Birdie & Bernie: A Conversation

On July 13th, 2016, in response to Bernie’s appearance in New Hampshire, along side his opponent, we posted this image and the following story as The Daily Good Morning. Millions of views and comments later, “Birdie & Bernie: A Conversation” is now a part of the Bernie lore.

Our beyond thanks to everybody who has liked, shared, cried, written to us, and expressed that which we stand together in:

#ForeverBernie

The piece is available as a poster HERE

We found that “going viral” means our artwork gets stolen.

Multiple parties started making unauthorized shirts of the image. So, to cut that off, and to be able to donate some of the proceeds to down-ticket progressive candidates, we started selling our own high-quality shirts HERE

Bernie and Birdie: A Conversation The two friends, made in Oregon, and traveling together across the land in story and song, reflect on a difficult day... Birdie: How're you feeling? Bernie: There's still work to do. Birdie: How many times have you said that over the past forty years? Bernie: Well, if I had a dollar for every time...we'd not have needed any contributions to run the campaign. Some truths hold. Which as a phrase itself, holds in the air for a while. Birdie: Some folks have said they want their contributions back. Bernie tucks his head a little lower, but keeps walking at the same pace. Bernie: Shows just how much a minimum fifteen dollar minimum wage is needed. Supporting this or any movement can hurt in many ways...it shouldn't have to be financially painful as well. Birdie: They'll eventually see that the money was well spent - that it brought all of these needed ideas of change to the forefront. Better to purchase a political revolution than to buy a President. Bernie: You're starting to sound a bit like me, Birdie. Birdie: Fair game when your species starts to tweet. Bernie grins that grin we've all come to love - the one in which we realize that even in the fire and struggle, there's a man underneath who truly, deeply, cares about us all. Birdie: What next? Bernie: What now. There's still a present to be opened. There's still work to do. He pauses again. A bit of the gleam now, a bit of the fist raises in his eye. Bernie: We'll hold her to task. Every time today with "Hillary believes...". Now she can either follow through or be seen as not keeping her word. Birdie: But all your ideas, coming out of her mouth. Bernie: Ideas are owned by everybody who wants to keep them safe. Make them come to life. There's a lull. They keep walking as Birdie notices that Bernie has tilted his head, as if listening to something externally, and trying to keep it internal. And Birdie is correct. Bernie hears the voices, the words being spoken, the epithets being hurled. Birdie: History will be kind to you. Bernie: It's that wonderful Debs quote, "Too long have the workers of the world waited for some Moses to lead them out of bondage. He has not come; he never will come. I would not lead you out if I could; for if you could be led out, you could be led back again." Birdie: Moses led them to the mountain, but not into the promised land. Bernie: Everybody activates differently. Some through anger. Some through fear. Some through love. For some, today was necessary - to defeat the oligarchy, we have to also defeat my name. Birdie: And you're ok with that? Bernie pauses. Looks out over the field. Bernie: It was never about me. Birdie: I knew I landed on your sign for a reason. Bernie: And that is? Birdie: Because I knew you would never cause me, or us, harm. And with that, this chapter ends...and a new one begins. #ForeverBernie