NOTE: This first appeared in a Google+ Post that can be found HERE. We have done some minor editing but left most of the text as it was originally written.
Here are the most common myths and why they are wrong. And to my fellow Bernie supporters, remember to take the high road. When confronted with lies and hatred, turn the other cheek and respond with facts and love.
Myth 1: Debates don’t matter
Myth 2: Clinton won the debate
Myth 3: Bernie is too far to the left
Myth 4: Bernie is unelectable
Myth 5: Bernie will split the vote
Myth 6: Bernie doesn’t deserve our support because he isn’t a Democrat
Myth 7: Bernie can’t get any endorsements
Myth 8: Bernie is weak on foreign policy
Myth 9: Bernie is a gun nut
Myth 10: Bernie only appeals to progressive white men
Myth 11: Bernie is not strong on LGBTQ issues
Myth 12: Bernie is anti-woman
Myth 13: Bernie is anti-immigrant, anti-Latino
Myth 14: Bernie is racist
Myth 15: Bernie doesn’t have enough experience
Myth 16: Bernie’s supporters are bad for the party
Myth 17: Clinton is just as progressive as Bernie
Myth 18: Bernie won’t be able to work with Congress
Myth 19: Bernie can’t get things done
Myth 20: Bernie is too old
Myth 21: Bernie is a Socialist
Myth 22: Bernie is too far behind to catch up
Myth 23: Bernie can't fundraise
Myth 24: Bernie’s proposals are too expensive
Myth 25: The campaign is over, Clinton has already won
Myth 2: Clinton won the debate
Myth 3: Bernie is too far to the left
Myth 4: Bernie is unelectable
Myth 5: Bernie will split the vote
Myth 6: Bernie doesn’t deserve our support because he isn’t a Democrat
Myth 7: Bernie can’t get any endorsements
Myth 8: Bernie is weak on foreign policy
Myth 9: Bernie is a gun nut
Myth 10: Bernie only appeals to progressive white men
Myth 11: Bernie is not strong on LGBTQ issues
Myth 12: Bernie is anti-woman
Myth 13: Bernie is anti-immigrant, anti-Latino
Myth 14: Bernie is racist
Myth 15: Bernie doesn’t have enough experience
Myth 16: Bernie’s supporters are bad for the party
Myth 17: Clinton is just as progressive as Bernie
Myth 18: Bernie won’t be able to work with Congress
Myth 19: Bernie can’t get things done
Myth 20: Bernie is too old
Myth 21: Bernie is a Socialist
Myth 22: Bernie is too far behind to catch up
Myth 23: Bernie can't fundraise
Myth 24: Bernie’s proposals are too expensive
Myth 25: The campaign is over, Clinton has already won
Myth 1: Debates don’t matter.
The hell they don’t. After the first Republican debate Ben Carson shot up in the polls and is now just barely behind the front runner, Trump. Carly Fiorina was at the kids table, but resonated with Republicans so much that she is now a top tier candidate in 5th place. Debates can have dramatic effects. Former Clinton campaign co-chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz unilaterally dictated that there would only be 6 Democratic debates, only 4 before the first vote, they would take place on days when people were less likely to watch them, and that they would start so late that the establishment front runner could consolidate support before anyone actually had a chance to get to know the other candidates. To compare, there were 13 by mid October 2007, they started in April, and there ended up being 26 total. To add insult to injury, there is a new Exclusion rule saying that any candidate that participates in any non-DNC sanctioned debates would not be able to participate in any of the DNC debates. My full explanation of why the debate process is un-Democratic and rigged: HERE. Martin O’Malley’s excellent speech denouncing DWS for stifling debates (watch it HERE)
Myth 2: Clinton won the debate.
I think the misunderstanding here is how one defines "won". Yes, Clinton was more polished, had sharper responses, and had a solid tone/posture. She had the best debate preparers money can buy, so was well prepared whereas Bernie came in cold. In that sense she won. So why did every focus group and online poll say Bernie won? Why was there a surge of donations to Bernie’s campaign afterwards ($3.2 million in small donations in 48 hours)? Bernie FINALLY got a national stage to share his vision for a better America, something he has been consistently fighting for for over 30 years now. And people really liked what they heard, even if Bernie wasn't as sharp or polished as Clinton. It was the content of the message and the integrity of the messenger that were important. In that sense, Bernie Sanders clearly won. See: Bernie Sanders Won the Debate, and Perhaps the Election, When He Defended Clinton 71% of those that claimed Clinton won didn't even watch the debate See: NBC-SurveyMonkey
Myth 3: Bernie is too far to the left.
