Go, Joe!

BREAKING: Joe Biden is on fire again! Delivering a great speech, as I'm composing this, at the DNC! I'm so proud to be a lifelong Democrat, especially at this moment in history. We haven't always dared to be daring, dared to be strong enough in our platform (and, by "we", I mean my party--I myself have been daring as all get out since I was a small sprout, but I digress #AlwaysVeryLiberal/Progressive), but I feel that now, in large part thanks to my beloved Bernie and all of us Berners, quite frankly, and our influence on the party, as well as thanks to a convergence of demographic influences and socioeconomic influences and other factors coming together, I'm hearing some GOOD, substantive stuff coming from Joe, for one, and we have also managed to PASS some good stuff recently. But we have so, so much more that urgently needs DOING!

While the repugs talk about cutting--read: eliminating--Social Security and Medicare, which we all pay into with every paycheck for our entire lives, so they truly ARE entitlements, don't let the repugs' attempts to make that into a dirty word succeed: Social Security and Medicare ARE entitlements--we all pay into them all our lives, and are thus entitled to them, we, Democrats, are talking about PROTECTING same. What we really need is single-payer, universal health care (among other things, but I got thinking about single payer due to mentioning the repugs actually trying to cut/eliminate Medicare, when we need to be trending the OTHER WAY, massively), but anyway: Joe is on fire, I appreciate him, and I think he is getting BETTER with age, like a fine, deep, complex vintage wine. You go, dear Joe!

P.S. For goodness/democracy's sake, VOTE in November! And vote BLUE!

Thank you, Bernie

Thank you, Bernie

Thank you for being the first political figure in my lifetime who truly represents me, everything I stand for, and everything I dream in my wildest dreams for my country and the world.

Thank you for changing the conversation in this country.

Thank you for giving eloquent, clear and inspiring voice to everything I’ve believed since I was 19 years old and had long since given up on a presidential candidate ever actually fighting for.

Thank you for the validation that came from learning, when I was 19 years old, that the new mayor of Burlington, Vermont was a democratic socialist, just like I had only months earlier realized I was, after discovering it on a college group study trip to Europe. You were the only person in America, let alone the only politician in America, who even knew what I was talking about, let alone shared that world view with me and identified as such.

Thank you for making “single payer healthcare” a kitchen table topic that doesn’t instantly get laughed out of the room.

Thank you for being a true social change activist, and a successful one, dedicating your entire life to effecting social change and trying to bring America to economic and ethical health.

Times may—hell, they do—seem very, very dark right now. It may seem like we will never get to the America you and I, and so many, many others (I know now that there are many of us, thanks to you and our movement), want and understand that we desperately need to get to for the aforementioned economic and ethical health of our country. But you know the old truism: it’s always darkest before the dawn.

Bernie, you have started something that no one can now stop. You have inspired people and gotten people to think, you’ve put ideas out there and sparked people’s imaginations. No one can undo that. And now we go on. Not me, us. From the deepest, most idealistic, imaginative and hopeful depths of my heart and soul, I thank you, Bernie.

"Not me, us!"

Hopeful thought for fellow Berners: no matter what happens in 2020, in 2024, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be old enough to be the first woman President. Let that sink in. Think about how much we (Bernie and all of us) have changed the dialog in our country. We have already done that, no one can undo it, and, no matter what, our movement will go forward. Hopefully, we win the nomination and the Presidency in 2020. America desperately needs that. But even if we don't: we have US. We have brilliant, passionate, eloquent young leaders like AOC. And, whether it happens in 2020 or later, one day, our platform will be America's reality.*

( * Unless it's too late by then and we lapse into total fascism and oligarchy, which we're pretty close to at this very moment, but this was supposed to be a hopeful thought/musing! I'm just saying: whether we win or not-so-much this year, in some ways, we truly have already won, because we've really started a movement and, no matter what, it, and we, will GO ON.)

A Rose By Any Other Name Still Smells As Sweet

As an ardent Bernie Sanders supporter who has many friends among my fellow Democrats who are not, I find it very dismaying, upsetting and ironic to read posts and comments on social media mischaracterizing Bernie and we who support him. Bernie Sanders is the most decent, classy person and campaigner I’ve ever witnessed. In 2016, journalists and debate moderators were constantly trying to bait him to personally attack his opponent, Hillary Clinton, and he would not. For example, he refused to entertain questions on the whole email server thing, and said he wanted to stick to the issues. He constantly said, throughout 2016, that he hoped the debate between candidates for the nomination would be substantive, stick to the issues, and avoid personal attacks. And he stuck to that and ran a beautiful campaign.

