Bernie Sanders FORGES AHEAD: 'No One Said a Political Revolution Would Be Easy'

[Segami]

Following a series of presidential primary losses to Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, Bernie Sanders reminded supporters: "No one said a political revolution would be easy."

"What you will not hear from the political and media establishment," the campaign said in an email Wednesday, "is that, based on the primary and caucus schedule for the rest of the race, this is the high water mark for the Clinton campaign...Starting today, the map now shifts dramatically in our favor."

"The fact remains that Hillary Clinton’s lead will never be as large as it is right now," the email said. "From here on out we keep chipping away until we take the lead."

Campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Wednesday from Sedona, Arizona that the Sanders team expects "over the weeks and months we will steadily, consistently and ultimately successfully erode her current advantage in pledged delegate." Clinton won primaries in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio on Tuesday, and holds a narrow lead in the as-yet-uncalled Missouri. But on a press call Wednesday, Weaver and Sanders' chief strategist Tad Devine said the states coming up—Arizona, Washington, California, and Idaho—were more likely to vote for the senator from Vermont.

"We believe, as we look ahead at the states that are in front of us, that we can beat her in most of these states and beat her in some of these states by decisive margins," Devine said.

Jeff Cohen, director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College and co-founder of the progressive advocacy group RootsAction.org, noted in an interview with The Real News on Wednesday that "no one expected the Sanders movement, the political revolution, to get off the ground. We're taking on the biggest political machine one of the most powerful political machines in the country."

As D.D. Guttenplan wrote in The Nation on Wednesday:

"..Are the odds against [Sanders supporters]? Of course. That’s what it means to live inside a rigged system. But remember where we were only a few months ago. With each primary victory—and each close call—Sanders shows us our own strength. With each packed rally we see the claim that socialism is un-American exposed as a lie, that a world where no one starves, healthcare is not rationed by wealth, and energy companies aren’t allowed to rape the earth for profit and leave the rest of us to take the consequences is not only possible but popular..."

http://www.thenation.com/article/the-fight-for-bernies-political-revolution-is-not-over/

The Sanders team was also not deterred by a strategy memo sent by Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook which called Tuesday's victories "decisive" and stated, "At a time when other candidates are focused on telling voters everything that is wrong in America and pushing a political strategy to win an election by dividing the country, Democrats voting last night supported the candidate who has a vision to move the country forward and real plans to get us there."

In response, Sanders stated, "I congratulate Secretary Clinton on her victories on Tuesday. I also want to thank the millions of voters across the nation who supported our campaign and elected delegates who will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia."

cont'

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/03/17/sanders-forges-ahead-no-one-said-political-revolution-would-be-easy

[arcane1]

1. Didn't you know? It either has to happen overnight or it doesn't happen at all!

[Onlooker]

2. How did Sanders ever think a revolution could start in a 97% white state?

There is no revolution. Sanders basically sat on the margins of the political scene for 50 years, nestled safely in a very liberal state where he really didn't have to deal with any headlines or social unrest. It's great what he's doing now, but if he really wanted to have a revolution he should have been selling his ideas for the last 50 years to someone other than Vermonters. Don't get me wrong, Sanders has great ideas, is a really decent man, and has done a lot of good work, but he chose to be an outsider and never formed a movement until now. Nonetheless, he should stay in the race to try to get things done.

[bkkyosemite]

4. There's that he is not enough...Enough is Enough!

[Armstead]

7. Why do you think he's been in DC?

I'm sure there are more pleasant ways to spend time fighting the system in DC.

[Onlooker]

13. As a one man show

Had he been in the Democratic Party he might have been more influential, but he chose to be an outsider. How did he change the system in DC? I don't think he did.

[bkkyosemite]

3. So frickin true

""..Are the odds against ? Of course. That’s what it means to live inside a rigged system. But remember where we were only a few months ago. With each primary victory—and each close call—Sanders shows us our own strength. With each packed rally we see the claim that socialism is un-American exposed as a lie, that a world where no one starves, healthcare is not rationed by wealth, and energy companies aren’t allowed to rape the earth for profit and leave the rest of us to take the consequences is not only possible but popular..."

Many of the states were virtual ties....that means 1/2 of the people in those states were for Bernie. She is from AR of course the South would vote for her they know her name. And they are not as tech savvy as the West (CA, OR, WA....out here we do lots of research.

[Jefferson23]

5. Development/political movements do not occur in a straight line. I do hope they are working

to get the vote out as much as possible...and everyone please do whatever you are
able to do.

[bkkyosemite]

6. Agree here is a link to print out Bernie pamphlets and then copy them

give them out to everyone you can.

[Jefferson23]

8. There was no link in your post but no worries...I already have access, thank you.

[bkkyosemite]

14. ooopss sorry

[giftedgirl77]

9. How do you decide what words to emphasize?

[reformist2]

10. ONWARD!!! We're still doing amazingly well. 45% nationally, and continuing to climb!

[tomm2thumbs]

11. If their campaign was so confident, there'd be more 'go for it' than 'gtfo'

seems to me the inevitability folks are still trying to sing their one-note tune

[tomm2thumbs]

17. I'd call it 'inevitable' -- the one time that word is rightfully connected with her campaign

[AtomicKitten]

12. March 15th was predicted to be the high-water mark of delegates for Clinton.

Upcoming are lots of Bernie-friendly states where he should do very well indeed.

[riderinthestorm]

16. Yup, we the people...

...are not giving up.