You Say You Want a Revolution? (Then Fight For It!)

Don't leave yet! Bernie hasn't conceded, people.
 
I thought I'd post this meme and information at the start of this week's blog to help clear up some of the confusion we've all experienced this past week. Bernie Sanders has not thrown in the towel--he's still in the running for the White House--but he has to play the game by the rules the DNC has set up in order to attend the convention. Yes, they're pretty dirty rules that were created (along with superdelegates) to keep the power in the party bosses' hands, but every candidate has to follow them or else they're not allowed to speak to the convention and have their delegates counted.  Bernie spoke to his delegates via a teleconference and assured them he wants and needs them all in Philadelphia. If he's not there, he won't be able to rally his delegates (and a few hundred more) to win the nomination.  So, Bernie is wise and played the "game" of standing on a stage with Mrs. Clinton in New Hampshire in order to keep his candidacy alive. Now that the "endorsement ordeal" is over, several informed persons have been helping those of us not versed in how Democratic Party politics work understand what he did and why he had to do it before the convention. Here's what they say:

As per DNC rules, a candidate with an active campaign is not allowed to deny an endorsement of another campaign. Doing so would result in forfeiture of said candidate's superdelegates, and the loss of access to the convention floor stage.

 Bernie is not conceding, folks! He has to play the game by the DNC's rules which state he wouldn't be allowed to take the podium at the DNC convention and his delegates wouldn't be allowed in if he didn't "endorse the frontrunner." (Those are the DNC's rules!) His campaign hasn't stopped--he didn't say "I quit/concede." Listen to what he said--he says we're going to the convention and we are. Have faith and read up on history: FDR in 1932 won a contested convention like this one. FDR "endorsed" his opponent on the first ballot and, four ballots later, he was nominated. FDR went on to win by a landslide--and won the presidency four times. So, don't panic. Stay the course and #feelthebern.

You must come to understand that the nature of politics is to subtract meaning from language. Although Bernie Sanders is a statesman, he's still a politician. Have a bit of patience, and wait for Bernie Sanders to make his case at the Democratic National Convention. By "endorsing" Hillary Clinton, Sanders is actively preserving his options and buying time.

 Q: Bernie can actually still win??

A. Yes. And if he wasn't still trying to win, he would have conceded. The only option he had to get to the convention with his delegates behind him and have a chance to still win was to do what he did today. He is not a traitor. He didn't sell us out. He did the only possible thing he could have done to keep fighting for the nomination.

Read this blog, and I guarantee you'll feel better: Ignore the mainstream media gloating. Bernie is still in it to win it!

There you have it. Now is not the time to quit, whine or throw a temper tantrum. Now is the time for all good Berners to get on their feet and march in protest and solidarity--in Philadelphia, your city, your neighborhood, anywhere you can make some noise and let the world know that #WeThePeople have spoken. #OurRevolution has begun and it will continue until we've brought about the progressive worldview that Bernie Sanders and all of us believe in. A future to believe in.

Now it's time for a "pep talk" and some words from two wise Bernie delegates on the eve of the convention.

https://youtu.be/ozq5PcqPQFA 
https://youtu.be/BGLGzRXY5Bw
You Say You Want a Revolution?

(Then Fight For It!)

by Bern Notice

It's time for a pep talk folks. At the beginning of this election season, we saw a lot of new voters calling for a political revolution. The number swelled and then more people jumped on the "political revolution" bandwagon. Hope was in the air, and we had a candidate we actually believed in. Times were good.

Then here comes the Sanders endorsement of Hillary Clinton. I saw a lot of people who were “the happy revolutionaries” all of a sudden fell into a fit of sadness or anger. Some actually said they would vote for Donald Trump. To say hearing a progressive say this is mind-blowing would be a profound understatement.

Welcome to the real revolution. I have said repeatedly that this is not a Bernie Sanders political revolution. This is our political revolution. Yet at the first sign of adversity you quit. You go home. You say you'll vote for Donald Trump.

If no one has said this to you, let me be the first: Political revolutions are hard. They are riddled with a lot of tears, frustration and heartbreak. No entrenched power ever surrenders it willingly, and it sure as hell won't do it the first time you raise your voice.

If you thought that political revolutions would come quickly and easily then you are insanely naive. I don't usually speak about myself, but in this case, I will make an exception. I'm no spring chicken, and I have voted third party for over a decade. I did so because I think that you should vote for a candidate not against one.