His entire life’s work, platform, choices and actions, up to and including his 2020 campaign for the Democratic nomination for President have all been about INCLUSION, respect, civil rights, social justice, economic fairness and a society that invests in and is for and about all the people, not just the wealthiest individuals and corporations. At every campaign rally, from 2016 through the present, he talks about how “we cannot allow anyone to divide us up. When we stick together, black and white, straight and gay, men and women, old and young, there is nothing we cannot do.”

Most of us who support Bernie, do so precisely because of the decency of both the man and his platform, period. I, and every other actual Bernie supporter I know, are kind, fair-minded, loving human beings. So it hurts to see us constantly mischaracterized on cable news networks and on social media as being the opposite, and I won’t even give the specific words that are being used ANY oxygen.

What is so ironic is, I see and hear all this commentary about how terrible Bernie and, particularly, us Bernie supporters are. Yet, from our perspective as Bernie supporters, it sure seems like WE are the ones taking a lot of incoming missiles and being generalized about.

Perhaps if people would actually take the time, and make the effort, to listen to what Bernie himself actually says, and what is actually in his platform, and his life’s choices and actions, instead of believing what is said *about* Bernie and those of us who support him, by the media and those who aim to take down his campaign, they would realize that Bernie stands for respect, tolerance, pluralism, civil rights, social justice, economic justice and inclusion. There is zero way, if you actually LISTEN to what Bernie says, that anyone could misconstrue it as being--as the media and those who oppose Bernie are working very, very hard to have you believe, and are clearly having success at getting you to believe--the opposite.

I've Been Waiting for Today My Entire Life

Long ago (1980), in a galaxy far, far away, known as “Vermont”, there was an idealistic young college student. She wanted to change the world and believed that her generation was the one to do it. She was concerned about climate change (then referred to as “global warming” and/or “The Greenhouse Effect”). She was concerned about The Cold War/nuclear weapons. She was concerned about social justice.

In this remote galaxy of Vermont, this idealistic student went to a tiny, idealistic, experimental college called Goddard. It was full of idealistic, creative, imaginative students and teachers. At one point, she went on a group Independent Study trip to Europe (mainly Germany) for four weeks. Of course, she ended up in an alternative record shop, rifling through some political buttons they had. One had a beautiful sunflower on it, kind of like a Georgia O’Keefe painting, and it said something in German, like “Alternative die Grunen”. The girl asked around, “What does this button say?” She started asking questions about it. Thus she learned about the European Green Party at that time, and about social democracy/democratic socialism. And about how the European Greens were all about the environment, just like she was.

On that trip, the girl was studying European preschools and comparing them to American preschools, and she got to go and observe several preschools throughout Germany, Denmark, Holland and a few other countries. All of this led to the girl learning all about countries that value and invest in their children, and how, in Democratic Socialism/Social Democracy, there is federally funded early childhood education, and maternity and paternity leave, and “single payer health care”, wherein everyone is covered, it comes out of taxes just like our public schools do, and that’s that. No in-network and out-of-network (not that that was a thing yet in the states—most people had indemnity insurance back then), no being afraid to leave your job because you would lose your health insurance, no deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance or premiums. Health care is paid for by taxes, and everyone has it. Early childhood education is also available to everyone, and VALUED. Federal maternity and paternity leave is a thing. WOW! I’m a democratic socialist, she realized! (She also thought, at the time—1980--that she wanted to join the Green Party but, much to her sadness and frustration at the time, upon returning to the States, she learned that it didn’t even exist yet here, which is fine, as now—2020--she detests the American Green Party, so we’ll skip past that part of our tale—she remained a Democrat, as she already was, and still is to this day.)

The girl returned to Vermont, energized to the hilt re social democracy, which NO ONE was talking about at the time. ZERO humans in America. And she learned, when she brought it up excitedly to everyone she knew, that it was “too idealistic” and/or a commie pinko idea that only a naïve, young hippie-type would possibly have/entertain. Still: this is me, she knew: this is my heart, these are my priorities for my country and politics and the world. This is what makes sense. She so wished that there was an American equivalent to the European Greens, or that her own party would be so concerned about the environment, and want to change America’s investment priorities so that we would invest in PEOPLE, and not the military-industrial complex and tax cuts for the very rich. But her country was going the EXACT OTHER WAY: Reagan had just come to power in the 1980 election, her first election, at age 18 (she voted for CARTER, just for the record). Her country went the exact opposite direction from ALL of her beliefs, and would remain on that horrendous track for her entire adult life. But, back to 1980 for a moment…

Just a year later, this young college student in the galaxy known as “Vermont" started to hear about a young mayor over in Burlington, who also was for single payer health care. Wait—someone else in my country is talking about single payer health care?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, yes, and guess what: HE’S A DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST, whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! TRUE STORY! Guess what else? He cares about the environment, and the nuclear arms race, and maternity and paternity leave, and child care. He cares about social justice. His name is Bernie Sanders and he basically had me at ALL OF THAT!

