Leaders?

by Peter Hager

To understand the difference between perceived front-runner Hillary Clinton and momentous underdog Bernie Sanders is to cease observing politics as one usually would.

Hillary Clinton is the polished candidate, from her hair to her vocal pitch and even in some cases dialect. She is the rehearsed candidate with an endless supply of handlers to ensure a politically correct message at every turn. Couple that with a husband who spent eight  years as our Commander-In-Chief with over thirty years of political power brokering wheeling and dealing. To top it off, she’s attempting to become the first Madame President in our nation’s history.

Bernie Sanders is the rugged, underdog candidate. He’s not polished as seen from his Doc Brown-like mad scientist hair to his thick Brooklyn accent. He is not rehearsed, but always prepared to tackle the order of the day with no pandering to special interests. He has a populist message that resonates and is backed up by a thirty year voting record.

How can someone remain in political life for so long and still be so self-righteous and authentic?

In most election years, Hillary would be a shoe-in for the Democratic nomination for president. She has most major financial institutions backing her candidacy and a slew of political endorsements all along the Beltway. Thirty years of political power brokering coming home to roost. Unfortunately for her, and for the political establishment at large, 2016 will not be like other election years.

Bernie Sanders started his campaign with an idea and an ideal. His idea is what if we could elect a president of the people, by the people, and for the people?  The majestic words from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the greatest presidential speech by our greatest president, could not be more relevant than they are now. His ideal? Make this historic run to the presidency entirely clean.

By running his campaign with no Super PAC, he decided it was more important to be idealistic and lose than to be a special interests sellout and win. Not even Bernie could have imagined the response his idealism would receive. At nearly 8 million individual donors and rising, Bernie’s campaign has built up the financial war chest necessary to take on the big money interests backing the Clinton Machine.

So why is it so essential we elect Bernie Sanders? 

This election comes down to a simple question: How important is honesty and integrity when it comes to our political leaders?

We complain often about the corruption of politics and the lack of trust for our political leaders. Bernie Sanders did not just come from nowhere. He’s always been there, fighting for the common person without much fanfare for over fifty years. Who knows what lit the spark under him this late in life to go for the ultimate? As a libertarian-leaning independent and self-made businessman and homeowner, I’m sure glad he did decide to run.

Let me be very clear: I’m not a Democrat. Under no circumstances would I vote for Hillary Clinton. I’m sick of politics as usual. I want the leader of the free world to be reflective of the common person, not the exceptional person.

I studied political science, media journalism, and economics at Rutgers University. I know our presidential history like the back of my hand. Bernie Sanders is the candidate I've been waiting my whole life for. This election is not about Democrats vs. Republicans, Liberals vs. Conservatives, Capitalism vs. Socialism, or the Proletariat vs. the Bourgeoisie. 

This election is about defeating the TPP.  

This election is about our broken tax system and raising the minimum wage.  

This election is about the military industrial complex.  

This election is about implementing single-payer healthcare.  

This election is about our civil liberties and Constitutional rights.

 This election is about reinstating Glass-Steagall.

This election is about quality education for all.  

This election is about institutional racism.  

This election is about man-made climate change. 

 Finally, and most importantly, this election is  about overturning Citizens United and going to publicly funded elections, restoring our democracy from the throngs of oligarchy.

So, it comes down to a simple question my fellow Americans: Which candidate if elected as our next president do you trust most to follow through with these initiatives on behalf of the American people?

It’s time for all of us to #FeeltheBern.

***

The primary is heating up as we come into its final weeks. This week we experience yet another "Super Tuesday" with a number of states and territories holding their contests. Bernie needs all the delegates he can get. So hit those phones and phonebank California! Get out and knock on doors in New Jersey! Help get a friend to the polls in the Dakotas and Montana. Berners, you know what to do. Do it!

"Bernie's Restaurant"on Wilshire Blvd. in L.A. My sister Cathy took this photo on a recent trip.

This video poet (below) inspires us with her words to keep the flames alive and continue to fight on whatever the outcome. To Feel the Bern, we must first Strike the Flint.  And the Bern will go on as long as the people lift high the banner of the political revolution! #SeeyouinPhilly

 

Let's end on a high note with this upbeat tune! #FeeltheBern everyone!