Hundreds of Thousands of Sander's Backers May Demonstrate At The Democratic Party Convention In July

[imagine2015]

Clinton’s Crumbling, Bernie’s Surging and a ‘Political Revolution’ Could Be in the Offing
By Dave Lindorff -
April 7, 2016

Perhaps a Clintonian “scorched-earth” campaign of lies, tricks and media manipulation could succeed in derailing the Sanders campaign — though I doubt it. But if it did succeed, there would be no “unifying” possible later. The evident passion for Sanders himself among his followers is so great at this point that if Clinton’s establishment backers and her Super PAC funders were to tear him down and deny him the nomination there would be no forgiving and forgetting possible.


This offers an interesting set of possible scenarios going forward.

The first would be that the polls continue to move Sanders’ way as they have been showing a consistent pattern of doing in state after state primary and caucus. Already Clinton’s lead in New York, where the primary is set for April 19, has been whittled down from over 40% to single digits. In Pennsylvania, which votes on April 26, a similar large margin for Clinton is down now to just a 4% spread, and that was before last night’s “yuge” rally in the state’s largest city. If Sanders were to win in New York, the state where Clinton served a term and a half as senator, and then in Pennsylvania, he would be on a march that would probably take him right through California on June 7. Even if he wound up a bit short of a majority of pledged delegates at that point, the superdelegates, mostly Democratic politicians, either in office or formerly in office and perhaps considering running again, would be hard pressed to continue supporting Clinton, who would be seen as badly damaged goods and as a bad bet for the general election.


Add to that the prospect of hundreds of thousands of Sanders backers who will almost certainly be in the streets of Philadelphia–a city of just 1 million–for the Democratic Convention in mid-July.


Images of the disastrous 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago will surely be in anxious party leaders’ heads. Chicago was where police brutally attacked anti-war backers of Sen. Eugene McCarthy, whose candidacy was stolen away by the establishment’s candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a man who became badly damaged goods and went on to lose to Richard Nixon. Philadelphia’s police department today is every bit as capable of brutality and thuggishness as was Mayor Richard Daley’s Chicago PD almost half a century ago, but the Sanders backers in the street in Philly will not be a bunch of widely reviled long-haired hippies, yippies and pinko anti-war activists. They are, in large part, America’s kids and young adults. Many of Philadelphia’s cops may even have kids who will be part of the group in the streets backing Sanders, which might make a Chicago-style police riot less likely.

http://www.nationofchange.org/news/2016/04/07/clintons-crumbling-bernies-surging-political-revolution-offing/

[grasswire]

1. ~~~if you're going to Philadelphia~~

~~be sure to wear a flower in your hair~~~~~~~~

[MineralMan]

23. Indeed. I was in San Francisco many times in the 60s.

I was in Washington, DC in 68 and 69, too. One was some folks laying back and living a dream. The other was politically aware people protesting an unjust war. I got stoned in San Francisco and got laid a couple of times. I got arrested at the Pentagon in the other place.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are damned hard to come by. Maybe if they can book the Rolling Stones for a free concert. That might do it. Or maybe Justin Bieber. I can't keep up with all of this, really.

I'll be watching the Democratic Convention, though, for sure, so I'll be looking for those hundreds of thousands of protesters.

[1StrongBlackMan]

27. I know ...

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are damned hard to come by. Maybe if they can book the Rolling Stones for a free concert. That might do it. Or maybe Justin Bieber. I can't keep up with all of this, really.

100s of thousands? ... in Philadelphia? ... in July? It'll be too hot!

[MineralMan]

35. Dude...How do I get to Philadelphia? Where is it?

Whoa...that's too far. Where would I stay. Is that even in this country? My 1996 Crown Vic would never make it.

[MineralMan]

39. It costs HOW MUCH to get on the PA Turnpike.

Let me check my change jar. I don't think I have that much, really...you wanna kick in?

[HERVEPA]

53. and a hard hat

[redstateblues]

2. Reminiscent of Trump threatening riots if they don't give him the nomination

[Jitter65]

4. My thoughts exactly! nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. Mine, too.

[imagine2015]

17. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In 1968 we had police riot at the Democratic convention.

