It's become quite obvious to me that the Bernie Sanders movement - and yes, it clearly is - has become the inheritor of the 1960's Flower Children and the early 2000's Occupy movement converged.
The elements of civil rights, environmentalism, anti-establishment, and anti-war are all present. So is the notion of loving respect for fellow Berners. I've even seen very hippie-fied Bernie hair pics done up in tye-dye and green-Earth themes. It wouldn't shock me to see a fleet of Beetle busses driving around with Bernie hair on the paint job. All that's missing are the drugs, sex, and rock...well, actually there is a lot of music.
Yet that's the crucial difference here. This is a movement that has no time for a drug-induced dreamland, and sex will take care of itself after the world is saved. This movement has the loving heart of the Hippie movement combined with the grown-up pragmatism and technical prowess of Millennials and Boomers who created the technology that has all but rendered old-guard print and television media obsolete.
There are thousands of coders working online to help spread the word, and many tens of thousands of tireless social media users sharing Bernie news, with a feeling of hope for the future that is far deeper and more credible than centrist Barak Obama's vague and tepid "hope and change" ever were.
On top of the that, African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian segments of the US population are starting to catch fire and #FeelTheBern as well. By the time the actual primaries roll around, the corporate media should be in for quite a shock.
People in the majority in this country are not stupid, nor are they gullible. They simply haven't seen a good reason to believe that anyone on prior ballots for gives a rat's ass about them. The closest thing was the Obama elections of 2008. Obama's 2008 election drew young folk in to vote in numbers never before seen. However, older voters who were more jaded still hadn't seen a reason to engage. Obama's 2005 vote in favor of the bankruptcy bill as a Senator, among other actions by the soon-to-be POTUS, were clear signals of a moderate, corporatist Democratic candidate who didn't herald an era of Progressive change that would swing the world in a positive direction. Therefore the older population of eligible but unlikely voters stayed home.
I do not discredit the accomplishments of the Obama administration. Barak Obama did stop the global economy from going off a cliff. He did achieve some step forward on healthcare. He has taken steps on climate change and infrastructure investment. He gave us a modified version of the status-quo prior to the debacle brought on by the Bush-Chaney war machine. Wage stagnation wasn't addressed, but we still have an automotive industry. Health insurance coverage has improved, but the insurance companies are still for-profit, and the US still spends double the amount on healthcare that other "First-World" nations do, without achieving full-coverage of all US Citizens. The Republicans in Congress have stifled any deeper change in the structure of US society in economic and technical senses. Defense contractors, fossil fuel companies, insurance providers, big pharma, and not-least banksters are still doing phenomenally well. Joe and Jane Average are not.
Still, Bernie Sanders's clearly-Progressive agenda would go much farther and deeper towards bedrock changes in US civil society, the US economy, and US infrastructure. Voters are far more aware now of the need for a Congress that will work with such a President. It is known to many of his followers that Bernie Sanders would be a committed front man for the cause, and who would show Congress no mercy in speeches or statements. The greater majority of citizens of all races agree with the policy positions Bernie is putting forth. Most importantly, Bernie Sanders has a clear and consistent track record on every issue going back for decades. Voters no longer believe "they're all liars and cheats." Bernie Sanders clearly is not.
So when the voting lines are long for the Primary elections, don't be surprised by that. Certainly do not be surprised if you see flowers settled in hair both young and gray, and possibly a flowery microbus with Bernie hair and glasses on it's face or sides. Put some flowers in your own hair, and post, vote, and #FeelTheBern in good conscience. Take a spin around www.BernieSanders.com and be happy to share the love of $10, $20, or even $30 like many tens of thousands of other Berners. Swell the crowds at local Bernie rallies. The vibe is great, and the future smells better, with more than a hint of reality.
Revel in the marvel of Peace, Love, and Bernie.
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