Feb. 19, 2019 - Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Announces Candidacy

• In Dec. 2018-Jan. 2019 supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders organized several grassroots events to encourage him to run.

• Sanders announced on the morning of Feb. 19 via email to supporters, video and media appearances, starting with VPR (+).

• Sanders faces a very different dynamic than in his 2015-16 campaign.  When he announced on May 26, 2015 he was a longshot at best.  His firm convictions and authenticity stood in contrast to the much more scripted Hillary Clinton, his campaign caught people's imagination, and he was able to make a race of it.  To use a cliche, Sanders "caught lightening in a bottle," but it will be difficult to repeat that feat.  Although some accounts of the announcement labeled him as the "frontrunner," and he did show great fundraising success following his announcement, the race seems wide open.  There is a large field of candidates, including many fresh faces.  Additionally, the socialist label and the age question will likely pose difficulties for the Vermont Senator. 


Bernie 2020

Bernie Sanders to Run for President on Promise to Transform the Country

Vermont Senator calls for a million-person grassroots movement to defeat Trump and create a government that works for all people

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday called on Americans from all over the nation to join him in building a massive grassroots movement to win the Democratic nomination, defeat Donald Trump and enact an agenda that serves all people, not just the few.

In an email to supporters, Sanders said he is more optimistic than ever that the country is poised to take on powerful special interests, guarantee health care as a right, raise workers’ wages, make public colleges and universities tuition free, address the crises facing rural America, transform our energy system to combat climate change, lower prescription drug prices and defeat the forces of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

“Three years ago, when we talked about these and other ideas, we were told that they were ‘radical’ and ‘extreme,’" Sanders wrote in the email. "Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies are now supported by a majority of Americans.

"Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for."

Sanders added, "If we want to make our progressive vision a reality, we need an unprecedented grassroots movement from coast to coast -- a movement which has the courage to take on the powerful special interests that dominate the economic and political life of our country.”

In the next few weeks, Sanders will a launch multi-state tour to share his vision to transform the country for the many, not the few.

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Full email below:

Brothers and sisters--

I am writing to let you know I have decided to run for president of the United States. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country.

Please join our campaign for president on day one and commit to doing what it takes to win this election.

Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history. It is not only about winning the Democratic nomination and the general election.

Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life. I'm talking about Wall Street, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the private prison industry and the large multinational corporations that exert such an enormous influence over our lives.

Our campaign is about redoubling our efforts to end racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry and all forms of discrimination.

Our campaign is about creating a vibrant democracy with the highest voter turnout of any major country while we end voter suppression, Citizens United and outrageous levels of gerrymandering.

Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that work for the many, not just the few. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We should not have grotesque levels of wealth inequality in which three billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of the country.

We should not have 30 million Americans without any health insurance, even more who are underinsured and a nation in which life expectancy is actually in decline.

We should not have an economy in which tens of millions of workers earn starvation wages and half of older workers have no savings as they face retirement.

We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth and a dysfunctional childcare system which is unfair to both working parents and their children.

We should not have a regressive tax system in which large, profitable corporations like Amazon pay nothing in federal income taxes.

Make no mistake about it. The powerful special interests in this country have unbelievable power and they want to maintain the status quo. They have unlimited amounts of money to spend on campaigns and lobbying and have huge influence over the media and political parties.

The only way we will win this election and create a government and economy that work for all is with a grassroots movement – the likes of which has never been seen in American history.

They may have the money and power. We have the people. That is why we need one million Americans who will commit themselves to this campaign.

Stand with me as we fight to win the Democratic nomination and the general election. Add your name to join this campaign and say you are willing to do the hard work necessary to transform our country.

You know as well as I do that we are living in a pivotal and dangerous moment in American history. We are running against a president who is a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy as he leads us in an authoritarian direction.

I’m running for president because, now more than ever, we need leadership that brings us together – not divides us up. Women and men, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, young and old, native born and immigrant. Now is the time for us to stand together.

I’m running for president because we need leadership that will fight for working families and the shrinking middle class, not just the 1 percent. We need a president who understands that we can create millions of good-paying jobs, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and construct the affordable housing we desperately need.

I'm running for president because we need trade policies that reflect the interests of workers and not multi-national corporations. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, provide pay equity for women and guarantee all workers paid family and medical leave.