You seem to be totally unfamiliar with what happened at the Chicago convention. Bernie supporters don't want a repeat of that in Philadelphia. To suggest that Bernie's supporters are drug crazed rioters is pathetic.

To suggest otherwise is nothing more than a mean and nasty smear of Bernie Sanders and his supporters.

Are you going to continue spreading that kind of garbage on DU?

Is that what Hillary's campaign has been reduced to on public discussion boards?

I guess so.

Are you working full-time on her campaign and is this the kind of b.s. you are being encouraged to spread?

I hope not.

[mythology]

43. It's classless to accuse somebody of being a paid with no evidence

But beyond that, in a scenario where the pledged delegate leader is not the nominee is something the Sanders supporters were adamantly opposed to to one they are now not only arguing for, but in this case threatening to throw a temper tantrum if it doesn't happen.

If that happens fuck them. Losing an election sucks. But you don't threaten to riot if it happens.

[RashaMZak]

54. Protest =/= riot. Unlike with Trump, nobody used the word "riot" here.

[Agschmid]

50. Who said anything about "drug crazed"...

Where did that come from?

[blm]

62. In 1968 the protestors were NOT 'drug-crazed rioters'. Why do you claim they were?

I think you may have tipped to show the REAL cards you have been playing here all along.

Only RWers believe that war protestors in 1968 were 'drug-crazed rioters' as you called them.

I'm not so sure you're here to support Sanders as you'd like for us to believe. Perhaps you could explain how you came to believe the war protestors were 'drug-crazed rioters'?

[frylock]

44. Yeah, Democracy is messy.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

3. So end of story, GOP wins if Bernie is not the nominee. This is what the Bernie contingent

is promising.

Got it.

Jesus, these people simply cant be liberals.

[dr60omg]

5. There may be a few however there is a difference between progressive and left from liberal

Try to understand there is a difference between progressive and leftist from liberal. Liberal and conservative are the flip sides of the same coin (tied to one another). Progressives and leftists want the US to move from the centrist liberal stuff to a progressive form of politics which is neither tied to neoliberalism (privatization and Wall Street) or neoconservatism

[Jackie Wilson Said]

6. No person who thinks they are liberal or progressive

risks a GOP government.

Unless they simply dont know enough to know better.

[handmade34]

32. agree

[Jackie Wilson Said]

36. Look at this shit

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511683671

Look at what not voting in November if Hillary is the nominee means.

[Loudestlib]

84. This is the problem.

When Obama won the primary, it was a close contest but there was a clear winner. This primary started off with the DNC fixing the debate schedule to benefit Hillary. That made the entire processes suspect. Like it or not, if Hillary is the nominee, many voters will write in Sanders, vote for the Green Party, just stay home or even vote for Dumpf.

[revbones]

76. I disagree with your definition of liberal

Especially the centrist liberal fallacy you create.

[timmymoff]

10. I agree Hillary can not nor should ever be called a liberal.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

11. I know, you make sure that if Bernie doesnt win, the GOP does.

You will be proud of that, eh!

[Jackie Wilson Said]

14. I will be the fool who votes for Bernie, then if he loses I will be the fool that does what

Bernie does and vote for Hillary.

You will tell Bernie to go fuck himself at that point.

[timmymoff]

15. Nope just hillary

I will be returning the favor of her thirty years of fuck you's she gave America.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

16. No, if you dont vote for her at that point you will be telling Bernie to fuck off.

Especially after he pleads with you, explains to you he needs a Democratic White House so he can accomplish what he wants to accomplish.

[timmymoff]

20. Bernie is a candidate I believe in.

He did not become my spiritual advisor, he did not become the person who tells me what to do. He is a candidate. Nope. He doesn't have the power to tell me, but can suggest it. .

[dr60omg]

22. Thank you

Thank you ... You are correct about what you say. He does not have the power to tell me what to do. I will vote for the candidate who best represents my political goals and ideology. I will never vote for a centrist. I will write in someone and I am serious about that.

[Merryland]

31. I agree with you so much.

There is this idea among the authoritarian types who back Hillary that we take orders from Bernie. Bernie can do what he wishes, vote for whom he wishes - I will not be swayed by his opinion one way or the other. I make up my own mind.

