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The Democratic candidate for president is voted on by 50 states, 5 US territories, the District of Columbia, and Democrats Abroad.

Of those, 23 states, 3 US territories and the District of Columbia still have yet to vote.

In other words, Democrats across the country, who make up over 42% of the remaining pledged delegates haven’t been given the opportunity to have a say in who the Democratic nominee will be.

If the general election were underway, and Trump was in the lead, but over 42% of America hadn’t been given the opportunity to vote, would it be democratic if the powers that be decided to end the election early just because Trump was leading?

Put another way, would you leave a baseball game in the 5th inning if the other team was winning, or would you watch the game to see which team actually wins?

(But of course, unlike in that analogy, actual lives are at stake, the future of America, the future of the Democratic Party and more, so maybe it would be a good idea to actually let Democrats vote?)

Did you know that many of the remaining democratic primaries have been rescheduled for June 2nd?

June 2nd is shaping up to be the next Super Tuesday. If Bernie wins the upcoming primary contests by wide margins, he will become the Democratic nominee and the next president of the United States.

Other states have been converted to 100% vote by mail and voting is taking place there as we speak.

New York, a state with 274 pledged delegates (second only to California’s 415 delegates, a state that Bernie won on the first Super Tuesday) has now moved their primary to JUNE 23.

For Bernie to win the nomination and the presidency, there are two false narratives that need to be overcome:

False narrative #1:

The false narrative that Biden is the “safe choice” and more likely to win against Trump.

The reality – whenever a candidate runs a campaign based on who they are not, they lose.

John Kerry ran as “anybody but Bush” in 2004 and lost.

Moderates lose elections.

Mondale in ‘84 was the worst electoral college defeat of any Democrat in history.

Biden is a much weaker candidate than Hillary Clinton was in 2016 in almost every respect, and yet Hillary lost to Trump.

Obama won because his campaign marketed him in a progressive fashion. When we nominate a candidate who excites young people and Independents, that candidate wins. When we nominate Democratic candidates that older, more conservative Democratic voters deem “safe” or “electable” we lose.

Despite his disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump’s approval rating is shockingly high.

And sending a check to nearly everyone in America will almost guarantee Trump’s re-election.

If anyone is at all unclear about why Biden will almost certainly lose to Trump, have them listen to this podcast so they understand Joe Biden’s record, his history (both past and very recent) of pathological lying, his history of racism, sexism, of sexual harassment, and of selling out the American people with abysmal legislation.

The Intercept – We Need to Talk About Joe

If you think we’re going to beat Trump with “Trump Light” you’ll be in for a shock if Biden is the one to go up against Trump in November.

Why does the Democratic Party keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result?

A recent ABC News poll shows that “‘strong enthusiasm’ for Biden among his supporters – at just 24% – is the lowest on record for a Democratic presidential candidate in 20 years of ABC/Post polls. More than twice as many of Trump’s supporters are highly enthusiastic about supporting him, 53%.” (Other candidates with similarly low enthusiasm included Mitt Romney, John McCain and Hillary Clinton, all of whom lost their respective elections.)

False narrative #2:

“Delegate math means a Biden nomination is inevitable.” This is an insidious lie.

First, because it undermines democracy, and second because it is, by design, a self-fulfilling prophecy. People like to align themselves with a perceived “strong” candidate, so they vote for Biden in the primary because of the myth of “electability”. Here’s the problem – go back to false narrative # 1. Trump will trounce Biden in the general election. It will be a bloodbath. (Seriously though – has the Democratic Party learned nothing over the years?)

The fact that corporate media and the Democratic establishment are elevating a candidate that is almost certain to lose in the general election is nearly incomprehensible until you realize that there are many in power who don’t care whether a Democrat or a Republican is in charge, as long as they continue to make tons of money. This isn’t you. If you are reading this, chances are you probably don’t have tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars. But let’s say you do – do you really want to live in a country with people who are ignorant, sick and homeless? Or would you rather live in a society where the people around you are well educated, healthy and have homes?

