A PARTY DIVIDED

[HereSince1628]

4. isn't this rather like what Martin Luther faced with the catholic church?

This is what reform movements do at long last.

They finally rise up and face the Establishment and in so doing they find everything in the establishment is stacked against them.

Martin Luther tacked his list of objections onto a church door. Sanders has called out his objections to throngs of people who cheered them because they already feel the same way.

The path to recognition and influence will take winning some elections. But we don't need to win majorities in every legislature in the land. We only need to win a small groups upon which the success of others depends. When we have that, the others will lobby and court influence.

Influence (and donor support) attracts politicians, it's what their livelihood depends on. Others will seek what wins for others.

At the federal level, we need about 5 US Senators, we need around 20 Congressional representatives.

We look to be already 1/5th of the way with the Senate with Feingold who looks good to be elected in Nov.

This is a doable problem if 'we' hang on and work together judging success over longer timeframes and across larger geographic areas than voters typically work.

If the 2018 midterms look healthy for reform, it will look even better in 2020, '22, and '24.

Epiphanies change thinking in an instant, reform takes a little longer