Can you fucking hear us now?

[cali]

Dear Elected Democrats and other members of the Democratic Establishment,

We think that operating in a corrupt system breeds corruption. We know that even good people inside that system can become blind to how pernicious it is. You can tell yourself that big money from big donors has never and will never effect your vote. But you will pick up the phone when that lobbyist calls. That is access. Access equals influence. Studies have repeatedly shown that. You don't need to know a lot of political history to know how destructive big and unaccountable money is to democracy. It poisons it.

We are telling you we know. We are telling you we can see it happening. We are reminding you that this system is corrupt and that you are part of it. It is your responsibility to help repair it.

$6,000,000 in under 24 hours is a loud wake up call.

We know you can hear us now.


(I took the liberty of speaking for others, but I do feel that a lot of other Bernie supporters think as I do. Hey, if I'm wrong, I'll just self-delete.)

[arcane1]

1. "Holy shit, we might have to actually EARN their votes this year!!" you can almost hear them say.

And they are 100% correct.

[redruddyred]

38. haha +1

[billhicks76]

141. DU Hillary Group Says Won't ALLOW A Win

It shocking what they say. 90% of the comments there say they dont care how many votes Bernie gets and he will not be ALLOWED to win. They say its OUR problem if we don't like it because super delegates are in the rules and no matte what the commoners vote they will never be allowed a victory. They are literally laughing about it. The smugness goes beyond even how Martin Shkreli has been behaving. If the majority of voters read these comments they would come with pitchforks not just for republicans. In fact, I thought people got banned for the type of comments questioning party affiliation that I see there. And it was everyone...not just some...and all familiar commenters that flag everyone on other threads. They have no qualms about sinking our Party's reputation. I guess entitlement is contagious.

[emsimon33]

147. As each state goes for Bernie, we need to start putting pressure on the super delegates

If they do not follow the will of the people, then we let them know that next we will work to vote them out of office. When I get these "give me money" emails from super delegates who have pledged to Hillary, I email back and tell them they will get no support from me (in fact I will support their opposition) unless they uncouple themselves from Hillary. I am not sure how good it does as I am pretty sure that DWS has told them they get no money or support from the DNC unless they pledge to Hillary.

[jen63]

162. Here is a Move On

petition to sign, if you're so inclined!!
http://pac.petitions.moveon.org/sign/superdelegates-dont-deny.fb49?source=s.icn.fb&r_by=14860572

[emsimon33]

170. Thank you. I already signed it, & posted on FB and Twitter.

[Art_from_Ark]

187. I signed it, too

and wrote a lengthy comment to boot.

[geardaddy]

210. Done!

[PCPrincess]

192. Don't Allow The 'Super-Delegate' Threat To Scare You!

Please, all who are concerned about the current 'supposed' delegate count, please see this link:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/02/after-sanders-big-win-in-new-hampshire-establishme.html

The article explains why HRC supporters or staffers may post the count and why it doesn't matter.

[saidsimplesimon]

195. emsimon33, best response to detractors on this thread. imo

[grasswire]

150. do you mean the other web site?

or the Hillary group here on DU??

[billhicks76]

165. Here On DU. They Should Be Banned

I see people get banned for the exact same language.

[freebrew]

189. I Know! I just got banned...

for commenting on their ridiculous argument that the super-delegates won't let Bernie win.

WTF!? Now they're threatening not to vote if he wins(not outright, subtly, between the lines).
In their eyes we are not true Democrats. Funny! I thought FDR was the idea of a real Democrat.
Bernie is a LOT closer to that than HRC or anyone else in DC, IMHO.

[Doctor_J]

205. I would tend to agree. The rules are what they are. But should this happen, the party will

probably be permanently pushing away up to 10 million voters. I think that the DC dems and HRC fan club realize this, and honestly don't care.

[Rockyj]

151. ARE you kidding me?

Bernie actually received "$6,000,000 in under 24 hours is a loud wake up call" ???
I am one of the $27 donors every payday (two weeks)!

[arcane1]

155. I setup a Monthly donation today. We can!!!

[Enthusiast]

176. I'm sorry to say it might be more like, "We have to be more creative in our lying and propaganda."

[RKP5637]

3. K&R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[rhett o rick]

4. k & r. Thanks for posting. nm

[Jefferson23]

5. +10. n/t

[Punkingal]

6. You're not wrong!

[jwirr]

7. K&R

[Jackie Wilson Said]

8. "For of those to whom much is given, much is required" Luke, 12:48

The more money and political importance gained by Mrs. Sanders and his supporters, the more responsible they are to not only those who financially support them, but to those they claim or wish to represent.

Humble, peacefully minded people are needed desperately to attract folks from the Clinton campaign and ultimately from the right.

