2016 Postmortem
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Within minutes of one another, the progressive activist group Democracy for America and the Communications Workers of America union both backed the senator in the race for the Democratic nomination.
DFA, which was started by backers of former Vermont Governor Howard Deans 2004 presidential bid, has grown into a well-regarded grassroots political and issue-advocacy organization with active groups in states across the country and a track record of backing progressive candidates at the local, state and federal levels. Early in the 2016 race, the group urged Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren to seek the Democratic nomination. This month, it conducted a national poll of members that concluded December 15. Sanders won 87.9 percent of the 271,527 votes cast in a contest where an endorsement could only be secured with a super-majority (66.67 percent or more) of all the votes cast. Clinton (who is backed by Howard Dean) took 10.3 percent, while 1.1. percent backed Maryland Governor Martin OMalley.
The level of support for Sanders was unprecedented. When the 11-year-old group held a similar vote on whether to endorse in the 2008 presidential race, no candidate cleared the super-majority hurdle.
This is an historic moment for DFA, for the progressive movement, for the Democratic Party, for people-powered politicsand for Bernie supporters who relentlessly rallied over nine intense days to Get Out The Vote and win this pivotal endorsement, explained Democracy for Americas executive director Charles Chamberlain. Bernie Sanders is an unyielding populist progressive who decisively won Democracy for America members first presidential primary endorsement because of his lifelong commitment to taking on income inequality and the wealthy and powerful interests who are responsible for it.
http://www.thenation.com/article/democracy-for-america-communications-workers-union-endorse-bernie-sanders/
A quarter of a million is quite a few votes and with 87.9% that's pretty solid.
I also heard that Planned Parenthood's political action committee endorsed Hillary, does anyone know how people are on that committee, or am I mistaken and they held a vote of their membership?
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)I support the organization but their leadership just made it political.
Uncle Joe
(58,355 posts)how many people make up Planned Parenthood's Political Action Committee.
I would also be curious as to what the vote total was.
senz
(11,945 posts)Here is the contact page, full of phone and FAX numbers: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/contact-us
I have a fundraising snail mail somewhere in the house but doubt it contains email contacts.
However, I do believe it would be a good idea to let them know how foolish it is to alienate the GUARANTEED prochoice Bernie voters. Just foolish. They didn't need to do that.
Again, I wonder about HRC's methods of getting endorsements and cooperation. Money, power, and connections enable so much that doesn't pass the ethics test.
Betty Karlson
(7,231 posts)the need for Planned Parenthood would spectacularly decrease.
senz
(11,945 posts)Hopefully PP would, out of concern for poor women and their families, vigorously support Sanders' single-payer plan. Although it would be a massive, uphill fight to include abortion rights in the plan, and it might even be hard to include contraception until we get more progressive congressional representatives, which a Bernie GE candidacy might very well enable.
Betty Karlson
(7,231 posts)Sanders has been polled to have the coattails to flip a lot of seats: even Louisiana could come into play.
senz
(11,945 posts)He's the only avenue to a good, fair society we have, at present. The only one.
Uncle Joe
(58,355 posts)Peace to you.
senz
(11,945 posts)but a lot of emphasis on Dec. 31 deadline and full tax-deductiblity, which makes me wonder about their "endorsement" coming out after the start of the new year.