I'm running for president because we need to understand that artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.

I'm running for president because a great nation is judged not by how many billionaires and nuclear weapons it has, but by how it treats the most vulnerable – the elderly, the children, our veterans, the sick and the poor.

I’m running for president because we need to make policy decisions based on science, not politics. We need a president who understands that climate change is real, is an existential threat to our country and the entire planet, and that we can generate massive job creation by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

I’m running for president because the time is long overdue for the United States to join every other major country on Earth and guarantee health care to all people as a right, not a privilege, through a Medicare-for-all program.

I’m running for president because we need to take on the outrageous level of greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug prices in this country.

I'm running for president because we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. It is totally counterproductive for our future that millions of Americans are carrying outrageous levels of student debt, while many others cannot afford the high cost of higher education. That is why we need to make public colleges and universities tuition free and lower student debt.
I’m running for president because we must defend a woman’s right to control her own body against massive political attacks taking place at the local, state and federal level.

I'm running for president because we need real criminal justice reform. We need to invest in jobs and education for our kids, not more jails and incarceration. We need to end the destructive "war on drugs," eliminate private prisons and cash bail and bring about major police department reform.

I'm running for president because we need to end the demonization of undocumented immigrants in this country and move to comprehensive immigration reform. We need to provide immediate legal status for the young people eligible for the DACA program and develop a humane policy for those at the border who seek asylum.

I'm running for president because we must end the epidemic of gun violence in this country. We need to take on the NRA, expand background checks, end the gun show loophole and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons.

I'm running for president because we need a foreign policy which focuses on democracy, human rights, diplomacy and world peace. The United States must lead the world in improving international cooperation in the fight against climate change, militarism, authoritarianism and global wealth inequality.

That is why we need at least a million people to join our campaign and help lead the movement that can accomplish these goals. Add your name to say we’re in this together.

Needless to say, there is a lot of frightening and bad news in this world. Now, let me give you some very good news.

Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda we were told that our ideas were "radical" and "extreme." We were told that Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities, aggressively combating climate change, demanding that the wealthy start paying their fair share of taxes, were all concepts that the American people would never accept.

Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.

Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.

So here is my question for you:

Will you stand with me as part of a million person grassroots movement which can not only win the Democratic primary, not only win the general election, but most importantly help transform this country so that, finally, we have a government that works for all of us and not just the few? Add your name to say you will.

Together we can create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace and for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.

And together we can defeat Donald Trump and repair the damage he has done to our country.

Brothers and sisters, if we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I hope you will join me.

Thank you very much.

In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders

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Video Feb. 19, 2019
"I'm Running for President" (10:48)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7DRwz0cAt0

Hi, I'm Bernie Sanders. I'm running for president and I'm asking you today to be part of an unprecedented grassroots campaign of 1 million active volunteers in every state in our country.

Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous President in modern American history. It is not only about winning the Democratic nomination and the general election.

Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life. I'm talking about Wall Street, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the private prison industry, and the large multi-national corporations that exert such an enormous influence over our lives.

Our campaign is about redoubling our efforts to end racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry, and all forms of discrimination.

Our campaign is about creating a vibrant democracy with the highest voter turnout of any major country on Earth, while we end voter suppression, Citizens United and outrageous levels of gerrymandering.

Our campaign is about creating a government and the economy that works for the many not just a few. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We should not have a grotesque level of wealth inequality in which three billionaires now own more wealth than the bottom half of the country.

We should not have 30 million Americans without any health insurance, even more who are underinsured and in a nation in which life expectancy is actually in decline.

We should not have an economy in which tens of millions of workers earn starvation wages and half of older workers have no savings as they face retirement.

We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth, and a dysfunctional child care system, which is unfair to both working parents and their children.

We should not have a regressive tax system in which large profitable corporations like Amazon pay nothing in federal income taxes.

Make no mistake about it. The powerful special interests in this country have unbelievable power and they want to maintain the status quo. They have unlimited amounts of money to spend on campaigns and lobbying and have huge influence over the media and political parties.

The only way we will win this election and create a government and an economy that works for all is with a grassroots movement the likes of which has never been seen in American history.

They may have the money and the power. We have the people. That is why we need 1 million Americans who will commit themselves to this campaign.

