January 12, 2016

The Top 5 Reasons MoveOn Members Voted to Endorse Bernie (with the Most Votes and Widest Margin in Our History)

By Ilya Sheyman, Executive Director, MoveOn.org Political Action

With a record-setting 78.6 percent of 340,665 votes cast by the MoveOn membership, Senator Bernie Sanders has won MoveOn.org Political Action’s endorsement for president with the largest total and widest margin in MoveOn history.

MoveOn.org only endorses candidates based on votes by our members. Our only previous presidential endorsement during a Democratic primary was for Barack Obama, in early 2008. In 2004, no Democratic candidate reached the threshold for an endorsement.

Here are 5 of the top reasons MoveOn members support Bernie and will mobilize to get out the vote on his behalf in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other crucial early states.

1. Bernie’s lifelong commitment to standing up to corporate and 1% interests to fight for an economy where everyone has a fair shot.

“His refusal to accept the status quo of the wealthiest Americans using their power to influence politicians matters to me. If we’re going to push back against the rising oligarchy in our country, we need people like Bernie Sanders representing us in government.”

– MoveOn member Matt R., Reston, VA

At the core of Bernie’s campaign is a commitment to fixing an economic system that has been rigged in favor of giant corporations and the wealthiest few and that is making economic inequality worse.

Bernie’s campaign is funded by more than a million ordinary Americans chipping in whatever they can afford — not by billionaires or corporate SuperPACs. In our endorsement vote exit poll, one of the words MoveOn members most frequently used to describe him was “integrity.” He isn’t beholden to lobbyists and corporate interests, and it shows in the positions he’s taken, from fighting to break up too-big-to-fail Wall Street banks, to tuition-free public higher education, to expanding Social Security, to fighting for bold solutions on climate change and a $15-hour minimum wage.

In short, MoveOn members support Bernie Sanders because they believe they can trust him to stand up to powerful interests and fight for what’s right.

2. He’s standing up for justice for communities facing oppression.

“In a nutshell, he exemplifies the ‘We the People’ style of democracy I believe in. He has stood by and with the people, supporting women, people of color, LGBTQ, seniors, and the poor against those who look to subjugate these historically oppressed groups for profit.”

– MoveOn member Natalie R., Claremont, CA

Bernie is fighting for racial justice by calling to demilitarize police, invest in community policing, end the drug war and tackle the epidemic of mass incarceration, and restore voting rights gutted by federal courts. On immigration, Sanders proposes allowing undocumented immigrants to purchase health care through the Affordable Care Act, dismantling inhumane deportation programs and private detention centers, and a path to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans. He’s fighting for equal pay for women and to expand and protect reproductive rights, and has pledged to only nominate Supreme Court justices who support Roe v. Wade.

3. He’ll say no to permanent war.

“He represents integrity. He was also right about Iraq and I prefer his stance on foreign policy. I feel that he is concerned with getting our country on track and not getting us in more wars.”

– MoveOn member Janekee C., Davenport, FL

Bernie Sanders has been a strong, consistent voice for the principle that war should always be a last resort. He had the foresight to vote against authorizing the war in Iraq in 2002, was a strong supporter of the nuclear deal to prevent war with Iran, and has been a voice of reason against escalation in Syria and other conflicts around the world.

A diplomacy-first foreign policy has long been one of MoveOn members’ top priorities, and Bernie has consistently stood with us against costly, needless, and unwise military escalation that puts our nation’s security and values at risk.

4. Electability: This election will hinge on turnout, and Bernie is inspiring and mobilizing the communities it’ll take to win.

“I have never been as excited about a candidate as I am about Bernie Sanders. His liberal values match my own values more closely than any other candidate. I respect Bernie Sander’s independence from corporate influence. His focus on social justice and addressing the economic inequality in this country make him the candidate for me.”

– MoveOn member Megan W., Poulsbo, WA

Bernie’s campaign is inspiring millions of people to enter the political process for the first time, including young people and other members of the “rising American electorate” who the eventual Democratic nominee will need to mobilize in order to win in November. He’s raised money from more contributors than any candidate in history at this stage in the primary process, and massive crowds have turned out to see him across the country. Part of why MoveOn members are supporting Bernie is that his agenda excites and inspires them, and they see it doing the same for others.

Experts agree that the general election will hinge on voter turnout. If the Obama coalition can be inspired to vote, Democrats will retain the White House. But if the electorate looks like it did in 2014, when Republicans gained ground across the country and seized control of the Senate, Democrats will be in trouble.

Not only do some new polls this week show Bernie leading the Democratic field in Iowa and New Hampshire, they also show him to be the Democratic candidate who performs best against various hypothetical Republican nominees.

MoveOn members support Bernie because they know his message has broad support and that he is well positioned to win the White House in a general election.

5. Putting members in the driver’s seat is what MoveOn does, and a whopping 79 percent voted to endorse Bernie.

“I voted for MoveOn.org to endorse Bernie Sanders for president because he represents the progressive movement like this organization. His views align perfectly with my own — wealth inequality, a living wage, job creation, Wall Street reform, racial justice, women’s and LBGT rights, college without debt, climate change, and peaceful solutions to prevent war, such as his support for the Iran deal.”

