Tony Norman: Bernie Sanders for president: Yes, he could

[n2doc]

By Tony Norman / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has more than a few fans in Pittsburgh, judging by the turnout for his first televised meet-up since his poll numbers began shifting in a positive direction nationally. The muggy Wednesday evening air did its best to discourage a line from forming outside the Spirit Lounge on 51st Street in Lawrenceville, but 350 supporters squeezed into the former Moose Lodge that had once been the home to many a studio ’rasslin’ night.

After ponying up the suggested $5 donation at the door, the cross-generational crowd of Democrats and fellow travelers jockeyed for the best vantage point in front of a projection screen on the east end of the hall. Mr. Sanders would televise his remarks to 3,100 similar gatherings across the country from an apartment in Washington, D.C., shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern time.

According to organizers, Mr. Sanders would be addressing as many as 100,000 supporters nationwide — a number that should concern the complacent Democratic establishment, even though the insurgent candidate trails former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton by as much as 40 points in some polls.

Still, Bernie Sanders has roughly the same level of name recognition that Sen. Barack Obama had at this point in his underdog campaign against Mrs. Clinton. Unlike Mr. Obama, who was still trying to justify his candidacy to skeptical black leaders already committed to Mrs. Clinton in the summer of 2007, Mr. Sanders is drawing more energetic and enthusiastic crowds than Mrs. Clinton — a sign that the party’s progressive and liberal base is hungry for something it isn’t getting from its presumptive front-runner.

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http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/tony-norman/2015/07/31/Tony-Norman-Bernie-Sanders-for-president-Yes-he-could/stories/201507310202

[SamKnause]

1. Is there any way to get a count

on how many people who did not attend any venues but watched

from their homes ???

I would think it would be a very large number and important

information to have on hand.

[daleanime]

3. Here's one....

[SamKnause]

4. Thanks, but that really doesn't help.

Aren't you curious ???

I watched from home and I am sure hundreds of

thousands did as well.

I just wish we had this information.

Have a great weekend.

P.S. Usually when I watch a live steam it gives a count as to

how many people are viewing. There was no count on the stream I

watched Wednesday night. Also, there was more then 1 site that

was live streaming the event.

[daleanime]

5. Thought it was a little nicer then just +1....

because I can name at least 3 off hand that I know personally and 4 or 5 other DUers. So if that's not included in the count, are we talking about thousands of people missed? Or tens of thousands?

Yeah, I'm curious.

[SamKnause]

6. I think the count only includes those

that attended the venues.

If I am wrong will you please let me know.

Thanks.

[Divernan]

2. Norman is black & very respected/esteemed member of Pittsburgh's black community.

Norman quoted Sanders verbatim and with approval throughout the article, getting the word out to Post-Gazette readers, including Pittsburgh's large and politically active black community.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of higher rates of incarceration,” he said referencing minority youth, “we could provide them with education and jobs.” In a tip-of-the-hat to the #BlackLivesMatter movement that heckled him a week earlier, Mr. Sanders pledged to fight against institutional racism.

“It’s more intense compared to even half a month ago,” said Josh Sickels, one of the Pittsburgh for Bernie meet-up organizers and the administrator of the campaign’s local Facebook page. Mr. Sickels said the Spirit Lounge meet-up tripled the size of the first meet-up at Schenley Plaza. “My friend Alex Austin, who helps me organize, held an event at Pitt and over 100 showed up there. I think there were 20 separate events in Allegheny County alone.”

Mr. Sickels said the campaign’s local Facebook page is flooded with people asking how they can help. “We are seeing a lot of people who are for the first time in their lives getting involved in the political process because of Bernie Sanders,” he said.

The Democrats are a long way from deciding who their standard bearer will be in 2016, but if enthusiasm for Mr. Sanders continues to build in places like Pittsburgh, the race for the White House could look far different than anyone ever imagined a year ago.

This pro-Bernie column by Tony Norman is a terrific boost for Bernie with POC in Pittsburgh, a long-time Democratic stronghold in Pennsylvania, and one in which Democratic voters OVERWHELMINGLY endorsed non-Dem.Machine candidates in this year's Democratic primary, despite the Dem. machine outspending the more progressive Dem. candidates 10 to 1.

The times they are a-changing. But ssssshhhh! Don't tell the HRC fan group. The longer they continue in their blissful ignorance, the better for Bernie!

JUST EXCELLENT DEVELOPMENT FOR BERNIE.

[n2doc]

7. Thank you for that very insightful post!

Appreciated!

[Admiral Loinpresser]

8. +1 n/t

[Enthusiast]

9. +100%!

[sabrina 1]

10. I think anyone who learns about Bernie, listens to him on the issues, then checks his

record and notices something strange, he is an actual Politician who has been CONSISTENTLY right on all of the important issues throughout his life even BEFORE he got into politics.

The attempts to divide people over race, gender etc happen in every election. Then the great 'concerns' over issues that are decades old and still unresolved but suddenly get noticed, will return to their previous status of being ignored by the 'concerned' as soon as the election is over.

I think this political ploy has worn itself out with most people.

People like Norman no doubt are aware of it.

Because no intelligent person could think that EITHER party has done a thing about the murders of AAs by cops, or the racism that pervades our Judicial System considering how much WORSE this problem is NOW than even a couple of decades ago when we were horrified by the Rodney King beating by cops.

People thought that the verdict in that case was about as bad as it could get. But it was far from it if they had been paying attention. That case just got attention because of the video.

But at least the Fed Govt stepped in back then to prosecute the perps. Still nothing close to what was needed

What has the Federal Govt done about all the hundreds of murders of AAs by cops SINCE THEN?

There is TALK from Dem Candidates in every election. But words don't solve issues as serious as this.

So my reaction campaign rhetoric is, 'okay, heard this before, probably in the last election, now show me what happened to try to resolve this issue SINCE THEN'.

Action, voting for legislation that will effect the changes needed to begin the process of ridding this country of its shameful racist law enforcement system.

What would that be? Ending the Drug War to begin with.

Rescinding legislation that removed the Social Safety nets for the most vulnerable citizens, minorities, children, the elderly and disabled.

Ending the Private Prison 'business' and grotesque and discriminatory laws such as Three Strikes, which thankfully has finally ended just recently.

Ending mandatory sentencing laws, in fact ridding the country of all the 'tough on crime' laws and instituting a fair and just criminal justice system rather than the current cruel and brutal discriminatory system put in place by racists and politicians trying to hold on to their cushy jobs.

So much more, but I know for a fact that people of all ethnic backgrounds who ever gave a damn about any of this, are NOT going to be fooled by campaign smear campaigns or the usual claims that THIS TIME they will DO something if they can just get your votes'.

The article indicates that Norman isn't fooled and he is not by any means alone.

[MrMickeysMom]

11. I attended the venue at Spirit Lounge in Lawrenceville…

I believe 450 attended that (whew… very warm, muggy, too)…

I now am reinforced with the belief that young and old (20's and then the boomers and pre-boomers) are the majority of who have taken action after taking notice.

I'm not too sure about generation X, who, in my opinion, are pretty self-occupied with the non-reality that I WAS in the 1980's.

The young, the LGBT community, where there was a small subset of people of color, they were very well represented.

I had an interesting conversation with socialist party organizers there.

[LongTomH]

12. 408 in Kansas City, MO

That's the official count from door sign-ins.