Tasting the sweet fruits of effective grass roots organizing

Super Tuesday has come and gone and the biggest news along this most conservative stretch of Old Route 66 is the winner of the Democratic Primary was NOT Hillary Clinton.  Thanks to a motivated, dedicated and well organized local grass roots movement, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders emerged the winner of the Sooner State Primary and its 38 delegates.  At the end of the night, the numbers were not even close:

This is a direct result of the orchestrated efforts of a core group of organizers and the work done by those who followed their direction.  At a time when my beloved home state often makes national news for so many wrong and embarrassing reasons, Oklahoma made a lot of people proud on Tuesday night.  Although due to work and more pressing local political issues I have not been as close to the Tulsa For Sanders group as I had hoped to be at this point.  However, I am still proud to say that I was able to take part in a Saturday Canvassing for Bernie event two months ago:

It was the sweat equity of the $27 donors that got the vote out for Bernie in Oklahoma and delivered a double-digit victory over the party establishment’s de facto favorite.  This from a campaign what was deemed by most of the mainstream and rightwing media as a “fringe” candidacy a mere six months ago.

March for Bernie on Guthrie Green

I just heard a media talking head refer to this election as “Hillary Clinton’s to lose.”  I recall similar things being said in March of 2008 after the Clinton campaign had an impressive string of Super Tuesday wins.  If the former Secretary of State does manage to sustain her edge this year I can say that a challenge from the left such as that she has had from Senator Sanders will have been good for her.  One thing that has come through loud and clear is that the issues Sanders has brought to the table are popular.  Failure to capitalize on such populism will be tantamount to political malpractice.  That however remains to be seen.

In the larger scheme of things, Oklahoma was not the only state Sanders carried on this Super Tuesday.  Vermont (no surprise), Colorado and Minnesota were also states carried by the self-described Democratic Socialist.  There are thirty-five more state primary elections and it is still not a foregone conclusion as to who the Democratic nominee will be regardless of the narrative and talking points being ginned out by the Party’s Illuminati, whoever they may be.  I think it is appropriate to state for the record that if a socialist Jew from Brooklyn can win in a place like Oklahoma then it is Game On everywhere!  Now is the time to dial up the outreach and carry the message to places only imagined a year ago!  I extend my heartfelt gratitude and admiration to all involved in the Tulsa for Sanders group.  They all know who they are.  History will be gracious to their body of work.