We Were Awake Before Bernie Sanders Got Here

The Nevada convention was a mess. And after allegations of alleged violence from Bernie Sanders supporters, the media insisted Bernie needed to tell his followers to tone it down:

"It's not wrong for Sanders to see corruption baked into the law and the political process as it currently exists. Nor is it out of bounds for his campaign to point out the very flaws he is fighting to change. But the Campaign should remain cognizant of the fact that suggesting the entire political process is unfair is quite different from drawing policy contrasts - and more likely to have negative and destabilizing consequences for the party as a whole." -- The Atlantic

"He's suggesting that the win is being stolen by a corrupt establishment, an impression which will be validated when his phony prediction turns out not to be true. Lying like this sets you up for stuff like happened over the weekend in Nevada. As I said, it all comes from the very top." -- TPM

"Bernie Sanders himself could help clear the air by informing his supporters that while there are many things about the Democratic nomination process that ought to be changed, no one has "stolen" the nomination from him or from them. Perhaps a thousand small things gave Hillary Clinton an "unfair" advantage in this contest, but they were mostly baked into the cake, not contrived to throw cold water on the Bern." -- New York Magazine

Here's what they don't get: Bernie Sanders supporters were awake before Bernie Sanders came along.

We know it was a rigged system that allowed George Bush to gain the presidency in 2000 and 2004. We know that voting machines are easily hackable. We know that our political system runs on money, not votes. We know that Democrats and Republicans are two heads of the same snake and deliberately shut out other voices to keep themselves in power.

When we first heard Bernie Sanders speak about a rigged system, we didn't say, "Hey, this guy has a point!" We said, "Finally, a politician who aligns with my views!" If you believe the rigged system is a lie, Bernie Sanders didn't perpetuate it. We've been discontent with the political system long before he came along.

So when we learn the DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz was co-chair of Hillary's presidential campaign in 2008, when we see how she's the stacked the deck in Hillary's favor, when we hear Bernie votes have scrubbed in audits, we see that exit polls where Hillary wins states do not add up, when we we learn the official fired for the NY voter purge has Hillary campaign ties, we don't need Bernie Sanders to tell us what we already fully understand. The system is rigged.

Close your eyes to it if you want to, but we are and always have been awake. You are ones who are just now finding out about it. 

8 Times Bernie Supporters Revolted on Twitter

The primary election has garnered a slew of hashtags with which Bernie Supporters have spurred the revolution, crying out against corruption and media bias. Some have been quite comical, others far more serious. The following list will be updated with additional tags as the primary continues. Hashtags are in order of date of appearance.

#HillarySoProgressive

During the fifth democratic debate, Hillary was asked whether she considered herself a moderate or a progressive after previously laying claim to both labels. Hillary insisted she was a "progressive who gets things done." But her words didn't seem to convince Twitter users, who tweeted the hashtag #HillarySoProgressive to point out her more moderate record.

#WhichHillary

Ashley Williams, a Black Lives Matter activist, protested at a Hillary Clinton fundraiser holding a sign with the hashtag #WhichHillary and a quote from Clinton referring to black youth as "superpredators" from a 1996 speech in support of the Violent Crime Control Act. Hillary has said that she stands with the BLM movement, but she had no comment for Williams on her concerns and had the girl escorted out. Once the video of Ashley's protest was posted, Twitter users tweeted the hashtag to call out Clinton on her history of shifting viewpoints and to question which of those views points she actually holds.

#MoveBillGetOutTheWay

During the Massachusetts primary, Bill Clinton campaigned for his wife outside of a polling station, blocking voters from getting to the polls, prompting the hashtag #MoveBillGetOutTheWay. He also went inside of the polling location and shook hands with poll workers and voters. There's some dispute on whether or not Clinton was in violation of campaign law, which states there can be no voting solicitation with 150ft of a polling place. However, a petition was started for his arrest and a law suit filed against his actions. There's allegations that Bill Clinton continues to break campaign law at other polling places across the country.

