"Could it actually happen?"

[rbnyc]

Over on Facebook, I posted an article about the historic national house party and my dear friend and fellow Bernie supporter replied, "Could it actually happen?"

I know I relate everything to non-profit fundraising, 'cause I just live and breathe that, but I wanted to drop in and share my reply to him:

Yes. But we have to keep fighting every minute.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, what I do for a living is really insignificant, but I keep having this feeling that there is a connection or correlation between the membership campaign I just ran for the Cinema, and the Sanders Campaign.

In the fourth quarter of our fiscal year, we needed to raise $216,000 in membership revenue to make the membership target in our budget. We had a stretch goal of $250,000 in order to compensate for other shortfalls. I knew we could make goal, but the stretch goal represented unprecedented growth. It was possible but would require massive effort and community engagement.

It was a populist campaign with active volunteers at its core. I measured our progress toward goal and stretch goal daily. It became increasingly apparent that it really was possible to actually make our stretch goal. As this became obvious to the volunteers and other key players, my main job was to keep them inspired and fighting for it. My main job was to keep them hungry to make stretch goal.

I knew that the tiniest amount of complacency would derail us irrevocably.

It came right down to the final hours but we surpassed stretch goal by over $3000.

It's not even so much in my mind, but something in my body tells me this little art-house membership campaign was kind of a microcosm for the campaign we are engaged in now.

We absolutely can win. Not only that, but we must.

We must make goals for ourselves as campaign volunteers, measure our progress, stay hungry, keep escalating our engagement, and when we win know that we are not done.

[Demeter]

1. " We absolutely can win. Not only that, but we must."

Truer words have never been written, not since "Common Sense".

[daleanime]

2. True....

[arcane1]

3. Yes it could, but not if we sit back at watch for it to happen. We can definitely MAKE it happen! nt

[L0oniX]

4. K & R

[SoapBox]

5. Plus a million to the "can" and "must"!

Go Team Bernie!

Stay hungry!

[sabrina 1]

8. Lol, that made me think of the 'most interesting man in the world':

'Stay Thirsty My Friend'!

And I think someone used that depicting Bernie in his place!

[rbnyc]

10. love it. nt

[appalachiablue]

6. K & R. It's a must- critical time for the US.

[chknltl]

7. My Veterenarian said those words too regarding Bernie Sanders:

"We must win!"

She told me that when Gov. Bush got elected to the Presidency the first time she thought it an anomaly, that the US would regain it's senses before the next election. When President Bush got re-elected she was seriously looking at moving up to Canada. She adores President Obama, took umbrage at my saying he deserved a B+ until I explained a bit about the TPP and fast-track to her. (She said she couldn't understand how President Obama could do such a thing and needed to investigate my words on her own). When we got back to chatting about Bernie again, she told me that in no way, shape or form would she support Hillary, that when it comes to the Presidency, there are no other options: "We must win!"

She knew nothing of Free Speech TV, Thom Hartmann nor does she participate in online forums. I told her where to find FSTV, what time Thom comes on and suggested that she might want to check out the Big DU!

[rbnyc]

9. TPP is a huge issue...

...and of course we know, Bush wasn't actually elected.