Why is the AOC/Bernie tour bringing out such huge crowds?
Several reasons, including one I think is really important
In a life time long ago and far away, a small group of us founded the Innovation Network* (see Innovation DNA below) using a bunch of c-words … challenge, creativity, communication, collaboration, contemplation. Since that magical time which ended in 2008 as corporations were forced to focus on surviving rather than innovating, I’ve noticed that c-words are often the foundation of many change initiatives.
In today’s bizarre political world where most of the news tends to be worse and worser, there is an oddly bright light coming from an unexpected place, a light that is drawing crowds harkening back to Obama days. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representtive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embarked on a “Fight Oligarchy” tour.
OLIGARCHY … I have to admit that I only had a slippery grasp of what the word “oligarchy” meant. For me, it was related to Russia and greedy business people who gobbled up all the assets of the former USSR.
Over time, I’ve come to define it as a small group of people who want to control the majority for their own benefit. It is most often applied to billionaire-wealthy corporate owners who want to avoid taxes and regulations they don’t like.
For all of you still chewing on this concept, below is a video snap shot of Bernie and his reasons for fighting the oligarchy … the wealthy corporate multi-billionaires who seem to believe it is their “divine right” to control their worlds.
What makes this hazardous to all of us is, as Bernie says,
“They don’t want ordinary people and democracy getting in their way.
They want it all.”
This video made me feel stronger and more committed to the fight we have ahead of us. A fight that will determine what kind of world we leave for the children of our future.
Crowds in Denver, Tucson, Las Vegas …
There is no election coming up … why are so many people coming to these events?
Some possible reasons:
AOC and Bernie are secretly wealthy and can afford to fly thousands of paid demonstrators around from city to city. (Well, that’s one claim that’s being made.)
People are tired of their congressperson not showing up for town halls to explain what’s going on with the DOGEing of our government systems. (Definitely a factor.)
They are genuinely concerned and confused about what’s going on in our government since the new Trump administration took over. (Who isn’t?)
They trust AOC and Bernie to tell them the truth and give them hope. (Bingo.)
Trust is not a c-word but it emerges from Consistency, Competency, Compassion, Communication, and Courage.
Bernie Sanders, sometimes called “the greatest US president we never had,” has been in Congress for over 30 years and millions of us got to know him when he ran for President during the 2016 campaign. His principles of rejecting large donations and his call for healthcare-for-all lured many of us into action as we caught a glimpse of the possibilities of a government actually “for the people.”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has attracted attention since her first day in office six years ago. The story of how she got there is outlined by Wikipedia:
During the 2016 primary, Ocasio-Cortez worked as an organizer for Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign. After the general election, she traveled across America by car, visiting places such as Flint, Michigan, and Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota, and speaking to people affected by the Flint water crisis and the Dakota Access Pipeline.
In an interview she recalled her December 2016 visit to Standing Rock as a tipping point, saying that before that, she had believed that the only way to run for office effectively was to have access to wealth, social influence, and power. But her visit to North Dakota, where she saw others "putting their whole lives and everything that they had on the line for the protection of their community", inspired her to begin to work for her own community.
She began her campaign in April 2017 while waiting tables and tending bar at Flats Fix, a taqueria in New York City's Union Square.
"For 80 percent of this campaign, I operated out of a paper grocery bag hidden behind that bar," she told Bon Appétit. She faced a financial disadvantage, saying, "You can't really beat big money with more money. You have to beat them with a totally different game."
She undertook a grassroots mobilization and did not take donations from corporations and won against the 10-term incumbant with 57.13% of the vote.
Even before they began their tour together, I had decided that AOC and Bernie would be my first Democracy Heroes. In a recent speech by AOC, she touched me deeply when she talked about our government being “the promises we make to each other.” Each of them makes me want to be a better citizen and help fulfill the promises that were planted in our founding.
Both Bernie and AOC are outspoken, passionate activists,
fighting for the average, working class American with compassion and courage.
We trust them to fight for us and tell us the truth.
Videos:
Massive Crowd Shows Up For Bernie Sanders And AOC Rally In Denver
56,646 views Mar 22, 2025 (YouTube)
More than 34,000 people turned out as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders took their ‘Fight the Oligarchy’ tour to Denver, Colorado, according to organizers. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez said it was the largest political rally in the city since Barack Obama held a campaign there in 2008, and Sanders said it was “the largest rally” he had ever had.
LIVE: Fighting Oligarchy Tour with AOC And Bernie Sanders (TUCSON)
107,770 views Streamed live on Mar 22, 2025 (YouTube)
Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Greg Casar deliver speeches in Tucson Arizona on the Fighting Oligarchy Tour. This video covers the entire presentation.
How are YOU?
From everything I’m learning, overcoming an authoritarian regime is most effectively done when about 3.5% of the people engage in peaceful protest … speaking up, marching, writing letters, going to rallies, talking to friends and relatives, contributing in any way that works for you.
To do any of that, you have to take care of yourself. So, I would love to hear how you’re taking care of yourself and how you are engaging in this fight for our future.
Thank you, Joyce, for all you do and for highlighting these two people. We must keep sharing. You are an inspiration and a beacon of light.
I moved from Arizona three years ago and was happy to watch the video and see the crowd they drew!
We must find a way to disenfranchise all the cowardly Dems in Washington DC and get more AOCs and Crocketts elected