A profound thanks to Bernie supporters

[DerekG]

I'm 33 years old, and have consequently spent my entire life in the Reagan Revolution. It's been brutal. I've marched against the Iraq slaughter and have written and called representatives more times than I can count, and yet I have not harbored even a modicum of hope. Prior to this, only the whistleblower influx and the Occupy Wall Street movement have forestalled complete and utter despair.

A year ago, this election was looking to be a profoundly depressing spectacle, whereupon the Democratic Party was set to veer ever rightward, all the way into being the pro-choice wing of the Corporatist Party. But not anymore. Whether or not Sanders nabs the nomination, the debate has been, to use an apropos term, radically changed. For the first time in decades, economic justice is back on the table. Living wages...universal health care...affordable college...the expectations couldn't be more starkly different than in cycle past.

Like many people in this country, I'm hurting badly. But you all have given me hope.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And no matter who wins, let's keep up the demands.

[HassleCat]

1. A mutual gratitude situation

All of us who persevere should take time to appreciate each other. What a long, strange trip it's been. We're close this time. Even if we come up short, we will keep going. I may not live to see a progressive or socialist elected to high office, but I will never give up hope.

[MuseRider]

2. 100%

With both of you. I hear things like the OP from my son's and their friends in that same age group. Y'all get each other to the polls and we will be there. No matter the outcome we have made enough of a difference to continue because we have each other in coalition with a means of staying on it.

[Gregorian]

3. It's comforting to know how many kindred spirits there are out there.

Now we know another great truth.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. That's the way I see and I've got 30 years on you.

This is the first time since 1972 that I've had the opportunity to vote for a serious Democratic candidate for president who actually represents my beliefs and shares my vision of where our nation can go.

[2banon]

47. This!^^^^^^10000!

[bvar22]

5. Great Post...DURec.

I'm 66, and can remember what Democrats are supposed to sound like.
Bernie inspires the hope we used to feel as a Party.
We weren't perfect, but until 1969, we were headed in the right direction.
I hated LBJ at the time because of the WAR, but I now respect how far to the Left he moved the agenda
with the great Democratic programs of the Great Society, the War on Poverty (back when Democratic Party acknowledged that there were poor people), the Civil Rights Act, MediCare
and many more of the achievements that made our Party GREAT. Little did I realize that LBJ would become the most Liberal Democratic President of the last 50 years (half a century).

After the Democratic Party abandoned the Working Class & Poor in 1992,
and started chasing the Republicans to the Hard Right, I lost faith in our Party, our system, and our country.

Bernie has re-inspired hope for a REAL spiritual and political revival of the Party I joined so long ago.
We can make a difference,
OR
buy the same old shit.
We have a choice.


[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]

[JonLeibowitz]

9. Sen Wellstone sounds like a great man.

He was killed before I became politically cognizant, but I would have been proud to support him. He sounds a lot like Bernie in that quote you provided.

[Fast Walker 52]

17. he was awesome

so very sad what happened to him

[Bluenorthwest]

43. Not much like Bernie at all. Wellstone was an eager DOMA voter who was among the most dismissive and

arrogant politicians I have ever encountered.
Bernie Sanders voted No on DOMA, Wellstone voted Yes. Great men do not vote against the rights of minority groups for personal advantage as he did.

[Go Vols]

22. +1

Quite a few people have never lived when real D's were in office.Bernie is the real deal.

[Marty McGraw]

31. and a good number of us

are here that remember the contrasting devolution the country transformed from as a result puppet-head Reagan reign. Wasn't old enough to vote but was quite aware of the impact it had on society and a lot of despair created in such a short time. And continued it's downward spiral ever since.

[KPN]

24. BINGO!!

I'm 65 and I'm with you (and Derek) 100%. Great posts both of you!!

[JDPriestly]

33. Great post! Thank you.

[WillyT]

6. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[roguevalley]

7. DerekG, you have my gratitude for carrying on. For those of us old enough to remember a

COMPLETELY different Democratic party, this has been excruciating as well but the tides are turning. Bernie is going to win. I tell you from my gut and then we will have our day. Take care and don't despair.

[love_katz]

8. kick and rec

for the OP and for all the comments so far.

[TIME TO PANIC]

10. K & R !

Thank you!

[Agony]

11. "Enough, is enough, is enough, is enough" Nina Turner

she's my hero

[Iwillnevergiveup]

12. I felt as you do, DerekG

during the Nixon/Reagan years. When my son was born, my husband and I took a taxi home from the hospital. The radio was on, and we heard reports about students being shot at Kent State. We wondered what then what had become of our country. And despaired, frankly. But we are a work in progress, and I truly believe enough good, thoughtful people like you will make all the difference in the end. I will never give up.

[Live and Learn]

13. Yep, it was professing to be a dismal election cycle with Clinton vs Bush as the contenders.

Thankfully Bernie stepped up when needed. I have never seen as much energy and compassion in any other election.

We still have lots of work to do to ensure Bernie's victory but it is work we can do with a smile!!

Thanks to Bernie and his onslaught of volunteers.

[bigwillq]

14. K and R

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. +1000000

[Smarmie Doofus]

16. It's less a candidacy than a movement.

Even... dare I say it... an *awakening*.

>>Like many people in this country, I'm hurting badly. But you all have given me hope. >>>

As you say: there's a lot more of that (i.e. hope) going around these days than there was only a year ago.

