When [Bernie] Sanders was challenged about how he would pass his visionary ideas after he became president, he talked about if lawmakers look out the window and they see a million people marching, it changes their calculus.
BEN WIKLERAnd it was like a three-way negotiation between them. But we are going to enter an era where there’s a physical, powerful, vibrant progressive movement that will, I think, be able to exercise power in the same way as the right-wing and the right does.
More Ben Wikler Quotes
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Elizabeth Warren is, I think, a great demonstration of the kind of movement-oriented model-wielding power from within the Senate. Over and over, she’s rallied tons of people to battles that they don’t normally get involved in.
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I think changing the Democratic Party platform [at the convention] is a great place to start. It should include expanding Social Security, a $15 minimum wage, and breaking up too-big-to-fail banks on Wall Street – among other Sanders priorities.
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What he [Bernie Sanders] does next will really determine whether he is blazing a trail that others can follow into office, or whether he is an exception to the rule.
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We’ve just gone through this period of years where the players in the game were at least written about as being a Democratic administration, establishment Republicans, and then the rabble-rousing radicals of the tea party.
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And it was like a three-way negotiation between them. But we are going to enter an era where there’s a physical, powerful, vibrant progressive movement that will, I think, be able to exercise power in the same way as the right-wing and the right does.
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The most important thing will be building a bench of powerhouse progressives in elected office and in the next administration. [Bernie] Sanders has an enormous spotlight that he can shine on champions that are following the Sanders path of really building from the left.
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Well, here’s an opportunity to continue working to organize these million people even if he is not the one in office.
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An organization is great if you have a clear vision to be able to make it powerful. If you don’t, an organization can kind of sap energy that could go elsewhere.
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Bernie or bust actually reduces the leverage for Bernie [Sandеrs] to claim victory.
BEN WIKLER