AFTER Tuesday, 14 JUN 16 the Democratic primaries will be over and the campaigns will be focused on the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. Both Bernie's and Hillary's supporters can have a say in the drafting on the party's presidential campaign platform. We must do all we can to make sure as much of Bernie's campaign platform is included in the party's national platform. Though the day of the public meeting is past the PCCC will make sure the views of all who sign the petition are passed on to the DNC platform committee. I would encourage all who sign the petition to add this comment in the 'Other' field of issues, "Remove debbie wasserman-schultz as the DNC chairperson and from the DNC. She is a DINO not a Democrat." And you can tweet one or all of those on the Democratic Platform Committee with what you want to be included as well as your desire to see debbie wasserman-schultz removed as DNC chairperson and from the DNC, the twitter addresses are below. From +BoldProgressives and +MSNBC .....
You may have seen us quoted in the New York Times today saying the right way to get Democratic unity is not to "guilt trip" Sanders supporters but rather to "incorporate their ideas, including expanding Social Security benefits and breaking up big banks, into the party platform."
(You can Tweet directly at Platform Committee members after signing the petition.)
In an op-ed published at MSNBC, we elaborated more on the right way -- and wrong way -- to foster "unity":
There will be many calls for "unity," but unity can have two vastly different meanings at this moment.One is a process argument and almost a guilt trip toward Sanders voters -- functionally telling them to get in line because the only thing that matters is defeating Donald Trump. This message would not have the intended effect, especially with independents and new voters who have less allegiance to the process of party unity than habitual Democrats do.The more strategic approach to Democratic unity would be for Clinton to signal very soon that she will unify millions of Clinton and Sanders supporters around big, bold, progressive ideas that both candidates campaigned on -- such as expanding Social Security benefits instead of cutting them, debt-free college, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, and jailing Wall Street bankers who break the law.
The 15 people meeting to start drafting the Democratic Platform today have an important role to play in uniting the party around a popular progressive agenda -- sign our petition and urge the Platform Committee to unify the Party around a platform that reflects the big progressive ideas that have risen to the forefront in recent years, like expanding Social Security.
The good news is: This does not have to be hard.
While there were real differences between Sanders and Clinton, this primary was not a battle over the direction of the Democratic Party. Both candidates marched in the same direction toward a robust role for government in forging economic, racial, social, and environmental justice. The contest was about how big to go on various ideas and how best to achieve big progressive ideas.
In addition to the Platform Committee etching in stone both candidates' commitment to expanding Social Security, debt-free college, and strong Wall Street reform, it should not be hard to add other ideas endorsed by Clinton and Sanders that were lacking in the 2012 platform: overturning Citizens United, public financing of congressional elections, banning for-profit prisons and detention centers, restoring voting rights, ending mass deportations, combating police brutality, greater protections for access to women's health care, opposing the TPP, slowing the revolving door between Wall Street and government, and making major infrastructure investment.
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
-- Adam Green, PCCC co-founder
After you sign the petition, be sure to tweet to one or all of the 15 members of the platform drafting committee.
Want to support the Warren wing? Senator Elizabeth Warren says, "When PCCC members donate millions in small-dollar donations and make millions of phone calls for progressive candidates, leaders in Washington, they take notice." Chip in $3 here.
Opinion: Why the Democratic Party should unite behind progressive ideas
Tuesday was Hillary Clinton’s night.
Her victory speech was not about progressive red meat or even a call for Democratic unity. It was savoring a moment that she worked hard for and that is now part of American history.
Bernie Sanders is now thinking about what comes next for his candidacy, his ideas, and the movement he built this past year.
As the Democratic Party looks ahead to November, it stands at a crossroads. There will be many calls for “unity,” but unity can have two vastly different meanings at this moment.
One is a process argument and almost a guilt trip toward Sanders voters — functionally telling them to get in line because the only thing that matters is defeating Donald Trump. This message would not have the intended effect, especially with independents and new voters who have less allegiance to the process of party unity than habitual Democrats do.
The more strategic approach to Democratic unity would be for Clinton to signal very soon that she will unify millions of Clinton and Sanders supporters around big, bold, progressive ideas that both candidates campaigned on – such as expanding Social Security benefits instead of cutting them, debt-free college, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, and jailing Wall Street bankers who break the law.
On Tuesday, Sanders signaled why that approach would be more effective when he told supporters, “We understand that our mission is more than just defeating Trump. It is transforming our country.”
The 15 people who begin meeting to draft the Democratic Platform today will have an important role to play in uniting the party around a popular progressive agenda – and the signals sent by Clinton during this process will be pivotal.
The good news is: This does not have to be hard.
This primary was not a battle over the direction of the Democratic Party. Both candidates marched in the same direction toward a robust role for government in forging economic, racial, social, and environmental justice. The contest was about how big to go on various ideas and how best to achieve big progressive ideas.
In addition to the Platform Committee etching in stone both candidates’ commitment to expanding Social Security, debt-free college, and strong Wall Street reform, it should not be hard to add other ideas endorsed by Clinton and Sanders that were lacking in the 2012 platform: overturning Citizens United, public financing of congressional elections, banning for-profit prisons and detention centers, restoring voting rights, ending mass deportations, combating police brutality, greater protections for access to women’s health care, opposing the TPP, slowing the revolving door between Wall Street and government, and making major infrastructure investment.
Where there were differences, they landed miles away from where the national debate was just a couple years ago.
In 2013, a $10 minimum wage was seen as pie in the sky. Now, Sanders is proposing a $15 federal minimum wage, Clinton endorsed a $15 minimum wage in some areas of the country, and she promised to sign a $15 federal minimum wage into law if it came to her desk.
After Obamacare, the book was closed on health care reform. Now, Clinton is calling for Americans to have the option of buying insurance through Medicare (one version of Medicare for all) and Sanders is calling for single-payer health care (another version of Medicare for all).
In 2008, Clinton’s student debt plan was $8 billion per year. Now, she proposes $350 billion over a decade while Sanders proposes $700 billion over a decade. The rhetorical debate between “debt-free” and “free tuition” is a stark contrast to the debate just two years ago about tinkering with college loan interest rates.
The Platform Committee should be able to figure out how to legitimize Sanders’ ideas and stay true to Clinton’s positions.
Ultimately, unifying around big, bold, progressive ideas is about winning in November.
Polling conducted for the Progressive Change Institute show those are the ideas popular with voters across the political spectrum. That’s why Trump is trying to woo blue-collar Reagan Democrats with populist themes on issues like Social Security and trade. Democrats cannot afford to be outflanked on our own issues.
When the story of the 2016 election is told, one of Sanders’ main contributions will be helping the Democratic Party turn up the volume around big economic populist ideas in a way that empowers Democrats to defeat Trump. But that opportunity could be squandered if Democrats take the wrong approach at this moment.
The sooner Clinton and Platform Committee members publicly signal they will seek unity around bold progressive ideas, the sooner Sanders and his supporters will know they have achieved the mission of helping to transform the future of America — and the more likely Democrats will win big in November.
Adam Green is co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a million-member grassroots advocacy organization that did not endorse in the Democratic primary.
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