I thought that I was the only one willing to do so in spite of  popular thinking. Then along comes the Bernie Sanders campaign. For the first time in my life, I register as a Democrat because the platform he espoused is closer to mine than any candidate in the major parties has been in my lifetime. And, for the first time, I wasn't a single voice in a crowd but a chorus of many.

Please note, I changed for the platform. And now that Bernie has officially thrown his weight behind Hillary guess what I'm doing? I'm voting third party--again. Meanwhile, so many of those who claimed to want a political revolution are now ready to throw in the towel. I'm not. And I won't be until I'm in the dirt, and even then If I could I'd fight on.

I respect a people who will stand by their principles and fight for what they believe. I respect the people who fought for gay rights, civil rights, women's rights and other worthy causes not because it was easy but because it was right. Yet some so-called "political revolutionaries" who like to point to these people as their inspiration are so eager to say, "Screw it! I give up!"

The people who fought for and won equality didn't give up. Oh, and they faced arrest, water hoses, bullets, attack dogs and bomb threats. Some of you are willing to give up over a setback. Some of you think that this fight can't be won. You're wrong. It can be won, but we must persist.

So, to those of you who are throwing in the towel right now, I ask you "Who are you?" Are you the person who is willing to stand for something, or are you the person who quits when the going gets tough? You say you want a revolution, but do you really? If you do, then prove it. Don't quit. Fight for it and keep fighting. Vote third party. Write in Bernie if you want to, but for crying out loud take a stand. 

There is an easy way to know if you are a revolutionary or not. Revolutionaries don't surrender. They fight until their last or until the fight is won.

***

And now a word from two Bernie Delegates from Ohio's 5th congressional district.

Voice of Nature: Bernie Sanders in the White House
by Dennis Slotnick

In the calm and centered moments, when the noise and chatter of the race is distant, quietly we sit and envision President Sanders there in the oval office with his warm welcoming smile. There with his razor focus on the progressive agenda.

Just hold onto that vision for a moment. The rest is details. Details nature herself will take care of. And yet, we act. We go forth knowing that nature is on our side. Behold the transformation. For the nature of the times is with Bernie Sanders.

Here are the indicators:

Global warming with its droughts, floods, melting ice caps, record number of climate refugees, is calling out like never before for a close to the fossil fuel era. Only Bernie's message holds any hope of ending the carbon based energy supply.

Shrinking of the middle class, economic strain on college graduates, urban youth and working families, and the massive shift of wealth to the very few is unsustainable. Bernie's voice is loud and clear and gaining more and more support. The message not a fad, it is the truth.

On every issue, from fracking, TPP, single-payer health care and college education, the truth of an unsustainable corporate-dominated system is coming out. Only Bernie's message offers remedies.

Here is the evidence that people are ready.

It is contributions from the seven million in small amounts that fuels the campaign.

It is a massive grassroots operation, like never seen before, getting thousands of people politically engaged. It says the time is right for the transformation.

At evermore popular rallies, the message resonates over and over, reverberating between Bernie and audience like masterful music. And Bernie rolls on as the great conductor of the trends of time.

(Those of us who have been to the rallies and worked door-to-door and phone banks "feel the Bern" deep inside when someone else lights up with the message. There are few feelings more rewarding than to be in the sweet resonance of this lively transformation.)

I am inspired to resonate with Michael Grom, Ohio 15th congressional district Sanders delegate when he says, "Truth is on our side. There are millions of people along the east coast within a short distance from Philadelphia. We can turn this convention around." Michael and I share this quiet vision of Bernie in the White House.

This is why we are to keep clear in our centered moments the transformation is the need of the times; we create it with our thoughts and intentions. Not to mind what media says, the real news is that we are the future as we envision Bernie Sanders in the White House.

The rest is details. We attend to them and carry on his message. 

 And now a word from The Bernie Blog co-founder and Ohio Bernie delegate Barb McMillan.

Written to those who feel betrayed:
 

Bernie has not lied to us. Fifty years of putting himself on the line for his fellow human beings. How dare anyone berate his efforts. 

From the beginning he made promises, among them that he was going to run as a Democrat and not be a spoiler. This was the conclusion. He was not going to destroy the party and he was not going to berate HRC. He was pushing the progressive agenda and trying to open the party to the progressive future. He continued to fight after the votes were in, after his colleagues spit on him, after exhausted each day he fell into bed to start again. 

