Bernie’s efforts at reconciliation on the first night of the Democratic Convention didn’t so much let down his supporters as miss an opportunity to inspire and energize them to keep on fighting for change. I think this is what Bernie should’ve said:
I want to thank you all for a great campaign. You are changing the world. You are at this convention to vote for the next president, and I want you to proudly exercise that right. I humbly hope you will vote for me. But you know and I know that in the end, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee. And that’s alright. She differs from you and me on many important issues–first and foremost is that voters who support me don’t believe politicians should be funded by billionaires, because we believe it has a corrupting affect on our leaders. But we love this republic, we love this country, and we believe we need to continue this fight, so we can and do accept that this time around we didn’t convince enough of our brothers and sisters that we are right. We came close, but not close enough.
We freely accept that the majority has spoken, and we commit to turning out in droves in November to vote for Hillary Clinton for president. Too much is at stake to stay home. But that does not not mean we are selling out or mean that we are done. We have just begun.
In four years we’ll do it again, and if need be we’ll do it again and again until we persuade the majority that the status quo is not good enough. In fact, it’s bad and anti-democratic. But for now, let’s congratulate and embrace those Hillary delegates here tonight, because they are our friends and allies, and they represent the majority that we have to convince. The alternative is too ugly to contemplate.
Having said that, I also want to congratulate Donald Trump’s supporters for rejecting the Republican status quo, but I respectfully suggest that they are going the wrong way if they want increased opportunity and a higher standard of living. I want to say to each of them that if you make less than $250,00 a year you belong with us not with Trump.
I say to those Trump supporters, we will protect you and elevate you. Trump and his wealthy friends will crush you. Join us. Take a look at the Republican platform and you will see it’s about protecting the wealthy on the backs of the rest of us. Then run. Run to us.
It’s not over, and it’s not time to rest. Let’s spend the next four years focused on our local politicians who take money from billionaires–the senators, the governors, and the legislators. Within reason, let’s vocally support and turn out to vote for those candidates who reject billionaires’ money. Let’s identify those candidates, and then aggressively fund their campaigns with small donations, and get them elected so they can fight for us on campaign finance reform and on the other issues we have advocated. We are more powerful than the billionaires, but only when we unite in the fight. They are afraid of the People, and they should be. When the People turn out to vote, we are unbeatable.
We will take back America from the billionaires, and put governance back in the hands of representatives who put the People first. Just watch us!
Jack Sheridan
July 2016