AE: We had early internal discussions about engaging in the Democratic primary, but we realized simply sending down an edict from our leadership, in the way that many groups this election have done, would seem "undemocratic."
We think of ourselves as part of a broader progressive community and that our voice is an amplification of that community. Taking that into account, we decided the best route was to pursue direct democracy and allow our supporters to weigh in. As hundreds upon hundreds of votes began pouring in, the results were staggering. Bernie Sanders ended up garnering 97% of the public vote, a rather astounding mandate from our followers. With that mandate in hand, the path forward was clear: join the revolution.
JB: That is impressive! You surpassed the very lopsided support Bernie got from the rank and file membership of MoveOn, which endorsed him a while back. Which brings me to my next question. For many, including the Democratic leadership, Bernie's chief rival, and the media pundits, this race is all but over. Why weigh in now? Or, put another way, why did the Agenda Project wait so long to give its very welcome endorsement when it might have done more good a bit earlier?
AE: Well, of course, the media pundits want to declare this race over. For one, they are chomping at the bit to try to boost their ratings with a Clinton and Trump general election showdown. Also, quite frankly, what Bernie Sanders is saying about the media establishment and having wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share of taxes scares the crap out of the establishment press and the elite individuals who own those media outlets.
Let's be clear though: this race is far from over. About 25 states and territories have yet to have their say in the process and the map ahead is very favorable to the Sanders campaign. We saw that strength last night where we won Utah and Idaho by nearly 60 point margins. The name of the game is delegates and with states such as California, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey yet to vote -- there are more than enough left for him to pull off many more victories and overcome his deficit with pledged delegates. As for timing, we think that our endorsement also carries that important, implicit message: this race is far, far from over -- in fact it is only truly just beginning. The Sanders campaign will take this all the way to the Democratic National Convention in July, where we believe we may see one of the greatest political upsets in modern history.
Even beyond the simply electoral dynamics, what Bernie Sanders is proposing as far as policy is the direction America must move in to ensure our continued growth and prosperity in the 21st century. He has united a movement, that no matter the results at the end of the day, can and MUST continue beyond any individual election. The millions of Bernie Sanders supporters need to remain engaged after 2016 because, even with a President Sanders in the White House, it will take a groundswell of public pressure to ensure our agenda can be implemented. That is very much something we wanted to be a part of.
JB: That works for me. Has the Agenda Project endorsed presidential candidates in the past? If so, have you ever had such a clear mandate?
AE: This is the first presidential endorsement the Agenda Project Action Fund has ever issued. We hope that in and of itself sends a clear message about just how important the organization and an overwhelming number of our supporters view this primary election. Progressive policy is shaping the race in a way that many never would've thought possible. We would not have been able to sit on the sidelines during this debate without feeling as if we betrayed our founding principle, which is to champion these very policies that are being discussed.
JB: Interesting. How long as the Agenda Project Action Fund been around?
AE: The organization was initially formed in 2010, by my predecessor Erica Payne. After years of successful campaigns and organization building under her leadership, I took over as the group's president at the very end of last year. I joined the organization after a seven-year stint with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), where I served as their Communications Director, PAC Manager, and Congressional Lobbyist.
JB: Really? I can feel another interview coming on, Erik. So much to talk about! Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
AE: Absolutely! It has been a great discussion and would love to come back again any time.
I suppose my closing thought would be this:
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