He has asked for a roll call at the convention. We need to have a show of our strength. We need to say from the inside of that convention center we are here! In numbers. A coward walks away crying, "They cheated." A courageous man says, "They fought effing hard, and we still have a chance to forward our goals."

I'm standing behind this man. His work has been heroic. He holds his head high. So do I. 

***

We'll See You in Philly!

 Here's a link to a page full of events in and around Philadelphia for the next two weeks: https://www.facebook.com/notes/1029197360493523/Philly%20Events/1068289859917606/ 

Check out our "March on DNC--See You in Philly" page on the sidebar for other helpful links.

Please donate to our GoFundMe campaign if you can help The Bernie Blog get to Philly. Thanks!  (And don't forget to chat with us if you see us there.)

Now, get yourself psyched up for the convention with this great anthem. We're still standing and we're #StillSanders. #FeeltheBern everyone.

 

The Future's Here (and the Political Revolution is Now)

Like the song says, the future's here today--and Bernie's big win in Indiana proves that he has the stamina and the momentum to keep the Political Revolution alive and well in the days to come. This week we're focusing on how to keep the grassroots excitement carrying on throughout the campaign season and beyond.  What things are broken in our political system and how do we go about reforming them? Never forget--we are the Revolution. "And when the people stand together, there is nothing, nothing we cannot do."

Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport, either. Join Place a Vote where you can discuss and vote on current issues affecting our country. Brand New Congress means what it says--it wants to help progressives get on the ballot throughout the USA. Sign up and become involved. The season of being a couch potato is over. Let's take it to the streets, Berners!

Election Reform to Support Grassroots Candidates

by Ryan Hamer

The existing two-party primary system has been a disaster for democracy, making it difficult for grassroots candidates like Bernie Sanders to have a fair chance. Some have suggested eliminating the primaries and going straight to a general election where multiple candidates can compete and the one with the most votes wins. Unfortunately, if two of the candidates have similar views, they can end up siphoning off votes from each other, giving an unfair advantage to the third candidate.

Approval voting provides a way around this. Instead of voting for just one candidate, each voter gets to indicate approval or disapproval for each
candidate, with the person receiving the highest approval rating declared the winner. Since voters can approve of more than one candidate, it enables them to vote for both the candidate they truly want to win and a backup choice.

 As a hypothetical example, let’s say three candidates are running for president: Trump, Clinton and Sanders. Let’s assume that 35% will only vote for Trump, 10% will only vote for Clinton, 20% will only vote for Sanders, and 35%  would be okay with either Clinton or Sanders. Suppose that in the primary those who are okay with either Clinton or Sanders end up voting for Clinton on the assumption that she has the best chance of beating Trump, so Clinton wins the nomination 45 to 20. We’ll assume that Trump wins his party’s nomination uncontested (this is, after all, hypothetical). Come the general election, Sanders supporters resign themselves to voting for Clinton to keep Trump from being elected, so Clinton wins 65 to 35.
 

Now suppose we switch to a system where all three candidates face off in a general election without a primary. Let's say Trump gets his 35%, Clinton gets her fully-committed 10% plus another 23% from those who are okay with either Clinton or Sanders, and Sanders gets the remaining votes. That makes 35 for Trump, 33 for Clinton and 32 for Sanders, so Trump wins.

Going straight to a general election with approval voting yields a very different result. Trump would have a 35% approval rating, Clinton 45%, and Sanders 55%, so Sanders wins.

 Approval voting provides underdog candidates with a real chance of winning, and voters a chance to vote for their real choice and not just a fallback position. This is a change that would benefit all voters, regardless of party affiliation.

Bio: Ryan says that he is "Busy conducting research on poverty and its elimination, universal health care, the protection of civil liberties and the environment, and making the political process more collaborative, fairer and more civil."

***

This Woman is Bernie Strong

a weekly commentary featuring one of Bernie's female supporters

Bernie's Meta-Campaign 

by Barb McMillen
 

Bernie's is a meta-campaign. I use the term meta as in metagaming. From wiki: "Metagaming is any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed rule set, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself."

Bernie's campaign has from the very start been both his own as well as referential to the outside world of campaigning. As he moves from announcing his campaign to actually running for delegates through votes and caucus processes his own events become referential to those of the larger issues of campaigns in this country. What is the role a party plays in relationship to candidates running for the party? What is the relationship of the party the candidate and the media? What is consensus? What is gerrymandering, bribery, the people's choice? How do economics and democracy function together?