For many years to come, Bernie remained our little secret, up in Vermont. I remember, in 2004, talking with some fellow Al Gore aficionados, as we were all crestfallen at the realization that Gore was NOT going to run in 2004. Who did we want to run? Who was our dream/ideal candidate? Some names were bandied about, and then I—by the way, I’m the girl in this story, if you haven’t figured that out yet—said, you know, I REALLY wish Bernie Sanders, who is a great Senator up in Vermont, would run. About 85% of people in that conversation had no clue who he was. The other 15% said that would be great but, one, it will never happen. And, two, “you’re too idealistic, Edna. No one would ever vote for Bernie.” Too idealistic. Too idealistic.

WELL: I meant to post this early this morning, long before now, late afternoon, but I’ve been too busy at my grueling job. The young girl is all grown up now, with a really stressful job and boss, which, among other things that unfolded in her life, resulting in the aforementioned “growing up”, you would think might have resulted in all the idealism, spirit and hope being ground clean out of her. But NO!!! I’m still the idealistic, democratic socialist environmentalist HIPPIE FREAK FLOWERCHILD THAT APPARENTLY TERRIFIES THE JAMES CARVILLE’S OF THIS WORLD only now: there are so many more of me!

I am so gratefully glad and gladly grateful that I lived to see this day, 2/11/2020, the 2020 New Hampshire primary and BERNIE SANDERS is the FRONTRUNNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, our country may have ended last week but I still have an ember of hope, and its name is BERNIE…and us. “Not me, us!”

GO, New Hampshire, vote, vote, vote!

I've been waiting for this moment my whole life.

Bernie Exists

I'm sitting here watching the pundits on "Inside Politics", live on CNN right now, attempt to make Bernie invisible. How? Well, they keep showing a poll that has Warren first, Bernie SECOND, and Buttigieg 3rd. Buttigieg is BEHIND Bernie by 1 percentage point. Okay, so bear that in mind when I say:

Jeff Zeleny just said "The primary is shaping up as a race between Warren and Buttigieg."

WHAT? Do you not see Bernie Sanders in that poll you just had up on the screen, in 2nd place? Buttigieg is in third place in that particular poll. So how do you conclude that the primary is now between Warren and Buttigieg?  Then the host echoed that, saying, yes, it really is. And on and on they went.

Do they really think that by not mentioning Bernie, he and WE, will just go away? They tried that strategy with the Fukushima nuclear meltdown and, guess what? It's still epic and it is still going on and it is still news and they still never mention it. Yet they can't make it go away.

I hate to compare Bernie and those of us who support him with a nuclear meltdown, but I'm just saying: not mentioning something or someone does not make that thing or person go away.

The mainstream news media is funded by corporate interests, so I guess they are trying the elementary school playground strategy of pretending they can't hear someone when it comes to Bernie, who is taking on all those monied interests of their sponsors. They see that Bernie is an inspiring, eloquent, authentic leader with a platform that would lead to real change that their corporate sponsors are afraid of, so their strategy in reporting on him as a candidate, and on the yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge, inspired, passionate, hopeful groundswell of support he has engendered and enjoyed since 2016 when he first ran, is NOT to. Not to report it. Pretend Bernie, Bernie's campaign, and Bernie's supporters do not exist. The corporate-sponsored, mainstream news media simply covers their ears and says "La la la la la la la, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

*shrug* Okay then. Don't report on us. Don't report on Bernie. Put a poll up on the screen and then act like you don't even see who is in second place in said poll that you are supposedly reporting on. We'll still be here when you stop pretending. Just like 45's actions will still be impeachable when Fox News stops pretending. Facts matter.

If you put a poll up on the screen as a topic of discussion, don't leave out the person in second place, and state that the race is now between the person in first place and the person in third place. Surely those of us who are ardent Bernie supporters cannot be your only viewers who are noticing that inaccurate and downright daft reporting. Get it together, CNN. And don't even get me started on how MSNBC covers--and doesn't cover--Bernie. Come on, guys.

Stop saying that Bernie "yells", or I'm going to yell.

I feel so bad for Bernie, having a sore throat last night going into what was arguably the most important Democratic 2020 presidential candidates debate so far, as it was the first debate with all the major candidates on one stage, and also it was on regular, broadcast television. I know most of us have cable in 2019, but believe it or not, some people do not. This was the first televised debate of the 2020 Presidential campaign for all those people—their first chance to see the candidates and hear them argue for their platforms and vision for America. What a night for Bernie, the candidate with THE platform and vision for America, to lose his voice! But, bless him, bless him, bless him, he soldiered through it admirably.

