2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders Throws a Nationwide House Party for Over 100,000 Would-Be Foot Soldiers
Indeed, on what the campaign is calling one of the most important days of its upstart movement, Mr. Sanders came to this small apartment in southwest Washington, looked into a camera and spoke live to what his campaign said was more than 100,000 supporters nationwide.
Enough is enough, Mr. Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate from Vermont, told his followers, listing grievance after grievance, from income inequality to the Citizens United ruling to the minimum wage to Sandra Bland. Then he called on them to act.
The first step? A text message.
The national organizing day, which featured more than 3,500 events and house parties across the country, centered around a technological infrastructure that uses text-messaging sign-ups and a deep database of volunteers. Attendees at the house parties were asked to text a number to opt in and show interest.
A few months ago, Mr. Sanders never thought he would be speaking to this many people, telling First Draft that he would have thought that maybe 1,000 would turn out. But as he continues to draw large crowds, crowds that continue to surprise me to this day, the campaign realized that now was the time to try and turn the interest into working volunteers.
So they borrowed a method from the labor movement and tried to structure the volunteer movement into a sort of campaign staff, from door knockers and phone bank callers to event organizers and even some computer programmers. Its not an accident Larry Cohen is here, Mr. Sanders said, referring to the former president of the Communications Workers of America, whose remarks closed the broadcast.
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NYTimes First Draft
daleanime
(17,796 posts)JackInGreen
(2,975 posts)Bernistas, now, foot soldiers.....
I have to wonder when we'll become 'storm troopers' and then 'gestapo'?
Just keep that rhetoric coming, new friends.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
Indydem
(2,642 posts)You have just called your nominee a "corporate evil."
That's why.
Get your rhetoric in check!
Don't you understand that you, and those of you like yourself, are poisoning the well if Hillary wins?
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)I agree with him.
I refuse to settle for the lesser of 2 corporate evils anymore also.
Clinton could very well be the Dem's pick, so to criticize her in a way that Sanders never would, is extremely short sighted. The idea that this country could possibly be in GOP control should be enough to scare the hell out of ANY progressive.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
dpatbrown
(368 posts)are you saying that Gore would have governed the same way as Bush? If so, I totally disagree. Just one example, do you really think that Gore would have appointed the same justices to the Supreme Court as Bush did?
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)Last edited Thu Jul 30, 2015, 02:51 PM - Edit history (1)
eom
dpatbrown
(368 posts)justice appointed by the GOP, would have a huge impact on the people of this country. The last two cases would have gone the other way, a very big impact on equality for all and a huge blow to the Affordable Care Act. The very reason it has become so easy for the rich to control the elections today was the decision of the court stating the rich can donate as many millions as they please. That has given those oligarchs you are concerned about, complete rule of this country. Is that what you want?
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
dpatbrown
(368 posts)Look at who he nominated and look at who Bush picked. A no-brainer.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
dpatbrown
(368 posts)and you don't care about them either? Your reasoning is disappointing. I hope there aren't a lot of "progressives" who believe the same way as you. Have a good day.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)for one I'm an active perticipant, for the other I'm a vote that will have to be given.
INdemo
(6,994 posts)The only thing that really changed was a well organized, high tech way for Obama to work more closely with the corporate mafia and Wall St.
So do we want another corporate puppet?
Bernie Sanders is not a spoiler, not a Ralph Nader and that is what you are comparing Bernie Sanders to.
Poisoning the Well? Don't think so. With Hillary as the Democratic nominee many "liberals" will stay home on election day because they will not vote for a corporatist Republican lite.
DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)And maybe the candidate, and not our rhetoric, needs to be checked.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)One thing today, and then say (or do) the opposite tomorrow?
I think you'd find a lot of Sanders supporters suggest that's a big reason why they like him.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
LWolf
(46,179 posts)"my" nominee. Someone else's nominee shoved down my throat by those who lose more of my respect and support every time they do so, possibly. But never "mine."
Obligatory disclaimer: denying ownership of a corporate nominee shoved down my throat by the status quo is not a threat, nor an indication of my general election vote, so THAT predictable response can be s***** r**** u* w**** t** s** d**** s****.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)If he doesn't win the nomination, then I will scramble. But it's crazy not to try because someone tells you you won't succeed.
The middle and lower classes won't survive another 8 years of Wall Street domination of our government. It's time to go for broke.
