Dear Bernie and AOC,
You’re the leaders we want and need, and I’m hoping you’ll post a video a day, and give us a blueprint for taking over the Democratic Party. Their popularity is 30 percent, and they have only raised $15 million, whereas the Republican Party has raised $85 million, and who knows what other money Trump is providing from his extortion schemes. Democrats are providing no leadership, are clueless, and spineless.
My Democratic politicians won’t make waves within the party. It’s obvious that sending emails to Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, and Ted Lieu, will result in nothing. They are firmly entrenched in the Party, which is failing. We must change to move forward. And, all three are on the wrong side of history about Israel. Schiff is Jewish and so am I. But, I am opposed to Netanyahu, and giving any aid to weaponize Israel. I am also opposed to starving Palestinians. And, all three men have taken money from the American-Isaeli PAC, as have so many Democrats.
For the first time in September, Jeffries accepted the endorsement of J Street, a left-leaning organization, which is critical of Israel. But, Jeffries didn’t vow to stop taking money from AIPAC, which provided him with $1.2 million in 2024, and gave Schumer $1.7 million.
Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are a lost cause. After the last budget debacle, when Schumer betrayed all of us, and not only voted to keep the government open, but called other Democrats to join him, wrote an Opinion piece for the NYT, saying that as a leader, he made the hard decision and he was right, and did broadcast interviews detailing his so-called leadership abilities. Then, he called every Senator to apologize and make sure they would continue supporting him, and when he wasn’t voted out, I knew we were screwed. It was an emergency then, and no one in Congress would vote to remove Schumer, and now both of them have proven their incompetence.
On the day of Schumer’s betrayal, the first two people who posted videos, saying it was a betrayal, were the two of you. And, you both blasted Schumer, when no one else did. You expressed the feelings of rage that we shared, and told us we had to continue fighting. And, afterwards, you two were out there, at rally after rally, uplifting people spirits, encouraging participation and providing leadership. But, two people weren’t enough to change the Democratic Party. Times have changed, and other Congressional Democrats must join us or lose us. Yours are the only voices I trust.
Schumer and Jeffries had the last six months to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan so that we would have leverage against Trump and Republicans, come September. BUT THEY DID NOTHING.
At the time, I wrote that the best way to proceed was what you were doing: Set up rallies in red states or red districts in blue states. I suggested we needed to blanket these areas, and explain to voters (like you do) what we’ve done wrong, some of the worst Trump policies, and what our plan for governance is. And, this needed to be accompanied by a social media campaign, except we don’t have anyone capable of doing it, but you two, and Jasmine Crockett, but I’m not sure if she’s in sync with you.
In terms of our plan for governance, we don’t have one. Democratic leadership says they want working class voters, but they are doing nothing to satisfy any of their needs. They may need more older voters, but are doing nothing to satisfy our needs. Their policies, and lack of knowledge and usage of social media, doesn’t endear them to younger voters. Their position on Israel is wrong.
Our donors aren’t giving money, because they too, are worried about the “leftists,” as Democratic centrists and Trump define us. We’re not all leftists. As you say in your rallies, it’s no longer a question of progressives versus centrists. It’s the “fighters versus the cavers.” And most of us are fighters, but few Congressional Democrats are. Or they are so uptight, they are unable to relate to voters.
And, maybe it’s a good thing, because then our donors won’t be determining our policies. Right now, too many Democrats are beholden to corporate donors and rich people. And, their concerns are not ours. We need American voters, who believe in our democracy to stand together, and our tent must be big enough to include Independent and former Trump voters, who aren’t part of the MAGA cult.
And, our message cannot be: “We are not Trump.” Surely, there are issues we can all agree on.
At your rallies, you mostly speak to the working class, but it’s more than them. I’m 75 years old and now a widow, with an adult son, who has health issues, and can’t work. My late husband and I worked all of our lives to be able to buy our home, and save money for our retirement. But, everything is more expensive now, and there is no income to supplement what I get from social security. If I lose my social security and Medicare, and my health insurance policy rises, I will end up losing our home, and my son will have no future.
The fact is that no one in Congress is talking to me—but you. And, they have been acting like there is no emergency…as Trump has been destroying our freedoms and our healthcare, committing crime after crime, targeting immigrants, enriching himself and his fellow billionaires, using the DOJ and the FBI to seek revenge, selling our personal information, glorying a white supremacist, who stood for everything I am against, and blaming the “radical left” for the violence that has been caused by the extreme right, and lately by armed Trump supporters.
And, now the country has shut down. Republicans have taken out ads in 42 states blaming us. And Schumer and Jeffries are doing interview after interview talking about themselves, rather than about our needs and providing any reassurance, because they still have no plan. A few days ago, Schumer said he was been waiting for a phone call from Trump. Is he an effing moron or what?
We can’t wait for Trump to call Schumer, and truthfully, I don’t want either Schumer or Jeffries to negotiate on my behalf. We can’t wait for the 2026 election. We can’t wait for Democrats to act, who plan on running for President. We need leadership now, and it must come from you!
BERNIE AND AOC, I’M WITH YOU! WE’RE WITH YOU. PLEASE GIVE US SOME DIRECTION!
P.S. I’m writing this on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in Judaism. I no longer attend services, but I use the day for contemplation. Today, I’m making an exception. If I’m smote down, it will confirm there is a god, and she’s pissed as hell at me. But, I feel like we’re engaged in a war for our democracy, and the entire Democratic Party, but the two of you, are MIA.