Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
A post from Daily Kos
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/9/1447657/-Bernie-Sanders-A-View-From-TexasYou know the story. Polls are giving Hillary Clinton a huge advantage over Bernie Sanders. On Daily Kos, Hillary Clinton is catching up to Bernie in Kos’ straw polls. The vast majority of endorsements are going to Hillary Clinton. The media… well, to be frank the media minimizes, subtly mocks and downplays Bernie Sanders seriousness as a candidate. The general consensus seems to be that Bernie Sanders has hit his ceiling.
I’m not worried and I would like to share why.
I have never seen a campaign like Bernie Sanders ever before.
My first Bernie Sanders campaign event was when he came to Dallas in July. I contacted the BernieSanders.com website several times offering to volunteer and heard nothing but was still planning to attend. Two days before the event I got a call from Laura N., a campaign staffer – they were swamped with volunteers she said, would I be interested in being a team leader at the event? Sure, no problem. So myself and about 12 new friends became team leaders. We were trained the night before the event.
The morning of the event we met the other 80 or so volunteers. Training them was fast because the crowds were coming. I helped run the clipboard team and was really, really impressed with the 20 or so people who worked to get information from attendees.
Turnout was – well, nuts. The main room held 5,000 so we know that many showed up. But the spillover room would hold another 5,000 and was what, 1/3 to ½ full? So 6,000 to 7,000 showed up?
The Bernie campaign had 1, count ‘em, 1 paid staffer at the event. And a consultant. That’s it. Two people on payroll for the whole event. EVERY OTHER PERSON RUNNING THE EVENT WAS A VOLUNTEER.
Fast forward to August – Bernie has made the decision not to pay the fee to get on the Democratic Primary Ballot in Texas. He’s going to get on the ballot by getting the signatures of interested voters. If he succeeds, he will be the first Presidential candidate to do so since 1984 when Jesse Jackson did so.
But why? Why do it the hard way? Much to everyone’s surprise, money has not been an issue for the Sanders campaign at all.
It is a strategic decision. My experience gathering petitions is that for every signature I got, I talked to three other people who did not know who Bernie Sanders was. We’re targeting events which would generally have a receptive audience: Pride parades, Democratic club meetings, farmers markets, etc.
We’re evangelizing. We are spreading the word in the most effective way possible: human to human.
More at the link.
19 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Here is my first reaction as I kept reading,
Now there is some motivation for us!
And despite what the MSM, DWS and her Entrenched Establishment Croonies, and the Bots say...
Bernie has huge support.
Which you describe beautifully. Thanks for this post. 
But...I have not met a tRump supporter yet. I do feel for you in that I am betting that you may be able to find quite a few of them where you are. I like what you are doing! 