Every step of the way, Bernie's campaign has been a lantern shining its light through, and thereby exposing, the cracks in our democracy.

His campaign will be reviewed for years to come as an historical moment in the United States, the moment when the people became aware of the reality of their own politics. Bernie has had to carry not only his own weight but that of the system and that of the hopes and dreams of those of us who want to see him win despite everything that is mounted against him. Because we would like to see that yes, there still exists We The People, By The People, For The People. 

He is our warrior. Watch him, listen to him, and through the campaign know thyself. #ForeverChanged #FeelTheBern #Bernie2016

Bio: Barb is a co-founder of The Bernie Blog and a Bernie delegate from Ohio to the DNC convention this summer in Philadelphia.

***

Superdelegate Reform Needed!

I’m Dave Shanley, I’m age 62 and retired, I live in upstate New York, and I’m a Democrat who supports Bernie Sanders.

My comment/concern has to do with superdelegates and how news organizations are reporting delegate counts in the Democratic primary.

Specifically, in an interview with Chris Hayes of MSNBC on March 9, Representative Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Chair of the Democratic National Committee stated, "and at the end of the day we've not ever nominated a candidate for president as our party's nominee with anything but the pledged delegates that are selected by the voters."

That seems right and fair to me.  Can you imagine what would happened if a candidate got the most votes and won the most states and the superdelegates gave the nomination to another candidate?  An example of superdelegates following the lead of voters is when Hillary's lead in 2008 started to evaporate as superdelegates moved to Obama as he started to win races.

Most news organizations report Hillary ahead in delegate count 1645 pledged/520 super to Bernie's 1318 pledged/39 super (as of April 30).   By including the superdelegates in the overall delegate count without any explanation gives an inaccurate picture of the actual status of the campaign.  It gives the false impression that Hillary's nomination is all but inevitable.  It gives a big advantage to the Clinton campaign and is very unfair to the Sanders campaign.

As the chair of the Democratic National Committee made clear, ultimately, the "pledged delegates that are selected by the voters" will be the ones that will determine who will be the Democratic candidate for president.  The current pledged delegate count is Hillary 1645, Sanders  1318.  It's a significant delegate deficit, but given the number of delegates outstanding and given the states where those delegates reside, it can be overcome.

I’m sure there are many voters who are not aware of the significance of this and that concerns me.

We have the chair of the Democratic National Committee’s own words.  How do we get news organizations to report the delegate count in a more accurate and fair way? 

***
West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon: It's that time. Get to the polls and get ready to vote for Bernie! #FeeltheBern #LoveTrumpsHate





 

Who Stole The American Dream?

It's time for Indiana to head to the polls on May 3, 6 AM - 6 PM. Bring your state photo ID, Hoosiers, and vote for Bernie!  (This week on the blog we're featuring original artworks decorating the walls of the Fort Wayne campaign office.)

We're also speaking out about recent "voting irregularities" this week on the blog. (That's a nice way of saying voter suppression/election fraud scandals.) What or who is behind the rigging of our recent primary elections and the misleading delegate counts? Who or what is stealing our American Dream? How can we fight back? Could electing the only candidate truly qualified for the job of president--Bernie Sanders--revitalize our democracy?How do we play a part in the Political Revolution?

Our Election?
by Anon.

If Bernie Sanders was losing the primary election to another left-wing, progressive candidate, I could deal with this, but he is not losing to a real Democrat. He is losing to Hillary Clinton, one of the most corrupt, unpopular, neo-liberal candidates to ever crawl out of the power elite and slither her way into the presidential elections. Hillary the warmonger. Hillary the corporate crony. Hillary the polluter. Hillary the mass-incarcerator. Hillary the dynasty candidate and flip-flopper.

If Bernie Sanders was losing this election fair and square, I could still probably deal with it, but he is not. This election has been anything but fair--rigged caucuses and polling stations, rigged voting machines, rigged media coverage, rigged social media sites, rigged funding mechanisms and superdelegates. In many instances, blatant electioneering, visible to everyone. Worse yet, nothing is being done--not by the president (who I also voted for), not by Congress, not by the "Justice" Department or the courts, not by the state officials. It feels like I am living in Russia.

