I would very much like Bernie to get the nomination, but what happens if he doesn’t? I woke up this morning sick of pictures of Chelsea Clinton — a rich young woman with an investment banker husband, who has now taken over my inbox with pleas to donate $1 to her mom. Give me a break.
I do not want Chelsea Clinton to be the face of the democratic party. I want democrats to represent working people again. And not by accepting a ‘trickle down’ theory of social change. We want changes in power relationships — not little awards for great entrepreneurs who are doing good.
Thomas Frank has a great book coming out about this.. here is an excerpt from Harpers.
So if Bernie does not win the nomination, what do we do. Here are a few thoughts.
I hope we can use Bernie’s platform and fundraising to support democrats in all races, from state house to Congress, who will accept the Bernie Pledge:
- I support a $15 minimum wage.
- I will not take super pac contributions
-I will expose the corruption of campaign bribery in the statehouse and Congress in all my campaigns
-If my opponent takes super pac money, I will make corruption an issue in the race.
-I will support genuine people’s movements for power and equality — black lives matter; LBGTQ non-discrimination, the Fight for $15, and legal power to advance unionization in new ways, as well as advance our issues like reproductive choice and pay equality for women.
-I will use whatever powers exist in my own office to break up the big banks and restore fairness and confidence in our economic institutions, and will support full prosecution of bank and corporate criminals who break the law.
Some of this may be achievable in the democratic platform; but longer term I would like to see Bernie’s army be able to turn a firehose of money towards any race where the democrat takes the Bernie Pledge. ‘Feel the Bern’ is not a one-shot deal.