#BernieMadeMeWhite

Throughout the primary, the media has reported that Bernie only does well with white youth voters. When Bernie swept the caucuses in Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska, three of the most diverse states in the US, the media continued their rhetoric. Twitter shot back with #BernieMadeMeWhite where people of color voiced their support for Bernie and their frustration at the media's refusal to acknowledge their existence.

#ToneDownForWhat

Bernie Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton to a debate in NY before the April primary, but an aid for the Clinton campaign said the debate wouldn't happen until Sanders changed his tone, alleging that Sanders had broken his pledge not to run negative attacks. Twitter responded with #ToneDownForWhat, asking if pointing out the truth of Hillary's record and campaign donations could be considered negative and whether or not Hillary could handle Trump if the pressure from Bernie was too much. The Clinton campaign later agreed to a debate.

  #ImSoSick

A Greenpeace activist asked Hillary Clinton at a rally if she would pledge to refuse campaign donations from big oil. Hillary's response was heated, saying "I'm sick of the Sanders campaign spreading lies! I'm sick of it!" But Hillary's connections to the fossil fuel industry aren't lies, and Twitter users tweeted #ImSoSick with their own frustrations, calling out Hillary for her establishment ties and the media for their bias toward Hillary's campaign.

#ApologizeForWhat

Still following the events after the Greenpeace activist, Hillary Clinton made a statement that she felt sorry for people who believed the lies perpetuated by the Sanders campaign about her receiving fossil fuel donations. After such remarks, Bernie asked Hillary to apologize for lying about his campaign. Hillary supporters took to Tumblr with the hashtag #ApologizeForWhat, accusing Bernie's campaign for lies and smears against Hillary. But the hashtag was quickly taken over by Bernie Supports who tweeted various downfalls of Hillary's political career that they felt she needed to apologize for.

#HillarySoQualified

After Bernie stated that Hillary was not qualified to be president, Hillary supporters went to Twitter with the hashtag #HillarySoQualified to tout her qualifications. But Bernie supporters hijacked the hashtag and tweeted all the ways they felt Hillary wasn't qualified.

How Voter ID Laws Infringe Upon the Voting Rights of Millions of Americans

You may have heard the argument that Voter ID laws are a deliberate attempt by Republicans to block minorities and the poor (who are most likely to vote Democrat) from voting. Do I think there are Republicans sitting in office and twirling their evil mustaches as they laugh at how their legislation has taken root in so many states? Maybe a little.

But when it comes right down to it, Republicans aren't the problem. It's us. We're the ones who passed the legislation. We're the ones who, when asked on the street, say that voter ID laws are perfectly reasonable. It's our own fault.

The Middle Class is Part of the Problem

I grew up in a middle class family. My mom kept our birth certificates and Social Security cards in a filing cabinet. Sometimes, she'd take them out and explain to me how important they were. When I turned sixteen, I knew exactly where those documents were so I could obtain a driver's license, and I knew how to store them after so they wouldn't become lost.

When I turned eighteen, I proudly displayed that license as I walked up to the voting booth. If someone had asked me then, or even a few years ago, if voting ID laws are reasonable, I would have said yes. It was so easy for me to get my ID, after all. And they're required for so many things. Who wouldn't have one? At the time, voter ID laws seemed logical. Any reasonable American citizen could understand their use. And I'd honestly thought they'd been around forever (it blew my mind when I discovered states only started requiring them in 2006).

It's a view point many American's have, and it's born of our own ignorance.

It Can Be Really Hard to Get a State ID

You have no need for a Driver's License if you don't own a car. Minorities (who are more likely to be poor) the elderly (who often don't drive) and students (who often live on campus) are less likely to own a car. They have no need for a driver's license, so many don't have one.

A state ID costs money. Anywhere from $3 to $30 depending on the state you live in. And while that may not seem like a lot, for someone who lives pay check to pay check (or for whom one paycheck doesn't even cover expenses), spending money on a piece of plastic versus food or rent is not a justifiable expense.