Bernie can beat Biden in the primary, and is by far the stronger candidate to beat Trump in the general. Even Trump himself knows this, and has said so on multiple occasions.

In order to become the nominee and our next president, we’ll need to ensure that Bernie wins the remaining states by wide margins.

Reality is bringing to light the fact that Bernie’s policies are the right policies for our time. But corporate-owned media doesn’t want those policies enacted, even though they would benefit the majority of the American people. For years they have been falsely elevating weaker candidates, so long as those candidates pledge to maintain the status quo, even if maintaining the status quo means the destruction of the planet and as well as the end of the American middle class.

We are in the second half of the Democratic primary

This is a call to action to anyone who supports a progressive agenda

It doesn’t matter if you previously supported another candidate in this primary – Warren, Amy, Steyer, Yang, Pete, or even Biden himself.

Have the past few weeks made you realize that having healthcare tied to employment maybe isn’t the best idea?

Do you find it terrifying that we’re living through a pandemic in a country where people are avoiding seeking treatment and going to work with symptoms because they have no universal healthcare and no guaranteed sick leave, even though all the other major countries offer these basics to their citizens?

Do you realize that we will soon be passing the point of no return for global warming and that we must act to ensure that the human race doesn’t go extinct? (Not incrementally, but in ways that are both decisive and effective?)

Young people overwhelmingly know these things, and many older people know them too, but we need to help every American realize that there is one person who is capable of steering this ship through the rough waters we find ourselves in.

Economists say we are likely headed for a massive recession (or depression).

It was FDR’s New Deal and steady leadership in the years that followed that pulled our country out of the Great Depression.

FDR ended prohibition, invested in infrastructure projects, and guaranteed workers the right to unionize.

He started the WPA which created jobs for Americans building post offices, bridges, schools, highways and parks, and also gave work to artists, writers, theater directors and musicians.

FDR created the National Labor Relations Board which supervised union elections and prevented businesses from treating their workers unfairly.

He created Social Security.

He created unemployment insurance.

According to History.com:

“[Franklin D. Rooselvelt] promised that he would act swiftly to face the ‘dark realities of the moment’ and assured Americans that he would ‘wage a war against the emergency’ just as though ‘we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.’ His speech gave many people confidence that they’d elected a man who was not afraid to take bold steps to solve the nation’s problems.”

Sound like anyone we know?

You can watch FDR give that very moving speech (his first inaugural address) here

FDR was so popular, he was elected president four times. He was president from 1933 until 1945.

If there’s one thing the past few weeks have taught us, it’s that the money for important social programs has been there all along.

So, here’s where you come in:

Step 1 – Get Involved

Bernie has one of the most extraordinary campaign organizations in all of American history. His fundraising ability alone is historic. His campaign’s digital capabilities, event organizing capabilities, connection to the arts and to youth are astonishing. They are powered by people and that means US. There is no question that the corporate media and the Democratic establishment are doing everything within their power to bury Bernie’s chances of winning, even if it means dividing the Democratic Party irreparably and losing the election to Trump.

That means we’ve got to work ten times harder than we otherwise would have to if we lived in a country with a properly functioning democracy and an ethical fourth estate.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SKILLS ARE OR HOW SHY YOU MAY BE, THERE IS A BERNIE VOLUNTEER ROLE FOR YOU

Doctors, nurses, and others whose work is deemed essential during this pandemic are busy at work. But many of us have been ordered to stay home and some are unable to do our regular jobs from home. We have an extraordinary opportunity to change the course of history right from our living rooms. You don’t have to travel to a state that has yet to vote and knock on strangers’ doors. You can speak directly with voters just like yourself every day from the comfort of your own couch.

Bernie is fighting for the needs of the most vulnerable in our society during this time of crisis (and always).

If we want progressive policies enacted we need to utilize this time to give him the support he needs to win the nomination and the general election.