[CorporatistNation]

87. Well Said... Humble and Soft Persuasion Will Be A Great Help...

[MerryBlooms]

9. Rec & Kick. Good post.

[Red Oak]

10. K&R

[litlbilly]

11. They can hear us alright, I dont think any of them are sleeping very well right now.

[cali]

12. Good.

[litlbilly]

14. Im gonna go out and buy stock in ambien right now:)))))

[hifiguy]

45. Fuck 'em

May they simultaneously have horrible nightmares and be haunted by the ghosts of FDR, Truman, LBJ and the Kennedys.

[Enthusiast]

178. Plus a bazillion!

[KingCharlemagne]

191. I understand the disdain but please remember we shall need their votes and efforts in the General

Election.

[stranger81]

13. You speak for me.

And put it better than I probably would have.

Thanks, Cali.

[cali]

91. thank you very much.

[FreakinDJ]

15. Goodbye and Goodriddence Losers

[Vattel]

16. Awesome post.

I would add that it's not just buying influence. Often the big donors support those who already favor their interests. Those who would fight hard against them don't get their money and so can't win (unless they can find other sources of support).

[boston bean]

17. I will bookmark this. Will be fun to look back upon.

[cali]

20. Sigh. This is not about the nomination. As I've said a hundred fucking times

to you hill fans, she'll almost certainly be the nominee.

Sorry bean, old pal, there is nothing for you to bookmark here.

That you don't understand the op, says it all, bean.

Have a nice evening.

[boston bean]

22. Ok

[NurseJackie]

57. +1

Indeed it will.

[cali]

172. What part of this has nothing to do with the nomination

Do you fail to grasp?

[morningfog]

109. Oh yes it will, bean. Yes it will.

[DocMac]

111. I still have $1500 to donate to Bernie.

I will max at $2700. This will be in your bookmark.

[classykaren]

171. Thank you DocMac

[Katashi_itto]

146. Thanks for the reminder. I still have 500 I can donate to Bernie.

[Logical]

154. You are the type who makes me dislike Hillary more with every post! Nt

[DirtyHippyBastard]

161. +1. nm

[Kurovski]

199. Is that a sadistic streak on display?

Mean Bean Stew?

[boston bean]

201. Maybe towards myself. LOL.

[Kurovski]

203. Eek.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. Fuckin A!!!!

Cali, don't let my partner know, but I am in love with thee. Your words and insights are like sunshine.

[Ferd Berfel]

19. Right on Cali

[Autumn Colors]

21. Let's hope Bernie has long coattails

to help true liberals who are challenging some of those seats ... and I don't mean just the republican seats.

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. You're not wrong.

[speaktruthtopower]

24. The people..

can only do so much in a 2 party system. But we shouldn't stop trying.

[Thespian2]

26. K & R!!!

You speak for me...keep it up!

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

27. ...

[Bubzer]

28. On target. +1 billion

[zentrum]

29. They hear us and

Last edited Wed Feb 10, 2016, 10:01 PM - Edit history (1)

…that's why their big push back is coming soon, on as many fronts as they can find. We need to understand that building a movement will have to be relentless on our part.

Hope Bernie is prepared to have his life, his record, his personal business completely churned over—as they look for anything, anything, to stop this people's movement from happening.

I guess that's why Bernie sent us all an email this morning saying "Here comes the kitchen sink".

[passiveporcupine]

95. Except for his private life,

Bernie's life is an open book and they won't find anything significant to use against him. I don't think he will let them into his personal life very far. He believes in privacy for personal stuff. Something that more politicians should fight for too, but too many of them are so happy to be in the limelight that they freely give it up.

Yes, they will push back, but it will be much of what we've already seen, just notched up a little and more lies and innuendo.

[bvar22]

213. Electing Bernie is currently the focus of The Movement,

but Bernie is NOT The Movement.
He has advanced the ball much further than anyone expected.

The Movement started well before Bernie entered the race, and will continue no matter who wins This Time.
I am proud to be a member of this Movement,
and I'm especially proud of the Millennials, OWS, Code Pink, and all the others who have stood up to the Oligarchs, Wall Street Criminals, War Mongers, and their bought enablers in our government.
The spirit lives on.

[Warren DeMontague]

30. WHAT? SPEAK UP

[pangaia]

85. CAN YOU HEAR US NOW??? EH???? EH?? SPEAK UP !!!

[panader0]

31. Recommended!

[pinebox]

32. No more of the same crap!

[hifiguy]

51. Go Bernie. As for Wanda Wall Street

[Docreed2003]

33. Spot on!

[in_cog_ni_to]

34. Speak away!

Their attacks are just going to enrich Bernie's campaign, so they better hear us!

The more they attack, the more we'll defend and donate.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[hifiguy]

62. This IS something that hasn't been seen before.

The more the Establishment attacks, the more (legit) money the One Honest Man Left gets.

Never seen the likes of it and 1972 was the first election I paid attention to.

They have no idea how to counter this. They don't understand it because it was never, EVER supposed to happen.