Bernie’s positions are progress oriented, absolutely, and I’m proud to support a proud progressive who has the solutions our nation needs, instead of someone who “pleads guilty” to being a moderate centrist one week, then a “progressive” the next. Every single policy position Bernie has is wildly popular with the American public, and he has been fighting for these very same reforms for 30 years, so we know he isn't just telling people what they want to hear to get elected. HERE is a chart showing how well liked Bernie’s progressive issues stances are. Also, as noted in myth 2, how enthusiastic supporters are and how genuine a candidate is are very important. Robert Reich spells it out clearly here when he remembers how proud-progressive Paul Wellstone won: “voters are more interested in the integrity and authenticity of candidates than the specifics of any policies they espouse”. Remember that Bernie Sanders wins 25% of the Republican vote in Vermont, and is polling strongest with independents at 45% to Trump 26%, Ben Carson 19, Rand Paul 12, Clinton 9% See HERE *Note: Numbers may change over time.
Myth 4: Bernie is unelectable.
Bernie Sanders has been elected to office 14 times, compared to Clinton’s 2. Bernie won his last Senate campaign with over 70% of the vote. Bernie polls better against Trump and most Republicans than Clinton does. 78% of Bernie’s supporters are enthusiastic, compared to only 39% for Clinton. I need to be very, very clear about this: we will NOT have the wave election we need around the country if we allow Clinton to win the Democratic nomination. Period. In a head to head matchup, Bernie cleans up with Independents over Clinton 59-21%. They will not vote for Clinton. Only Bernie Sanders has the trustworthiness that comes from having a consistently honest 30 year track record as a progressive reformer that can inspire the huge voter turnout we need coast to coast.
See:
Bernie Defeats Trump By a Wider Margin Than Clinton in a General Election
Maybe Clinton is the unelectable candidate
Quinnipiac on Bernie: 78-6% favorability, 86-4% is honest and trustworthy , 85-5% cares about their needs and problems
Maybe Clinton is the unelectable candidate
Quinnipiac on Bernie: 78-6% favorability, 86-4% is honest and trustworthy , 85-5% cares about their needs and problems
Myth 5: Bernie will split the vote.
No. Bernie Sanders has repeatedly said from the first day that he will support anyone who gets the Democratic nomination for President. He is not going to run as an independent. It is important to note however that a significant portion of the new people Bernie is bringing into the Democratic Party are only joining to support him. Many Green Party, 3rd Party, Independent, millennial, and eligible non-voters will bolt if Bernie does not get the nomination. We have to give them the respect to make up their own minds. Even if that happens though, a great many of them will stay and support Democrats. So even worst case scenario if Bernie doesn’t win his run it is going to be very good for the Democratic Party. It will be much, much greater for the party if Bernie wins the nomination, thereby permanently expanding our ranks with a more energized, more engaged voter base. The worst thing our party can do is try to shove another center-right Democrat down the throats of its progressive base and expect everyone to be excited, like what happened with Al Gore and Joe Liebermann in the Y2K election.
Myth 6: Bernie doesn’t deserve our support because he isn’t a Democrat.
Bernie Sanders is an Independent, but it’s a valid reason not to support him. Bernie Sanders has caucused with the Democrats his entire congressional career spanning 34 years. He was chosen to chair the Veterans Committee by the Democrats. But most importantly, Bernie Sanders is actually closer to the Democratic Party platform than any other candidate in the race. Some Democrats are D in name only (DINO’s), and act more like Republicans. The issues we stand for as Democrats are on par with the issues Bernie Sanders stands for. He is the embodiment of an FDR New Deal Democrat. See: The American Political Spectrum and how Dems have allowed their party to shift right.
Myth 7: Bernie can’t get any endorsements.