[truedelphi]

46. Great post, and a great OP too! n/t

[Nyan]

18. K & R!!!!!!

Yes absolutely. It isn't just Bernie, but people RESPONDING to his message that's gotten us here so far.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

19. This movement does give one hope

please America - don't let this opportunity slip away

[Skwmom]

20. An establishment Democrat will mouth meaningless rhetoric and deliver b.s.

[mmm413]

21. This discussion started with Occupy Wall Street.

When they started, people asked what they wanted. If you listened to them, you knew what they wanted. People disparaged them because they didn't have "leaders" in the traditional sense. We now have Bernie. No one thought about the 99% until Occupy Wall Street. I take that back. The 99% were thought about, but nothing was done because no one thought it could be and didn't know how it could be verbalized. It was just the way things had always been. I wasn't excited about this election until Bernie entered the race. I'm 67 years old and have always paid attention to issues and have always voted. And I can't remember when I've ever been this excited. It has given me hope. But it also scares the living shit out of me that any of the buffoons on the other side could actually win.

[artislife]

27. Yes. The movement has already started, Bernie just stepped in to give us a candidate

He tried to convince Warren, I believe but when she didn't want to he knew someone had to .


And lets face it, who else was there?

If it were personality based, he would be at Martin's numbers, but the movement, the issues were already at 25 % and when people saw this, hope came.

The ones who want it have been told for far too long it isn't possible. But it is. There are many of us!

[Live and Learn]

29. Very true. nt

[tazkcmo]

39. "If it were personality based..."

Very good point. Actually, a couple of them. I also believe he approached Warren. By now, most of us have heard this reluctant candidate's story about making the decision to run or more accurately, Jane's decision to encourage him. I'm so glad he did as he brings a track record and unwavering history of walling the walk even before holding office.

Most here on DU already knew of him and his works and he WAS well respected by all. He didn't become a racist, gun toting, chauvinistic, Jew until he challenged Her Majesty and the System She represents and stands for. This metamorphosis accounts for his (Jane's?) reluctance as well as knowing it really is a job better suited for a younger person due to the strain it puts on the office holder. Bernie's very astute. He saw that outside of Sen Warren, there was nobody else with the credibility to lead the movement other than himself while understanding the unique challenges his candidacy faced (An Independent, socialist, Jewish, age).

Summary: He's the right person at the right time. As we move along, others will emerge to pick up the mantle and continue to lead but make no mistake, this is not about Sen Sanders. It's about us. He's opened the door. Will we, the 99%, have the courage to walk through it?

[Snotcicles]

23. Seems like every generation we have to right this listing ship. eom

[turbinetree]

25. You are our mantle............................your generation ..

because when we and you have taken on the Nixon's, Reagan, Bush's, Snyder, Christies, Paul Ryan's, Brownbacks, Walkers and Hatches, Trumps, Haley's, Abbott's, Cruz, O'Reilly, Hannity, Bundy's, Banks, TPP, Cafta, Nafta, Wall Street's of the world it is nice to know that you have our backs and we have yours, because we the Progressives, Liberals have more principles than they do


Thank you




Honk-------------------for a political revolution
Bernie 2016

[BernTheRich]

26. "We're all in this together."

This is a phrase Bernie has used and it certainly applies here.

Thank you, DerekG, for your post and to the Bernie supporters that responded.

It certainly helps me to know that there are so many like-minded people.

[kristopher]

28. Things are reaching a climax - you'll want to read this

It looks like the research has caught up with the BS RW hype about innovation, wealth creation and worth.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/14/what-silicon-valley-doesnt-understand-about-inequality/

[JDPriestly]

34. Good article. Thanks.

[Duckfan]

30. I'm trying to keep a positive frame of mind on Bernie getting nomination and into WH

This movement is really big ya know. This ain't no boy scout rally. Millions of people are donating $$$. Thousands of people are making phone calls, knocking on doors, etc.

It may be that we have a train that ain't going to stop till it gets to the end of the line on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I don't remember reading that the establishment tried to railroad FDR. So this is our train. Enjoy the ride

[silenttigersong]

32. Yup a peaceful revolution

Does not stop because of a$$$ SELECTION.Your post is eloquent.

[yuiyoshida]

35. SUPER POST!

[Scruffy1]

36. It's been a downhill slide for 40 years.

When I retired in 2012 I was making less money, in real dollars than when I was 23. This can't all be blamed on Reagan. The seeds were already planted in cold war trade policy. We were already switching to foreign manufacturing in the 1950's and the sixties. What started as cheap consumer goods led to the start of the demise of the US machine tool industry by the 1970's. It was back then when I first heard the term "service based economy" , which means that financial services "industry" takes precedence over all others. The recession of 1974-75 was a warning shot of things to come.After about 1980 the slide accellerated and we neded up with the "rust belt", lower wages, and little future unless you were one of the money changers.

[Enthusiast]

37. K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations!

[raouldukelives]

38. K&R Right there with you. Thank you DG. nt

[Sunlei]

40. Ds like you whos voice needs to be heard in America is why I only donate to Senator Sanders campaign

Thank you, wish you could be cloned to 100 million strong

Then, we 'the people' would be able to, as Obama said, "Make them do it"

[saidsimplesimon]

41. Derek, thank you

The fight has just begun. It will only get better from here. There is no need to despair, take action. We should not just demand change. We must create the change from the ground up.

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[denvine]

42. Thank you Derek!

I couldn't have said it better!

[ejbr]

44. K & R n/t

[Ivan Kaputski]

45. Excellent comrade.

[2banon]

48. Rec and Kick