[in_cog_ni_to]

74. It's great, isn't it? They thought their billions could buy this election.

They forgot We The People get to vote! 99% People power and our donations is more powerful than they ever expected!

When you can raise $5 million in a matter of hours whenever you need it, we're an unbeatable force!

Bernie has touched a huge nerve in this country.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[arcane1]

75. It's especially funny considering how much money has been wasted on Jeb!

[hifiguy]

77. $100 million-plus.

Right down the shitter. May as well have thrown it into the Cuisinart and pressed "mince."

[Art_from_Ark]

188. LOL!

[hifiguy]

81. They thought the masses would never awake

from their narcotized teevee slumber and the bogus 24/7 propaganda/wealth worship.

The real world has its ways of awakening the downtrodden. Especially when TPTB are pushing a candidate who would find it easier to juggle axes on a tightrope than actually tell the truth.

[Oilwellian]

135. You write the funniest visuals

[hifiguy]

157. Truth to tell, that one

Was swiped directly from a Terry Pratchett book I finished last week, at least the axes and tightrope part. Committed it to memory because I knew it would come in handy in election season.

Most Really Funny things have already been said or written. One can look rather well-lettered if one can recall them when a good opportunity presents itself for their use.

[Enthusiast]

180. It's a good one wherever it came from. I heard one similar...............

, "They would rather climb a tree while lying than walk on level ground and tell the truth." I think that one goes clear back to the early history of elections.

[Unknown Beatle]

160. Great line!

"a candidate who would find it easier to juggle axes on a tightrope than actually tell the truth."

I'm stealing it.

[passiveporcupine]

105. We the people seem to have forgotten too

It took Bernie standing alone in the cold for awhile to get our attention. That and Citizen's United, which has been like a slow burn ever since it passed. All revolutions take a kickstarter...a straw that broke the camel's back. Citizezn's United was our straw.

Now we know the momentum really can work and it's bringing more and more people out to join.

the Hillary supporters still think this is about Bernie and some love affair we have with him, but this thread is actually a perfect example that it is not. You see them taking this as a snide jab that Bernie is gaining ground and we are rubbing it it. That wasn't Cali's point at all...but of course the loudest of them piped right up and could not help but show they can't hear us at all.

Cali, this was a really well articulated and profound point. We all need to keep this in mind.

You rock girl!

Edited to add: The moderate and conservative dems should all be behind the point of this thread, but they aren't because it is that very money they should detest in the sytem, that has kept their nominee out front for so long, and owns the news that has suppressed Bernie for so long. So they must have a love/hate relationship with that money.

[TTUBatfan2008]

159. It goes back further than Citizens United...

2008 crash really started it, especially for younger voters. We graduated college and immediately got screwed over by a rigged economy thanks to corrupt politicians and greedy bankers. And then to spit in our face even more, people like Obama/Clinton/McCain/Pelosi/McConnell voted to give the banks a bailout despite the public being against it in huge numbers. None other than Goldman Sachs' former CEO Hank Paulson was advocating for this bailout as our Treasury Secretary under George Dubya. We would have been better off writing checks to each citizen in the workforce.

I was lucky compared to many of my peers. My parents somehow paid for my college with no loans (we were not rich when I was a kid), but I was only in the workforce 6 months when the financial nuclear bomb went off and I lost my job as a result. Landed a more stable, much better job only a few weeks later. This was extreme luck and I am very grateful for it.

But I realize millions of millions of 30 and under kids have not been so fortunate during the Great Recession. Many of them are absolutely drowning in student loan debt. What the hell did the Clintons ever do to address this? What did Obama do to address it? Kids today are not stupid and naive, we have Internet connections at our fingertips and the ability to quickly research politicians' track records.

After looking into the facts, we figured out that the system is not working for the regular people of this country. It wasn't just that George W. Bush screwed us, the Democrats screwed us too. In Obama's case, it was pretty much a betrayal after the youth vote electrified his campaign early on. Your response to anger over the bailouts under Dubya is to hire freaking Tim Geithner and Larry Summers?!!!

We have an oligarchy and the Clintons are part of it. This is not a personal attack, it is an evaluation of their economic policies that have helped the 1% over everyone else. The kids see through the two party bullshit and are furious about how our country operates. They have every right to feel that way.

Having said all of this, there is no guarantee that Sanders will stay uncorrupted. It is possible the corporations have already hijacked his campaign and people don't realize it yet, just like with Obama in 2008. Odds are he won't win anyway because he's the longest of long shots, but even if he wins I don't think people are expecting miracles out of him. I think people want him to fight for us. We'll see how it plays out.

[nolabels]

168. Part of that was comedy, I also hear your outrage

As for corrupting Bernie

The rest though, pretty matter of fact stuff

[Enthusiast]

182. I loved your post until you raised the specter of a corrupted Bernie.

I have already been fooled twice. I can no longer qualify my judgment to say, "I won't be fooled again."

