Each election cycle, candidates make their pitch to the people. Many promote themselves through promises of hope, change, and a brighter tomorrow. The 2020 Democratic Primary is no exception. Over the years methodologies to convince voters have remained largely unchanged. Re-watching debates from previous decades will show just that.

Troubling, is the pattern of the voting populous placing sole trust or belief in a candidate to do what is best for them. “Change we can believe in” or “I have a plan for that”, puts the faith for change in an individual rather than the people or other representatives. There is no empowerment. When policies fail to implement, energy, anger, and blame are directed at the president, often ignoring the hundreds of representatives that also need to be held accountable. This formulaic, repetitive process occurs nearly each presidential cycle resulting in a hard push-back from the party not in control.

Absent from these approaches, are calls for direct action by the people to break the quadrennial cycle. There is no movement to place power back in the hands of the people, until now.

Not me. Us.

That's the message of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and it's not just about Bernie Sanders having the interests of all of us in mind; it's each and every individual supporting and empowering one another. Bringing people together is a crucial step in reducing polarization of American politics and preventing reactionary push-back.

To expand on that point, Sanders plans to not just be Commander in Chief, but Organizer in Chief. This means to create meaningful change, a Sanders administration will travel the country, rallying the people to put pressure on their representatives to vote for the policy changes people demand and desperately need.

Bernie's theory of change is grounded in the power of the American people to take control of their government.

Organizer in Chief is the the empowering strategy fueling “Not Me. Us.”. Frequently asked at debates, is the question of how candidates will work across the aisle in a Republican controlled congress. While many have a record of compromise and working across the aisle at some point in their career, only Bernie Sanders is actively promoting a way to get support across the political spectrum through empowerment of the people themselves.

In our current polarized political climate, we need a candidate who will empower people, create excitement for record voter turnout, stabilize the constant left-right swings, and together, move forward advocating and implementing policies to address homelessness, income and wealth inequality, closing corporate tax loopholes, combating climate change, medicare for all, and campaign finance reform.

That candidate is Bernie Sanders and the People. Not Me. Us.