A Time to Occupy & Consolidate - Not Exit

Bernie Sanders has just accomplished three key things:

• He's shifted the agenda of the Democratic Party back toward its Progressive roots.
• He's shifted the discussion - it seems like everyone at the Convention was talking Progressive.  He's made it safe for Democratic candidates to be Progressive.
• He positioned himself, and us, to positions of extreme power in the Democratic Party - by assembling a huge collection of voters & dollars that are aligned behind Progressive candidates and issues - essentially the way the Tea Party became a “party within a party” that reshaped the Republicans.  

The real question is whether enough of the “Political Revolution” will remain aligned behind Bernie, and his new organizations - so that we can elect Progressives up and down the ticket, get Progressives appointed to leadership positions in a Democrat-controlled Congress, and then make sure that those legislators pursue OUR agenda when it comes to writing & passing laws and budgets.

It was rather fun to watch as speaker after speaker paid tribute to Bernie, and to US, and to watch Bernie look down on the Convention floor from his new position as a newly minted éminence grise within the Democratic power structure.  Now he needs to consolidate that power - to win appointment to a key chairmanship, and to gain votes for legislation he authors.

Now we have to do our parts:  Supporting Progressive candidates with our time and dollars (and making sure that our support is visible - by giving dollars directly or through Progressive channels), running for positions within the Party establishment, running for office, and keeping every Democrats feet to the fire when it comes to their votes in Congress.  We need to do to the Democratic Party, what the Tea Party did to the Republicans.​ 

Now is the time to #occupy the Democratic Party & consolidate our new power - not to #demexit and let things slip back to the old establishment.