If Bernie Sanders would be willing to run as an independent or third party candidate, I could probably still have some hope for this country. But, apparently, he is not, which is really, really disappointing for me--mainly because I have donated approximately one hundred bucks of my family's hard-earned money so far. I've put a lot of time and effort into this social movement, only to see the DNC steal this election right before our eyes and most Americans passively accept this, including Bernie Sanders himself. So all of my money has essentially gone for nothing productive. Apparently it is okay to take my money and fill me with false hope, but then cave to the DNC and fold.

If anyone wants to challenge what I am saying here and throw some good news my way, go ahead. I am going to keep pushing for Bernie to win and crawling forward for the cause, but to be perfectly honest, at this point, it is simply because I have nowhere else to go, and I have run out of options. I am getting fed up with the American system, and I am tired of people feeding me uber-positive bullsh*t to cover up the steaming pile of bullsh*t that we call the United States of America. The delusional Kool-Aid served by Obama left a better taste in my mouth, but only because he was the first black president and he was so obstructed. Kool-Aid doesn't taste good anymore, though.

Sad part is, I know I am not alone. That is the scary part. Over half of our country lives in relative poverty; we have the largest prison system on earth; one-fifth of Americans are dosed up and more with mounds of student debt. Right-wingers so dysfunctional they are planning another civil war. Left-wingers marching for change. The American people are completely fed up, and no one is listening, and I fear that if the DNC doesn't get its act together or Sanders doesn't find a way to win in November the next decade is not going to be pretty. The US could end up looking a lot like the Middle East.

You'd think this would make Bernie reconsider that whole independent run thing, but we will see...

***

What happened to Bernie's votes in Sussex County Delaware? Note how the updated graphic shows him with almost 4000 less votes than the first.  Did the Washington Post "correct" the numbers with help from the DNC?

The Sane Progressive talks about how those who are trying to find out the truth but are being maligned: Washington Post Smears Election Integrity Activists as Conspiracy Theorists in Cover Up

Richard Charnin's Blog has up-to-date coverage of Democratic primary exit polls anomalies. The numbers don't lie--and they don't quite add up, either.  https://richardcharnin.wordpress.com/  

Find out more about recent voter suppression and election fraud at ElectionNightmares.com

How can we fight back? Here's a new movement taking positive action: https://brandnewcongress.org/ 
and remember, "We got the power!"

 

***

Do Superdelegates Ever Get Your Goat?
by Paul Wyman

In the past, I’ve never thought much about superdelegates, and it never bothered me.  I guess the superdelegates purpose was to “cement” the selection of the party’s anointed candidate.  This year it bothers me enormously because Hillary Clinton is not my choice. My choice is Bernie Sanders. 

If it weren’t for these superdelegates, Bernie would now be neck and neck or even ahead of Hillary Clinton.

This set me to thinking.  I’ve been noticing that the number of superdelegates varies per state, averaging about one-sixth of the total number of voting delegates.  The Republicans allow only three superdelegates per state (150 total out of 2472 Delegates), which is only 5% compared to the Democratic Convention of about 16.33%

Now let’s think about this for a moment...  Democracy means One Person – One Vote.  But in the so-called party of the “Democrats”, one third of the votes are reserved for the “dignitaries” (senators, congressmen, governors) and the hard working party faithful (the supervisors of all the phone bankers, reception organizers, hand-bill delivery people, etc.) 

Now I have no dispute with giving the party-organizers partial airfare help and hotel discounts, but it has no Constitutional right whatsoever to  violate the principle of One Person – One Vote.  Instead, they are now distributed as 467 Clinton, and 24 Sanders.  This in no way reflects the closeness of the state vote distributions.   It means the Democratic Party is more strongly controlled by “Party Hacks” than the Republican Party.  The number of Democratic superdelegates is about one-sixth (16.33%) of the total authorized convention voters.

This means that the superdelegates, one person each, are claimed by the Democratic Party to have and equal worth and equal impact on selecting the candidate as 100,000 individual human voters in their respective states.
 

No where in the US Constitution is this arrangement of chicanery sanctioned in any way whatsoever.  In fact, the Republican Party pollutes their convention with only 5% of total delegates compares to the Democratic Party’s 16.33%.  In this respect (but this respect only), the Republican Party proves itself to be more truly democratic than the Democratic Party.

And no, I won’t call them the Democratic Party anymore because the obscenity of superdelegates in the party means that the party is distinctly not democratic.