You know, as well as I do, that we are living in a pivotal and dangerous moment in American history. We are running against a president who is a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe, and someone who was undermining American democracy as he leads us in an authoritarian direction.

I am running for president because now more than ever, we need leadership that brings us together, not divides us up. Women and men, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, young and old, native born and immigrant—now is the time for us to stand together.

I'm running for president because we need leadership that will fight for working families and the shrinking middle class, not just the 1%.

We need a president who understands that we can create millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and constructing the affordable housing we desperately need.

I am running for president because we need trade policies that reflect the interest of workers and not multinational corporations.

We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, provide pay equity for women and guarantee all workers paid family and medical leave.

I'm running for president because we need to understand that artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.

I'm running for president because a great nation is judged not by how many billionaires and nuclear weapons it has, but by how it treats the most vulnerable, the elderly, the children, our veterans, the sick and the poor.

I'm running for president because we need to make policy decisions based on science, not politics.
We need a president who understands that climate change is real, is an existential threat to our country and the entire planet, and that we can generate massive job creation by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy

I'm running for President because the time is long overdue for the United States to join every other major country on earth and guarantee health care to all people as a right, not a privilege through a Medicare for all single payer program.

I am running for president because we need to take on the outrageous level of greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug prices in this country.

I'm running for president because we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. It is totally counterproductive for our future that millions of Americans are carrying outrageous levels of student debt while many others cannot afford the high cost of higher education. That is why we need to make public colleges and universities tuition free and lower student debt.

I am running for president because we need real criminal justice reform. We need to invest in jobs and education for our kids, not more jails and incarceration. We need to end the destructive war on drugs, private prisons and cash bail and bring about major police department reform.

I'm running for president because we need to end the demonization of undocumented immigrants in this country and move the comprehensive immigration reform. We need to provide immediate legal status for the young people eligible for the DACA program and develop a humane policy for those at the border who seek asylum.

I’m running for president because we must end the epidemic of gun violence in this country. We need to take on the NRA, expand background checks, end the gun show loophole and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons.

I am running for president because we need a foreign policy which focuses on democracy, human rights, diplomacy and world peace. The United States must lead the world in improving international cooperation in the fight against climate change. militarism, authoritarianism and global wealth inequality.

That is why we need 1 million people to join our campaign and help lead the movement that can accomplish all of these goals.

Needless to say, there is a lot of frightening and bad news in this world.

Now, let me give you some very good news that we should all be very proud of.

Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda, we were told that our ideas were "radical," and they were "extreme."

We were told that Medicare for all, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition in public colleges and universities, aggressively combating climate change, demanding that the wealthy start paying their fair share of taxes—we were told that all of these concepts were ideas that the American people would never accept.

Well, three years have come and gone. And as a result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.

Together, you and I, and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution.

Now it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.

So here is my question for you. Will you stand with me as part of a million-person grassroots movement which cannot only win the Democratic nomination, not only win the general election, but most mportantly, help transform this country so that finally we have a government that works for all of us and not just a few.

Together, we can create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace and for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.

And together we can defeat Donald Trump and repair the damage he has done to our country.

Brothers and sisters. If we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I hope you'll join me.

Thank you very much.


[ed. note that the video text is very similar to the email]

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Bernie 2020
February 19, 2019

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Progressive Democrats of America
February 19, 2019 web post
Fittingly, the day after we observed Presidents Day, Bernie Sanders declared his candidacy for the presidency. Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) effectively “drafted” Bernie to run for president starting in 2013, and we renewed our Run Bernie Run campaign earlier this year. Now, he’s once again running for president. Please give generously now to help support Bernie and PDA.

PDA has not yet endorsed any candidate for president in the 2020 cycle. We will soon be inviting you to participate in a fair and open process. For now, we’re welcoming Bernie Sanders into the field. With your help, Bernie will carry the progressive banner into the primaries again in 2020. Of course this isn’t all about Bernie; this is about all of us. Do you agree? If so, pitch in now to welcome Bernie’s candidacy.