But a corrupt Bernie? That would be a real shock. I don't think Bernie is motivated by riches.

[TTUBatfan2008]

194. I believe...

There are plenty of good people who have been corrupted by the rotten campaign finance system. It is an extremely powerful Oligarchy. I do not rule out the possibility that Bernie could end up a corporate sellout. It has happened to many others in the past including the Clintons and Obama.

[Kurovski]

202. Nice posts.

Thanks for taking the time.

[bvar22]

214. You are mistaken.

The Movement existed before Bernie entered the race, and will continue to grow no matter what happens to Bernie.

[Half-Century Man]

35. Speaking directly to the establishment of the Democratic Party

I would have used much more profanity. However you are doing fine.
On my behalf, please continue............

[cali]

41. Thanks. I actually cut down on the profanity because I

was addressing VSPs.

[Half-Century Man]

48. Online, with the opportunity to reflect and correct.

I can pass myself off as someone with a greater tact than I actually am.

[FailureToCommunicate]

73. ...

[TIME TO PANIC]

36. K & R!

[hifiguy]

42. We can elect him.

We have the technology - social media!

[hifiguy]

63. LOL!

[longship]

177. Well played! Very well played!!!

DUzy!!!!!

[Duppers]

39. You speak for me!

And for my 2 other family members!

[hifiguy]

40. You (and Bernie) speak for me!

Damn skippy, you do!!

[INdemo]

43. K&R

$6,000,000..thats 250,000 an Hr.and it wont stop there there will be more ......

If anyone thinks Bernie Sanders cant win Nevada or SC go to Nevada for Sanders on Facebook or SC
Hillary is really nervous and pissed because Bills negative slurs thrown at Bernie didn't stick and in fact it might have added to Bernie votes in NH..
Bill is still living in the 1990 and doesn't realize how fast news travels on the Social media and Bill and Hillary made a big mistake when they started throwing trash ...and an even bigger mistake when Hillary now pretending to be progressive....

What I noticed a couple days ago was Bill talking about how bad Bernie's healthcare proposal was and just last week Hillary had flip-flopped and said she was for United healthcare..Ok...

[Armstead]

44. They hear....Question is, do they care?

[Jack Rabbit]

46. If your talking to Boss Wasserman Scultz

She can't hear you. She's deaf.

[hifiguy]

76. It's those wadded up $100 bills in her ears.

[basselope]

47. 6.2 on its way to 7!

Wonder how many more 7 million dollar checks Soros will write for Clinton?

[cantbeserious]

49. Spot On

eom

[berni_mccoy]

50. K&R

[Dretownblues]

52. K&R

[Tarc]

55. We hear that NH is Sanders' high-water mark, is all...

All downhill once we turn to the South and Midwest.

[frylock]

61. bookmarked

[Autumn Colors]

71. LOL

Keep telling yourself that because the looks on the Hillary people's faces when they got blindsided last night was a wonderful thing to behold. Hoping for more of the same.

Her firewall is being pierced as more and more people get to know Bernie.

[edgineered]

128. Yup, Clinton and confederate dollars. Makes perfect sense. :sarcasm: nt

[senz]

131. They said the Sanders phenom wouldn't last past Summer, 2015.

[ms liberty]

56. Yes! So well said!

Thanks cali, I could not have said it better myself! K&R

[shraby]

58. You speak for me! Loud and clear!

[AllyCat]

59. You speak for me and my entire family.

Also, the Republican I work with who thinks the GOP candidates for POTUS are nuts. And she says she will never vote for Hillary. She may leave that part of the ballot blank, but says the only candidate speaking for her is Bernie.

[farleftlib]

60. That was so cool

I'm gonna buy you another heart!!

[MineralMan]

64. Sure. How can we help hearing?

Uff da!

[cali]

65. it wasn't addressed to you.

Do you disagree with what I wrote?

[MineralMan]

66. It was posted in open forum.

I'm a DUer. I replied. I am a precinct chair in the MN DFL Party. Who was it that you were addressing, If not people in the party organization?

I heard you. The process will continue.

[cali]

79. That difficult to answer a simple straightforward question, eh?

[MineralMan]

112. I thought you weren't addressing me.

No, I don't agree. But you knew that.

[AuntPatsy]

67. K&R

[NiteOwl1]

89. As it is said...

Lead (for Us)
Follow (Us)
Or... Get the F out of the way.

[bbgrunt]

68. beautiful! big K and R.

[mudstump]

69. Very well said....spot on.

[WillyT]

70. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You For That !!!

[TBF]

72. Every time Bernie sends an email I send him

whatever I can - whether it's $5 or $50. Every time. I have not sent the DNC $$$ for years. I throw their surveys in the trash. They won't listen as evidenced by the crappy centrist candidates they support.

You certainly speak for me, Cali.