If Bernie is done in by superdelegates, I urge all Bernie delegates to pledge to eliminate superdelegates at the convention as well as in all future conventions, if only to become more democratic than the Republican Party. 

Bernie speaks about the superdelegates and how they should reflect the will of the voters in their state in his  May Day press conference.

 ***

This Woman is Bernie Strong!
a weekly feature written by a female Bernie supporter

 

Sanders, Sanders, Berning Bright
a poem by Irene Hsu

Sanders, Sanders, Berning bright

In this presidential fight

What fat wallet or Wall Street fee

Could fund thy fearful enemy?

In what distant place or time

Burnt the fire of Birdie's eyes?

On what wings of determination,

What great hand dare seize the nation?

And what speech and what art

Could make a country change its heart?

And when thy arms begin to wave

What economy can this man save?

What great hashtags, what droll names

What a gust of fresh air was thy campaign

What injustice to the working class

Dare your passions neatly grasp?

And when the protestors threw down their spears

And showered rallies with their tears

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who felt the Bern burn thee?

Sander, Sanders, Berning bright

In this time of fear and fright

What great love shall we set free

To thwart thy fearful enemy?

Bio: Irene Hsu is a practicing attorney, writer, and animal lover. She supports Bernie for President because she believes income inequality must be addressed immediately and he has the passion, energy, and heart to help us become better as a country.

 ***

Who Stole The American Dream?
by Bill MacKilligan

I am retired and living in Southern Maine. The recent discussion regarding the dwindling of the middle class seemed nothing more to me than a large segment of the baby boomers were finally retiring. In most cases, when an individual retires, his or her income will decrease. So to me it seemed like a natural form of attrition. Boy, was I wrong. Certainly the decrease in income for the retiring baby boomers will contribute to a diminishing  of the middle class, but there are other factors to consider. Bernie has considered them and his platform seems to surround these factors.

I am currently reading a book by Hedrick Smith called Who Stole The American Dream. It is a very difficult book to read. It's like watching a train wreck--only our country is the train. I will not make a lengthy description of  the book, but suffice it to say that it all started in the 1960s and 1970s when big business got smart and started to see the advantage of becoming politically active and hired lobbyists to do their bidding for them. Things haven't changed much since then. Some CEOs earn 900 times the salary of their average workers! For some businesses CEO performance doesn't seem to matter. They still do well even when their businesses lose money. Remember the 2008 recession?

At one time pensions and life time health care was the norm. Then 401K programs became vogue. Companies did not have to fund their employees' retirement plans alone. It became the employee's job to develop the portfolio and act as his or her own financial adviser.  That life time health care program, that the company paid for, became a joint contribution health care plan between the business and the employee with the employee funding the lion's share of the contributions. Wages for the rank and file worker stagnated, but not for the CEOs. Wall Street took over Main Street and here we are--most of us just scraping to get by. 

The government now has us working so hard to pay our taxes (the taxes that CEOs don't have to pay) and to put food on the table that we don't have time to be politically active--let alone have time to vote. That is just where our elected officials want us. If we don't vote, they don't care. In fact, if we are not politically active they can pretty much do what ever they want, which at this time is pretty much nothing.

When labor unions were strong and employees were treated fairly by union shops or by family run businesses that understood how important their employees were to their success--I don't believed we called that Socialism back then. I'm not even sure I would call giving the worker a fair shake Socialism but, if that's what Bernie wants to call it, I am on board. 

The pendulum has to start swinging the other way. Vote for Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.  It will be hard to start that pendulum moving in the opposite direction, but if Bernie gets a mandate our elected officials will have to sit up and take notice.

***

Some last thoughts...

Poor people don't vote. Because, by definition, poor people are disenfranchised on so many levels. Bernie's stretching his hand out. He's trying to bring all people into the process including the poor, the uneducated, the homeless. What's there for him to explain? But there's a bigger picture -- insiders and outsiders. Right now the insiders have the power. They vote for themselves. When we win this election with the disenfranchised -- all of us together not the poor alone but all of us together -- when we win this thing we will be the People's Party. And the poor will know that together, all of us, we can win. A vote is worth fighting for. Outsiders no more.--Barb McMillen, co-founder of The Bernie Blog

Off to the polls--or it's off with the oligarchs' heads! Ballots not bullets! Be the Political Revolution! Vote for progressive candidates and causes.

Feel the Bern. Not Me Us. Make History.