Still, from the git-go, when I heard his voice, I thought, and worried, and still worry: uh oh, NO, not tonight! What is wrong with his voice? And will people understand that isn’t his regular voice? He literally wasn’t in full voice last night—yet he still, to use a baseball pitching term, had his “good stuff” in terms of his arguments, his substance. He has it all over the other candidates on that and always has. He set the table for the Democratic candidates’ platforms in 2020 and they just all walked to the table and sat down, eating from the idea and vision food he laid out for them.

Yet his voice was hoarse and somehow the camera angle and lighting also made his eyes seem a tad darty and wild, so all in all, I worry that the American people, who, honestly, are kind of a superficial lot in terms of what they go for in a Presidential candidate (and I say “they”, as I myself, though also an American, am the opposite: I read the small print on the ingredients label, and ignore the shiny packaging and branding on front), may have judged him harshly somehow based on his voice last night.

That said, though I’m at work and busy and thus haven’t had time to read much post-debate news, opinion, spin and chatter this morning, it seems that Bernie’s sore/hoarse throat is a topic and is, correctly, being characterized as such: a sore or hoarse throat. So, thank goodness, people get it. They understand it was a sore throat and not his regular voice!

That’s the good news, but the bad is, in the little bit I’ve had time to read thus far, people are joking, yet not joking, that it is because of all the “yelling” he does. I swear, if I have to hear one more person say that Bernie “yells”, I’m going to lose my rhymes-with-pit. He actually does NOT often even raise his voice. Biden, for example, has a much more wound-up debate style, and Warren—fuggedaboutit, she is amped up and wired for sound, baby. And what about Castro last night, he practically had to be restrained. Yet people constantly misinterpret Bernie as, quote, “yelling”.

I think people think anyone with a thick New York accent is “yelling”. I think people think anyone Jewish is “yelling”. It’s like, people who only eat Wonderbread, if they taste rye, they probably think it is a very strong bread. If they only eat vanilla ice cream, and they get a taste of mint chip or coffee, they think, wuuuu, that’s some strong stuff!

Interestingly, sociologically, politically and psychologically, I don’t think it is that Bernie yells a lot (because he does not). I think it is that he is talking about real change, and that scares people. That jars people. So they translate that in their brains to “he’s yelling—why is he yelling?”

Bernie doesn’t yell. Not very often anyway. I submit to you that he doesn’t “yell” as often as many of the other candidates up on that podium last night tend to. He normally speaks clearly, thoughtfully, never condescendingly, always like that favorite teacher who assumes you are intelligent enough to hear the whole, complex, nuanced, substantive, detailed truth and keep up. Yes, he’s passionate. Passion isn’t the same as “yelling”. Even that time, in the prior debate, when another candidate was saying something about how he couldn’t guarantee such-and-such would happen or wouldn’t happen under his particular (single payer, woot!) “Medicare for All” plan, and Bernie said, yes I can, “I wrote the damn bill!”, he didn’t yell. He said that very passionately but he wasn’t yelling.

I feel like this “Bernie yells” false narrative is strikingly similar to when Howard Dean was taken down for literally NOTHING when he emitted a slight little exuberant “Yeah!” at a high point of campaigning. That ended his run, basically. It was nothing, and certainly nothing bad. It is amazing how something that is literally nothing can take a candidate down, so I’m here to nip this “Bernie yells” nonsense in the bud. Just stop it. Or I’m going to yell at you. I’d be scared of THAT if I were you. Because I can unleash some fire and fury when I want to, kids. So lay off all the false narratives about Bernie and stick to substance. Which, by the way, he will wipe the floor with anyone who tries to mischaracterize him on. And they know it. So they are going with the “yelling”. That’s all they have. And it’s not even real.

Network News Media Not Talking about Bernie

I notice consistently that the news networks don't talk about Bernie or his policies when they discuss the 2020 election. I'm hearing a lot about some of the other candidates and which ones appeal to voters, etc., but evidently they think that by never mentioning Bernie, they will be able to marginalize his candidacy. Think again.

Right now, on CNN State of the Union, they're talking about Biden, Buttegieg, Harris, ...not hearing mention of Bernie.

It's by design. And again, it is not going to work. You can't make something go away by not mentioning its name (trust me, I am trying that by never saying the name of our current POTUS, yet he's still there). Bernie and his policies are a movement, not one person. You may be able to ignore him and not give him any mention or air time, but you can't ignore all of US.

Bernie and us Berners Have Moved the Democratic Party and Our Country Forward

Bernie, his vision, his priorities, his platform, his leadership, his eloquence, his refusal to let the media drag him off message, his insistence on sticking to substance and never talking down to the American people, his entire 2016 campaign, and last but not least, all of US--the Berners!--really accomplished a tremendous amount in 2016, though right now, with the situation in the White House, it may not seem that way.

