http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/09/bernie-and-the-super-delegates/
by Nathan Riley
A specter is haunting
Democratic superdelegates – the specter of Obama in 2008 – the members of
Congress, the governors the political consultants, the journalists, and
lobbyists entered into an alliance to anoint Hillary Clinton, the first woman
to succeed the first black.
But victory eludes Clinton; in
Michigan Bernie had a surprising win. It calls Hillary’s popularity into
question. If she can’t enlist the support of Democratic primary voters, how can
she convince the nation? Clinton’s early lead evaporated. Bernie took first
with a last minute surge. The more the voters learned about him the more they
liked him.
Superdelegates are Democratic
elected officials and other party insiders allowed to support whichever
candidate they like. They are there to prevent a kook from leading the ticket.
Their interests diverge from Secretary Clinton; they are less concerned about
the top of the ticket. They ask will the Presidential candidate help Governors,
Members of Congress and the state legislatures win in November. They are as
interested in the fate of the Democratic Party as they are in the Presidential
candidate. Like Bernie, they need a big turnout of voters.
Clinton’s lopsided lead in
delegates comes from pledges made by these party insiders. They are not written
in stone. A Democratic victory requires massive turnouts of the young. Bernie
has this vote. The issues of income inequality and fighting the Wall Street
oligarchy favor Sanders, not Clinton. The superdelegates will assess Hillary’s
appeal.
Like Obama, Bernie is winning
the battle for enthusiasm. He draws the crowds and he is likeable. Hillary is
thoughtful serious and loved by many, but she can’t shake her history. The
Clintons prospered by milking the rich, and the charge she is bought and paid
for burdens her candidacy.
While she and her husband
created the Clinton foundation, Bernie remained an independent socialist. He
condemned inequality and his leftwing demands nettled his colleagues with their
implied criticism of go-along-to-get-along politics.
His day has come – the voters
have turned against the parties. Republican and Democratic voters echo this
call they want far-reaching change. Hillary’s experience and training is
moderate change. Her supporters value these traits, but in 2016 these qualities
are losers, and the superdelegates will come to recognize it.
Sanders populist appeal is
hard for rich white educated people to duplicate. In Florida, on Tuesday, he
held a rally. He shouted Wall Street, the crowd jeered. The event drew the
young and had the energy of a rock concert or a football rally. It was lowbrow,
and the audience felt at home with Bernie. Bernie is convincing as a man of the
people. The superdelegates know he is honest; he has spent decades slamming the
injustice of inequality. This is not a campaign message; it is Bernie’s core
belief.
Anyone who has been to a
left-wing event would recognize this Florida crowd of black, white, brown young
with many old. This is the post-2010 Democratic Party. In that off-year
election, the Republican picked up a spectacular 63 seats to become the
majority that bedeviled Obama. The losers were conservative Democrats who were
shy about reproductive justice, opposed taxes and government spending. In
defeat, the Democratic Party moved left. Bernie Sanders is ratifying that
change. This Democratic Party is proud of its diversity and eager for equality.
Republicans tried to stifle
this change and failed. Passage of voter id laws to intimidate black and brown
voters created a backlash that increased their turnout in 2012. Trump calling
Mexicans rapist and demanding a wall is bringing a surge Hispanic registration.
His hostility to Muslims boosts their participation.
Bernie Sanders is gaining
black support. Had 70/80% of this vote gone to Hillary, he would have lost. He
responded to the poisoning of Flint Michigan’s water supply by demanding the
Governor resign. He identified the culprit; his response was so popular Hillary
adopted it. The movement is clear, to know Bernie is to like him.
The superdelegates know about
these changes, by the time the Democratic Convention roles around they can
chose Bernie to maximize turnout.
Nathan Riley is a columnist
for Gay City News and a veteran of numerous New York State Campaigns.
No comments:
Post a Comment