In response to George Clooney's insanely expensive Clinton fundraiser, one dedicated Bernie Sanders supporter organized the "Dine with the 99" event on Facebook. While George Clooney collects hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Clinton campaign from individuals who want to share a table with him and Clinton on April 15, #FeelTheBern followers plan on uniting to create a movement. The potluck event, published to Facebook by Natasha Losada, couldn't be more characteristic of the anti-big-money candidate's platform. Losada welcomes all to participate and stresses that it's not a fundraiser — it's a grassroots movement.
WE THE PEOPLE are tired of big money buying our elections. Bernie does NOT need a fundraiser with millionaires, because he has millions of supporters willing to contribute small amounts to his campaign! Hillary may have a few millionaires but Bernie Sanders as a nation of millions! On the weekend of April 14 - April 17 people all over this country will host thousands of potluck events, events that we can ALL participate in.
According to Bustle's Amee LaTour, the crowdsourced event epitomizes Sanders' strong message that big money needs to move on out of the political sphere. As Sarah Silverman so colorfully stated in her most recent "Bernie Sanders Is the One for Me" promotional video, Sanders is the only candidate who has refuted what most Americans perceived to be a necessary evil of the political system: super PACs and the infiltration of their big bucks.
Where all the other candidates are getting gigantic sums of money from billionaires in an unspoken but inevitable exchange for favors and influence over policy, Bernie is not for sale.
As opposed to accepting money from big-name celebrities and Wall Street banks, Sanders has received the majority of his support from small, individual donations that don't amount to more than $30 on average. In fact, only 649 of his over 1.3 million supporters donated the maximum $2,700 to his campaign. If you're interested in expanding upon the movement by throwing a "Dine with the 99" event yourself, here's what you need to know:
1) When?
Potlucks should be scheduled between April 14 and April 17, according to Losada. That's the same weekend Clooney will be holding his Clinton campaign fundraising events.
2) What?
Anything! Losada lists some occasions around which you can center the event including meals, coffee breaks, and barbecues. But the options are endless. It could be a neighborhood get-together, a casual dinner party, or (attn: millennials) even a college party. Just make it potluck style so that each person contributes to the good of everyone else in true Bernie fashion.
3) How?
You can make the event official by registering it here. Losada provides specific guidelines:
Type: Volunteer Meeting or ActivityTitle: PotluckforBernieDescription: Bernie described George Clooney's fundraiser for HRC as "disgusting" and I agree! In response, let's have have down-home potluck. Join me to eat and talk about why we LOVE Bernie Sanders!
4) Disclaimer
Though individuals are free to donate to Sanders' campaign, Losada warns that your event will be deleted if you mention money. Based on the campaign's records, the average donor contributed $27 dollars.
5) Getting The Word Out
If you want your potluck to be the party everyone remembers, promote it on social media using #PotluckForBernie, #DineWithThe99, #NotMeUs, or #FeelTheBern. You can find the official Facebook event here.
