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'We Can Beat This Guy': Sanders Urges Mass Mobilization Against Trump
"It's not a question of us working with Trump. It's a question of Trump working with us."
Nov 22, 2016
As he tours the U.S. in the wake of Donald Trump's devastating electoral victory this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is using his growing influence within the Democratic Party and among the voting population at-large to outline how the country can prevent slipping backward and in fact can move forward--even with Republicans soon in control of both the White House and Congress.
"We can beat this guy. We can beat this agenda," the one-time Democratic presidential contender told a sold-out crowd at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on Sunday. "But we have to do it in a way that we have never done it before, and it's essentially reaching out to people who do not or may not agree with us on every single issue. We have got to bring people together because we are fighting for the future of this country."
He similarly urged a crowd in South Portland, Maine on Monday: "No, you're not going to give up. You're going to fight back and mobilize."
As for what that mobilization might look like, Sanders offered some clues in an interview with PBS Newshour that aired Monday night. The senator from Vemont said the future the Democratic Party and a progressive agenda must be focused on challenging the interests of the elites while advocating on behalf of everyday Americans and the working-class.
"The bottom line," Sanders said, "is you cannot be a party which takes money from Wall Street, which is not strong on the pharmaceutical industry, which is ripping us off every day, which is not strong on health care in taking on the insurance companies, which has not shown a desire to stand up and fight the economic establishment, and then tell working families that you are on their side. People see through that."
In a separate interview with GQ magazine published Tuesday, Sanders elaborated on how doubling down on such concerns will also help hold Trump accountable:
But what we are working on right now is to transform the Democratic Party. I will introduce legislation that will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Mr. Trump talks about his concern about working families. I look forward to him supporting it. I am going to introduce legislation--I or somebody else, it's not just me--demanding pay equity for women workers. I hope Mr. Trump supports that. We're going to have very definitive legislation on infrastructure. I hope Trump supports that. Trade policy, Trump based his whole campaign on trade.
"It's not a question of us working with Trump," Sanders said. "It's a question of Trump working with us."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As he tours the U.S. in the wake of Donald Trump's devastating electoral victory this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is using his growing influence within the Democratic Party and among the voting population at-large to outline how the country can prevent slipping backward and in fact can move forward--even with Republicans soon in control of both the White House and Congress.
"We can beat this guy. We can beat this agenda," the one-time Democratic presidential contender told a sold-out crowd at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on Sunday. "But we have to do it in a way that we have never done it before, and it's essentially reaching out to people who do not or may not agree with us on every single issue. We have got to bring people together because we are fighting for the future of this country."
He similarly urged a crowd in South Portland, Maine on Monday: "No, you're not going to give up. You're going to fight back and mobilize."
As for what that mobilization might look like, Sanders offered some clues in an interview with PBS Newshour that aired Monday night. The senator from Vemont said the future the Democratic Party and a progressive agenda must be focused on challenging the interests of the elites while advocating on behalf of everyday Americans and the working-class.
"The bottom line," Sanders said, "is you cannot be a party which takes money from Wall Street, which is not strong on the pharmaceutical industry, which is ripping us off every day, which is not strong on health care in taking on the insurance companies, which has not shown a desire to stand up and fight the economic establishment, and then tell working families that you are on their side. People see through that."
In a separate interview with GQ magazine published Tuesday, Sanders elaborated on how doubling down on such concerns will also help hold Trump accountable:
But what we are working on right now is to transform the Democratic Party. I will introduce legislation that will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Mr. Trump talks about his concern about working families. I look forward to him supporting it. I am going to introduce legislation--I or somebody else, it's not just me--demanding pay equity for women workers. I hope Mr. Trump supports that. We're going to have very definitive legislation on infrastructure. I hope Trump supports that. Trade policy, Trump based his whole campaign on trade.
"It's not a question of us working with Trump," Sanders said. "It's a question of Trump working with us."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As he tours the U.S. in the wake of Donald Trump's devastating electoral victory this month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is using his growing influence within the Democratic Party and among the voting population at-large to outline how the country can prevent slipping backward and in fact can move forward--even with Republicans soon in control of both the White House and Congress.
"We can beat this guy. We can beat this agenda," the one-time Democratic presidential contender told a sold-out crowd at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on Sunday. "But we have to do it in a way that we have never done it before, and it's essentially reaching out to people who do not or may not agree with us on every single issue. We have got to bring people together because we are fighting for the future of this country."
He similarly urged a crowd in South Portland, Maine on Monday: "No, you're not going to give up. You're going to fight back and mobilize."
As for what that mobilization might look like, Sanders offered some clues in an interview with PBS Newshour that aired Monday night. The senator from Vemont said the future the Democratic Party and a progressive agenda must be focused on challenging the interests of the elites while advocating on behalf of everyday Americans and the working-class.
"The bottom line," Sanders said, "is you cannot be a party which takes money from Wall Street, which is not strong on the pharmaceutical industry, which is ripping us off every day, which is not strong on health care in taking on the insurance companies, which has not shown a desire to stand up and fight the economic establishment, and then tell working families that you are on their side. People see through that."
In a separate interview with GQ magazine published Tuesday, Sanders elaborated on how doubling down on such concerns will also help hold Trump accountable:
But what we are working on right now is to transform the Democratic Party. I will introduce legislation that will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Mr. Trump talks about his concern about working families. I look forward to him supporting it. I am going to introduce legislation--I or somebody else, it's not just me--demanding pay equity for women workers. I hope Mr. Trump supports that. We're going to have very definitive legislation on infrastructure. I hope Trump supports that. Trade policy, Trump based his whole campaign on trade.
"It's not a question of us working with Trump," Sanders said. "It's a question of Trump working with us."
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