Clinton’s machine started to leverage their position years ago to secure early endorsements, and there have been a lot of them from the party establishment. Just like any of us, they can support whoever they want, provided it is of their own volition and no underhanded pressure is applied. I would argue however that it sends the wrong message and sets a dangerous precedent to have elected officials and upper party officers give this much support to one candidate this early. It looks like they are dictating who to back from the top-down like Republicans do, when the Democratic Party is supposed to be from the ground-up. Any candidate should not have 1/5th (20%) of the delegates needed for nomination before one vote has been cast See: Clinton Camp Says One-Fifth of Delegates Secured for Nomination. You can see this in Union endorsements too. There is no greater champion of organized labor than Bernie Sanders, but some union boards have already endorsed Clinton (AFT, NEA) much to the disappointment of their membership. See: Some teachers resisting union endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president. And The NEA Endorsed Without Input From Members. Bernie Sanders has some important endorsements too, like Raúl Grijalva, Keith Ellison, Ready For Warren, National Nurses United, Occupy Wall Street (first ever endorsement for anyone), Progressive Democrats of America, South Carolina AFL-CIO, Friends of the Earth, Dr. Cornel West, Glenn Greenwald, Ed Schultz, and a wide range of cultural leaders like Wil Wheaton, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, David Crosby, Flea, Steve Wozniak, Jello Biafra, Jackson Browne, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Sarah Silverman, Lizz Winstead, and hundreds more.
Myth 8: Bernie is weak on foreign policy.
It's not “weak” to say that war should be our last option. It's not weak to demand that wars of choice are paid for before we engage in them. It's not weak to declare that benefits our veterans have earned be given to them once they return home and try to claim them. What's weak is for chickenhawks to invade the wrong country, then to send others' kids to war, but not their own. Bernie didn't fall for the very obvious lies of the Bush regime and vote to invade Iraq, Clinton did. All of that supposed intel “the rest of us” never saw about weapons of mass destruction never existed, and anyone that voted for that war does not have the leadership skills to be president. You don't have to be a warmongering chickenhawk who wants to blow between $1.2-$1.4 trillion annually on military-related expenditures (Dept of Defense plus other parts hidden in other departments) to be sure America has a strong defensive posture to protect itself, and to actually take care of our men and women in uniform once they come home. That's about as much as the rest of the world combined. Bernie has been a huge advocate for veterans. See Bernie Sanders on Military and Veterans. and he fought for our Veterans. Vets For Bernie: Why the Most Anti-War Candidate Has Many Military Supporters.
Myth 9: Bernie is a gun nut.
This one always cracks me up. Yes, the NRA endorsed Bernie during his first run for Congress. You got us. They were so pissed off at the incumbent Democrat that they endorsed his most viable political opponent: Bernie. Since then, the NRA has given him F and D- ratings. Bernie supports a federal ban on assault weapons, instant background checks (including at gun shows), and a nationwide ban on high-capacity magazines of over ten rounds. Bernie has been called a gun nut AND a gun grabber, and if both sides are attacking him this much, it might be a clue that his approach might be onto something (same goes for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict).
Myth 10: Bernie only appeals to progressive white men.
This is increasingly a favorite of some who are adopting Karl Rove tactics to attack Bernie on his strengths in a deliberate Swiftboat style attack. They are deliberately trying to use divisive language, and it is highly offensive. Bernie has been consistently fighting for equal rights for everyone against a system of oppression, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and bigotry his entire life, way before it was cool or politically safe to do so. Much of the problem is that his strong stances on issues and his consistent track record just aren't known well in some communities yet (again, much of that thanks to a lack of exposure by silencing debates). Give Bernie an honest look and a fair chance based on his stances and his consistent, trustworthy track record.
Myth 11: Bernie is not strong on LGBTQ issues.
This is a prime example of how some poeple are using Rovian tactics to attack Bernie on one of his strongest points. The only criticism is that he didn't support same sex marriage in Vermont in 2006, but as he explained to Maddow, he just wanted to give time for the state's groundbreaking Civil Union law a chance to work so anti-gay tempers would cool down. Bernie Sanders has a strong, bold, very extensive track record of supporting gay rights dating back 40 years . In a letter he published in the early 1970’s, when he was a candidate for governor of Vermont from the Liberty Union Party, Sanders invoked freedom to call for the abolition of all laws related to homosexuality. In 1983, as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Bernie threw in his full support for a highly controversial gay pride march in the city. Bernie proclaimed Gay Pride Day in Burlington 2 years later in 1985. He fought against the discriminator DOMA (that first lady Hillary Clinton supported). Bernie verbally blasted a conservative bigot on the House floor who didn’t want “homos in the military”. He wanted to add full civil rights in housing, employment and public accommodation for LGBT people to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Clinton on the other hand called marriage a sacred bond between a man and a woman as a bedrock principle on the Senate floor in 2004. She did not support Civil Unions until 2010 and LGBT Marriage Equality until 2013, and has even defended her past support for DOMA.
