2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders Has Already Won California
DAVID DAYEN
New Republic
Does the outcome of next Tuesdays California primary matter? Conventional wisdom says no; news outlets are already pinpointing the precise time of the evening when Hillary Clinton will clinch the nomination that evening with victories elsewherethree hours before the polls close in the Golden State.
Naturally, this perturbs Bernie Sanders fans, who see it as one more way the Democratic nomination contest has been rigged from the start. But they should know that the election in California is of critical importancenot to deciding the 2016 Democratic nomination (already a done deal), but to determining the future of the Democratic Party. The coalition Sanders has assembled in California, and the way hes campaigned in the state, is a sneak preview of the next generation of liberal politics, in a state thats always seen as a bellwether for the rest of the nation. In a sense, the final vote tally really doesnt matterbecause, in the most important and lasting ways, Sanders has already won California.
You have the power to choose a new direction for the Democratic Party, Sanders says in California, the aptly named ad hes been running in the state. It sounds like typical political happy talk, but his campaign has actually borne it out. Sanders has camped out in California for weeks, campaigning in spots that havent welcomed Democrats in many years, including Central Valley towns like Visalia and Vista and Bakersfield and Santa Maria, which are now between 45 and 70 percent Latino.
Demographically, California represents the Democratic Partys future. Latino voters in the state are young, in many cases the sons and daughters of immigrants who were born and raised elsewhere. And these voters have been engaged by an explicitly progressive message. That will matter long after this presidential race is over. Assuming that national Democrats dont completely alienate the Latino electorate, the changing face of Californias voter population will determine a new generation of leadership. A realignment is happening in California, where the most powerful politicians in the stateJerry Brown, Dianne Feinstein, and Barbara Boxer are all septuagenarians or older, and either termed out, retiring, or on the way. (To those watching the Democrats geriatric presidential primary, this may sound familiar). Young, ambitious, and (mostly) nonwhite politicians will fill those seats, and could lead the nation someday. At the least, theyll lead the biggest chunk of liberal America, whose ideas and policies will resonate across the country.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)Back to Vermont he goes..
SoCalMusicLover
(3,194 posts)I hope all of the Hillary Clinton supporters enjoy the Tight Race between her and Trump over the next few months. The last thing the Democratic party was going to do, was deny Hillary her birthright to get the nomination and make a run for the Presidency.
G-D help this country if we end up with Trump. But regardless, I don't expect ANYTHING to change under a Clinton administration. More gridlock, more confrontations between Executive & Legislative Branch. And more wealth going to the top 1%. Happy Days Once Again!!
99Forever
(14,524 posts)....of the brilliant strategy of "Win the battle and lose the war."
Bravo! Bravo!
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)apparently you have a time machine.
asuhornets
(2,405 posts)mac56
(17,566 posts)Is this an admission that Hillary is not liberal?
asuhornets
(2,405 posts)msongs
(67,405 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)The article is about Bernie's influence on attitudes; it doesn't discuss the electoral system.
anotherproletariat
(1,446 posts)As we all know, Hillary doesn't need to win CA. But she does need Sanders to work just as hard as she did after she lost in 2008.
randome
(34,845 posts)That's why his campaign hasn't taken off. If you can't build coalitions, assemble working groups and get people on board with your goals, you're not Presidential material. He did a lot of good during his 25 years in the Senate. But he didn't do any groundwork for the Primary.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)It's less than 30% GOP voters and we pass legislation that makes us practically Denmark. If we can ever get more of the cuts reversed from the Arnold years, we will be on a great path. He needs to stay in his lane.