Pitch in to Support Bernie and PDA

Volunteer with Mike “Phone Guy” Fox

The movement that PDA launched in 2004, and that Bernie’s campaign expanded after PDA drafted Bernie to run starting in 2013, is strong. Some want to believe that our movement ended when Bernie fell short of winning the nomination. We know better. We know the people’s political revolution is still growing, thanks to your commitment. Show your support. Click here to Buy Bernie Gear

Bernie’s and our solutions—Medicare for All, 100% Renewable Energy, College for All, $15 Minimum Wage, Racial Equality, Fairness for the DREAMers, Getting Big Money Out of Politics, and much more—currently drive the political discussion. Add your voice to this movement: Give to the We Want Bernie Action Fund.

PDA has been there from before the beginning with our Run Bernie Run Campaign back in 2013. Many of us were on the ground and working hard: organizing events, setting up campaign offices, making Get Out The Vote calls, raising money, barnstorming, and rallying supporters. That’s why this is a movement, not just a campaign. Support Our We Want Bernie Action Fund!

The mainstream media, the pundits, and the rest of the establishment all told us we were wrong. First, they ignored Bernie’s and our campaign. Then they tried to dismiss us. They keep trying to undermine our grassroots movement. Bernie explains it best. He said: “[T]he Bernie Sanders campaign, the people’s revolution we are talking about, the political revolution we are talking about, is strong in every part of the country….” Please Support Bernie and PDA!

PDA was the first national organization to endorse Bernie, after we successfully urged him to run. The Washington Times recognized PDA’s importance in launching the Bernie campaign and movement:

Progressive Democrats of America, which had been boosting a Sanders challenge since 2013 … soliciting support in the form of cash and volunteers, the group warned that “with Donald Trump’s hateful campaign approaching victory in the Republican primaries, we need Bernie as our champion. National polls show Bernie can beat Trump easily.”

As Bernie explains, “What the American people are saying is they are tired of a corrupt campaign finance system and Super PACs funded by Wall Street and the billionaire class.” But Bernie can’t do it alone. Will you help? We need you to step up! Give to Our We Want Bernie Action Fund!

Give $27 or another amount right now to support Bernie and PDA’s We Want Bernie Action Fund.

Click here to volunteer with Mike “Phone Guy” Fox to make important calls from your own home!

Click here to buy PDA’s high quality Union made in the USA Bernie Gear to show your support for Bernie!
 
P.S. We’re here to help you make progress in your state and locality! If you need help organizing a new PDA chapter or energizing your existing chapter, please contact PDA Field Coordinator Dan O’Neal. Join the PDA Phone Team making easy, effective calls from your own home with Mike “Phone Guy” Fox.Also please pitch in $1000, $100, or whatever you can afford to support our organizing for progress.

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Democratic Socialists of America
February 19, 2019

Now that Bernie Sanders has announced he's running for president, DSA has an important decision to make about whether and how to support the campaign. Members, check your email this afternoon for an update on the endorsement process & find details at https://www.dsausa.org/if-bernie-runs-dsas-endorsement-deb…/

If Bernie runs: DSA’s endorsement debate process

Recently, the news broke that Bernie Sanders is preparing to announce that he is running for president.

In light of this development, DSA members have to figure out how we will approach his campaign. As a first step, this past weekend the National Political Committee (NPC), elected by delegates to our 2017 national convention, adopted by a 10 to 3 vote the process recommended by the DSA Exploratory Committee for the 2020 Presidential Election to consider an endorsement of Bernie Sanders should he decide to run.

The process our National Political Committee adopted is clear and should allow for the maximum amount of member participation and discussion while moving us towards a swift decision one way or the other. The process is as follows:

    * Step 1: Members in every chapter considering participating in a DSA campaign for Sanders should begin in-person discussions about the campaign as soon as possible. Where possible, chapters should debate resolutions that spark discussions about Bernie and the pros and cons of supporting him.
    * Step 2: When Bernie Sanders announces his presidential run, the NPC will email the membership informing them of the launch of the endorsement process.
    * Step 3: The NPC will schedule an emergency NPC meeting to take place within 30 days of the announcement, but after the completion of an advisory poll, to debate a motion to endorse Bernie Sanders.
    * Step 4: Within two weeks of Bernie’s announcement, the NPC will send an online advisory poll to all members asking them if they support DSA endorsing Sanders for president.
    * Step 5: After the advisory poll is sent out, members will have one week to complete the poll.
    * Step 6: With the poll results, the NPC will debate a motion to endorse a DSA Sanders campaign at the emergency meeting.

