irene

The two people listed in miniVAN weren’t home; the husband of one of our contacts answered the door, was hostile, & refused to let me leave lit. I was going to thank him and move on, when he spat that there’s no politician who actually care about me, him, or any of us.

He was really worked up and angry and told me that he hasn’t voted in 7 years and had no plans to. “Politicians only care about their own power and lining their pockets.” He was skeptical when I said that Bernie has been saying this very thing for

for several decades and it’s one of the reasons I believe so deeply in his candidacy. He responded that this work—getting people out to vote—is an utter waste. As an indigenous immigrant (now citizen) from Mexico w/out a college degree, he derisively noted

that the so-called educated people in Congress, who only look down on people like him, have no understanding of how much ordinary working people suffer. Every nice campaign speech is a lie. He brought up how Obama made so many promises to make our lives better, but that Obamacare

had done nothing to change his circumstances—he hasn’t been able to afford to see a doctor or dentist in years. That was when he said the only politician who is different, who has his respect, is “his president,” Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It was a huge opening, and I took it!

We chatted about universal health care as a human right; of recognition of indigenous peoples as a matter of human dignity; how utterly racist and degrading so many people in this country can be; and how the two-party system serves only the elite & wealthy powers that be.

(It also helped that I could mention that AMLO really likes Bernie!!) Over 20-25 minutes, he shared his frustration and disillusionment and rage; I listened and could respond, honestly, that Bernie is uniquely positioned to build a multiracial working class movement and alter the

balance of power that immiserates and impoverishes so many of us and then expects us to be grateful. He asked if I would leave some lit, and then asked, sort of unexpectedly, if I was a Catholic. I told him yes, he excused himself, and came back to the door.

I don’t know if he’ll caucus this Monday, or if I changed his mind about electoral politics. But I think it matters that there is something so special about Bernie that people can let themselves believe, for a moment, that we can all be hopeful for a better world.