Bernie Sanders’ demands template for the Democratic Party
Bernie Sanders used his Oregon rally/victory speech to start laying out the likely demands he will have at the Democratic National Convention.
“Let me also say a word to the leadership of the Democratic Party,” Bernie Sanders said. “And that is that the Democratic Party is going to have to make a very profound important decision. It can do the right thing and open its doors and welcome into the Party, people who are prepared to fight for real economic and social change. That is the Democratic Party I want to see, bringing in people who are willing to take on Wall Street, take on corporate greed, and to take on a fossil fuel industry which is destroying this planet. I say to the leadership of the Democratic Party, open the doors. Let the people in or the other option for the Democratic Party, which I see as a sad and very tragic option, is to choose to maintain its status quo structure. Remain dependent on big money campaign contributions. And be a Party with limited participation and limited energy.”
In other words, Sanders will likely demand open primaries going forward. MSNBS pundits made fun of his implicit demand. One implied that his ask was ‘less than’ given the breadth of his rhetoric. He missed the point. To attain the goals Bernie Sanders and his supporters are working for demands a party where independents and others can vote to ensure the voices of the people are heard. It starts with representation.
Sanders went on to say that the Democratic Party is allowing a Right Wing extremist Republican Party to capture the vote of working people in the country. “Now I come from the working class in this country,” said Bernie Sanders. “And I will be damned if we will allow the Republican Party, whose job is to represent the rich and the powerful to win the votes of working class Americans.”
I expect him to progressively layout more of his demands as part of his standard stump speech.