The perspective in this Bloomberg article is inspiring. Many called the Bernie 2016 campaign a disappointment and one filled with empty promises. But it was historic for many reasons and marked a clear line of progression from the formulation that was present in most of Howard Dean’s campaigning. The strategic turn from previous campaigning and to its’ current form has shown itself to be a path fraught with tough battles and even tougher loses.
Bernie Sanders did something fantastic this year: he gave the democratic party their best critic. His support came as a shock to the entire democratic establishment and his populist appeal created a contribution mechanism that rivaled any candidate in modern history. Combining his broad appeal and effective internet activism, Bernie Sanders was able to strategically learn from others’ loses and create wins for himself and his team. Reading this piece now is illuminating as it comes at a time where so many things in politics seem bleak. Bernie was a bright spot in 2016 and his legacy and political revolution will be one that will last awhile. While a populist sentiment has now become more well heard in the US, the main takeaway should be about the mechanisms for activism and donation, rather than that broad sweeping appeal. If we want to see more involved candidates and even greater grassroots campaigns in the future then we will take everything we can from Bernie Sanders and keep using it to win.