Bernie, his vision, his priorities, his platform, his leadership, his eloquence, his refusal to let the media drag him off message, his insistence on sticking to substance and never talking down to the American people, his entire 2016 campaign, and last but not least, all of US--the Berners!--really accomplished a tremendous amount in 2016, though right now, with the situation in the White House, it may not seem that way.

What did he, and we, do? We moved the dialog, discuss...ion and talking points in this country. We changed not only the 2016 platform of the Democratic Party, but we changed what are considered valid, mainstream ideas and issues moving forward, for the future of our party and this country!

Single payer? It's now not laughed out of the room. It's mainstream, Kamala Harris has come out strongly for it upon announcing her campaign, to my utter thrilledness. SINGLE PAYER NOW! I've been shouting for it since long about 1980, when I first came of age, and happened to go to Europe for a class in college one semester, and learned, while I was there, of a little thing called single payer, and democratic socialism. WOW. Brought some buttons (political) home with me. Still have them. Still for single payer. Know it is what our country needs for a health care system if we are ever going to have one that is economically sustainable and morally/ethically right--in other words, if we are going to have a health care system that is healthy for our country in more ways than one. Single payer now? Yes, Virginia: NOW!

Finally!

Thank you, dear, unwavering, unfaltering, Bernie Sanders. And thank you, me, you and all of us because we stood together, we raised our voices and our candles high in the air, and the party and the nation has taken note, and notes. Single payer is kitchen table talk now. He did that. We did that. Never think that you can't make a difference.

 

All The Ways 2020 Democrats Sounds More Like Bernie Than Hillary

Get a Piece of It

Sanders just tore it up on "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper!

Bernie is SO great: Tapper asked the question that the press just seems obsessed with, namely: why don't you get out, why don't you NOT go to the Convention? You've gotten some concessions on the platform this week, why not just endorse Hillary and get out?

He said "Nope, no." He said that yes, we did make some progress on the platform this week, but in two weeks, the platform committee meets in Orlando and we still don't have--and, emphasis mine, we ***NEED***--single payer health care, a carbon tax, an anti-fracking plank, etc. So we go to Orlando and we fight, and we go to the Convention and we fight for what America needs.

Why is the press and why are Hillary people so incapable of understanding that we are in a democratic PROCESS right now, and Bernie has built a movement behind him, so why oh why on earth would we just quit now?! WE ARE GOING TO THE CONVENTION.

Get used to it, Hillary supporters. Get used to it, media. We are the base of this party. If you would turn your eyes from wooing the 2016 iteration of the so-called "Reagan Democrats", which don't even exist and never have, and which are actually called REPUBLICANS, and also turn from wooing your corporate masters, you would see that you have a yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge base that is waiting to embrace the party if the party would only embrace US. Embrace the PEOPLE instead of the 1%, and the clueless voters (a.k.a., most Republicans) who support the interests of the 1% because they are easily confused.

Your base, on the other hand, is NOT easily confused. We are HERE, we have been here all along. All the decades that you have tried to be Republican Lite, Reagan Lite. WE DON'T WANT THAT. And we are not going to stand for that anymore without a fight.

As Bernie said during this campaign season: "democracy is messy". We're in there and we're scrapping. Like successful baseball hitters, we don't give up when we are at the plate! We just keep trying to "get a piece of it"! It ain't over 'til it's over: we are still trying to get hits and hopefully a home run...we are, to borrow a phrase from Clinton's 2008 campaign, in it to win it. What is "it"? Well, ideally the whole enchilada, platform-wise, PLUS the nomination, but we definitely are in it to win the "it" of getting what this country desperately needs on the Democratic platform!

‪#‎SeeyouinOrlando‬ ‪#‎SeeyouinPhilly‬ ‪#‎Getapieceofit‬!

Bernie Supporters Do Not Want "Free Stuff"

Republicans and DINOs are saying that Berners want "free stuff". This is not the truth.

Under trickle-down Reaganomics, which has dominated our country since 1980, it has been 36 years of "free stuff" for the 1% on the backs of the 99%. We are not the ones who don't want to pay our fair share of taxes. We want to pay our fair share, and have been paying it all along. The 1% don't want to pay theirs, and have not been paying it, for 36 years. They've been freeloading for 36 years. They don't want to invest in the people, infrastructure or environment.

Republicans and DINOS do not want the tax structure changed so that everyone--all of us--are paying our fair share.  They want to continue with unfair tax breaks for the very rich and for corporations.  They want a society that, as Bernie says, is rigged, in which the fix is in and all the money actually trickles UP to the top.