Call

berniesanders.com/call

There are virtual phonebank trainings several times each week. Sign up and learn how to make calls for Bernie. You’ll be calling voters in upcoming primary states to keep them up to date on changes in their state’s primary. You’ll be calling Bernie supporters to help them join volunteer teams just like yours, and you’ll be calling to connect with people who are suffering isolation due to the coronavirus. It will be incredibly rewarding connecting with people just like yourself all over the country. You will realize that you are not alone.

Text

berniesanders.com/text

Are you shy AF but you still want to volunteer for Bernie? Texting may be for you! Bernie’s campaign uses extraordinary technology so that you can personally text hundreds of people from your computer in minutes. Since you are not using your personal phone or calling plan, people you text will not see your phone number.

Texting is a great way to volunteer, even if you can only volunteer at odd hours or for limited amounts of time.

I recommend signing up for trainings for both texting and calling. If you are trained on both you can try them both out to see which is the best fit for you, or switch back and forth as needed.

There are many other ways that you can volunteer for the campaign, but the important thing is to start right away. There are states that are voting as we speak, and every single primary matters more than ever.

There are also videos on the campaign’s website that you can use to learn how to call or text for Bernie, if you can’t wait to attend an online training, or just want to get started faster (though I still recommend signing up for an online training as well). The campaign uses Slack for communications, and once you’re on Slack you will see that there are tons of other volunteer opportunities available. Again, the most important thing is to start, and start immediately. There is not a single moment to lose. Every Democratic primary voter needs to know that they truly have a choice in this election.

The choice isn’t just “Trump” vs “Not Trump”. There are three candidates to choose from and of the three, one has not only an achievable and practical (and necessary!) vision for this country, but also the character and integrity to see it through.

We have an FDR for our time, and that person is Bernie Sanders.

Step 2 – Donate if you’re able

We face a financially uncertain future (and present!) so it’s understandable that it might be a challenging time to donate to a political campaign. But please consider it an investment in the future if you’d like your hard-earned tax dollars to go to programs that will actually benefit you like Medicare for All rather than endless war and corporate welfare. It would not necessarily be reasonable for Bernie to ask you to donate to his campaign right now. He is utilizing his campaign fundraising tools to raise millions for charities that are benefitting people impacted by the coronavirus. But I’m asking. If you can donate $2 to help him win the nomination and the presidency, combined with everyone else’s donations it will help power this extraordinary campaign.

Step 3 – Activate others to volunteer and donate

There are so many people right now who want to see Bernie win the nomination and the presidency, but they don’t know how to make it happen.

If each of your friends who spends all day posting about Bernie on social media instead directs their attention to volunteering for the campaign and encouraging others to volunteer for the campaign, Bernie will win the nomination and the presidency.

You likely know plenty of people who support Bernie. Besides volunteering yourself, your job is to get your friends and family to volunteer as often as possible too. Reach out to them directly and encourage them to volunteer. Get them to sign up for a live (online) training session with you so they can learn how to make calls and texts for Bernie and then mentor them as you volunteer together.

Encourage your friends and family to donate if they can.

Each time you post positive things about Bernie on social media, include a call to action for your friends and family to donate and volunteer. Include the links berniesanders.com/volunteer, berniesanders.com/call, berniesanders.com/text, berniesanders.com/donate, etc.

Bernie is doing everything he can to help the American people through this pandemic. Showing he’s a more capable leader than Biden by pushing legislation and holding live events for the American people several times a week speaking with medical experts, legislators, doctors and nurses. These livestreams have been viewed by millions, (and you can see them yourself as they are all available for viewing at live.berniesanders.com). Along with the fact that it’s become glaringly obvious that Bernie’s platform is right for America’s present and future, these events make crystal clear that Bernie himself is the leader for our time.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to create one of the most exciting stories in all of political history.

We can watch on the sidelines as America slowly slides into the dustbin of history if controlled by moderates, or watch it horrifically explode like the fall of the Roman Empire if it continues to be controlled by Trump.

Either way, those who are in power are primarily concerned with staying in power. But there is one person whose genuine concern is that of your well being.

We can begin a new era, and we can start it now, but it’s not going to happen without your help.

Bernie Sanders photo © Gage Skidmore