[McKim]

123. I Send the DNC Surveys Back

I like to send the DNC surveys back. I use a red pen and write what I would like to see all over their survey and I tell them how I will never give them money that they might spend on warmonger candidates. It is a great stress reliever.

[TBF]

124. That's awesome -

[chervilant]

78. AND,

the so-called "super-delegates" are another layer of corruption that needs to be eliminated.

WHY do people think More-of-the-SAME Hi11ary deserves their votes?!? It's astonishing to me!

[pangaia]

80. $6 MILLION !!! Really. Yikers...

And only $10 was mine......


CAN YOU HEAR US NOW ???


THAT should be a .... something..... like..


FEEL THE BERN

[Avalux]

82. No worries, you speak for me too!

I've been watching cable news just to see what they're saying, NO mention of Bernie's fundraising avalanche. They not only can hear us, they're scared to death.

[scottie55]

83. This OP Was Recced 4 Times While I Was Reading It

Sorry gravy trainers.

The cat is out of the bag.

Trying to put it back in could be the end of us all.

Thanks cali.

And I forgot to give Bernie a little help for his campaign. $$$$

Doing it now.

[pangaia]

84. CALI FOR VP !!!!

[Duval]

86. K&R! nt

[greiner3]

88. I heard Hillary asking for $1 donations.

I see she wants to get in on the 'little guy' donations but my money would say she'll get several tens of thousands wheres Bernie got money from half million ($27/donation at $6mil=222,222).

Just sayin.

[bvar22]

215. WOW. Hillary is trying to morph into Bernie.

Hillary has certainly heard us, and has reacted by trying to become Bernie.
That won't work for her.
We ALL know of Hillary's poor relationship with the truth.

[Cassiopeia]

90. Right on Cali!

If they can't hear us we need to drag in some billboards.

[mgmaggiemg]

92. yes I can hear

the congressional black caucus loud and clear thank-you cali

[cali]

97. Well that makes no sense, Maggie. Please elaborate

[mgmaggiemg]

101. the CBC

has just come out supporting HRC you must be oblivious to all the black women who support HRC I guess they don't count for you because they are women...maybe you will take the CBC seriously maybe not...but they have all commented on why they are supporting her...that she has been supportive for the last forty years, her brave stance on gun violence...and the fact that HRC and Loretta Lynch will be the ultimate Social Justice Dream Team.....

[cali]

126. And what has that to do with the op?

I'm a woman, dear. And a feminist. As for the CBC, I judge individual politicians. Some in the CBC I admire, whether they've endorsed Hillary or not. Some, I don't know much about. Some like Alcee Hastings are corrupt as shit, and I have nothing but disgust for.

Hillary is opportunistic and craven. She's deeply entwined with big money interests.

[Agony]

93. With Ya!

[Odin2005]

94. Debbie must be SOOOOOOO pissed right now!

[hifiguy]

98. I imagine that there are much happier faces than hers

on iodine bottles. I would bet that she and HRH are spitting nails right now, and that $7 million in one day for Bernie will do nothing to improve their mood.

[ucrdem]

96. Question: why hasn't Bernie disassociated himself from Rove SuperPAC AmericanCrossroads,

which vigorously defends him from Chelsea in its anti-Clinton ads, for example this one?

Doesn't this mean that Sanders is receiving support from RW SuperPACs?

[cali]

102. Uh, because he has absolutely nothing to do with it

Jaysus, you folks are really living in bizzarro world.

[ucrdem]

103. He's benefiting from it. Should he simply accept what's offered?

Hillary is taking heat for accepting several thousand in speaking fees from Goldman and she's not trashing anyone.

[jeff47]

119. Tell ya what, right after Clinton stops coordinating with SuperPACs

We'll look into it.

[cali]

204. Accept it? One more time, he has jackshit to do with it

Desperate and silly attack.

[Tom Rinaldo]

99. "but I do feel that a lot of other Bernie supporters think as I do."

I sure as hell do. They may pretend not to, but they DO hear us now!

[dubyadiprecession]

100. Bernie preaches "pie in the sky" solutions, he can't deliver. Nice try though..

We are trying to elect a president, not a dictator that does what they please.

Bernie knows this, but he isn't being honest.

[cali]

104. Sigh. Wish I could say the same for your bitter post

And documented liar that is hilly wrathervane.

Bernie has represented me for decades. He is so much more honest than ethic free hilly.

[jtuck004]

110. Relying on your experience in fast-food and 1 hour guarantees for that wisdom? ROFL.

Some of us are trying to elect a president, yes.

"...isn't being honest" < you would know about not being honest, I will certainly defer to you on that one, too.


Bye, and thank you for that.

[jeff47]

120. Go ahead an explain how exactly Clinton gets an ACA expansion through Congress.

And keep in mind, they just held a vote they knew was doomed to try and override the veto of their last "kill the ACA" bill.

