Letters to Sanders, Clinton, and O’Malley about being bold oneconomic populism issues in the October 13 presidential debate
-----------------------------Sent from 3 national “arren !ing" progressi#e organi$ations on %hursday, Oct&' (CCC, )emocracy for *merica, and Mo#eOn
Dear Senator Sanders,As three national progressive movement organizations, we wanted to wish you well in the upcoming October 13 Democratic presidential debate – and put high on your radar some economic populism issues that our combined 10 million members hope to hear you proactivelybring up and address thoroughly during the debate!
)ebt-free college+
"ou have embraced debt#ree college #or students who attend all public colleges and universities and laid out your own plan to achieve it! Debt#ree college is critically important #or our nation$s #uture and polling shows it is one o# the most motivational issue #or voters! %e urge you to proactively discuss the idea that students should be able to graduate college with zero debt early in the debate!
pand Social Security+
"ou embraced e&panding Social Security early on! 'he days o# Democrats proposing cuts are close to over, and the debate is now about how to best help millions o# our grandparents and veterans by e&panding Social Security bene(ts! )olling shows e&panding Social Security is also a political winner #or Democrats, and we urge you to proactively discuss this issue early in the debate!
all Street+
"ou have proposed ma*or %all Street re#orm, criminal accountability #or %all
Street e&ecutives who brea+ the law, and appointments who will hold %all Street accountable! %e urge you to proactively discuss these popular %all Street topics early in the debate! %e$d especially urge you to e&plain why lizabeth %arren is right when she calls #or brea+ing up 'oo -ig 'o .ail ban+s and appointing a 'reasury Secretary, Attorney /eneral, S hair, economic advisors, and other +ey positions who will hold %all Street accountable!
.lac/ Li#es Matter+
"ouve put #orward a plat#orm designed to address the structural racism #aced by blac+ and brown people in this country including ending #orpro(t prisons, a priority that connects racial *ustice and economic populism! "ouve also ac+nowledged that li#eordeath racial *ustice issues such as a bro+en criminal *ustice system and police o2cers who abuse their power need to be solved in order #or people to live their lives and have a chance at economic opportunity! %e urge you to spea+ boldly about racial *ustice in the upcoming debate, citing speci(c policies that protect and value the lives o# people o# color! 'he above big ideas include some o# the top economicpopulist priorities o# the modern progressive movement – ones that ' moderators are still learning about and o#ten overloo+! -ecause these issues are important to millions o# #amilies and are +ey to motivating voters, we urge a special proactive approach to elevating them in the debate!4t is li+ely that other important issues will come up that are currently #ront and center in the news – such as gun sa#ety, the attac+s on )lanned )arenthood, big money in5uence in our politics, the 'rans)aci(c )artnership, and 4ran and Syria! %e hope that you and others give detailed answers in #avor o# strong gun laws, (rmly supporting women$s health, (rmly supporting campaign (nance re#orm, (rmly opposing a ')) written by and #or big corporations, and #or diplomacy instead o# wars o# choice!
'he topics you proactively elevate, and your substantive answers to 6uestions, will impact which issues dominate the 7018 election! 9illions o# people are loo+ing #or your leadership in these areas!Sincerely,)rogressive hange ampaign ommittee, Democracy .or America, 9oveOn!org
Dear /overnor O$9alley,As three national progressive movement organizations, we wanted to wish you well in the upcoming October 13 Democratic presidential debate – and put high on your radar some economic populism issues that our combined 10 million members hope to hear you proactivelybring up and address thoroughly during the debate!
)ebt-free college+
"ou have embraced debt#ree college #or students who attend all public colleges and universities and laid out your own plan to achieve it! Debt#ree college is critically important #or our nation$s #uture and polling shows it is one o# the most motivational issue #or voters! %e urge you to proactively discuss the idea that students should be able to graduate college with zero debt early in the debate!
pand Social Security+
"ou embraced e&panding Social Security early on! 'he days o# Democrats proposing cuts are close to over, and the debate is now about how to best help millions o# our grandparents and veterans by e&panding Social Security bene(ts! )olling shows e&panding Social Security is also a political winner #or Democrats, and we urge you to proactively discuss this issue early in the debate!
all Street+
"ou have proposed ma*or %all Street re#orm, criminal accountability #or %all
Street e&ecutives who brea+ the law, and appointments who will hold %all Street accountable! %e urge you to proactively discuss these popular %all Street topics early in the debate! %e$d especially urge you to e&plain why lizabeth %arren is right when she calls #or brea+ing up 'oo -ig 'o .ail ban+s and appointing a 'reasury Secretary, Attorney /eneral, S hair, economic advisors, and other +ey positions who will hold %all Street accountable!
.lac/ Li#es Matter+
"ouve put #orward a plat#orm designed to address the structural racism #aced by blac+ and brown people in this country including moving away #rom #orpro(t prisons, a priority that connects racial *ustice and economic populism! "ouve also ac+nowledged that li#eordeath racial *ustice issues such as a bro+en criminal *ustice system and police o2cers who abuse their power need to be solved in order #or people to live their lives and have a chance at economic opportunity! %e urge you to spea+ boldly about racial *ustice in the upcoming debate, citing speci(c policies that protect and value the lives o# peopleo# color! 'he above big ideas include some o# the top economicpopulist priorities o# the modern progressive movement – ones that ' moderators are still learning about and o#ten overloo+! -ecause these issues are important to millions o# #amilies and are +ey to motivating voters, we urge a special proactive approach to elevating them in the debate!4t is li+ely that other important issues will come up that are currently #ront and center in the news – such as gun sa#ety, the attac+s on )lanned )arenthood, big money in5uence in our politics, the 'rans)aci(c )artnership, and 4ran and Syria! %e hope that you and others give detailed answers in #avor o# strong gun laws, (rmly supporting women$s health, (rmly supporting campaign (nance re#orm, (rmly opposing a ')) written by and #or big corporations, and #or diplomacy instead o# wars o# choice! 'he topics you proactively elevate, and your substantive answers to 6uestions, will impact which issues dominate the 7018 election! 9illions o# people are loo+ing #or your leadership in these areas!Sincerely,9oveOn!org