Have you wondered how Bernie would accomplish the political revolution? I’m a retired duffer long past the first flush of youth, but I bring news from the future. The political revolution is assured. Why would I be so confident? I think that the wave building underneath Bernie is so strong that it will sweep all before it when it hits the shallows of the beachfront.

Let’s orient ourselves to where we are here in sight of spring 2016. Bernie’s preparation phase in 2014 culminated in his entry into the primary race in 2015 at 3% in the national polls. He began the primaries with the dead heat stunner in Iowa and has consistently outmaneuvered Clinton because his trust in people unleashed a fabulous fountain of funding from people and the unlimited creativity of people. His candidacy created a seabed earthquake under the social ocean of American citizenry, which pulsed into being a rising wave of enthusiasm, such that his present campaigning across the Ides of March elections seems more like the triumph of a Roman conqueror, flowers strewn along the way. The enthusiasm for Bernie is now unmistakable in the body politic of America.

What lies before us? The second half of the primary marathon begins after 15 March, primarily in states that favor Bernie. Following the convention, we’ll enter the general, where the questions will be all about how Bernie will achieve his political revolution. The question of “How?’ will go from one primary talking point to a chronic question in the general. After Bernie assumes office, the issue will be acute, critical. Let me show you the beginnings of the how.

Republican pollster Frank Luntz, famous for his focus groups, wrote an article yesterday, entitled “Young voters spell doom for GOP.”
Now before this gets written of as more of the democratic demographic dreams, look at what he found. Democrats have long waited for the demographic dividend to vanquish the nutbar right wing of politics, hoping for a steady future stream of reliable Democratic voters. Heh, heh, heh, they might yet rue that wish. What Luntz found is a rising tsunami now approaching shore that will wash away the GOP. What he doesn’t realize is that this tsunami will also wash away the corporate Democratic Party.

Here’s an extract:

In our recent national survey of 1,000 first- and second-time voters ages 18 to 26, Republicans weren’t just off on the wrong track. They were barely on the radar with this Snapchat generation, as it is sometimes called.

Let’s start with the simplest question we asked: “Out of today's major political figures, who do you like and respect the most?”

Nearly one in three (31%) chose Bernie Sanders, followed by 18% for Barack Obama and 11% for Hillary Clinton. The highest ranking Republican was … Donald Trump, at a mere 9%. In fact, Sanders — who won more than 80% of young Democrats in Tuesday’s Michigan primary — scored higher than all the Republicans combined. This isn’t just a slant toward the Democrats; it’s a chasm of disconnection that renders every prominent national Republican irrelevant with the voting bloc that could control campaigns for the next 30 years.

The problem, or “crisis” if you're an active Republican, is in their political identification. Fully 44% identify themselves as Democrats, higher in my polling than any age cohort in America. By comparison, about 15% call themselves Republican, lower than any age cohort. The remaining 42% say they’re independent, but on issue after issue they lean toward the Democrats. It’s not that young people love the Democratic Party — they don’t. But they reject the Republican Party and the corporate interests it appears to represent. Democrats can live with this dynamic. Republicans might die by it.

So far so very good. There’s more:

If you want to understand today’s young Americans, consider this: 58% of them think “socialism” is the most compassionate political system, compared with just 33% who pick “capitalism.” Heck, 9% even voted for “communism.”
That’s right: Two-thirds in a poll I did last month say socialism or communism is more compassionate than capitalism.

Heh, heh, heh. Two thirds of our youth favor democratic socialism. They reject not only the GOP, but also the capitalist horse it rode in on. They will favor socialist Democratic candidates in most primary races up and all the down the ticket, from dogcatcher to sheriff to councilor to assemblywoman to governor to congress and in the presidency. “But the youth don’t vote.”

Tell that to Bernie. Truth-telling inspires youth to vote. Simple, really. Real solutions, democratic socialist solutions, inspire youth to vote. Just watch the youth vote number tick up across the primary race into the general and beyond. Their votes matter, of course, and greatly so. But their role will become central in the political revolution to come.

Right now, Bernie has a simple and true response to the “How?” question. All he says is that when millions of people demand change it will come. He knows full well that this is not the time to talk about how. That time will come in the general. I think the full extent of the how will make some supporters shiver with anxiety and others will prickle with excitement. See the wave that Bernie’s candidacy has pulsed into forming is the same Occupy wave that the corporatists quashed so easily. Remember how Occupy went global and then shriveled through lack of focus? The difference to come is that Occupy now has a focus – and a leader.

(By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33128550)

When Bernie says that millions will demand change, he doesn’t say from where they will insist on their demands. Now is not the time. But the first place that people power gathers is the public square. Zuccotti Park comes to mind. People power makes it’s demands first within earshot of the windows and corridors of power. The tools and power of social media have come a long way very fast since OWS. Modern people power makes its demands in the time-honored way outside the windows of power and it communicates within itself through social media.

Source: https://www.popularresistance.org/occupy-wall-street-what-just-happened/

Furthermore, consider the forge that fired the steely candidate we adore.

You don't think Bernie learned a few things about people power back in the day?

Now is not the time to talk the strategy and tactics of people power. Now is for growing with the wave as it grows and rushes towards the beach. Work now to elect the focus and leadership of the people power to come after the inauguration. When worry about “How?” simply say, “Occupy” and keep working for Bernie. What if your worry becomes anxiety, “But what if Bernie loses the primary/general?” Then remind yourself that the tsunami doesn’t care about politics. The tsunami follows the laws of physics all the way to the beach and beyond. The political revolution will happen.

May peace be with us, if we work for it with peaceful hearts.
Gerrit