Democracy

Democrats in Denial: The Peoples Summit

Black Agenda Report By Bruce A. Dixon June 22, 2016 Last weekend’s Peoples Summit in Chicago was several different things. For the rank and file supporters of Bernie Sanders who could get there, it was likely the closest thing they’ll get to a national victory party. It was a chance to commiserate and celebrate. It might have been a chance to compare and analyze experiences from around the country, an opportunity to synthesize the lessons and discuss the options for what Bernie Sanders called his “political revolution.” But it seems the conveners of the Peoples Summit didn’t much trust their…


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Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein and the political revolution

Santa Monica Daily Press By Mike Feinstein May 23, 2016 Addressing social inequities has also been a big part of the 2016 presidential campaign, and it comes to focus today in Santa Monica with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in town. As a Green Party organizer who went through the Nader 2000 campaign, I am very familiar with being ignored as part of movement to democratize electoral politics and give more voice to the dispossessed. In many ways, the 2016 Sanders campaign has more in common with the Green Party platform and the Nader 2000 campaign, than with the mainstream…


Safe States, Inside-Outside, and Other Liberal Illusions

counterpunch By Howie Hawkins May 10, 2016 Bernie Sanders is on his way to an endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the candidate of War, Wall Street, and Wal-Mart. Sanders ran as a New Deal Democrat, but he will soon be campaigning for a plain old corporate New Democrat. To keep his troops engaged through this transition, Sanders will stage a few rules and platform fights at the convention. But rule changes are irrelevant to the real party power structure of candidate organizations and their corporate investors. Any platform planks won will be irrelevant as well. No corporate Democrat will feel bound…


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Building the Greens Into a Mass Party: Interview with Bruce Dixon

counterpunch By Ann Garrison May 4, 2016 Bernie Sanders’ defeats in the East Coast primaries have triggered a flurry of conversation about what the 25 to 35% of Sanders supporters who’ve told pollsters they will not vote for Hillary Clinton will do instead. Socialist Alternative, led by Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, and others have called for Sanders to found an independent left party for the 99% and run as an independent, or to appeal to Jill Stein and the Green Party to join their ticket, despite his oft repeated promise to endorse the Democrats’ nominee. With little time…


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Is Hillary Stealing the Nomination? Will Bernie Birth a Long-Term Movement?

Reader Supported News By Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman, April 27, 2016 At this delicate moment in the primary season, we all need to take a deep breath and evaluate what comes next. Bernie Sanders has a mathematical chance to win. But Hillary seems the likely Democratic nominee. Donald Trump has an army of delegates. But if he doesn’t win on the first ballot, Paul Ryan could be the Republican nominee. Oy! For a wide variety of reasons, we believe Hillary and Bernie could beat Trump. But we’re not sure about Ryan, who we find absolutely terrifying. Key is the…