Bernie and Bernie supporters want a society that is for the people--for all the people.  It is a question of priorities, not of "free stuff".  We want our tax money to be invested back into the people, in the form of health care for all, child care, maternity and paternity leave, college education, and other things that benefit our entire society in so many deep, enduring ways.  We want to invest in our infrastructure and our environment, instead of in wars for oil so that private corporations can get richer at the expense of our kids getting killed, and our blood and treasure being spent for no reason other than to explode the deficit and enrich private corporations.

So please understand:  it is the Republicans and DINOS who truly want "free stuff":  they don't want to pay their fair share of taxes.  They have proudly stated this for 36 years--this is what their candidates run on:  lowering taxes.  Not only is this "trickle-down" model that we have been living under for 36 years unfair, it is very unhealthy for our society, both ethically and economically.  It exploits and essentially makes the 99% slaves to the 1%, and it is also not sustainable, as it explodes the deficit when you have the richest among us not paying their share of taxes.

Meanwhile, while the Republicans and DINOs want "free stuff"--no taxes, no regulations, just allow the rich to hoard everything, on the backs of the workers of this country--by contrast, Bernie supporters DO want to pay our fair share, and we want our money to go toward making things so much better for all of us, for everyone.  That is what democratic socialism is.  It is ethical and it is economically sustainable, two things our current system is not.

While Bernie and Berners say: "Not me, us.", Republicans (and DINOS) say "Not us, ME."

Berners are the true patriots!!!!!!!!!  It doesn't get more patriotic than Democratic Socialism:  everyone pays their fair share of taxes, and that money gets invested back into the people and society, for the greater good.  It is far more ethical and economically sustainable than our current tax structure and set of national priorities.

Bernie Has Always Lived the Change I Wish to See in the World

Bernie and his campaign move me to tears, in a very good way.

He hasn't had to evolve; he's always fought for respect, dignity and equal rights for all people. In the segretated '60's, he put himself (physically) on the line in the civil rights movement.  He has always stood up for LGBTQI Americans, LONG before it recently became politically correct to do so.  He stands up for the earth, which has no voice.  He stands up for the poor, reminding us that our government is supposed to be by the people and for the people, not by the corporations and for their profit.  He stands for children, for college students and for senior citizens.  He stands for families--for policies that embody and empower true family values, like maternity and paternity leave, child care, and health care for all.  He has always stood up for what is right.  He has always seen it.  He has always known it.  He has always lived it.

Bernie lives the change I wish to see in the world

Sanders is About the Opposite of Violence

For the love of God. Now CNN is trying to spin Sanders' for saying "democracy is messy", trying to twist that into some sort of call for violence. He was simply saying that, in a democracy, there is diversity of opinion, there is DISSENT, there is debate, there is passion. It isn't all about UNITY, all the time, especially not at a party convention, which is about picking candidates and hammering out a party platform. If we were just about UNITY, we would be a staged parade in North Korea, not a democracy.

CNN is so obviously--ever since Nevada--trying to give legs to a narrative of Sanders and his supporters being some sort of violent mob. I think it is, indeed, taking off as a narrative with some, because people fear the real change that Bernie represents. However, Bernie condemns violence. In fact, the real change that he represents is about undoing the violence of the last 36 years. The violence that is what I've always called the "Robinhood in Reverse" effect of Reagan's trickle-down economics. The violence of corporate welfare. The economic and social violence by the 1% against the 99%, carried out via the Reaganomics we've all been forced to endure since 1980. Bernie is about UN-doing violence, and bringing about a fair, healthy economy and society that works for the people. So put that in your narrative, sit and spin on it, CNN!

Breaking: Democratic Base Awakens After Decades on Life Support, and the Ensuing Earthquake Exposes Deep Fault Line Within Democratic Party

In the past few weeks, I have lost two long-time friends who are also fellow Democrats, over the fact that I am an ardent Bernie Sanders supporter and they keep relentlessly commenting on Facebook, smearing Bernie and his platform, and they also keep making outrageously smearing statements about Bernie's supporters.  Since I am a many-decades-long and ardent Bernie supporter, when people I thought of as friends insist upon attacking us, I take that very personally:  they are attacking me.

I didn't end my friendships with them because they disagree with me on policies or on a candidate.  I don't mind if people hold different views from my own (they have a right to be wrong *lol*), or support a different candidate.  I do take profound issue with them personally attacking all Bernie supporters by making shockingly offensive and inaccurate, generalized statements about us, or about Bernie himself, or about his platform.  And the fact that I've personally lost two long-time friends in the span of a few weeks, two fellow members of the Democratic party--the fact that it got to a point at which the friendships of many years are actually over, when we are supposedly the party of tolerance and respect for diversity--I think warrants a blog entry, so here goes:

I think the Democratic party is actually experiencing an earthquake right now that is exposing a fault line, an ideological divide.

