Here’s What Bernie Sanders Will Bring To The Democratic Convention

[eridani]

https://ourfuture.org/20160315/bernie-sanders-will-arrive-at-the-convention-with

Sanders has significant support from the progressive wing of the Democratic coalition. During the campaign, Clinton claimed she is a progressive. Sanders is in the position to hold her and the party to the substantive meaning of that claim.

There are many things Sanders can use his considerable leverage to get for progressives and working people.

Sanders can demand such things as real platform positions that help the environment, working people and people of color. He can demand real commitments to have progressives on the transition team, less Wall Street influence in a Clinton administration, an attorney general who will actually prosecute Wall Street fraud and top-level white-collar crime (just imagine!). He and his supporters can extract specific commitments to support organized labor, and get a promise of actual opposition to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership and similar corporate-negotiated trade agreements. They can get Clinton to commit to a trade-negotiating process that puts stakeholders like labor, environmental, consumer and human rights groups st the table. Sanders can also demand that the Democratic Party support progressive candidates for House and Senate seats. He can demand that a Clinton administration not let corporations off from taxes on profits stashed in tax havens.

Aside from possibly winning the nomination, the Sanders campaign is accomplishing more than just building convention leverage. As long as Sanders is in the campaign and raising money, he is running ads like these in the states:

By the time the primaries wrap up, Sanders will have gotten a populist, progressive message out in all 50 states. He will have run many, many ads and received reasonable news coverage (considering he faces a near-blackout on “mainstream” corporate news outlets). He will have raised tens of millions of dollars and will have the ability to ask his supporters for millions more. This all adds up to the ability to reinforce and amplify the progressive movement

[RobertEarl]

1. He'll take away the nomination

And the progressive movement will have a president in the WH.

[warrprayer]

2. Great spot on analysis

Kick and rec for visibility and real hope

[pengu]

3. I wouldn't believe a single progressive promise from Clinton

The platform has absolutely jack to do with what she'll do in office. You really think I'm going to give the money I was giving to Bernie to Clinton? There's no freaking way I'd waste a penny on her.

[djean111]

4. No doubt he will bring it, but no doubt that Hillary & Co. would be lying through their teeth

if they agreed to any of that.
Hillary does not care what we think, she just needs our votes on election day, and then we become invisible again. She doesn't really care what anyone thinks, except as it pertains to her getting elected.

[eridani]

5. Not if we MAKE ourselves visible. See "Occupy" n/t

[aspirant]

10. "Occupy" resides on the semi-visible side

[Sherman A1]

6. Unfortunately

I must completely agree with you. He will certainly bring all the things listed in the OP and many will be agreed to by the Party and The HRC campaign (should she win and that is no safe bet right now), and then gosh, most if all of them will simply be impossible to accomplish.

[djean111]

7. Plus a big smile and a merry laugh. n/t

[Sherman A1]

11. Rats

I completely forgot those.......

Thanks for adding them in.

[peacebird]

9. Which is why Hillary will NEVER get my vote, the DNC/DSCC will NEVER get my $$$

I give individually to progressive candidates across the country, and to Bernie.

I will vote for Bernie in the GE.

[Sherman A1]

12. I like your idea

depending upon how the polling is in my red state in the last few days before the election in November. I too may cast a write in for Bernie Sanders if he is not the nominee.

Not a bad idea.

[peacebird]

13. Keep on fighting for Bernie! To the nomination & beyond!

[aspirant]

8. This is wonderful

but what if the DNC and Hills ignore and/or hollowly agrees with his demands while crownimg her the nominee?

We've seen campaign promises completely ignored by Presidents before.

We only have power if we diversify now and shove progressive candidates down their throats. A midterm in 2018 with a sitting president and a DNC under its control, must have a Revolution completely intact and still growing to face well-funded Establishment candidates. This is why Bernie is the ideal person to maintain a leadership role in the continuing Revolution

"Clinton will need Sanders to not just endorse her but to campaign for her" I'm a little baffled with this. How would Bernie go out and verbally support or play down the 1% and Wall Street connections and still maintain ties to the Revolution, this is mind boggling to me? She stands for so many things Bernie opposes.

If he truly has convention sway we need actions, not future promises. To begin, maybe we could realize that suddenly Grayson will be running unopposed in Florida because a competitor dropped out. See how that could work now and not 2018?

[eridani]

14. I think he'll tell his supporters to offer critical support. And hold her accountable--

--after the election. And above all, never stop fighting for the progressive platform.