2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumPhotos: NYers #FeelTheBern At Opening Of Bernie Sanders' Brooklyn Campaign Office
by Max Rivlin-Nadler in News on Mar 26, 2016 5:50 pm
Just over three weeks before the April 19th presidential primary, Brooklyn welcomed back its hometown candidate this morning, with over 300 Bernie Sanders supporters gathering to celebrate the opening of his campaigns Gowanus office. A few months ago, it seemed like an impossibility that the Brooklyn-born Sanders would still be running a campaign strong enough to keep New York State competitive. While the most recent poll [pdf] has Bernie lagging behind his opponent Hillary Clinton (though that might change after today's caucuses), for supporters, the fight for the state is just beginning.
As the only City Councilman supporting Bernie Sanders, Im proud to be here today, Councilman Rafael Espinal told the crowd. Im here today because Bernie Sanders stands up for my people. I represent East New York and Bushwick, some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of New York and when Bernie speaks, he speaks for us, for the people that live here.
Though Sanders was off communing with nature in Oregon, Bern-ers entertained themselves with a performance by Kyp Malone (of Brooklyns own TV On The Radio) and speeches by prominent local supporters, who echoed Sanders' call for a political revolution that will put power in the hands of the people, and not the corporations.
You can go back forty years ago, and Bernie was still saying the same things he is today, said Linda Sarsour, the Executive Director of the Arab American Association,. Hes a man who sees all of us, progressives, whites, blacks, Jews, Muslims, Latinos, as equals. Hes a man who believes in equal access to higher education. A man who believes we should all be able to afford to live in Brooklyn.
The post-brunch crowd signed up at tables for door-knocking and volunteer shifts as vendors circulated selling Bernie Sanders pins, bandanas, and t-shirts. One man, wearing a Feel The Bern fitted hat, had already appended a small bird to it, referencing yesterdays possibly divinely-inspired moment. Several women in attendance could also be seen wearing Bernie is Bae t-shirts.
Volunteer Tabitha Holbert, a 28-year-old actor living in Brooklyn, was drawn to the campaign after seeing Sanders getting made fun of on The Daily Show.
It was a joke, but I was really curious. Why was this guy running for president? I started following him because he was such an oddity. How could a socialist run for president? When I finally saw his campaign platform, it was everything I already believed in, Holbert told Gothamist.
While the Sanders campaign has found much of its success in liberal, mostly white states, the rally appeared to reflect a diversity slightly more in keeping with Brooklyns demographics, drawing supporters of all races and ages.
At first I liked Donald Trump, but when he started talking out against Mexicans and Muslims, it got me thinking. I started looking over at the Democratic candidates, and being an undocumented person myself, I came to support Bernie Sanders. Hillary, she keeps changing her positions, said 22-year-old Gabino Morales, who lives in nearby Sunset Park. Im 100% convinced Bernie Sanders will win New York.
The most passionate speech of the morning came from Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, who has been one of the most outspoken boosters for Sanders nationwide. Reflecting on the holiday weekend, Turner told the audience Not only was Jesus a revolutionary, but as my husband reminded me, he was a Socialist Jew. The crowd erupted. He wasnt with the status quo, he was with the people.
While many of the younger supporters voiced enthusiasm for Sanderss platform, a few older attendees were more tactical in their endorsement.
Hillary has a record, but its more like a criminal record at this point, said former City Council candidate Gwen Goodwin of East Harlem. And Trump is going to throw her under the bus in the debates. But Donald Trump has co-opted so much of Bernies good financial policies, that he cant go after him for voting for NAFTA or TPP, because he didnt. Theres nothing he can go after him on, so Trump will come out as a racist and a fascist, and Bernie will not.
Right before Kyp Malones set, the generator for the event gave out, leading organizers to resort to the Peoples Mic, a throwback to the days of Occupy. They slowly delivered instructions on how volunteers could pick up their clipboards for canvassing. After a brief pause, Malone took the stage and performed Smiling Black Faces, a song from his Rain Machine solo project.
With that, the crowd dispersed into the midday, outfitted with lists of potential voters and Bernie-approved talking points. Park Slope resident Greg Algarin, 50, shared the excitement of some of the younger supporters in attendance.
I think this makes for a great message. Hes a hometown kid done good, you know?
http://gothamist.com/2016/03/26/photos_new_yorkers_feelthebern_at_o.php#photo-1
morningfog
(18,115 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Wilms
(26,795 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)marions ghost
(19,841 posts)CorporatistNation
(2,546 posts)Just say NO to the carpetbagger from Arkansas!