– MoveOn member Terri D., Brookfield, WI

Finally, MoveOn is endorsing Bernie for president because MoveOn is our members. MoveOn only endorses candidates for office after formal membership votes, and in this case, the outcome of our internal democratic process was overwhelming: the vast majority of voting MoveOn members want the organization to support Bernie, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’ve pledged to run a 100% positive campaign. And then regardless of who wins the nomination, MoveOn will support the eventual Democratic nominee in the general election to keep a Republican out of the White House, because the vast majority of members have made clear that it’s what they want MoveOn to do.

More than 340,000 MoveOn members participated in our endorsement process. Sanders won with 267,750 votes, or 78.6 percent. “Fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton garnered 49,811 votes (14.6 percent). Martin O’Malley earned 2,949 votes (0.9 percent). There were also 20,155 MoveOn members, or 5.9 percent, who voted against MoveOn making an endorsement now.

Bernie’s vote total and percentage are MoveOn records — the best any presidential candidate has performed in our 17-year history.

In short, MoveOn members #FeelTheBern and are going to mobilize in a big way to turn out the voters Bernie needs to win in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other early primary states. Let’s demonstrate the impact of progressive people power. Click here to join our MoveOn for Bernie campaign.

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January 5, 2016

MoveOn to Launch Presidential Endorsement Vote on Thursday

UPDATE: VOTING HAS NOW STARTED. CAST YOUR BALLOT AT MOVEON.ORG/2016PREZENDORSE

Vote open to full MoveOn membership will begin at noon Eastern on Thursday and run through 2:59 a.m. Eastern Monday morning; vote continues MoveOn’s history of putting members in driver’s seat on key decisions.

WASHINGTON, DC — MoveOn.org Political Action announced today that it will hold a formal vote of its membership to determine whether the organization will endorse a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination prior to the first caucuses and primaries.

In order for a candidate to earn MoveOn’s endorsement, she or he must win at least two-thirds of the vote in a four-way ballot between Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders, and a “do not endorse” option. The vote opens at noon Eastern on Thursday and will run until 2:59 a.m. Eastern Monday morning.

“A key reason MoveOn exists is to elevate ordinary people’s voices in our democracy, which has been rigged by the undue influence of big money and powerful interests—and that’s exactly what this vote is about,” said Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action. “This vote gives millions of MoveOn members across the country a chance to weigh in on the presidential race prior to the Iowa caucuses, and if there is substantial alignment among our membership, MoveOn will endorse and work to elect the candidate MoveOn members support.”

In 2004, MoveOn declined to endorse any Democratic candidate for president during the primaries after a vote of the membership showed Howard Dean leading with 44 percent, but no candidate meeting the endorsement threshold. In 2008, shortly before the Super Tuesday primaries, MoveOn members endorsed Barack Obama with a vote of 70 percent and then raised funds and mobilized volunteers to support him.

If MoveOn members vote to endorse a candidate now, MoveOn will mobilize to help that candidate win. And regardless of whether MoveOn members endorse a candidate during the primaries, after the Democratic National Convention this summer, MoveOn plans to go all out to keep a Republican out of the White House—in line with what members around the country have called for.

The rules for MoveOn’s 2016 endorsement vote follow.

Rules:

1. Voting is open to anyone who has been a MoveOn member prior to the start of the voting period. While any person may cast a ballot, only the votes of MoveOn members prior to the start of the vote will be counted.
2. You may change your vote as many times as you like, but only your final vote will be counted.
3. Members will be asked to choose between endorsing Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders, and making no endorsement.
4. Voting opens Thursday, January 7 at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT and closes at 2:59 a.m. ET Monday, January 11 / 11:59 p.m. PT Sunday, January 10.
5. This is a big decision, and one thing we’ve heard loud and clear from MoveOn members is that it’s important for us to stand together. To win the 2016 presidential endorsement of MoveOn members, a candidate must earn a supermajority—67%, or, technically, 66.67%—of votes cast. If no candidate hits that threshold, we won’t endorse in the Democratic presidential primary.
6. If an endorsement is made, we’ll run a 100% positive campaign for that candidate.
7. No matter who’s endorsed in the primary, if members choose to make an endorsement, we’ve heard loud and clear that MoveOn members of all stripes want us to work to support the Democratic nominee in keeping a Republican out of the White House–and we’ll do that.
8. We’ll announce the results on Tuesday, January 12 after a secure confirmation of the ballots cast.
   

HOW TO VOTE:

If you already regularly receive emails from MoveOn.org, you are a member and eligible to vote. You will receive a ballot via email when voting starts.

If you are not sure if you are a member or know you are not yet a member and would like to become one prior to the start of voting, simply signing any MoveOn Petition or filling out the “your email*” box on the MoveOn.org homepage and then clicking the “Join MoveOn” button will ensure that you are added as a member and that you will receive a ballot.

FOR MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA:

If you are a member of the news media seeking more information, please contact Brian Stewart at press@moveon.org.


MoveOn.org Political Action, a federal PAC, is focused on running powerful progressive advocacy campaigns and demonstrating MoveOn members’ power at the ballot box by electing candidates who reflect MoveOn members’ values.