[redstateblues]

52. Fucking ridiculous. Hillary was one of the most liberal

Senators in Congress. That smear does not work. Sorry

[imagine2015]

21. The polls indicate Hillary will lose. Face the truth. Hillary is disliked almost as much as Trump!

Most voters don't trust her. She has a ton of baggage. It would be hard for the Democratic Party to find a more compromised and discredited candidate than Hillary.

Now if you really don't care about what happens in the general election you can continue to be an apologist for her or just live in a fantasy world where she'll be elected President.

[HERVEPA]

58. If you want Bernie's supporters to vote for Hillary if she is the nominee

maybe stop the obnoxious inflammatory posts. Yes, you.

[jillan]

7. One would have hoped that the establishment would have learned to stop interfering in our elections.

So help me if Hillary wins the election because of superdelegates, I will be there.

[imagine2015]

8. Democratic Party super delegates don't want to experience a repeat of the 1968 Democratic Convention

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1143894.1345850645!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_1200/democratic-national-convention-1968.jpg







MUST SEE VIDEO:

I was there. Never again should such police violence and brutality be accepted. Convention delegates who supported Eugene McCarthy were not spared. In fact cops attacked them inside the hotels they stayed at!

[RashaMZak]

19. Thankfully

It'll probably be more likely federal level police cracking skulls this time, they seemed more up to the task when I was at Occupy NatGat. Mayor Kenney is many shades milder than Daley, but we do have a special level of brutality and corruption here in our local force, so maybe some will try to join or spark a fray. In 2000 they raided a warehouse and arrested a bunch of folks who were making *gasp* big puppets for the marches on the RNC.

That said, there's already a protest concert scheduled right across the street from Wells Fargo at FDR skatepark. Bernie aside, I know anti-war, economic justice, etc. marches being planned too. This goes way beyond who wins this race - people forget the delegates vote on the party platform as well, and there are many who want a change the current triangulation/"centrism".

[HooptieWagon]

33. Their bigger concern should be a repeat of the 1968 General Election.

Shoving an unpopular candidate down the people's throat is a recipe for epic loss.

[jwirr]

74. The question is does the establishment want Hillary more

than they want peace at the convention? There are two things they can do if they want peace. First make damned good and sure that the police are not the violent bullies that were in Chicago in 68.

Secondly, right now stop the dirty tricks and make sure this convention is honest. Are you listening 33 State Democratic Parties?

We will not have this one stolen out from under us like we did in Chicago. Remember you lost the election back then.

[seabeyond]

9. Ya. I think Sanders earning not getting an invitation and kick the supporters out.

It is not a time for their tantrums, it is time for a celebration of the candidate the Dems put up.

[HERVEPA]

56. Not familiar with democracy, are you?

[seabeyond]

63. I am into party. Damn straight.

[HERVEPA]

65. Wow. What a sad response.

[seabeyond]

66. No, it is not. People's lives matter. You will not hear me apologize, or cower or shamed...

because people live's matter to me.

[HERVEPA]

68. what does that have to do with your original response?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Some folks were irked when they foisted Humpty on us in '68.

[Merryland]

34. and he lost. could happen again.

[jwirr]

75. Oh, yes we were. I just about didn't vote for him until my

dad convinced me. I am glad I did - at least I did not help Nixon in. But forcing a candidate down our throats is NOT a good thing.

[Avalon Sparks]

80. Yup

[MineralMan]

18. Wow! Hundreds of thousands. In Philadelphia?

Too cool. Oh...wait...maybe. I guess this hasn't been organized yet and there's no list of attendees who are planning the trip.

"Almost certainly" is not convincing. Show me the website with the sign-up information. I'll wait here.

[RashaMZak]

26. According to facebook

There is a group with 1100+ so far
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarchOnTheDNC/

and at least some of the events I'm attending on there so far have 1k+ listed attending 2k+ interested, we're in only April still. This past weekend planning began with groups coordinating and meeting with the legal team. The republican convention here got thousands of protestors in 2000 in less heated times. I'm sure the turnout this year might not be "hundreds of thousands", but it'll at least match Chicago in 1968, if not surpass, I think. We're at the direct center of the Northeast corridor, Occupy events in this region were some of the biggest of the country. That said, I hope all is peaceful and protestors are allowed their right to express grievances - there are a good plenty who care not who wins, but who have other reasons to protest beyond the election.