Everyone is talking about the GOP coming apart at the seams. Perhaps being overlooked is what is going on over here on the Democratic side. Bernie is the heart, soul and mind of the party, and he's breathed life into its body, which has been on life support for decades. We have air in our lungs now, we're awake. He's given us breath and voice!

Hillary and her followers who keep relentlessly smearing Bernie's supporters like me don't seem to be celebrating our awakening.  They don't even seem to respect that, or us. They want us to go back to sleep, back into a deep coma, and stop all our crazy talk about "pie-in-the-sky" dreams. They are comfortable with the status quo. What's more, if the newly revived and awakened Democratic base keeps trying to speak, let alone rip off the life support and get up, they will keep trying to shut us up. 

Well, hear this across the increasingly wide fault line being exposed by this ideological earthquake, fellow Democrats who are trying to smear and dismiss us Bernie supporters:  I will not be silenced.  We will not be silenced.  Bernie has helped us find our voice.  And we are going to raise it.

Al Gore: It’s Time to Bern a Few Bridges

Just my passionate two cents: I think one of my heroes should definitely endorse the other one, right now. I think Al Gore should come out and endorse Bernie Sanders.

Come on, Al, what are you waiting for? Bernie is the strongest candidate on climate change by far. Bernie has the progressive agenda. He gives voice to, and fights for, what the base of the Democratic Party has held in our heart of hearts for so long, while we and our country endured decades of Reaganomics surrounding and drowning us.

Are you trying to stay out of it? Now is not the time in history for that. Now is the time to use your hard-won and much-deserved influence and gravitas to stand behind the person who will fight to save our country and our planet. The stakes are high. The time is now. And what has Hillary ever done for you? What has she ever done for us, really? Look at Bernie. Look at his record, look at his history. Look at our country and our world, and the crossroads both face. The choice is clear. Your endorsement matters.  Do it.

This Female Bernie Supporter Accepts Your Apology, Madeleine, and I Appreciate It

This is a follow-up to my last outraged blog which was regarding a statement Madeleine Albright made at a Hillary Clinton rally, which in the context she spoke it, implied that women who do not support Hillary Clinton have a "special place in Hell" reserved for us.  She has, as of yesterday, since apologized, and clarified, in the following New York Times editorial.

My reaction?  Apology accepted, and appreciated.  One poor choice doesn't necessarily negate a lifetime of great achievement.  I, for one female Bernie supporter, forgive her and am back to my previous stance of admiring her.  Here is her apology:

Madeleine Albright apologizes in a New York Times Op Ed

Going to Hell for Bernie

I’m exhausted.  I’m busy.  I work so hard, as a female member of the 99%, and I don’t feel like coming home and summoning up the eloquence to write a blog tonight.  But, I’m also pissed off.  You know:  ANGRY.  And I am therefore compelled to write this tonight.

I am an ardent supporter of Bernie Sanders.  He has been a hero of mine since way back when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont.  I love his ideals.  I love what he stands for and how he stands for it.  Until today, I also had a lot of respect for Hillary Clinton.  A long time ago, I used to think she was just about power and ambition, and not about ideals.  Then I came to believe that she actually did stand for things—good things—and not only that, she’s smart and experienced and a damn eloquent speaker and she, somewhere along the way, earned my respect.  Today, she lost it again.  For good.  Oh, I will vote for her in the general election if she’s the nominee of my party, don’t worry.  But before today, I would have done so with great enthusiasm.  After today, I will just do it, like I did for Barack Obama twice, and for John Kerry.  The last presidential election I was truly excited about was 2000.  And I’m excited again now, for Bernie—and only for Bernie—thanks to the Clinton campaign’s dogged determination to profoundly insult female Bernie voters.

First up to the plate, apparently as sort of a warm-up act, we had Gloria Steinam.  Now, I’m not sure if this opening act was sanctioned by the Clinton Camp or not, so in fairness, she may not have been acting as a Clinton surrogate, as I am 100% sure the next two people and statements I’m going to describe after the Gloria incident clearly were.  Gloria got interviewed by Bill Maher and decided to opine that young women are only voting for Bernie because they are thinking, quote:  “Where are the boys?  The boys are with Bernie.”  Now, folks, I am just going to let that one speak for itself, because that is just the kindling for my fire tonight.  It is not the reason I am taking time I don’t have, energy I don’t have and facing facts I don’t want to face, just to write this.  No, that would be because definite surrogates of the Clinton campaign:  Bill Clinton, speaking on Hillary’s behalf, and then Madeleine Albright, speaking on Hillary’s behalf with Hillary right there cheering her on, no less, have said things that are so offensive that I am DONE.  DONE with respecting Hillary, done with sticking up for her, finito.

