#StillUs: We have not been defeated

April 13, 2020 by Michael Mertes

On April 11, 2020, Bernie Sanders urged his supporters to follow through and vote for him, even though he suspended his campaign:

My name will be on the ballot. That’s the way it is in all of the remaining states that hold primaries. We would like to get as many delegates as we can, so that we have a strong position at the Democratic Convention to help us shape the new platform of the Democratic Party and the other issues that the DNC deals with.”  Bernie Sanders, April 11 2020, PBS Newshour

We will not surrender before the final battle is fought!

#StillUS is a proclamation of purpose and a renewed call to action around the Democratic primary. We seek to remind Bernie supporters in states with upcoming primaries to still vote for him. By voting for Bernie, you will cast a vote for Medicare for All, the wealthy paying their fair share, getting money out of politics, a green new deal, and a living wage. You will cast a vote for all of Us.

#NotMeUs is not just a motto. Bernie built the movement by listening to and representing the needs of the majority. He also made clear that we are all in this together and have to play our parts.

With his suspended presidential campaign, the movement has evolved into the force that is now driving him. We should not let our frustration slow down our efforts to demand social, economic and environmental justice. That momentum must not be lost. Nor should we silence our voices in demanding what we need and want from our government. While our primary campaign strategy has been forced to change, our purpose and our commitment have not.

Bernie can still win primaries. There are still many to be held. In those he doesn’t win, he can still add delegates that can take the concerns of ordinary Americans to the Democratic convention and influence a party platform. We must continue to support the elements of Bernie’s platform that help the ordinary people who look to the Democratic Party to represent them.

This is not “Bernie or Bust.” This is about the right of Democratic voters to have their concerns represented at the convention.

Biden is the presumptive nominee only for those who would profit by that presumption. Considering the fact that so many states have not yet voted, that presumption is undemocratic. If we give up now, the DNC will presume that our capitulation allows them to pick a Vice Presidential candidate to their liking, and a cabinet acceptable to the interests of their establishment donors who have benefitted by exploiting poor and working class Americans for too long.

Biden is an extremely weak candidate, except in the fantasy world of establishment politics, where a victory for huge corporations and the obscenely wealthy is acceptable no matter which party wins.

Don’t surrender your voice, it is still about us. Vote for Bernie in the primary!

#StillUS