On the Ground: Denver Bernie/AOC Rally

Unreported at yesterday’s massive AOC/Sanders rally here in Denver were the preliminary speakers: two women, one heading the union that (in part and is the largest private sector union in the state) represents the striking (temporarily not) grocery workers, one heading the state education association, then one of the illegally “fired” FTC commissioners and Jimmy Williams Jr, General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

He was great making it starkly clear what we were there for:

“I have a message for the Democratic party: get off your ass”.

He said we’re not going to pundit or poll our way out of this mess, we have to start opposing and organizing now.

One of the illegally fired FTC commissioners was also there telling everybody, in what sounded like a campaign stump speech, how the FTC sues billionaires and wins and why what’s happening to him sends a chilling message to everybody.

All four pounded “the working class” theme which was followed by AOC and Sanders doing the exact same thing.  None of them defined what they meant by “the working class” but it was clear by the representation up there, it’s a very broad definition that clearly resonated with the 30K people present.  White, urban business liberalism Dems so beloved by an equally white, urban/suburban electorate, who are always looking for ways to disassociate with any form of organized labor, need to remember that.

Sanders said it was his largest rally and that included his presidential runs.  Hyperbole notwithstanding, the line to get into the gated area (which meant passing thru metal detectors) was 1/2 mile long.

AOC gave a positive shout out to all the CO (D) Federal-level people to include a reference to Petterson coming back to the House with her newborn for the CR vote.  Her best quip was saved for newly elected wingnut, Gabe Evans, from her rally in Greeley (in his district) earlier:

"I was just at Gabe Evans’ district earlier today, and 11,000 of his constituents would like a word with him".

Say what you will about Sanders (and we can across the spectrum of opinions), his presence isn’t really about what he’s saying or his problematic relationship to Democratic Party presidential politics, he and AOC (and I suspect it’s mostly AOC) are a liberal draw that’s drawing people in big numbers to remind everybody of one thing Sanders said in his remarks:

“People in this country have fought and died to create a democratic society and we’re not gonna let Trump take it away.”