Lawyer for Walter Scott Family Switches Sides to Endorse Bernie Sanders

[dixiegrrrrl]

The lawyer for the family of Walter L. Scott, who was fatally shot by a police officer in South Carolina, is withdrawing his support from Hillary Clinton and endorsing Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Monday afternoon.

The lawyer, State Representative Justin T. Bamberg of South Carolina, said he is switching sides because he believes Mrs. Clinton embodies establishment politics, while Mr. Sanders offers a bolder platform that will improve the lives of people in the South and across the country. The endorsement could help Mr. Sanders as he tries to win more support from black voters — especially in South Carolina — in the series of southern states that hold contests after Iowa and New Hampshire, where he is well positioned.
“Hillary Clinton is more a representation of the status quo when I think about politics or about what it means to be a Democrat,” said Mr. Bamberg, who initially endorsed Mrs. Clinton in December. “Bernie Sanders on the other hand is bold. He doesn’t think like everyone else. He is not afraid to call things as they are.”

In April in North Charleston, a police officer, Michael T. Slager, fatally shot Mr. Scott, 50, as he ran from the officer. Video of the shooting went viral and a grand jury in June indicted Mr. Slager on a murder charge.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/25/lawyer-for-walter-scott-family-switches-sides-to-endorse-bernie-sanders/

[Gothmog]

1. The Endorsement Primary

I am amused by Sanders supporters who want to talk about endorsement. Nate Silver's 538 website is keeping track of the endorsements that count http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/

In presidential primaries, endorsements have been among the best predictors of which candidates will succeed and which will fail. So we’re keeping track.

Hillary Clinton 459
Bernie Sanders 2
Martin O'Malley 1

Before any votes are cast, presidential candidates compete for the support of influential members of their party, especially elected officials like U.S. representatives, senators and governors. During the period known as the “invisible primary,” these “party elites” seek to coalesce around the candidates they find most acceptable as their party’s nominee. Over the past few decades, when these elites have reached a consensus on the best candidate, rank-and-file voters have usually followed.

Of course, not all endorsements are equally valuable. We use a simple weighting system: 10 points for governors, 5 points for U.S. senators and 1 point for U.S. representatives (there are roughly five times as many representatives as senators and 10 times as many representatives as governors).

These are the endorsements that will matter

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. 10 points for governors, 5 points for U.S. senators and 1 point for U.S. representatives

ahhh yes.....the ones in power now.
that's the problem.

[Gothmog]

3. I trust Nate Silver on this issue