Bernie Sanders Is Changing American Politics—But He’s Not Thinking Big Enough

[ellenrr]

Sure, Sanders has pulled the political conversation strongly to the Left. But he—and the activists involved in his campaign—are capable of much, much more.

Personally, I’m not a Bernie pessimist or “Sandernista” who's all-in for the Vermont Senator. I think that the Sanders campaign is refreshing and he has made socialism positive for a younger generation. I wholeheartedly support his call for a ‘“political revolution against the billionaires” and have watched with great interest as his political program has shaken up the presidential race.

Yet big business and its allies dominate the highly undemocratic political party which Bernie is running under the auspices of. This raises a bigger question: What is Bernie’s deeper strategy for transforming the Democratic Party? So far, Bernie has said very little about this. When he speaks about challenging the status quo, he always seems to be talking about the intransigent Republican majority in Congress—not the party whose name he is running under. And while the GOP has certainly gone off the right-wing deep end in recent years, the Democrats have also drifted further and further in the same direction. Sanders has taken mostly strong progressive positions in his campaign that are well to the left of others in the party, but he has yet to put forward a longer-term plan about dealing with that drift.

http://inthesetimes.com/article/18469/bernie-sanders-socialists-left-hillary-clinton-republicans

[ReallyIAmAnOptimist]

1. Bernie cofounded the Progressive Caucus...

Last edited Fri Nov 6, 2015, 08:42 PM - Edit history (1)

...In the House about 30 years ago. The platform of the progressive caucus aligns with Bernie's objectives today, and the caucus includes 70 of the 188 Democrats currently in Congress. Bernie's first two endorsements are from the Progrssive Caucus. More will follow. So with 36-percent of current sitting Dems the groundwork is already well In place for a Progressive revolution.

[U of M Dem]

2. Bernie talks about ways to change the party plenty

Some things that he has repeated:

1. Of course he speaks of getting money out of politics, exorcising political careerism and revolving door mentality out of the system.

2. Bernie has discussed bringing more people out to vote who have been disinfranchised and discouraged about participating in our narrow, right leaning 2 party system.

3. Bernie has called for a political revolution, forcing change in the political landscape that needs to happen to end cronyism and gridlock, kicking out the entrenched, corrupt politicians by empowering voters to manifest destiny through the Democratic process.

4. Bernie gives people the facts and educates voters lke nobody else.

Yes, Bernie has been consistent in bringing the conversation to the left by sheer force of will and charisma and this will leave lasting waves and ripples in the Democratic party, even if he were to stop campaigning today.

Of course it is not his current strategy to activly campaign for gutting the neolibs, DLC, 3rd way, or right wingers out of the party, but is that his intention? I certainly hope so and think his revolutionary message is headed in that direction.