It isn't only Sanders talking about things that can't pass right now. The difference is Sanders isn't pretending they can. Only Clinton is.

[stage left]

138. I think you need a new avatar.

[Mudcat]

142. I'll take pie in the sky over a corporate boot in the face nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

144. You know what your avatar did after he was elected in 1932?

His platform was not much different from the Republicans. After he was elected, he took many of the Socialist Party platform planks from Norman Thomas, and enacted them into law as the New Deal. People were desperate and hungry. FDR averted a fascist revolution with Huey P. Long as dictator.

Source: My father who voted for Norman Thomas in 1932 because there was no difference between the Democratic and Republican platforms.

[davidthegnome]

106. Not nearly as loud...

as we are going to be in the weeks and months - and years to come. They'll hear us, or lose all relevance. This is no longer a game only for the super rich, Sanders is demonstrating that... it may just be, that we Americans will once again show the strength of our spirit. A strength that, in our founding, saw us defeating the greatest military in the world, with half-trained militia and inferior weaponry. We won our independence from Britain long ago... but the time has finally come to win our independence from these oligarchs, these wealthy elite, these so called "upper class" citizens who have been running our Country right into the ground.

You know... "little things" (to them)... where is the infrastructure we once boasted of so proudly? Funding has been poor, there has been little to no ambition to take on the massive project of repairing it... and it was not kept up when it should have been. Public transportation... what happened to the Nation that built such massive railroads? Education... why is it that the system can provide billions of dollars for broken jets - lose billions of dollars in federal money without accounting for it... and provide congressional salaries even when those congressional idiots shut down our government... but, somehow, the system can't pay our teachers a fair wage, can't introduce programs and/or training that are required to face the ongoing autism crisis, or find valid ways to keep our children in education and out of prison?

Why is it, that people working forty, sixty, even eighty hours a week... can't afford to provide a reasonable living for themselves and their families? Why is it that so many of the hardest working people in this Country cry themselves to sleep at night because they can't see how they're going to make it? Education, transportation, healthcare, social safety... it is time for a democrat socialist, past time. I'll eagerly throw my lot in with Bernie and they can call me a "whacky socialist" too, don't give a damn what they call me, as long as we're getting things done.

For years, the middle class has been filling the holes left in our federal funding by the immense tax breaks for the super wealthy. For years, these super wealthy individuals have been influencing our politicians, who continue to support them and abandon those in their Country who most need their representation - the poor and middle class.

It's not all about money, it's about heart and soul. We're pissed off, we're sick of the same old greed and corruption... and we are going to take back our Country from the people who have stolen it. The years to come, I firmly believe, will show a revival of the American spirit of compassion, of the passion for freedom, for civil rights, for an end to the apathy and general fuckery that has dominated our politics for decades.

We're here, we're here in our numbers, we're loud - and we're not going to shut the hell up, not ever. This revolution isn't just about who becomes President, it's not just about Sanders, it's about making ourselves heard - at long last - and someone has finally come along to help us do that, to represent the true spirit in America.

I have not yet begun to shout.

[cali]

107. Wish I could recommend your post

[davidthegnome]

116. Well..

Every now and then, someone writes an OP that gets me all fired up. When I saw your headline... "Can you fucking hear us now?" It kind of let loose a lot of what I had been thinking and feeling. Damn right they can hear us now - and for those who can't... don't worry, we're going to get louder.

We, the great unwashed, are sitting up, scratching our heads... and saying... "Wait, what the..." The real sleeping giant in this Country is starting to wake up, and it's pissed off, and hungry. It's the poor and middle class, the working class individuals, that have been pushed to the side, comfortably ignored and used by the wealthy class. Class... you know, when I was a young boy, I read about caste systems in other Countries, in which one's value, one's worth as a human being, was determined by their wealth, their parentage, their... noble lineage. I remember being shocked at that and thinking "Thank God we don't do that in America!"

The years since have demonstrated to me how naive that thinking was, that, not only was such a thing happening then, but that it's influence, the power of the corporate/money machine, had become so unthinkably vast and corrupt that it called for a whole legion of heroes to fight back. I used to despair that we would ever find people like Martin Luther King, FDR, Gandhi, great political, spiritual - and civil rights leaders and heroes who overcame evil through their strength of spirit, the justice of their cause, the truth of their words.

Now I see, none of their actions would have been possible had they not been supported by more than legions of heroes, but by hundreds of thousands - even millions of them. Regular people, who work and go to school, take care of their kids and buy groceries... day after day, week after week. Those we admire most, those who inspire our hearts, our souls - and our courage... to great thought and great deeds... they are not some super heroes that came from another planet, some alien, or some kind of severe anomaly. They are representative... of the people they come (and came) from, the people with who they worked and lived, with who they laughed, bled, and cried.