Myth 12: Bernie is anti-woman
This one has just started to get used with alarming frequency by Clinton herself. She has claimed that when Bernie wants people on both side to “stop shouting”, he is really telling women to shut up. It is an extremelymischaracterizing attack meant to smear Sanders as sexist, and it is totally false. Some have even tried to cite a 43 year old a essay read by a perhaps a couple dozen people that mentioned rape, but it was just a very poorly worded stream of consciousness essay designed to reject current gender roles. The truth is that Bernie has always been Fighting for Women’s Rights.
Bernie Sanders has consistently voted for the availability of contraception and Pro-Choice. He has long fought to protect women from domestic violence and sexual abuse, and promotes equal pay in the workforce. His main stances on women’s rights are shown HERE.
Myth 13: Bernie is anti-immigrant, anti-Latino.
This myth is spread by deliberately mischaracterizing Bernie's opposition to Bush's Immigration Reform bill in 2007. Bernie opposed that because of the “guest worker” provision that would leave millions in dire working conditions tantamount to virtual slavery and how that would drive down wages for Americans. Bernie actually took the time to visit the fields and see first hand how migrant workers were being horribly mistreated. Bernie supports President Obama’s executive action on immigration. Bernie is a big supporter of a quick, achievable path to citizenship. He has a great plan to get rid of private prisons that rake in huge profits by exploiting undocumented migrants. He believes in fair, humane immigration policy that includes Visa reform, no border fence, and the DREAM Act. It's part of the reason why prominent DREAMer César Vargas has joined Bernie's campaign for Latino outreach. Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, co-chair of the Progressive Caucus endorses Bernie. See: Únase con Bernie. Bernie's strong stances for the Latino community and for undocumented migrants is part of the reason why he was getting the strongest applause when the candidates addressed La Raza this past Summer and why he was so well received on Uninvision's Facebook Q&A recently.
Myth 14: Bernie is racist.
Bernie is not racist. He has been a strong Civil Rights champion since the 1960's, and continuing on to today. While there were two protests by BLM last Summer to get attention to the fact that a system of racism is killing African Americans far more than any other group (except Native Americans), Bernie has repeatedly spoken out against institutional racism, (co)sponsored many bills to try to tackle it. The NAACP gave him a 100% lifetime rating. Here Bernie talks about MLK's Dream on the 50th anniversary of the march, and what still needs to be done. Tackling structural inequality is at the heart of Bernie Sanders’ campaign. His racial justice platform has won a lot of respect from BLM activists. Rep. Keith Ellison, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus endorses Bernie. Must watch: Cornel West on brother Bernie Sanders.
Myth 15: Bernie doesn’t have enough experience.
That’s rich. As noted, Bernie has been in office as a public servant since 1981. He was a hugely successful mayor of Burlington, Vermont before being elected to the US House in 1990, and finally the US Senate in 2006 where he had some key Committee leadership roles. Clinton was Secretary of State carrying out Obama’s policies, yes, and a US Senator from 2001 until she ran for President starting in 2007. Bernie has three times the experience.
Myth 16: Bernie’s supporters are bad for the party.
Au contraire mon capitan. Bernie is already demonstrating how he will win the general election in how he plans to win the Democratic nomination: by bringing legions of new people into the process, people rarely included in polls. Much of the Green Party has or will join the Democratic Party to support Bernie. He is drawing in tens of thousands of other third party activists too, as well as independents, millennials, and throngs of eligible non-voters. Many of these people don’t vote for our Democratic Party because they think both sides are the same (the false equivalence logical fallacy). Once many start coming to meetings, hopefully they’ll realize most of us are pretty progressive and share many of their views. But if Bernie doesn’t get the nomination, most but not all will go back from where they came. I'm not going to force our new friends to do anything that violates their conscience. But the point here is that we have a genuine opportunity with an authentic, trusted leader in Bernie Sanders to not just barely eek by a bare bones Presidential win, but to build a broad New Deal scope coalition and inspire the WAVE election we need to retake the Senate AND House as well as state races and gov. chairs, and finally enact the bold progressive reforms our nation so desperately needs. Despite spending as much as the GOP, Democrats were spanked in 2014 when only a third of eligible voters voted. Don’t let that happen again. Support candidates that will energize if you really want to win and expand our Democratic Party.
Myth 17: Clinton is just as progressive as Bernie.