Those that are concerned about the Democrats winning the presidential election should consider that the thousands that are turning out are making a statement against the status quo of the oligarchy dominating both parties at the top. If they lose the nomination, many likely say Frack-it and go home. On the other hand, if Sen Sanders wins the nomination, he will have the Left, the new voters, and the non-progressives have said they would support the nominee.
Cosmic Kitten
(3,498 posts)The million people mass movement
is shaping up nicely.
No other candidate could match
what Bernie accomplished yesterday.
I'm sure the competition took note
and is scrambling to respond.
Go Bernie!
Fuddnik
(8,846 posts)16 was supposed to be the capacity for the home we were at. The Hostess said it just kept growing to 46 RSVPs, and 40 showed up.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)He should probably switch campaign managers.
cocainecowboy
(45 posts)It's Hillary that's already in a long decline, now getting worse with her current disease that was recently aggravated.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)She started at 58% now she's at 58%.
George II
(67,782 posts)Fawke Em
(11,366 posts)Coz polling is outdated now.
artislife
(9,497 posts)We got these horses and carts and that gets us into town just fine.
Cars, who needs them? We didn't need them last year.
Lets not even tell them about bullet trains.
This is how polling and its "data" looks to me.
Android3.14
(5,402 posts)I saw what you did there.
mountain grammy
(26,676 posts)Because, speaking only for me, I've sure as hell had enough.
raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)haikugal
(6,476 posts)WillyT
(72,631 posts)Tommymac
(7,263 posts)Get out those lunch pails.
arcane1
(38,613 posts)AzDar
(14,023 posts)turbinetree
(24,745 posts)Honk ----------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016
J_J_
(1,213 posts)Thank you, it was worth every minute of it
Avalux
(35,015 posts)And despite what THEY want us to believe, the crowd was not all old white people, not all Democrats. Mostly young folks with bouncing-off-the-wall enthusiasm who have never had an interest in politics before - they want to do everything they possibly can for the Bernie "movement". That's what they're calling it; they believe Bernie can win if we all spread the word and work together. I believe them.
This is different than what I experienced with Obama's campaign 8 years ago. It's not all about Bernie, it's about everyone.
winter is coming
(11,785 posts)when you're fighting with, not for, a candidate.
haikugal
(6,476 posts)artislife
(9,497 posts)turbinetree
(24,745 posts)Now I am using my age as the starting point ( over 60 ha, ha).
There must have been about 40 to 45 around the age of 25-45 , they have had enough is enough austerity mentality and brow beating by the right wing and others that have been blaming the middle class and the working poor as the problem.
Honk ----------- for a political revolution Bernie 2016
arcane1
(38,613 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)upstate NY. I couldn't make it to the nearest one last night, but got the phone contact numbers of Bernie supporters who held house parties for him within a couple of hours from here.
Hope to work with them now to spread the word.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)in my area are also supporters. I've asked the local Dem Party but they didn't know.
artislife
(9,497 posts)In Washington State we have
http://washingtonforberniesanders.com/how-you-can-help-bernie-sanders-win-in-washington-state
There should be one for your state.
As you can see, ours is chockful of information.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)I understand there are local groups of Sen Sanders volunteers and wonder how to hook up. I am thinking that the State organization should have a list of local groups.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)of a political revolution, which isn't funded by the 1%, has taken off.
At this particular party, Mr. Sanders drew a diverse crowd with equally diverse reasons for attending. There was Joe Kennedy, 61, who belongs to a spiritual group called the Network of Light and came clad in a Vermont tie-dye shirt and toting a wooden flute. He grabbed Mr. Sanders at the end of the party and offered to help in any way he could, as well as get him a tie-dye.
Chara Espera, a 37-year-old living in Washington who had never before volunteered for a campaign, said she was moved by Mr. Sanderss message.
I wish he was president when I was pregnant, she said, noting Mr. Sanderss policy on maternity leave.
The hosts, Manisha Sharma and Miguel Marcelino Herrera, were also newcomers to the political organizing game. They said that they were religious conservatives who follow the messages of St. Francis to help the poor and that Mr. Sanderss message resonated with them. After reading about the organizing day in a newspaper, they decided to offer to host a party, being told only a few days ago that their party would be the one Mr. Sanders attended.
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)This is some great organizing, and participation.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Thanks, enough is indeed enough!
Captain!
Oh and Big Rec was here.