In their time, they represented the spirit of the 99%. Now it's our turn. I think Bernie Sanders is a damn good man, but it is the people behind him, their struggle - and their cry for justice, that is really leading this revolution.

It's only beginning. The 99% exists not just here, but all over the world. Humanity... society... eventually evolves in grand and amazing ways - what we are seeing now is but the beginning of such a thing.

We'll never live in a perfect world, but damned if we can't make it a hell of a lot better than the one we're living in now.

Sorry, I guess I did it again. Usually I'm fairly quiet...

[questionseverything]

137. you should speak up more

very well written

[grasswire]

152. you can give him a heart for it

I did.

But I have always followed his posts with a lot of gratitude.

[Agony]

113. Sanders understands that having and promoting the general welfare,

justice of every kind, health care, education, retirement security, an environment safe for humans… is not an economic problem…

it is a political problem. That is where WE come in. Here we come.

Rich country with maldistribution of wealth.

[appalachiablue]

163. +1

[Enthusiast]

185. +1 Rich country with maldistribution of wealth.

[Enthusiast]

184. +1

[Mbrow]

108. K&R

[skygazer]

114. Well, but we're all sexists and ignorant young girls

So we don't count.

Which tactic - and it is very much a tactic and not any sort of legitimate concern - is getting really old. Hillary is backed by the entire Democratic machine, is probably the most supported candidate in the party in recent history, but is crying sexism? Seriously?

To me, that trivializes real, actual sexism - which absolutely does exist - and turns it into sour grapes.

Yeah, I don't like Bernie because he's male. I like him because he's Bernie. And frankly, you can't tell me that "male" trumps "rumpled old Jewish guy with crazy hair and a funny accent who identifies as socialist." Yeah, any mainstream American is going to go for that rather than for a woman!

[Dont call me Shirley]

115. Bernie supporters.....Occupy the Vote!

[Amimnoch]

117. Love it Cali. Throwing in my own K&R.

This movement REALLY needs to start bleeding over into the Senate and house races.

My posts here may be mostly pro-Hillary, but all of my focus and the little $$ I can toss into it is focused on getting that republican jackass John Culberson out of office and James Cargas, the only Democrat running in my US congressional district into that spot. Sadly, it's not looking good.. but I'm trying like hell. Neither of my 2 miserable Senators are up this year either.

I'm really hoping this wave is sustainable and develops into it's own Tea party type of movement (but for smart people). I'd LOVE to see this turn into big Democratic challenges to Republican seats, and progressive Democratic challenges to Blue dogs (much like the freaks in the Tea Party waged challenges and pushed moderate Repubs out for their agenda, but for PROGRESSIVE issues).

[jimlup]

118. No they won't hear at all

they are deaf to us...

[DrBulldog]

121. Now $7,000,000 !!!

[cali]

122. Wow. Incredible

[closeupready]

140. In 24 hours. LOL

Un. Fucking. Real.

[NurseJackie]

125. No.

[cali]

130. Well of course you pretend not to.

[bvar22]

211. Bless your heart.

Have you checked into hearing aids?
I understand some are quit good these days.

[MrMickeysMom]

127. You are RIGHT AS RAIN, cali...

I think the new goal before the end of this night is $7M...

I believe in anything at this point.

[Paka]

129. K&R

You speak just fine for me. No delete necessary.

[azmom]

132. Kickety kick

[senz]

133. Don't know about the DNC, but the media's beginning to wake up.

Of course, we can't expect them to be fair.

[liberalhistorian]

134. Well-put, thank you!

It is time that they recognize that WE are the no-longer-silent majority and this will not be business as usual. You could almost see the pundit heads spinning last night, it'd have been funny if it weren't so annoying and dangerous, given how they've either been ignoring Bernie or outright lying about and distorting his message and him.

As you ask, CAN YOU FUCKING HEAR US NOW???

[truedelphi]

136. I'd like to rec this a couple mroe times, but I have donation to make!

Let's all get together and make it ten million!

[onyourleft]

139. You are not...

...incorrect. Please don't self delete. Thanks for posting.

[emsimon33]

143. K&R

[GoneFishin]

145. Yep. There's still time for them to come over from the dark side and be part of the solution.

[warrprayer]

148. Kick

To the stars!

[azurnoir]

149. They hear us they'll even seem to care for now the question is will they continue

once the race is over

[Logical]

153. Kick

[Feeling the Bern]

156. Probably not: One wealthy donor has a much louder vote than

1,000,000 little people voters.

[Zorra]

158. K&R. Thank you, my dear cali, but I'm sure they don't care. nt

[SleeplessinSoCal]

164. YOU ARE SO BUSY SHOUTING

That I don't t honk you hear voices of caution and history

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[cali]

173. What do you disagree with in the body of my op?

What leads you to your conclusion that I'm ignoring history and caution?

[MasonDreams]

166. HISTORIC, I AM SO GLAD I HAVE SURVIVED

TO SEE A REAL SHIFT. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!!

