10 signatures reached
To: Bernie 2020
Show Me the “Us”
I want to encourage Bernie Sanders to present to the American people, in short order and as a centerpiece of his campaign, a broad coalition of progressive leaders who would assume top leadership roles inside a Sanders Administration. As a part of this, I would like Sanders to quickly announce his choices (or at least top candidates) for Vice President and other key positions in his administration. In particular, I want Sanders to nominate women of color with proven progressive track records for Vice President and other key positions. Further, I want Bernie to demonstrate his commitment to diversity and progressive values by integrating this coalition of progressive leaders directly into the heart his campaign. I want Sanders to introduce these leaders to America right away to demonstrate the “Us” part of this campaign. He should feature this coalition prominently in his campaign rallies and outreach efforts and uplift these voices equally with his own. I want to see a progressive coalition of visionary leaders, not just Bernie Sanders (though I am a big Bernie fan). Please, show me the "Us"!
Why is this important?
If this campaign is really about “Us”, I'd like to see the Bernie campaign bring more leadership in this regard. I don’t want this campaign to be about one 78-year-old white man (as awesome as he is). I want this campaign to be about the strong, diverse, deeply passionate, visionary LEADERS (emphasis on the plural) we need to get us out of this giant mess and into a bright future. Show us that future. Show us the strength of our diversity. Show us what a Sanders Administration would look like, sound like and act like. Introduce America to these people and help us get to know them. Help us build trust in that broad coalition and not just in one man. Help these leaders become household names as well. Help us clearly see the diverse coalition of leaders who could represent our hopes and our future. Don’t wait for the nomination to figure this out. Be different. Show me the “Us”!
Show me women and people of color in the top leadership of your administration. Show me worker's rights leaders, indigenous leaders, LGBTQ leaders, immigrant-rights leaders. Show me youthful next generation leaders, please. Show me small business leaders for local living economies and strong communities. Show me advocates for farming, local livelihoods and functional ecosystems. Show me advocates for uplift of the poor. Show me environmental and climate justice leaders. You get the idea. Build me this coalition. Show me the "Us"!
There are so many reasons why this would be a smart strategy:
1. This would be a powerful demonstration of this campaign’s most prominent value. It’s right there on the home page.
2. If the campaign is able to demonstrate its ability to a gather a diverse coalition of progressive leaders (in which women and people of color are strongly represented), don't you think that might help the campaign appeal to those communities? Just a thought!
3. This is not a traditional political strategy and that is GOOD. This is a way to diversify the power of an American presidential campaign. This is also a powerful opportunity for the Sanders campaign to differentiate itself and show the American people that it is no ordinary political campaign.
4. A broadly-based coalition of leaders is more difficult to destabilize. 2020 is not an ordinary campaign year and Trump and the Republicans have demonstrated a zeal for foul play. To win, the Sanders campaign will need to be prepared for dirty tricks of all sorts.
5. Bernie is 78 years old. The wise and responsible course of action for such an elder leader is to use his name recognition to build a coalition of next-generation visionary leaders and introduce these leaders to the American people, pronto. America’s (and perhaps the world's) future should not depend solely on the heart health of one 78-year-old man. Let’s build a strong, resilient coalition of progressive leaders for a livable future.
6. By featuring a diverse coalition of leaders at the heart of his campaign, Bernie would be directly manifesting the democratic revolution that he claims to represent. Show me that revolution. Show me the “Us”!