In preparation of taking the parting hand...

[HereSince1628]

Don't forget to support the reform movement down ticket

Presidents, good and bad, are limited in power. Yes, yes frightening power of 'the football'. Yes, yes frightening power of stupid speech harming international relations... when there is nothing else fear can always be leveraged.

But, down ticket there are going to be some opportunities to elect people who -WILL NOT- vote for the enabling acts that could elevate a snake oil salesman like Trump to the the personal power of whatever authoritative dictator with whatever mental disorder is popular today as an adjective.

Setting supreme court judges, passing reasonable budgets, creating fair laws and levying just taxes is outside the hands of all presidents. Important stuff must pass through non-presidential hands.

The struggle for reform can't only be for reform of the presidential nomination process. It's got to go to reform of the expectations of voters and thereby the government itself. And not just presidential picks for SCOTUS, no matter how ultimately scary people try to make those.

Do your homework, know which names on the ballot you will face, support progressive reform and realignment, and if you will have none, look to support the races in other states. We can, and will, "Canova" a lot more people who deserve replacing than just DWS. We -will- gain power

Although we look to lose a nomination and be broken apart on this board, there are STILL opportunities to act collectively and vote positively for Progress. And although we soon may not meet here, we will, without doubt, work again for our common goals in the mid-terms, and beyond.

[n2doc]

1. The fight must continue. The movement is more than one person

And there will be a place for progressive voters only if we make it happen. Otherwise we will only be given center-right and far-right choices, moving further and further to the right. The pendulum must swing back.

[HereSince1628]

2. We musn't wait for the pendulum. We must give it a push.

and when we've got control of it, we've got to set the clock to "progressive time"

[abelenkpe]

5. +1000 nt

[HereSince1628]

4. On losing a nomination and building a movement

Sanders has gifted the progressive movement inside the Democratic party awareness of itself and of it's collective possibilities. As a teacher I profess, that awareness is the greatest gift that can be given from one person to others.

Even in what appears to be a losing effort he has identified -in detail- the strength of Progressive voters in EVERY county and where they exist, every precinct in America and it's territories. Moreover, he has at his disposal a contact list of the millions of people who volunteered their time, talents, and money to the Progressive cause INSIDE the Democratic base.

If this is to be labelled a loss, it is without doubt, one of the most gloriously productive political asset generating losses in at least the last century. It's up to us to turn those things of value into elected power of Democrats that serves the people.

[truebluegreen]

6. This has always been bigger than this nomination / election.

Bernie isn't running because he Wants To Be President (unlike others we could name). He is running to change the party, change the country, change the world.

That's why his staying in the race, and hurting Hillary's chances doing it, are so important. Even if she wins the nomination, we have to leave her with the understanding that hers is not the preferred position--that even given the advantages she had, she barely eked out the win. And so to win the GE, she will have to change her policies to something more appealing to the progressive wing of the party. Imo she will need a true progressive for VP, although I'm not sure who that would be. I think both Sanders and Warren are more important in the Senate.

[deepestblue]

7. Bernie is going to be president

And like FDR, TR, Lincoln, Washington before him, he will show what a president with the support of the vast majority behind him can do. This movement is much bigger than many of us have seen in our lifetimes.