The biggest difference between Bernie Sanders and the others in the Democratic primary for President of the United States is that Bernie is a leader and the rest are candidates. A leader is here to change what is possible, not because they want to live in the White House. A leader stays focused on what they came to do and doesn’t get distracted by nonsense.
A candidate is here because they want to be president. A candidate will take positions and say and do things because those things seem to lead them to win the office. The entire focus of their existence is on winning, not on leading, so if they perceive it to be to their advantage to lie or obfuscate, we know that they will. A candidate can be a formidable opponent because their own internal compass may not be a check on this desire or condition.
A leader can also be unstoppable when they have a movement behind them. When that movement expands exponentially daily and brings more and more people into the election, the momentum towards victory is extraordinary.
As members of the movement that is backing Bernie Sanders, we are blessed with a leader who is focussed on what brought him here. His winning will be our winning. His victory will be the victory of every woman who needs guaranteed healthcare, every person working multiple jobs to try to keep a family afloat, every student drowning in debt, every refugee from a hurricane, fire or flood exacerbated by climate change.
We must all model ourselves on Bernie Sanders in these next few months. We must stay focused on Medicare for All, $15 an hour, wiping out student debt and dramatically decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The attacks are here. Fear of real change is fueling them. We cannot let ourselves be distracted by nonsense.
