WHAT SANDERS' POLITICAL REVOLUTION LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE

[Hassin Bin Sober]

What Sanders' political revolution looks like in real life

He's enlisting his massive volunteer base to pressure companies to change their labor practices — and joining several protests himself.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/19/bernie-sanders-labor-protest-2020-1455151

WINDSOR, Ontario — In May, an Illinois man emailed [e-mail] with a plea: Graduate students at the University of Chicago were going on strike, and he wanted Bernie Sanders’ presidential team to help.

“I’ve been super inspired by seeing the Bernie campaign support similar actions,” he said.

A few days later, Sanders’ aides obliged, and then some: They used his massive email list to target his fans in the area, asking them to stand on the picket line with students. Some 100,000 texts and emails went out from the campaign, and hundreds of people showed up.

The Vermont senator’s team was ready to act quickly on the stranger’s request because it dovetailed with its plan to harness his state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and grassroots army of volunteers to keep Sanders’ promise to help American workers from the campaign trail. While other candidates have also stood on picket lines and used their email lists to raise money for progressive groups, the scale of Sanders’ efforts appears to be unparalleled in the 2020 field.

His moves also serve an important campaign purpose: to make clear to voters what Sanders means when he calls for a “political revolution.” His advisers acknowledge that the concept is fuzzy to some Democrats and they need to clearly show how he would usher in a revolt from the White House if elected president.

[TexasTowelie]

1. So despite the use of Bernie's massive email list

only the 1% showed up at the University of Chicago picket line? IOW, nothing to brag about since at least some of those people were going to show up anyway.

BTW, since you are in the Chicago area, did you join the picket line?

[George II]

6. I'm just wondering why BS is holding campaign events in Windsor, Ontario. Is trump....

....looking at buying Ontario, too?

[HerbChestnut]

8. Here's your answer, George!

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/28/politics/bernie-sanders-canada-cheaper-insulin-cnntv/index.html

[George II]

9. How many of those Canadians are going to vote for him?

[HerbChestnut]

10. I bet a lot of them would if they could.

For anyone not George who's wondering, Bernie went to Canada with a group of people who needed to buy prescription medications. The idea was to highlight the disparity in pricing for prescriptions drugs between the U.S. and Canada. Spoiler: Medicine in Canada is far cheaper. One family saved $10,000 buying the same insulin in Ontario than they would have if they bought it in America.

[George II]

11. I doubt at this point anyone wonders about that. Yes, he took a dozen people to Canada...

...but what I was asking about (you read the post) was why he's holding a political rally in Windsor, Ontario. Except for the few people he took over the border, most of those out there on the street can't vote for him.

[HerbChestnut]

12. The quotes in the politico article are from when Bernie was in Canada.

To make it 100% clear, the point of the trip was to raise awareness of the issue (as well as help those people get cheaper medicine). You raise the most awareness if you can get the media's attention. By holding a "rally" up there in front of cameras, he was able to get press headlines and articles about the trip, including direct quotes.

Thing is, George, you're smart. I know you know what Bernie was doing up there. But somehow, you always seem to post criticisms in every thread related to Bernie no matter the content of the OP. Strange...

[TexasTowelie]

15. The Canadians do not appreciate being invaded by foreigners

and taking insulin when they have their own supply issues. Threatening the health care system of another nation is bad optics and could end up in some type of retaliation. Bernie should not be condoning this practice which is illegal.

[HerbChestnut]

7. Cold calling people and asking them to volunteer traditionally produces low turnout.

That's just a reality of political organizations. Getting people to provide their phone number/email address, easy. Getting people to donate, a little harder. Getting people to volunteer, near f-ing impossible. It's impressive the campaign was able to find hundreds of people willing to help out.

[TexasTowelie]

16. How does anyone know whether the people who were picketing

were Bernie supporters or whether they would have been picketing because they were part of the strike. Bernie can take responsibility for using his social media to call attention to the problem. However, Bernie does not get credit for the number of people on the picket line without some additional corroboration. I don't see where Bernie has delivered any miracles despite trying to generate publicity for himself (which his supporters have relayed to us repeatedly today on this forum). I'm not buying it because it is so obvious.

[George II]

2. The duration of Sanders' revolution is about to exceed that of the Thirty Years' War of the 1600s...

BTW, here's the non-all caps Politico headline: "What Sanders' political revolution looks like in real life"

[NYMinute]

3. ...

[Karadeniz]

4. Good news, esp. Considering the low response to cold calls.

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Hassin Bin Sober.

[Joe941]

13. Bernie's message on health care is resonating!

[JoeOtterbein]

14. Thanks for sharing!

Also, I literally love the journalist who wrote it!

Thanks again!

[Gothmog]

17. How does this revolution work in the real world?

Why has sanders been unable to pass any meaningful legislation? Where has this revolution been? How many voters are necessary for this revolution? Where are these voters? Where will these new voters come from? Why are these voters not showing up in the polls?