Not true by a long shot. Bernie calls for Medicare For All, tuition free public universities, reinstating Glass Steagall, a $15 minimum wage, ending "Citizens" United any way possible (including a SCOTUS litmus test), ending deregulated trade pacts that outsource good American jobs overseas, a $1 trillion public jobs program to repair America's crumbling infrastructure, ending KGB-style domestic espionage, protecting Net Neutrality, 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, higher union rates, a clear and quick path to citizenship, shutting down for-profit private prisons, universal Kindergarten, passing the ERA, expanding social security, ending institutional racism, stopping Climate Change, not letting the war machine embroil us in more overseas quagmires, protecting our veterans, and breaking up the big banks on Wall Street. Clinton does have some suddenly new found “progressive” stances, but seriously, does anyone really believe she is against the TPP after she praised it for years? Does anyone think she will actually take on Wall Street after she represented them in Congress and they are by far he biggest campaign financiers? It’s faux-progressivism being used to dishonestly trick progressives into not supporting Bernie.
Clinton represented Wall Street, thinks she can just tell them to “cut it out” during foreclosure crisis. Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush Still Favorites of Wall Street Banks
Myth 18: Bernie won’t be able to work with Congress.
And Clinton can? Have the people that claim this been living under a rock? Conservative Republicans HATE Hillary Clinton, probably even more than they hate Obama. They will learn to hate Bernie as well when Fox Propaganda tells them to, but they have proven for the last 8 years that their one and only goal is to fear peddle, hate monger, and obstruct any Democrat. They even obstructed bills originally designed by Republicans and GOP nominees Obama presented. That’s all they care about: political warfare and using Congress as a firewall to protect the profiteering scheme of their corporate overlords. That’s why it’s so essential to have a genuinely inspirational candidate like Bernie Sanders who can create the WAVE election we need to not only retake the Senate, but also the House. You can’t compromise with those that have no interest in compromising back, even if your issue positions are more conservative like Clintons. Appeasement doesn’t work either. You have to defeat the Greedy Obstructionist Party with monumental voter turnout.
Myth 19: Bernie can’t get things done.
If getting “things” done means cutting education or Medicare by only 7% instead of 10%, that’s not progress. The Congress is heavily tilted further to the right than the American public due to a corrupt campaign finance system, crooked gerrymandering, and 40 years of scheming by the rich and powerful, so not getting a bad bill passed is better than a bad bill. The key is to try to make sure the government works for the people, not the rich and powerful, and if Congress is incapable of doing that, we need a new Congress, not a more corrupt Presidential candidate. And for the record, Bernie has been trying despite how futile it may be. His nickname is “The Amendment King”. Bernie sponsored 775 bills in his Congressional career. And when needed, he is completely capable of compromise. For instance Bernie was pragmatic enough to save a VA Reform bill that increased funding by $5 billion/
Myth 20: Bernie is too old.
This one is pretty ironic due to the fact that one of the chronic attacks Republicans have against Clinton is that she is too old. Clinton will be 69 on election day 2016, Bernie would be 6 years older at 75. By comparison, Ronnie Reagan was 69 (left when he was 78) and John McCain would have been 72. In Congress there are two that are 86, two 85, and an 84 year old. While he’s no spring chicken, Bernie is probably one of the most active, energetic members of Congress. For instance, he did 3 major outdoor speeches in scorching heat in one day this past summer. Further, as Republicans keep trying to tell us (in an effort to raise the retirement age), life expectancies are increasing. Since the 60’s every POTUS has lived past 80, and most of the longest living ones in our history were since then. If the issue is his appeal to younger folks, guess again, Bernie is by far the most popular candidate from any party with Millennials. He leads 19-29 year olds 54-26% over Clinton, a lead of 28 points.
Myth 21: Bernie is a Socialist.
No, he’s a Democratic Socialist, which is as radical as Social Security and Medicare. We know the conservative media is going to be fear peddling and hate mongering about “socialism” in the general election, just like they’ve been doing to Obama for 8 years now. Not only has that blind attack lost all meaning (doubled stock markets, record corporate profits, falling unemployment, “free trade” promotion, cuts to deficit, etc.), but it is actually useful to us to get attacked this way as it puts the focus back on popular public programs that have a positive impact on the lives of real people. We can judo this and use their attacks against them by pointing out that conservative Republicans want to cut, privatize, or kill democratic socialism programs like Social Security and Medicare, while we want to expand them. That is precisely the debate and framing we want. And if you want to cut, privatize, or kill those programs, I’d argue you are a DINO to begin with and should leave the party. The more absurd attacks claim that Bernie is actually a communist because he did his mayoral duty and traveled to a Burlington, VT's sister city in Russia for his honeymoon. Another ridiculous attack accuses Bernie of being a “socialist” because Venezuela provided free heating oil to poor people in Vermont so they could stay warm in the winter when prices suddenly skyrocketed (thanks to capitalism).
