by Jenn Powell
There is something to be said about Bernie Sanders attracting a crowd of 34,000 in Denver last month. That is a record, and he’s not even running for anything.
WE need to pay attention, we need to stop challenging and gate keeping, we need to follow his lead. I had the pleasure of leading the local grassroots campaign for Bernie Sanders in 2015 and assisted organizers in 2020. I was elected as a delegate in 2016 and appointed in 2020. What we accomplished in 2016 was amazing, with no help from the Dem party, with no money from the official campaign, we only lost Alachua County by 45 votes. We accomplished this with the PEOPLE, not any PACs, but with small dollar grassroots donations. We paid for all our printing, our yard signs, our events, even rented an office fully funded by local Bernie supporters. The energy behind this was nothing I had ever seen. I long to feel that level of HOPE for the future again.
After the loss in 2016, I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, I joined the Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee as a precinct leader, as did others from our grassroots Bernie Campaign. It’s been 9 years now and I can say I am proud of the work we have accomplished with our local party. If only we could figure out how to reach our rural neighbors, maybe we could have stopped Donald Trump last year. One ride out to Keystone Heights and surrounding areas and I saw that we really didn’t stand a chance.
Gainesville is not going to be the savior of our electorate, we need to reach all of those who are also struggling in these rural areas. Some are already seeing the error in their votes, some will take a little longer, but even the wealthy are taking losses from this new Administration. Unless you are in the top 1% you will feel direct effects soon.
Now Bernie is out on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and if we don’t pay attention to what they are bringing together, the people, we will continue to fail in future elections.
Everything is at stake. We will not win relying on democratic Supervoters, we need to bring in the 89 MILLION voters who stayed home. That voting bloc was the real winner, with more votes than either Republican or Democrats.
To quote Bernie, “The Democratic Party needs a major transformation. It can no longer be a top-down, billionaire-funded, consultant-driven party. It must be a multi-generational, multi-racial working class party.
In a time of growing oligarchy and authoritarianism, that’s the only path to victory.” And he’s right.
I am a lifelong Democrat. Yes, I am also what you can consider a left-wing democrat and yes, we do exist within the party.
I personally believe everyone working 40 hours should not be living in poverty, I want to see billionaires like Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg (and many more) taxed out of that billionaire status, I want to see Medicaid expansion and eventually a Medicare for All program that will guarantee healthcare to everyone. Nobody should die because they are too afraid to go to the doctor because of the cost or the cost of treatment. I believe in public education and protecting Medicare and Social Security: we paid into those programs and we don’t need Elon Musk looting them.
Bernie has a plan, and you are included. A recent email from Bernie answered the question “Where do we go from here?”
“First, we have to understand that the economic and political crises facing our country will NOT be solved in Washington, DC. The system is just too corrupt. As a result of Citizens United, billionaires in both parties are able to spend unlimited sums of money buying and selling politicians — and that’s what they do. Further, on any given day, thousands of corporate lobbyists roam the halls of Congress doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
“The ONLY way that real change ever takes place is from the bottom on up. It’s when millions of people, at the grassroots level, reject the status quo and stand up for justice and decency.
“And the good news is that we’re beginning to see that happen right now — all across the country. Seniors in large numbers are telling Congress: don’t cut the Social Security Administration. Veterans and their organizations are telling Congress: don’t cut the Veterans Administration. Students are telling Congress: don’t cut Pell grants and student loans. Large numbers of people are coming out to town meetings — and taking on members of Congress who are prepared to vote against their interests.
“Over the past several weeks I’ve held a series of town meetings in Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. And what I have found is that in these districts, and all across the country, Americans are saying loudly and clearly: NO to oligarchy, NO to authoritarianism, NO to klepto-
cracy, NO to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, NO to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country.
“There must be meetings and rallies in all 50 states, and they should take place over and over again. And when those rallies are over, we need to organize the people who attend to mobilize in their communities and be in touch with their members of Congress.
“But that is not all.
“We need progressives to run for office at all levels. I am talking about school boards, city councils, state legislature and the races that are not in the news but make a tremendous difference in local communities.
“We need to build community and bring people together even when it isn’t about politics first. The Republican Party is always trying to divide us up based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and more … we need to come together as one.
“We need to elect a U.S. House and a U.S. Senate that will prioritize the needs of the working people in this country. We now have open Senate seats in Minnesota, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Who are the progressives that are going to run, and how can we support them? There are also a number of House seats that can be won.
“Further, we need to be looking for new and creative ways to educate each other in a world where nearly the entire media and communications infrastructure is owned and controlled by the wealthiest people in this country. If there was ever a time in American history when we need to come together, this is that time.
“Not me. Us. That is the only way forward.”
A major spark is being reignited in me. Of course I never stopped “Feeling the Bern.” If we are going to win, it’s not going to be because of Bernie or any other Politician, it’s going to be because YOU. It was never about Bernie Sanders, it has always been about Us.
I hope you will attend the Congressional District 3 Town Hall (with or without Rep. Kat Cammack, she’s been invited) on Friday, April 25 from 6-8pm at Upper Room Ministries, 3575 NE 15th Street. This isn’t a Bernie Sanders event, but an event put together by a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations from throughout the district. Will our red district representative show up? We shall see, but we are ready to host an empty chair town hall, so you can be heard. Please join us.
To plug into what is going on with the local Democratic party, go to: mobilize.us/alachuadems.