[MineralMan]

30. Uh, 1100 is two factors of 10 less than hundreds of thousands.

Sillliness. Another 1,000,000 Man March or any of the other "mass demonstrations" that needed only a couple of porta-potties.

You get back to me when there are 100,000 attendees who have confirmed. Thanks.

[handmade34]

45. gofundme page

https://www.gofundme.com/marchonthednc

they are trying...

[COLGATE4]

61. $221 (out of $5000) raised by

8 people in 16 days. They are flocking to the cause!

[RashaMZak]

48. I'm glad you can read the first sentence of my post.

But read ahead where I said
" I'm sure the turnout this year might not be "hundreds of thousands", but it'll at least match Chicago in 1968, if not surpass, I think."

Which is to say, that huge, no, but when the Occupy eviction attracted 10k-30k people on 2 day's notice, I think you'd be foolishly underestimating a cause even more mainstream not getting at least enough protestors for media coverage. My generation also grew up with two previous ones, Boomers and Xers, who don't carry the same disdain towards street protest that the older adults of my Boomer parents' time had.

[greatauntoftriplets]

57. I hope they're looking into lots of porta potties!

[newblewtoo]

60. How do you confirm a bed roll in a city park?

First I remember hearing about going to Chicago was in April of '68 around spring break. Can't start to soon but have to get something going before school is out. Of course now with this thing called the internet that may not be such an important date.

[sadoldgirl]

69. Sorry,MM, but this is nothing to make fun of.

Even if there are only 5,000 or 15,000 it will be enough
to cause a repeat.
I watched in 68 and was shocked.
Naturally now there would be heavy use of teargas
and pepper spray.

Yes, I see a split in the party coming, and I also
remember, who won that election.

[BainsBane]

24. A demonstration against the voting rights of the majority

That would be a fitting ending to Bernie's campaign. And if it has the result that the 1968 demonstrations did by turning the election over to the GOP, all the better. They accomplish through Cruz or Trump what they couldn't through Bernie. It's a win/win for a self-entitled minority.

[imagine2015]

29. You don't know much about what happened at the 68 convention It was the Democratic Party

Mayor Daley machine and party deal makers that made it possible for Richard Nixon to win in 1968.

Don't blame the anti-war movement and Eugene McCarthy supporters for that.

Now you spreading the latest line of attack against Bernie's supporters claiming they will support Cruz and Trump because they will
implement Bernie's program and platform!!!???

Boy, desperate people and panicking and making up a ton of bull shit to toss at Bernie and his supporters.

Do you think your pitch will stick?

[Motown_Johnny]

41. A demonstration in favor of Superdelegates voting for Bernie.

You are always so negative.

[imagine2015]

25. It's over 3 months away! Not next week! It won't take long to organize a mass demonstration.

The east coast can alone mobilize hundreds of thousands of people on short notice.

[RashaMZak]

40. 10k-30k showed up to NYC in response 2 days after Bloomberg's Occupy cleansing

I'm sure 3+ months is plenty of time, as well.

[handmade34]

42. can, but won't

just my opinion

[Motown_Johnny]

37. Wow that sounds like fun....!!!!!

It is exciting to protest!



Late July, I can probably swing a week off in late July.



Hmmm.....

[Capn Sunshine]

38. Sanders will personally put a stop to this

The race will be over by then despite the "Baghdad Bob" pronouncements of imminent victory coming out of the Sanders Camp.

Senator Sanders has promised that he will support Hillary, and his campaign at this point is hoping they can get the genie back in the bottle. Just the posters here give you an idea of what you're going to deal with. While I remember those halcyon days of the Chicago convention, I learned my lesson about how violence appears to the electorate. Those left of left have never been good at going along with the flow.

By the way, we lost that election 31,783,783 to 31,271,839, so the aversion factor could have been what put Nixon over the top.

[Maedhros]

47. "Baghdad Bob?"

Yeah, no.

/ignore.