Myth 22: Bernie is too far behind to catch up.
As of publishing, Bernie is about 20 points behind in national polls. That is not surprising considering Clinton has almost universal name recognition and has pretty much been running for President for a decade. Bernie is a relatively unknown guy who has not had time or the corporate main stream media exposure to counter this yet. But, as Nate Silver reminded folks in December 2007, national polls don't matter. Remember that Barack Obama was down by 27 points nationally at this time in 2007. TWENTY SEVEN POINTS. Gallup had already declared it extremely likely she would be the nominee in 2008. Obama was down by 20 to Clinton until January 7th, 2008, after he won Iowa and New Hampshire. Then he remained down by 10 even after Nevada and South Carolina.Obama did not surpass Hillary in the polls until the middle of February, a month and a half after he won Iowa. What is more important are the early states, and right now Bernie is only down by 3 in Iowa and up by 15 in New Hampshire. Note: The numbers may change. If we he wins in those states, he's going to get a huge boost. And remember that no candidate that won both IA and NH have ever lost the party's nomination. In addition, 78% of Bernie’s supporters are enthusiastic, compared to only 39% for Clinton and he has high ratings for favorability 78-6%, honesty/trustworthy 86-4% , and cares about their needs and problems 85-5%.
Myth 23: Bernie can't fundraise.
From the start, Clinton's well financed PR experts have been telling us Bernie Sanders will not be able to raise enough money to compete. Then the first fundraising reports came in in July and Bernie raised over double what many expected: $15 million. That was only a third of Clinton's $47 million haul. Bernie also does not have a Super PAC to rake in corrupt, dark money, but Clinton's raked in $15m. 80% of Bernie's money came from small donors, while less than 20% of Clinton's did. Then the 3rd Quarter fundraising totals were were disclosed, and Bernie shocked the establishment by raising $26m , just $3m behind Clinton's totals, and far outpacing any Republican (who rely on shady Super Pacs much more). Bernie has $27m cash on hand. Clinton has been burning through her cash far faster (spent nearly 90% of what was brought in), so only has $33m remaining. Clinton has tapped out a lot of donors who can give the maximum already. Considering her track record of getting most of her donations from the Big Banks on Wall Street, it is not suprising that many of her donors are Hedge Fund Managers who she is splitting with Jeb Bush and she is the 5th biggest recipient of money from Big Oil/Fossil Fuel corporations. Bernie had 1.3 million donations, 650,000 individual donors (currently up to 750k), and an average donation size of only $30 (that's right, thirty bucks). He can go back to that well over and over. Donate HERE
Myth 24: Bernie’s proposals are too expensive.
This really underscores what I mean by DINO in myth 6 above. Why the hell are some centrist and conservative Democrats arguing about how much we should cut popular public programs in the first place? The question isn’t how much we should be cutting them, but how much we should EXPAND them. If you don’t believe that public programs are important, go ahead and leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican already, we don’t want you here. Everything Bernie has proposed has a clear way to pay for it. Tuition free public universities with a Robin Hood Tax on risky high frequency trading on Wall Street, Social Security expansion by removing the payroll tax cap on the rich, Medicare For All through a variety of measures (which will end up SAVING Americans thousands of dollars every year), etc.
While the US spends nearly twice the average of other developed nations on healthcare, Medicare For All is projected to save our nation over $5 trillion over 10 years, even after finally allowing every family to have access to a doctor, regardless of how rich or poor they are.
Myth 25: The campaign is over, Clinton has already won.
The corporate mainstream media is declaring this contest is over with Bernie nearly tied in Iowa and way ahead in New Hampshire. Bernie is doing far better than Obama was 8 years ago in the polls, has 750,000 people who have donated to his campaign, and far higher trustworthiness, integrity, and enthusiasm numbers. I believe that we will win. We will not sit down, we will not shut up, we will not stop fighting. Resistance is not futile. We will tell you the same thing today we told you 8 years ago when you tried this psychological warfare against Obama: YES WE CAN!