The Exploratory Committee document adopted by the NPC argues that DSA has an opportunity to play an important role in supporting Sanders’s campaign — both by helping Sanders win the Democratic Party primary and go on to defeat Trump in the general election and by growing DSA as a serious, independent, socialist pole in the broader Sanders movement. And it argues that in order to play this role, DSA must get involved in Sanders work as early as possible.

Finally, the Exploratory Committee recommended and the NPC agreed that DSA only consider endorsing Bernie Sanders for president. Both bodies felt that Bernie is the only viable candidate who would give DSA the opportunity to talk to millions of people about our politics and deepen the struggle against CEOs, billionaires, and giant corporations. Sanders is also the only candidate who DSA chapters — including Hudson Valley, NY, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Louisville, Seattle, East Bay, and YDSA — have called on the NPC to consider endorsing.

From the teachers’ victory in Los Angeles and the ongoing teachers strike wave to the rising pro-socialist outlook of millions of Americans, 2019 promises to be another banner year for democratic socialism. We have so much to look forward to together. But for now, if Bernie announces, all DSA members should be on the lookout in the next few weeks for an email from us with an invitation to participate in our endorsement process.

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Friends of John Delaney
February 19, 2019
DES MOINES, IA – Campaigning today in central Iowa, John Delaney releases the following statement:
 
“By any measure, we are going to have a very strong field of candidates running and that’s good for the country and good for the Democratic Party. Democrats are actually pretty united on our policy goals: we want everyone to have health care, we want everyone of every background to have a chance to live the American Dream, and we know that we have to act on climate change. The debate before us is how we get there. 
 
“This primary is going to be a choice between socialism and a more just form of capitalism. 
 
“I believe in capitalism, the free markets, and the private economy. I don’t believe socialism is the answer and I don’t believe it’s what the American people want. I don’t believe top-down, government-only approaches are the right answer. But I do believe in a clear role for government in creating institutions and policies that ensure equality of opportunity and basic human dignity.
 
“What the American people do want is a capitalism that is more just and more inclusive. They want to see entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth in their hometowns, not just in a few cities. They want to see more people have a chance to succeed and they want to see more fairness in the system. That’s what my campaign is about - fixing our broken tax, health care, fiscal, and educational policies to ensure equality of opportunity and dignity for every American.”
 

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Republican National Committee
Research Briefing {Top Takeaways}

The Sanders’ Socialist Sequel

Having Moved The Democrat Party To The Far-Left, Bernie Sanders Is Back With Fresh New Plans To Spend The Country Into Oblivion And Scandals To Defend

• Since his loss in 2016, Bernie Sanders has been fighting to promote “fringe,” “radical,” and “extremist” policies, supporting programs that are now part of the “mainstream” of the Democrat Party.
• Fellow 2020 Democrats have signed on to Sanders’ signature single-payer healthcare proposal, which he admits will cause “pain” to implement and experts say could cost $32 trillion while diminishing quality of care.
• Sanders wants to guarantee jobs paid for by the federal government, which would cost the American people $5.43 trillion.
• Sanders’ College-For-All Act comes with an estimated nearly trillion dollar price tag, and the Green New Deal he has signed on to would cost tens of trillions.
• Sanders’ presidential rollout has left a lot to be desired after recent allegations of sexual harassment and sexism in his 2016 campaign; because of this, Democrats have begun to consider shifting their support elsewhere.

1. The Washington Post, 11/13/17; The Washington Post; 11/4/17

2. The Washington Post, 2/19/19

3. HuffPost, 12/6/17; National Review, 4/7/16

4. The New York Times, 1/10/19

5. The Washington Post, 4/7/16

6. Sanders Press Release, 8/5/11

RNC Statement on Bernie Sanders' 2020 Bid

"Bernie Sanders is a self-avowed socialist who wants to double your taxes so the government can take over your health care. The vast majority of voters oppose his radical agenda, just like they are going to oppose all the 2020 Democrats who have rushed to embrace it." – RNC Spokesman Michael Ahrens

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Donald J. Trump for President

Statement on Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign announcement

"Bernie Sanders has already won the debate in the Democrat primary, because every candidate is embracing his brand of socialism. But the American people will reject an agenda of sky-high tax rates, government-run health care and coddling dictators like those in Venezuela. Only President Trump will keep America free, prosperous and safe."

- Kayleigh McEnany, National Press Secretary