Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) addresses the virtual Democratic National Convention on August 17, 2020. (Photo: Handout/DNCC via Getty Images)
'The Price of Failure Is Just Too Great to Imagine': In DNC Speech, Sanders Urges Popular Front to Defeat Donald Trump
"The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."
Calling the 2020 election the most important in modern U.S. history--one in which the survival of democracy, the economy, and the planet hang in the balance--Sen. Bernie Sanders used his primetime address at the virtual Democratic National Convention Monday night to warn of the existential dangers of handing President Donald Trump a second term and urge the nation to unite to ensure he is defeated in November.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"I and my family, and many of yours, know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity," said Sanders. "As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and yes, with conservatives to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat."
"We must come together, defeat Donald Trump, and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president," the senator from Vermont added.
Sanders' eight-minute speech convention speech came just over four months after he ended his second bid for the presidency with a vow to continue fighting for the vision of transformative progressive change that defined his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
The senator echoed that message Monday, thanking his supporters for helping to move the U.S. "in a bold new direction" by making mainstream ideas that were previously deemed "radical," from Medicare for All to tuition-free public college.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day," said Sanders. "But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy. At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy."
Under Trump's administration, the "unthinkable has become normal," said Sanders, pointing to the president's open assault on voting rights and the U.S. Postal Service, deployment of federal agents against peaceful protesters, and threats to refuse to leave office should he lose in November.
Sanders also highlighted Trump's disastrous response to both the coronavirus pandemic--which has killed more than 170,000 people in the U.S.--and the resulting economic collapse that has left tens of millions jobless, hungry, and on the brink of complete financial ruin.
While noting his significant disagreement with Biden on the key issue of Medicare for All, Sanders voiced confidence that if elected in November, the former vice president will move forward with a policy agenda to make the U.S. "more equitable, more compassionate, and more inclusive."
"I know that Joe Biden will begin that fight on day one," said Sanders, citing Biden's support for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, strengthening union rights, establishing 12 weeks of paid family leave and universal pre-K, expanding health insurance via a public option, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and transitioning the U.S. to 100% clean electricity by 2035.
"My friends, I say to you, to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary, and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: the future of our democracy is at stake," said Sanders. "The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."
"My friends," Sanders concluded, "the price of failure is just too great to imagine."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will 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. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Calling the 2020 election the most important in modern U.S. history--one in which the survival of democracy, the economy, and the planet hang in the balance--Sen. Bernie Sanders used his primetime address at the virtual Democratic National Convention Monday night to warn of the existential dangers of handing President Donald Trump a second term and urge the nation to unite to ensure he is defeated in November.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"I and my family, and many of yours, know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity," said Sanders. "As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and yes, with conservatives to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat."
"We must come together, defeat Donald Trump, and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president," the senator from Vermont added.
Sanders' eight-minute speech convention speech came just over four months after he ended his second bid for the presidency with a vow to continue fighting for the vision of transformative progressive change that defined his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
The senator echoed that message Monday, thanking his supporters for helping to move the U.S. "in a bold new direction" by making mainstream ideas that were previously deemed "radical," from Medicare for All to tuition-free public college.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day," said Sanders. "But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy. At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy."
Under Trump's administration, the "unthinkable has become normal," said Sanders, pointing to the president's open assault on voting rights and the U.S. Postal Service, deployment of federal agents against peaceful protesters, and threats to refuse to leave office should he lose in November.
Sanders also highlighted Trump's disastrous response to both the coronavirus pandemic--which has killed more than 170,000 people in the U.S.--and the resulting economic collapse that has left tens of millions jobless, hungry, and on the brink of complete financial ruin.
While noting his significant disagreement with Biden on the key issue of Medicare for All, Sanders voiced confidence that if elected in November, the former vice president will move forward with a policy agenda to make the U.S. "more equitable, more compassionate, and more inclusive."
"I know that Joe Biden will begin that fight on day one," said Sanders, citing Biden's support for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, strengthening union rights, establishing 12 weeks of paid family leave and universal pre-K, expanding health insurance via a public option, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and transitioning the U.S. to 100% clean electricity by 2035.
"My friends, I say to you, to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary, and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: the future of our democracy is at stake," said Sanders. "The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."
"My friends," Sanders concluded, "the price of failure is just too great to imagine."
Calling the 2020 election the most important in modern U.S. history--one in which the survival of democracy, the economy, and the planet hang in the balance--Sen. Bernie Sanders used his primetime address at the virtual Democratic National Convention Monday night to warn of the existential dangers of handing President Donald Trump a second term and urge the nation to unite to ensure he is defeated in November.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy."
--Sen. Bernie Sanders"I and my family, and many of yours, know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity," said Sanders. "As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and yes, with conservatives to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat."
"We must come together, defeat Donald Trump, and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president," the senator from Vermont added.
Sanders' eight-minute speech convention speech came just over four months after he ended his second bid for the presidency with a vow to continue fighting for the vision of transformative progressive change that defined his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
The senator echoed that message Monday, thanking his supporters for helping to move the U.S. "in a bold new direction" by making mainstream ideas that were previously deemed "radical," from Medicare for All to tuition-free public college.
"Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day," said Sanders. "But let us be clear: if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy. At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy."
Under Trump's administration, the "unthinkable has become normal," said Sanders, pointing to the president's open assault on voting rights and the U.S. Postal Service, deployment of federal agents against peaceful protesters, and threats to refuse to leave office should he lose in November.
Sanders also highlighted Trump's disastrous response to both the coronavirus pandemic--which has killed more than 170,000 people in the U.S.--and the resulting economic collapse that has left tens of millions jobless, hungry, and on the brink of complete financial ruin.
While noting his significant disagreement with Biden on the key issue of Medicare for All, Sanders voiced confidence that if elected in November, the former vice president will move forward with a policy agenda to make the U.S. "more equitable, more compassionate, and more inclusive."
"I know that Joe Biden will begin that fight on day one," said Sanders, citing Biden's support for increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, strengthening union rights, establishing 12 weeks of paid family leave and universal pre-K, expanding health insurance via a public option, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and transitioning the U.S. to 100% clean electricity by 2035.
"My friends, I say to you, to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary, and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: the future of our democracy is at stake," said Sanders. "The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."
"My friends," Sanders concluded, "the price of failure is just too great to imagine."