_____
From: Michael Moore [mailto:maillist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2016 10:59 PM
To: miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: My Endorsement Of Bernie Sanders
Tonight I officially endorse Bernie Sanders for President. Share my
endorsement letter here: http://michaelmoore.com/myendorsementofbernie
<http://michaelmoore.com/myendorsementofbernie/>
My Dear Friends,
When I was a child, they said there was no way this majority-Protestant
country of ours would ever elect a Catholic as president. And then John
Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected president.
The next decade, they said America would not elect a president from the Deep
South. The last person to do that on his own (not as a v-p) was Zachary
Taylor in 1849. And then we elected President Jimmy Carter.
In 1980, they said voters would never elect a president who had been
divorced and remarried. Way too religious of a country for that, they said.
Welcome, President Ronald Reagan, 1981-89.
They said you could not get elected president if you had not served in the
military. No one could remember when someone who hadn't served had been
elected Commander-in-Chief. Or who had confessed to trying (but not
inhaling!) Illegal drugs. President Bill Clinton, 1993-2001.
And then finally "they" saId that there's NO WAY the Democrats were going to
win if they nominated a BLACK man for president - a black man who's middle
name was Hussein! America was still too racist for that. "Don't do it!",
people quietly warned each other.
BOOM!
Do you ever wonder why the pundits, the political class, are always so sure
that Americans "just aren't ready" for something - and then they're always
just so wrong? They says these things because they want to protect the
status quo. They don't want the boat rocked. They try to scare the average
person into voting against their better judgment.
And now, this year "they" are claiming that there's no way a "democratic
socialist" can get elected President of the United States. That is the main
talking point coming now from the Hillary Clinton campaign office.
But all the polls show Bernie Sanders actually BEATING Donald Trump by twice
as many votes than if Hillary Clinton was the candidate.
Although the polls nationally show Hillary beating Bernie among DEMOCRATS,
when the pollster includes all INDEPENDENTS, then Sanders beats Trump two to
one over what Clinton would do.
The way the Clinton campaign has been red-baiting Sanders is unfortunate -
and tone deaf. According to NBC, 43% of Iowa Dems identify themselves more
closely with socialism (sharing, helping) than with capitalism (greed,
inequality). Most polls now show young adults (18-35) across America prefer
socialism (fairness) to capitalism (selfishness).
So, what is democratic socialism? It's having a true democracy where
everyone has a seat at the table, where everyone has a voice, not just the
rich.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary recently announced the most looked-up word in
their online dictionary in 2015 was "socialism." If you're under 49 (the
largest voting block), the days of the Cold War & Commie Pinkos & the Red
Scare look as stupid as "Reefer Madness."
If Hillary's biggest selling point as to why you should vote for her is,
"Bernie's a socialist!" or "A socialist can't win!", then she's lost.
The New York Times, which admitted it made up stories of weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq & pushed us to invade that country, has now endorsed
Hillary Clinton, the candidate who voted for the Iraq War. I thought the
Times had apologized and reformed itself. What Is going on here?
Well, the Times likes its candidates to be realistic and pragmatic. And to
them, that means Hillary Clinton. She doesn't want to break up the banks,
doesn't want to bring back Glass-Steagall, doesn't want to raise the minimum
wage to $15/hr., doesn't want Denmark's free health care system. Just not
realistic, I guess.
Of course, there was a time when the media said it wasn't "realistic" to
pass a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. They said it
would never pass because only all-male legislators would be voting on it in
the Congress and the State Legislatures. And that, obviously, meant it would
never pass. They were wrong.
They once said that it wasn't "realistic" to pass a Civil Rights Act AND a
Voting Rights Act back to back. America just wasn't "ready for it." Both
passed, in 1964 & 1965.
Ten years ago we were told gay marriage would never be the law of the land.
Good thing we didn't listen to those who told us to be "pragmatic."
Hillary says Bernie's plans just aren't "realistic" or "pragmatic." This
week she said "single payer health care will NEVER, EVER, happen." Never?
Ever? Wow. Why not just give up?
Hillary also says it's not practical to offer free college for everyone. You
can't get more practical than the Germans - and they're able to do it. As do
many other countries.
Clinton does find ways to pay for war and tax breaks for the rich. Hillary
Clinton was FOR the war in Iraq, AGAINST gay marriage, FOR the Patriot Act,
FOR NAFTA, and wants to put Ed Snowden in prison. THAT'S a lot to wrap one's
head around, especially when you have Bernie Sanders as an alternative. He
will be the opposite of all that.
There are many good things about Hillary. But it's clear she's to the right
of Obama and will move us backwards, not forward. This would be sad. Very
sad.
81% of the electorate is either female, people of color or young (18-35).
And the Republicans have lost the VAST majority of 81% of the country.
Whoever the Democrat is on the ballot come November will win. No one should
vote out of fear. You should vote for whom you think best represents what
you believe in. They want to scare you into thinking we'll lose with
Sanders. The facts, the polls, scream just the opposite: We have a BETTER
chance with Bernie!
Trump is loud and scary - and liberals scare easy. But liberals also like
facts. Here's one: less than 19% of the USA is white guys over 35. So calm
down!
Finally, Check out this chart - it says it all: (Note: Hillary has now
changed her position and is against TPP)
<http://michaelmoore.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/uploads/2016/01/31212517/12644898_1
0153266654726857_9181834615666675230_n.jpg>
I first endorsed Bernie Sanders for public office in 1990 when he, as mayor
of Burlington, VT, asked me to come up there and hold a rally for him in his
run to become Vermont's congressman. I guess not many were willing to go
stump for an avowed democratic socialist at the time. Probably someone is
his hippie-filled campaign office said, "I'll bet Michael Moore will do it!"
They were right. I trucked up into the middle of nowhere and did my best to
explain why we needed Bernie Sanders in the U.S. Congress. He won, I've been
a supporter of his ever since, and he's never given me reason to not
continue that support. I honestly thought I'd never see the day come where I
would write to you and get to say these words: "Please vote for Senator
Bernie Sanders to be our next President of the United States of America."
I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think we really, truly needed him.
And we do. More than we probably know.
Sincerely Yours,
Michael Moore
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