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A few quick thoughts on news that Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out, w/a caveat that I generally don& #39;t endorse individual candidates. TL;DR a more just & equitable healthcare system for all was always going to be be a big, long, systemic, organizing struggle. So, onward.
For those committed to a more just and equitable system of care for all, whether #MedicareForAll or a different model, this was always going to be a long game of organizing, struggling, pressuring, & voting, w/ a whole range of folks needing to be educated, taught, & challenged.
First, remember: Sanders has already introduced #Medicare4All legislation. It currently doesn& #39;t have the votes to pass. It wouldn& #39;t magically have them if he or anyone else were president.
Second, this is about movement building and organizing. A single candidate will never be a whole movement. That was kind of Sanders& #39;s whole rhetorical thing with #NotMeUs, and for his supporters, that stays true, yes? So support @UniteThePoor. Support @fairfightaction.
NC folks, we& #39;ve got a Senate race to work on, & #39;cuz @SenThomTillis prevented Medicaid expansion while he was in state legislature & is keen to take away protections for #preexistingconditions now that he& #39;s in national office. Support @NC_PPC, NC @united4survival, and @democracync
Third: #MedicareForAll isn& #39;t a magic bullet. Disability advocates have pointed out the importance of Medicaid protections for disabled folks to be able to stay in their own homes and communities. Single-payer systems still have inequities & gaps. There& #39;s always work to be done.
To poorly paraphrase the great Ella Baker: We who believe in just and equitable care for all cannot rest until it& #39;s done (except when we need to rest in which case, that& #39;s ok, pass the baton and pick it back up when you& #39;re rested!)
Fourth: This was always going to be a matter of educating, pressuring, and convincing politicians who aren& #39;t already on board with universal healthcare. That was going to be true in the Senate and true in the House. And it can be done!!!
Biden& #39;s platform, for example, is already further along than Obama& #39;s was in 2008. "We must have a public option" is now seen as the least progressive option in the Democratic party. So what& #39;s there to do? Keep on pushing!
In the words of @UniteThePoor, @RevDrBarber, and @liztheo: We must do MORE: Mobilize, Organize, Register, and Educate! Here& #39;s an action you can take right now:
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/this-pandemic-demands-a-systemic-response-an-urgent-message-from-the-poor-people-s-campaign/?source=shortlink
And">https://sign.moveon.org/petitions... you can sign up for phone bank training this weekend! https://actionnetwork.org/events/volunteer-training-for-phonebanking-5?source=direct_link&">https://actionnetwork.org/events/vo...
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/this-pandemic-demands-a-systemic-response-an-urgent-message-from-the-poor-people-s-campaign/?source=shortlink
And">https://sign.moveon.org/petitions... you can sign up for phone bank training this weekend! https://actionnetwork.org/events/volunteer-training-for-phonebanking-5?source=direct_link&">https://actionnetwork.org/events/vo...
Fifth: Remember, even the Bernie Sanders #MedicareForAll bill has a four-year transition period. If he were president tomorrow, *and* had the votes to pass his bill with no modifications, it would still take a 4 year organizing effort to make sure it was implemented.