ID-Issuing offices can be hard to get to. Many of those hurt by voter ID laws don't have a DMV within close distance (that distance is even grater if you don't have a car to travel by). And due to budget cuts, many ID-issuing offices aren't open very often, some only two days a week and others fewer than that (see previous link).

Waiting at the DMV costs time. If your local DMV is only open during normal business hours, you're going to have to take time off work. Anyone who has ever waited in line at the DMV knows a simple lunch break won't do. For many middle class Americans with full time jobs, taking a personal day is easy. For the poor who often work multiple part-time jobs, taking time off is not only difficult, it also isn't feasible. Time off work means less pay and a boss who sees you as less dependable and will probably dock your hours.

If you don't have a birth certificate, you're out of luck. The elderly born in rural areas, like a farm, don't have birth certificates. Many elderly African Americans were birthed at home (shortly after the slavery era). They don't have birth certificates either. Other Americans have lost their birth certificates due to fire or other accidents. While many states require a birth certificate to get a driver's license, they also require a driver's license to get a birth certificate (you can check your state's requirements here). So it is literally impossible to get a state ID in some states if you don't have one and you've also lost your birth certificate.

Voter Fraud is Practically Non-Existent

Voter Fraud cases represent only 1 out of 15 million votes. Voter fraud most frequently occurs in absentee ballots and during voter registration, cases that voter ID laws (which require you to show an ID at the physical polls) do not prevent. And in most cases, voter fraud charges are dropped since it's difficult to prove a person knew they were doing something illegal and did it on purpose. It's more likely that many voters didn't know they were doing something wrong:

Felons or noncitizens sometimes register to vote or cast votes because they are confused about their eligibility. The database shows 74 cases of felons voting and 56 cases of noncitizens voting. 

Voters make a lot of mistakes, from accidentally voting twice to voting in the wrong precinct. 

Election officials make a lot of mistakes, from clerical errors — giving voters ballots when they’ve already voted — to election workers confused about voters’ eligibility requirements. (source)

The only voter fraud that voter ID laws help prevent is voter-impersonation fraud. News21's investigation of voter fraud cases from 2000 to 2012 found only 10 instances of voter-impersonation fraud across all 50 states.

Voter ID Laws Disenfranchise Millions of Americans

While voter ID laws could prevent only 10 cases of voter-impersonation fraud, it disenfranchises 21 million Americans who do not have the required identification. Of this 21 million,

25% are African American
18% are over 65
18% aged 18-24
15% earning less than $35K a year
8% are white
(source)

So, let's recap. Voter ID laws prevent only 10 cases of voter fraud in 12 years, while every year they they deny 21 million Americans their right to vote.

Voter ID Laws are Unconstitutional

The right to vote is granted by our constitution. And many Americans had to fight for that right, women and African Americans, especially. When a law is put in place that does nothing to protect voters but instead infringes upon the voting rights of millions of Americans, something is wrong with that law.

Prior to voter ID laws, the United States employed a poll tax as a prerequisite to vote. This tax, as you can imagine, disenfranchised the poor (including minorities and the elderly) and women (who earned far less than men), much as voter ID laws do today. American citizens fought against the poll tax, and the 24th Amendment was added to the constitution, abolishing poll taxes. It's time we fight against voter ID laws.

Share this information with everyone you know, write your state representatives and tell them you do not support voter ID laws, start a petition for your state, and if someone with a microphone stops you on the street and asks if voter ID laws are reasonable, tell them no, they most certainly are not.

Why Democrats "Didn't Do Anything" Under Obama and How the Same Could Happen Under Sanders

I had a conversation recently with some skeptics who pointed out that Sander's plan for America is very similar to Obama's in 2008. Why, they asked, should anyone believe Sanders could succeed when Obama and the Democrats in Congress "didn't do anything" for the entirety of Obama's presidency?

