Bernie's first quarter fundraising results were very impressive. But let's not get caught up in the trap of thinking that whoever can raise the highest amount wins.

The key here to remember is that oligarchs raising money from oligarchs can always outbid the masses; it's a real-world example of how both parties have kept power despite having minority memberships and minority approval. I expect ridiculous amounts of cash to get thrown at establishment candidates now that they've set the "biggest money equals front-runner and thus likely winner" bar.

But that's them trying to pin the narrative to something under their control, as per usual. Money raised doesn't equal popularity. It doesn't translate to voter turnout. We need to actively challenge this fuzzy logic. Bernie does not need to "stay on top" by any metric the paid media comes up with; he just needs to raise enough to reach the masses effectively. Then let democracy take over.

These friends of millionaires and servants of corporations will always be able to raise more money than the people. That is simply a mathematical reality, given the gross wealth inequality that currently exists. But what does that get them in the end? More slander commercials? More focus groups? More troll armies to "correct the record?" All the money in the world cannot buy them Substance.

Bernie isn't continually polled as America's most popular politician because of his success in capitalist games like "who can raise more." He isn't winning on crowd turnouts because his campaign staff found slick ways to market him to specific idpol segments of an indoctrinated party. He's not hiding behind any non-position doublespeak such as claiming "Democrats are too policy specific."

Bernie appeals to voters without any gimmicks or tricks. He's been saying the same thing for decades, so voters know he's not just another Liberal lip-sync con artist. His history of activism and voting record solidly back up his words- something no other candidate can remotely compare to. He walks the walk in joining picket lines and has the first unionized staff ever, paid a fair $15 per hour.

Every metric shows that the majority of voters do not feel represented, and do not trust those claiming to represent them. We do not need nor want another "top dog" elitist for president- we want someone who understands us, whom we can trust to perform his job as a civil servant without risking another Obama style neoliberal corporate-serving warmongering-as-good-business hypocrisy.

Sanders has Substance, which cannot be imitated even if all Blue Dog lackeys spout "enough is enough" just like he does. He has proven integrity, which is not purchasable even with billions raised through high-class private dinners. Thirty expensive suits spouting platitudes while pretending to represent more than their own pocketbooks can't hold a candle to a message whose time has come.

20,000 donors in Bernie's first quarter were self-identified Republicans. 100,000 were Independents. His message spans far outside of establishment-created partisan lines, even appealing to the politically disenfranchised majority. The overwhelming bulk came from small donations- motivated common citizen voters. Mostly our future- under age 39. And their most common profession? Teachers.

Magic corporate media ranking formulas aside, I'd respectfully argue that We the People may actually feel that this particular message has been a long, long time coming.