[Impedimentus]

59. "going along with the flow" = lemmings. Thanks for helping grow my ignore list.

FEEL THE BERN - 2016

[BernieforPres2016]

64. Oh boy, a former hedge fund operator and bankster for Hillary

I will never side with the likes of Hillary or you.

[bvar22]

71. Bernie is free to do what Bernie wants to do.

OTOH, so are his supporters.
Unlike Hillary, Bernie is NOT an authoritarian, nor does he attract people who support authoritarian leadership to his campaign.

This campaign has never been about Bernie.
It HAS been about The Movement for Equal Opportunity, Equal Protections, Equal Rights, Equal Justice, Equal Access, Environmental Protections, a just distribution of Wealth,....for EVERYBODY, not just Billionaires. (Once a goal of the Democratic Party, but sadly, no longer true.)
SEE: FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights if you need further clarification.

If Bernie disappeared tonight, The Movement he has tapped into would continue,
maybe in Philadelphia, maybe not,
but continue it will, and I will be supporting them.
The Movement will be ever vigilant and loudly outspoken whether Hillary or another Republican is elected.
We aren't going away.
We WILL be heard.
Our Issues and Grievances WILL be addressed.

[dana_b]

85. yes, exactly

Bernie does not have some hold over all of us. We really want him to be President and we will work hard for him, but he cannot and I do not think he will dictate to us how to behave.

[Onlooker]

46. A peaceful demonstration would be awesome ...

... The Democratic Party needs to be put on notice, and Bernie, should he lose, must extract from the party real change, not only in it's platform, but in its leadership and structure, as well as in the Hillary campaign itself. I think he'll be able to do that if the people turn out. If Hillary is the nominee, he should say, "Look, you want a few million more votes, then you have to be the person you claim to be, not the person you have been." Let's remember, that Hillary went to a really progressive liberal college and studied Alinsky. She's is not conservative, and with Bernie's help she can find her liberal backbone. If Bernie loses, he must get some really good concessions, and a peaceful demonstration of hundreds of thousands will help him get that.

[imagine2015]

81. Yes it would be.

[workinclasszero]

49. They wont be happy till they Nader us again

with 8 years of republican hell plus a hardcore reich wing SCOTUS.

Sarandon says Trump will bring the revolution. They are all in for the devastation of a republican win.

[Hoyt]

51. Whiners are to be expected.

[LuvLoogie]

55. Hillary has had the chops since day one. Plus she got a job

http://m.imgur.com/sMjdqu0?r

[brooklynite]

67. By the way, how did the "Enough is Enough" protest in Washington turn out?

Did they ever come up with a final headcount?

[imagine2015]

70. According to CBS News "tens of thousands marched in New York City"

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/eric-garner-ferguson-missouri-protesters-converge-on-washington/

[brooklynite]

73. Not the one I was talking about...

http://observer.com/2015/08/bernie-sanders-update-plan-for-enormous-d-c-rally-gains-steam/

[imagine2015]

77. It appears the Sanders campaign did not sign on to that event so it never happened.

Do you have more information?

[bvar22]

72. “Those who profess to favor freedom,

yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.
They want rain without thunder and lightening.
They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.
This struggle may be a moral one;
or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical;
but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand.
It never did and it never will.”
---Frederick Douglass

[handmade34]

78. ...

[imagine2015]

79. For weekend DU'ers

[imagine2015]

82. A mass turnout of Bernie supporters at the convention is becoming more likely everyday.

[Kip Humphrey]

83. the Democratic Revolution for Peace and Shared Prosperity is afoot

If Bernie is denied the DWS-DNC nomination by non-democratic means, I will be right outside to persuade him to run to November as an Independent.

Imagine for a moment... 1,000,000 Berniecrats show up at the DWS-DNC convention to urge Bernie to continue running to November as an Independent should the convention deny Bernie the nomination. Just imagine...

Bernie said, "I will do EVERYTHING I CAN to ensure a republicon does not win the White House". For my money, EVERYTHING includes running as an Independent if by non-democratic means the DWS-DNC deny him.



That's just some of what I've seen on the interwebs regarding "BRING THE PEACEFUL REVOLUTION TO PHILADELPHIA, JULY 23-25."