From The Hill

It's a valid question. And the truth is, Obama and the Democrats in Congress "didn't do anything" because they couldn't. While it's true Democrats held a majority in the Senate during the first two years of Obama's term, they didn't have the magical number of 60 members.

Why 60? While it's true that a simple majority can pass bills, under the rules of the Senate a filibuster can be used to delay the vote. So as long as any senator wishes to speak on a bill, that bill cannot be put to a vote - unless a motion (called a cloture) is made to vote on the bill by at least 60 senators.

As long as Republicans filibuster a bill and deny the cloture, any bill Obama and the Democrats could be delayed indefinitely. And while that sounds impossible, it seems from day one Republicans were determined to block any bill Obama supported. There's a number of bills that have failed due to this strategy (and that list isn't up to date).

That's why the fact that while Democrats had the majority in the Senate, they couldn't pass the bills they wanted because they didn't have the 60 members they needed. And before you ask, Obamacare passed by a near miracle. And Republicans threw a fit.

The point of all this is not to dismiss Sanders as a lost cause but to learn what needs to happen in the future. If we support Sanders as president, then we need to support a Democratic congress. We need to make sure we have not only the exact number of Democrats in the House and Senate needed to pass bills, we need as many Democrats as possible. We have to make sure the bills Sanders wants to pass can be passed. And we can only do that by going out to the polls and voting.

If Sanders is elected President and we have a split or Republican-ruled Congress, the fight to change this country is going to be just as impossible as with Obama.

Why Bernie Sanders is Running on the Democratic Ticket

Image from Huffington Post

I've seen criticism of Bernie Sanders on social media and right-wing news sites for his decision to run on the Democratic ticket instead of Independent. I'm here to tell you that decision is neither hypocritical nor problematic. In fact, it's plain good strategy.

For starters, Bernie Sanders has long spoken out against our two-party system, both because of the corruption found there and because of how our third-party intolerance restricts our choices for president. Some people have found it hypocritical of Sanders to run on the Democratic ticket after declaring himself Independent for so long.

It's important to note that Sanders has not switched parties. He is still Independent. He is simply running on the Democratic ticket. It may be surprising to know the Democratic nominee for president doesn't have to be a Democrat so long as their "record of public service, accomplishment, public writings and/or public statements affirmatively demonstrates that he or she is faithful to the interests, welfare and success of the Democratic Party of the United States" (see previous link).

Also important to note is that there are laws in some states that can prevent an Independent from being listed on the primary ballot, specifically New York and New Hampshire. Since Sanders hasn't changed his party status there is no guarantee he'll be able to get around these laws, but running on the Democratic ticket improves his chances. (And it sounds like New York won't be a problem.)

Sanders has also said that he's not interested in splitting the Democratic vote. If he ran as Independent, he'd mostly draw votes from Democrats, splitting the Democratic vote between him and Hillary, giving a chance for the Republican party to take the White House. Why would he risk that?

Image from Daily KOS

Critics of Sanders call him hypocritical for aligning with a party he claims to disagree with. They say if he really wanted to lead a political revolution, he'd run as Independent and spur American citizens against both Democratic and Republican parties. Others, who see his campaign as hopeless, criticize Sanders for not setting his political revolution on more "realistic" sights where his calls for change could still flourish, such as running for governor.

Suffice to say, Sanders is drawing massive crowds with his speeches against inequality and big money corruption in America. And polls indicate much of America agrees with his views. It's looking more and more likely he's posing a problem for Hillary. If (when!) Sanders wins the Democratic nomination, he'll have one (and possibly his most serious) opponent down before the General Election (as opposed to having to face two opponents if he'd ran solely as Independent).

I don't expect right-wing media to stop bashing Sanders (it's kind of their job), and I imagine some citizens who ally themselves as Republican won't open their eyes either (although, have you seen the Republicans for Bernie Facebook group?). But I do believe there are people who simply don't understand the facts and well-formed strategy involved in Sanders running on the Democratic ticket.

As Sanders has said, he's in this to win and he should not be underestimated.