[Babel_17]

167. The people are on the move (our leaders better catch up)

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=74197

Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy, Rockford, IL, Coronado Theater Rally
October 24, 1960

... The point of the matter is that these are new times, requiring new people and new solutions. And I believe that in these kinds of times, when this country must move, when it must be inspired by energy, when it must drive ahead if we are going to survive, if we are going to defend freedom - we cannot sit by and let the world move around us, we have to move with it, we have to lead it. We don't want to be like the leader in the French Revolution who said, "There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them." [Laughter.] We want to lead them ourselves. [Applause.] We want to direct them along the road to freedom, self-government, independence, their own masters, and I think that is what they want.

But if we give the impression that we are taking a long siesta while all around us energy bubbles, that the United States high noon was in the past, that our best days were behind us, and that we are a society reaching middle age - I don't believe it. This is a young and vital country. Its best days are ahead. And I come to this county and I come to Rockford in Illinois, and ask your support in making America move again. [Applause.]

[Lunabell]

169. They can hear...

They just don't care. They have their own personal agenda and it does not involve bringing back our middle class. It doesn't involve peace, justice or human rights. It doesn't involve universal healthcare or education. It involves keeping us in the status quo so the big bosses get theirs. To hell with the rest of us peasants!

[Enthusiast]

174. K&R! This post has hundreds of recommendations!

You can believe that the establishment insider entrenched interests (assholes) are cursing the internet.

Through the internet we can see through the obfuscation if we want to, if we try to see things objectively. This is a real problem for the obfuscators. These fuckers have been lying with impunity for decades.

[LiberalElite]

175. K&R and

You speak for me, Cali - and it's over $7 mil in 24 hours now eom

[cali]

181. Thank you. Amazing.

[rtb61]

179. Don't Stop Speaking

You are only wrong about them hearing us if you ever stop. It is not about them hearing us just today, it is about them hearing us tomorrow and next week and next year and a decade from now.
It is about us shouting at them again and again and again, about us demanding to be heard from now on and until the end of time. It is all about us never allowing ourselves to be ever silenced again.
Politics is not a chore, it is a fun hobby, having a bad day, well, check out political decision making, find something you don't like and tell them off, your a citizen that is your right. Set aside one night a week for your political social group, where you get together with you political friends and discuss the issues, decide what are the problems and discuss how you will share that with others and force the politicians to listen.
Talk to each other and then as a group shout at ill behaved politicians until they listen, the more, the merrier and make no mistake it will be a lot more fun for you (getting your gripes of your chest), then for them (their job under extreme threat).

[tazkcmo]

183. Fired up!

Love the energy! They can hear us and they don't like it one bit. They have only begun to fight back which is in itself another sign of the corruption. They're slow learners so we'll have to keep teaching lesson.

[Iggy Knorr]

186. K&R

+27

[bread_and_roses]

190. “the preferences of the average American appear to have...near-zero...impact upon public policy.”

http://www.salon.com/2015/03/10/robert_reich_most_americans_have_no_influence_at_all_partner/

I'm sure this article has been posted here, probably is upthread here too - but I don't have the time today to read all the responses.

In fact, most Americans have no influence at all. That’s the conclusion of Professors Martin Gilens of Princeton and Benjamin Page of Northwestern University, who analyzed 1,799 policy issues — and found that “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

Instead, American lawmakers respond to the demands of wealthy individuals (typically corporate executives and Wall Street moguls) and of big corporations – those with the most lobbying prowess and deepest pockets to bankroll campaigns.

HRC and the rest of the establishment can claim all they want that all those $$ have no influence on them. It's demonstrably untrue. And the people know it because they live it - they live their lives and know that they are sick and stressed and struggling while the beltway crows about our "recovery" and the stock market.

THAT's what's fueling Bernie. The truth out here on the ground.

[cali]

193. Great post

[lark]

196. I'm happy to be included in the "we" of your post.

Hear us roar!

[cali]

198. Thanks!

[Eatacig]

197. We hear you

Yes Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers, we hear you loud and clear. So easy to fool these young people isn't it.

[disillusioned73]

200. I'm loving..

That this thread just keep getting recs..

[MadDAsHell]

206. Who did you send this to? This is awesome. nt

[JudyM]

207. This is so "The Matrix." Nt

[myrna minx]

208. K&R - shout it from the rafters!

[yurbud]

209. yep

[geardaddy]

212. K & R!

You speak for me!

[stonecutter357]

216. not at all.

[cali]

217. Oh I think they hear us just fine

And if they think they can win without us, they're even more arrogant and out of touch than they seem.

[stonecutter357]

218. South Carolina Can't fucking hear you now.

[stonecutter357]

219. .

noop!

[stonecutter357]

220. Can you fucking hear us now?

[cali]

221. and you still don't get it. no surprise.