It's obvious Bernie loves this country. That was my main takeaway after the debate. Making this, and the remaining debates, a forum of serious discussion about Bernie's "political revolution" is what, imo, Bernie brings to the table. And that's an invaluable contribution.
I don't see Bernie as an "underdog using kid gloves". And I certainly disagree Bernie is an "insurrectionist" (that's atrocious politics-as-usual framing).
IMHO, both perspectives filter Bernie through "politics-as-usual" instead of his "may not be great politics", which is Bernie's appeal. Bernie's first debate closing statement:
Now, at the end of our day, here is the truth that very few candidates will say, is that nobody up here, certainly no Republican, can address the major crises facing our country unless millions of people begin to stand up to the billionaire class that has so much power over our economy and our political life.
Rephrasing:
nobody up here, certainly no Republican, can address the major crises facing our country unless millions of people begin to stand up and vote. Politics-as-usual means, as Bernie points out below,
60 percent of Americans will not vote during the next election. If that trend continues, the political power imbalance continues.
IOW, I see the first step in Bernie's political revolution empowering "the 99%" to vote for better representation by electing progressive representatives and senators (like Donna Edwards) to Congress. It's sad that even with a DK endorsement Edwards' diaries are essentially ignored. Does Bernie's "political revolution" include Edwards' run for the Senate? I definitely thinks so!
We Need A Political Revolution We need to help Bernie keep the answers to this question in the foreground:
How do we bring people together to fight for their rights and a progressive agenda which represents the needs of all Americans?
We Need A Political Revolution
Friday, July 11, 2014
The status of American democracy is frighteningly dismal.
In the coming November elections, it is estimated that 60 percent of Americans will not vote. Worse, 70-80 percent of those hurting most economically, low and moderate income workers, will not be participating in the election.
Further, political consciousness in this country is extremely low, with most people not knowing who their member of Congress is or which political political parties control the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
Meanwhile, while tens of millions of American workers have given up on the political process and no longer see government as relevant to their lives, the billionaire class is more active politically than ever before. As a result of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and other billionaires will be spending hundreds of millions of dollars to elect candidates whose main function is to help the wealthiest and most powerful people become even wealthier and more powerful.
In other words, the rich are becoming richer and spend huge sums on political donations. The poor are becoming poorer and don't even vote.
Our job is to make a political revolution. Our job is to educate and organize so that working people fight for their rights and for their dignity - and are actively participating in the political process. When we do that, when we stand together, we win: Health care for all, a fair distribution of wealth and income, a major federal jobs program, higher wages, reversing global warming and real campaign finance reform.
When we give up and don't participate, we lose. And what we will see is the continued collapse of the middle class and an increase in poverty, cuts in Social Security and Medicare, a growing gap between the very rich and everyone else, no increase in the minimum wage, no effort to make college affordable and more devastation because of global warming.
Please share your ideas with me. How do we make that political revolution? How do we bring people together to fight for their rights and a progressive agenda which represents the needs of all Americans, and not just the top 1 percent.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Bernie