I urge all penners to read the interview -- it is MOST illuminating. The very first time I tried to involve myself in "left-wing" electoral politics was in Madison Wisconsin where a local group formed an organization called "The Wisconsin Alliance." Our goal was to create a movement that used elections as organizing vehicles. Close to 50 years later, that still should be the goal of every leftist involved in electoral politics. USually, that goal fails miserably (witness the point made that Jill Stein gets less votes now than Nadar did in 2000!)
However, it does appear that at least in certain locales and with certain unions (and other civic-society groups as well?) the Sanders campaign is ACTUALLY making that happen. That is great news --- movement building is what it's all about. (The reference to how the peace movement finally forced the Nixon Administration to give up on its maximum goals in Vietnam is instructive -- identifying the very broad coalition that of course included sectors of the ruling class....) However, where the interview is weak is on recognizing that post convention --- the most important thing is defeating the Republicans. This will require a tremendous all hands on deck effort should Sanders actually win the nomination. It will be essential that he reach out to establishment democrats (especially Obama, Clinton, the Congressional Black Caucus and the establishment women's movement(s)) to create a broad coalition to defeat the tide of fascism that will be represented by the Republican nominee (no matter WHO he is). A Republican president will literally doom the planet (with Congress and the future Supreme Court fully in right wing hands). The people who will be disappointed in the outcome of the Democratic Convention MUST be brought into the coalition that will fight fascism in the general election. SIMILARLY -- if Sanders loses (even if as a result of undemocratic voting by superdelegates) the nomination, it is ESSENTIAL that his supporters not lose hope and rally around Clinton (and I say this with a clothespin suck strongly on my nose) to (again) defeat fascism. The danger of fascism is real. I happen to think massive mobilization that is the hallmark of the Sanders campaign is the key to defeating it --- but it will be a VERY tough battle.
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