The problem with Bernie Sanders' Presidential candidacy is, how
do we carry out his Political Revolution if he doesn’t win the Democratic
nomination? Now that Hillary has won the New York Primary, it’s beginning to
appear less likely that Bernie will become the Democratic Party nominee. If he
runs as an Independent candidate for President, we can’t be sure he’ll win the
Presidential election that way either. This is not pessimist thinking, nor is
it defeatist thinking; this is practical thinking. It’s wise to plan for such a
contingency.
For the millions of Bernie supporters, Bernie is the Political Revolution. That’s why
you don’t hear Bernie supporters making plans for what comes next for the
Revolution should Bernie fail to become the Democratic nominee. Their
overwhelming priority is getting Bernie elected President. Indeed, that should
be their priority. Only with enough participation, effort and organization by a
good many people can any movement have a reasonable chance of shaking up our rigged
political system. Yet despite the monumental effort made by Bernie supporters on
his behalf, it may not be enough. None of us have complete control over who
becomes the nominee or the President. For example, we live in a country with a
great many conservative and middle-of-the-road voters, and people who vote based simply on whether they like
a candidate or not. Probably more important, the Political
Establishment and the Citizens United
Supreme Court decision have an enormous influence on who becomes President.
This is what Bernie meant when he said the election system is rigged. Bernie
has a chance to upset the odds against him because he’s so popular.
Unfortunately the odds are still stacked against him. Because the outcome is to
a large extent beyond our control, we’d be wise to organize and strategize to
make sure that the Political Revolution remains a potent force in American
politics after the Presidential election in November. If we work together to
put pressure on Congress and the President to pass legislation that would be to
our benefit rather than the corporations’, it essentially won’t matter who
becomes President, or who serves in Congress. They would all be compelled to do
our bidding.
How can “We the People” intimidate the “Powers that Be”
to do our bidding, rather than continuing to accept the unacceptable, when the vast majority of
us feel powerless to take any kind of assertive action against the government?
There are tried and true methods, all of which have been used during our lifetimes.
They may take the form of strikes, as in worker strikes, boycotts, blogs, letter
campaigns, and campaigning for progressive candidates. It can also start with
activism by a child, such as when children have written letters to the
President. The most important ingredient of a successful citizen action is
determined action on the part of a truly united group of citizens. In other
words: solidarity.
When I canvassed by telephone, aka “phone banking”, for
Bernie to NY voters, I spoke with a Kingston, NY voter named Gerald who didn’t
want to consider the possibility that Bernie could lose the nomination. He told
me his friends mentioned that possibility to him and he refused to talk about
it with them. He suggested I visit his town’s progressive website called
“KingstonCitizens.org”. This is a community
effort to increase transparency and accountability on the part of the Kingston
city government. I read much of the website and it appears to be a good forum
for Kingston citizens to make their voices heard with their local government. Gerald
wasn’t interested in joining a group dedicated to continuing Bernie’s political
legacy.
Most Bernie supporters I spoke with were like Gerald due
to their lack of interest in maintaining involvement with the Political
Revolution. They were either too busy or they don’t believe that a revolution
can work unless started by a Presidential candidate. There were, however,
several who were interested in learning more or getting more involved. A
veteran who was upset with the way he was treated by the Government was
especially interested.
Here’s a blueprint of what we need to do to ensure that
Bernie’s legacy has a lasting impact on the politics of the United States:
1. Request of the Bernie Sanders campaign that it make
its database of Bernie supporters, as well as its voter intelligence and
technology, available to other Bernie supporters;
2. Bernie supporters should be contacted by other Bernie supporters who wish to start revolutionary efforts in their own cities or communities;
2. Bernie supporters should be contacted by other Bernie supporters who wish to start revolutionary efforts in their own cities or communities;
3. Call ourselves “Bernie Sanders’ Political
Revolution”, with Bernie’s permission of course, and with chapters in each city
in the U.S.
4. Embrace a culture of community and solidarity, as
these are the best ways to build a movement. See my blog entry entitled Is Community Networking More Beneficial Than Rugged Individualism?
5. Train ourselves in the teachings of other
revolutionary leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
especially those of our founding fathers. I, for example, am reading A
Benjamin Franklin Reader, by Walter Isaacson1.
6. Whatever is done to start a revolution must be non-violent.
6. Whatever is done to start a revolution must be non-violent.
7. You don’t have to have a socialist focus, but it
would help.
8. Request that Bernie Sanders serve as a spokesperson
for the movement.
9. Organize revolutionary activities on a consistent
basis.
10. Alert the Media to any revolutionary activities
your group undertakes. Maintain a high profile with the Media and the
community, but make sure you’re prepared to take action first.
11. Maintain solidarity with other Bernie Sanders’
groups. Seek to expand your membership and influence.
12. Educate others in what you’re doing. Encourage others to become more assertive as citizens, and to demand more transparency and accountability from their Government. Because none of us have been brought up in a revolutionary era, many will need to take small steps before they can embrace the idea of starting a revolution.
13. Promote other candidates for public office like
Bernie.
This is not your forefathers’ country! We must adapt
to the timid sort of democracy that has taken root in the U.S. due to the fear
and docility of a good many U.S. citizens. The best we can do is to ignore
those who are ignorant and establish our base of Bernie Sanders’ supporters and other bold US citizens, who are fed up with the status quo, into a political powerhouse, one that’s impossible for a Donald Trump, a
Hillary Clinton or for every member of Congress to take for granted. Those who
are ignorant or skeptical at first will join your cause once you become
established. Feel the Bern!
1 Isaacson,
Walter. A Benjamin Franklin Reader. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