LWolf
(46,179 posts)said former City Council candidate Gwen Goodwin of East Harlem.
Ouch.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)me b zola
(19,053 posts)Great pics and link, thx for posting
pdsimdars
(6,007 posts)me b zola
(19,053 posts)He seems to have remained connected to real people & real issues throughout his career.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Sanders will win the northwest but the rest of Brooklyn will be for Hillary.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Someone explain this to me.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)"but when he started talking out against Mexicans and Muslims, it got me thinking.....
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)idiotic visceral reaction. I bet they wanted to have a beer with him till he denigrated their race. Yikes.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)he did think it through..he said he listened to Trump, nothing about him being his first pick.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)there is nothing similar about supporting him to supporting either of the Dem candidates. It is bizarre.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Your objective in this thread is to denigrate anyone who decides on Bernie.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Brainless would have him staying with Trump..that didn't happen.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Unless you like greedy sexist capitalist assholes, I don't get the support! Must believe in trickle down fantasy stories.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Are you really not able to see all the candidates through other peoples lens?
You seem mystified at the entire election process...not everyone vets candidates thoroughly.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)But thanks for your concern! Glad you finally took the time to read the quote I was referring to all along.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)a guy who switched to Bernie..especially after he won 3 states yesterday.
It serves as a reminder to me on our divide.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Can't help it, I have to wonder where the fuck their scruples are.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)But you are correct in your assessment. Of course, after spending some real quality time withTrump's writing I get his appeal. Tje person you are attempting to have a conversation with does not want to understand.
Down side...Cruz is next. I will need a shower
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)about California that you have seen. Very curious to see them! TIA.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Cruz is more dangerous than Trump, not that I want to find out..but I hear ya. Have you seen
this from Cruz and the others?
Corporate America Is Just 6 States Short of a Constitutional Convention
March 14, 2016
If ALEC succeeds in rewriting the constitution to mandate a balanced budget, well be stuck with supply-side economics for at least a generation.
BY Simon Davis-Cohen
In February, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) signed on to a call for a constitutional convention to help defeat the Washington cartel has put special interest spending ahead of the American people.
Cruz, along with fellow Republican presidential aspirants Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio), has endorsed an old conservative goal of a Constitutional amendment to mandate a balanced federal budget. The idea sounds fanciful, but free-market ideologues associated with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a secretive group of right-wing legislators and their corporate allies, are close to pulling off a coup that could devastate the economy, which is just emerging from a recession. Their scheme could leave Americans reeling for generations. A balanced budget amendment would prevent the federal government from following the Keynesian strategy of stimulating the economy during an economic depression by increasing the national debt. (Since 1970, the United States has had a balanced budget in only four years: 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.)
Article V of the Constitution lays out two routes for changing the law of the land: An amendment can be proposed by Congress or by a constitutional convention that is convened by two-thirds of the states (34). Either way, three-fourths of the states (38) have to ratify it. Previously, changes to the countrys founding document have been achieved by the first process. But as of today, 28 statessix shy of the two-thirds threshold required by Article Vhave passed resolutions calling for a constitutional convention to consider a balanced budget amendment.
The ALEC-affiliated Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force (BBATF), which proffered the pledge signed by Cruz, is hoping to meet that 34-state threshold by July 4. BBATF is one player in an astroturf movement backed by the billionaire Koch brothers and embraced by right-wing state legislators.
in full: http://inthesetimes.com/article/18940/alec-balanced-budget-corporate-constitutional-convention
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)I will find out once I curl up to his speeches and all that.
It's a dirty job, but some one has to do it
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Thanks for the thread and wonderful pics, ignore the nasty comments from the usual gang, they can't stand seeing happy Bernie supporters.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Kind of busts up some of the memes here, but that's life.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Karma13612
(4,647 posts)marions ghost
(19,841 posts)Do it!
Nanjeanne
(5,397 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)Fracking Problems for Hillary in Upstate and Wall Street Supporters Downstate...
The Rest?
Bernie is pushing for debate with Hillary. NY State should be interesting along with N.J. They are both states I've lived in so I'm going to be watching this! Along with CT where I've also lived.
BTW...Great Photos!
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)as you say...big Bernie turf as well. The photos are super, indeed! Bernie peeps are ready.