Let’s start with Bill.  He is going around saying that Bernie’s campaign is engaging in sexist attacks against Hillary.  This is simply NOT the truth.  In fact, Bernie has said that if any of his supporters are posting anything sexist against Hillary (which, as anyone who has the slightest understanding of the internet realizes, he has no control over), he not only does not condone it and requests that they stop, but he doesn’t want their support.  You can’t be any clearer AGAINST sexism in the campaign than that.

Now we move on to what has spurred my complete outrage:  Madeleine Albright.  Former Secretary of State.  Current Clinton campaign spokesperson.  Someone I have met.  Someone I had great respect for.  Someone who completely lost ALL my respect with ONE comment today, and also—taken in tandem with the Steinem shocker and the Bill artful smear—managed to make me lose respect for Hillary, which Hillary had built up from basically where I’ve been SHOT back to today, which is nil.  I have no respect for her.  In fact, I now have active contempt for her.

For you see, Madeleine Albright decided to say that women who don’t support Hillary have “a special place in hell”.  Yep.  You read that right.  I decided to listen to the comment myself on video this afternoon, since I couldn’t believe I had heard it reported correctly, or in context, on CNN’s early news this morning.  CNN had reported that she said young women who support Bernie have a special place in Hell.  What she actually said, at first blush, does sound a lot better:  women who don’t support other women have a special place in hell.  HOWEVER, if you listen to the entire thing in context, it was clearly and solely in the context of saying women should support Hillary.  There is absolutely no mistaking her meaning:  Madeleine Albright definitely, clearly, unmistakably meant that women who don’t support HILLARY have, quote, “a special place in hell.”

Folks, there is really no way, and thankfully, no need, to put into words just how offensive this is to me as a woman who supports Bernie.  As a Democrat.  As someone who has stuck up for Hillary to my fellow Bernie supporters throughout this campaign.  As someone who has admired Madeleine Albright for decades.  I’m done.  I’m done trying to bring the party together.  I’m done trying to bring progressives together.  I’m done sticking up for Hillary.  Why would I stick up for someone who claps when her surrogate says I have a special place in hell?

Do they honestly think that is the way to win female Bernie voters over?  By condemning us?  By insulting us?  By saying we have a special place in hell?  My mom always told me, “You catch more flies with honey.”

But these people evidently think bullying will work.  They think fire and brimstone condemnation will work.  They think playing the vagina card will work.  Well, I am not voting for someone just because they are a woman, I’m voting for the person whose POLICIES help women, men, children, the elderly, the environment, the economy, our country and the world.  That person is Bernie.  He steadfastly sticks to the issues, the substance, and refuses to engage in personal attacks.  He doesn’t insult my intelligence.  So who is the true feminist?  He doesn’t bully and threaten me with going to hell.  So who is the true feminist?  His policies would really challenge the patriarchy, so who is the true feminist?

I tend to vote for those who don’t tell me I have a special place in hell reserved for me.  I tend to vote for those who are respectful and respectworthy.

The First Democratic Debate of 2016 Made This Democrat Very Proud

#Wow!

I should wait until manana to write and post this. I have to be up at six a.m. and off to work. But I just CAN'T CONTAIN MY PRIDE AT BEING A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT at this moment!

The Republican debate and all the coverage of their candidates has been like watching some sort of grotesque hybrid of a professional wrestling match meets a witch hunt meets Reaganomics on crack.

Contrast that to the impressive Democratic Party debate we witnessed tonight. The candidates did not personally attack each other. Not once. They did not attack women. They did not attack immigrants. They did not attack Planned Parenthood. What did they do? They respectfully, passionately, substantively discussed THE ISSUES.

I am so proud of my party right now I honestly am fighting back tears (not sure if it is okay to cry a few weeks post-cataract-n-LRI surgery, or I would let 'em flow, babies). Our country desperately needs this kind of intelligent, thoughtful, respectful, substantive debate on the issues, and leadership in kind.

Instead of going on a witch hunt against Planned Parenthood​, Rosie O'Donnell and immigrants, the Democratic Party and our impressive field of candidates are trying to bring people together. Bernie Sanders wants people to wake up and realize their power over corporate money. Hillary Clinton wants to help women, children and the middle class. They both want us to have family leave and health care. Martin O'Malley wants us to move to a clean energy grid (not fast enough, but at least he is talking about it and wants to move us toward it). All of the candidates are talking about issues and what is best for the people, our country and our world.

I don't know about you, but I profoundly prefer that to the aforementioned professional wrestling match meets witch hunt we have been horrifyingly and embarrassingly-to-our-country witnessing from the other side of the aisle. I am so proud to be a Democrat tonight.