Republican commentator Alex Castellanos made an astute statement the other day. When asked who would win the Democratic nomination, he observed, “Well, Bernie Sanders won the primary. It’s just a question whether he wears a suit or pants suit.” He went on to say that Clinton would almost certainly be the Democratic nominee but that she would run on Sanders’ message.
That’s probably right. Hillary will be the nominee because, as the Sanders people like to point out, the primary system favors the establishment candidate. That said, the establishment set up the system to protect the candidates that political leaders in individual states believe to be most electable and to prevent a candidacy like Donald Trump’s. Republicans probably wish they had set up similar rules.
The other reason, though, is the Democratic women. Bernie Sanders has tapped into energy driven by frustration among the left and a younger generation. His perspective will dominate Democratic politics for decades to come. Twenty-five years ago, Hillary Clinton inspired a generation of young women in a similar fashion—and those women aren’t going to turn their backs on her now.
At a time when women were routinely referred to as “girls” all the way up until they became “old ladies,” Hillary ran along side her husband for President of the United States. When he won, she became his chief advisor and then architect of an unsuccessful attempt to push through health care reform. She was so bruised and battered by the right-wing attacks during that process that she took a lower profile role after the reform effort failed. She didn’t really emerge from that place until she became the Senator from New York.
Nevertheless, she inspired. EMILY’s List, which had started in the mid-1980s, grew exponentially. Women candidates ran for office up and down the ballot. They weren’t motivated by issues like the ones Sanders is pushing. They were motivated by a new found freedom and drive to be in positions of responsibility that had previously been denied them.
The one position that has eluded them is the presidency. This year, that generation of women, those in their forties, fifties and sixties, aren’t going to abandon Hillary Clinton. They’ll take her warts and all. After 25 years, they know her shortcomings and her strengths. Mostly, they know that she stood up for them when they needed a role model to push the boundaries of society.
And they saw the price she paid. The right went after her family, ridiculing her as a wife and mother. They attacked her with conspiracy theories and accusations of corruption. And they’ve been at it for 25 years. Most recently, they forced her to endure twelve hours of Benghazi hearings. After years of false or exaggerated accusations, no line of attack will ring true to these Hillary women.
They believe they owe Hillary Clinton a debt of gratitude. She’s sacrificed, been humiliated, and gotten knocked down. But through it all, she’s always gotten back up—and they’ve been the beneficiaries.
Bernie Sanders will be the inspiration for the next generation of progressive leaders. He’ll bring people into the political process who were apathetic before his message politicized them. For women of a certain age, though, Hillary Clinton did the same thing. Now, they’re not new to the process. They’re in control of it. This year, they’re standing with Hillary Clinton and they’re going to the White House.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
The Republicans have already attacked Warren on several fronts. She had to run against their fair-haired boy in MA, so they’ve already tried picking her apart. Obviously that didn’t work so well for them, but they’ll continue flogging the same ex-horses when she comes up for re-election. As a VP candidate, she’s have some level of immunity from that (in that most of the energy would be focused on the top of the ticket) but I agree with you that she’s more valuable in the Senate.
The only qualified woman candidate for POTUS is Elisabeth Warren. Unlike HRC, she has no negative scandalous baggage that a lifetime of experience has been upon us by the Clintons.
Elizabeth Warren, while she would have been my first choice as the nominee, is not a candidate at all. So her qualifications are moot. We have the race we have, however much you or I might have wished it otherwise.
If there is a lack of enthusiasm for Hillary, why does she have more votes than Bernie or Trump.
I’m amused by those who say they don’t like Hillary. When I ask why the say, “I just don’t like her”. Why, “well, I just don’t”.
Some claim that Sec. Clinton is a liar. If there are lies , the last 30 years of Right-Wing propaganda witch hunts against both Clintons, are where they can be found.
Nothing , no one is perfect. Those on the left that demand such perfection that they won’t support the winner of the primaries are no better than Tea Party radicals on the Right.
Too many Americans are either unaware or blind to the disasters the GOP has forced on us. Such as , advocating smaller government, while intruding into our lives with theocratic legislation ; such as the waste of taxpayer dollars on privatization schemes , leading to corruption and the degradation of basic services that are the traditional responsibilities of government (Flint isn’t the only place where water has been poisoned- remember West Virginia ?) : such as continued obstructionism that degrades progress in all fields.
Bernie or Hillary , I don’t care. Hell , I’d support LBJ if he were alive to run again. Call me a Yellow Dog Democrat.
And , it’s not just the President . The GOP must be defeated , from Senator to animal control , if we are to prosper.
If Hillary is the candidate , it is irresponsible to not support her ; there’s much worse that refusal will allow into power. We all know who that is.
The basic rule : if voter turnout is high , progressives are likely to win ; the GOP is on record , over the last 30 years, that low voter participation favors them , and that’s why they’re in power now. And as a result , we now face the hurdle of gerrymandering and ALEC designed voter suppression laws. I hear that enough North Carolinians were turned away from voting in Tuesday’s primary to have made a difference in the outcomes of many races.
I have supported Sen Sanders. I have watched to see how a ‘Socialist’ might fare in a reactionary culture.
It’s a big job at a critical time
The Ghost of Elections Past
I wish to provoke thought about a few aspects of this, and previous presidential elections, and my comments go beyond just the scope of this thread.
My memory goes back to when Harry Truman was president. Democrats have ‘blown’ a number of elections due to ‘ideological purity.’ Unfortunately, one cannot implement one’s policies if you don’t win an election. Hence, Jimmy Carter and Al Gore were sacrificed on the alter of ‘purity.’ Depending upon their reactions, Uncle Bernie’s supporters may influence future policy even if Hillary wins. But, if they don’t vote for Hillary (if she is the nominee), they could help usher in an era of extreme right wing, fascist government which will severely damage this country. (I never thought that I’d see the descendants of the John Birch Society wield the kind of influence that the Koch brothers have today).
Many present Democrats apparently do not know or don’t remember why ‘superdelegates’ were created. Due to the fact that ‘liberals’ took over the Democratic Party in primaries and successfully nominated George McGovern, who carried only Massachusetts in the general election, this was a mechanism to prevent a well-organized, fervent, extreme minority from taking down the Party. As stated in the blog, bet the Repubs now wish that they had such a mechanism to deal with their rising fascist.
Another thing which saddens this ole’ Democrat is that many Democrats have apparently been brainwashed by 25 years of attacks and slander. Republicans in Congress spent about 27 million of our tax dollars to (yet again) “investigate” Whitewater. The result was only that Bill was manipulated to publicly lying about having oral sex. The Senate Committee “investigated” Bengazi and spent at least $2 million to end up with red faces. Many of Hillary’s votes in the Senate (such as to go to war with Iraq) were in line with the majority of Democrats at the time. Libya was not a one-woman show–our European allies were heavily involved and pushed for action. Now many progressives have bought into the artificial email scandal. Remember what the technological status of the internet and email was while Hillary was Secretary of State; also, several laws regarding officials’ use of classified emails were not passed until 2013 or 2014.
I’m in agreement with much of what Bernie is saying—But why, oh why, does he insist on calling himself any variety of “Socialist.” A survey of voters taken before the campaigns really got started showed that 75% of the electorate said that they would not vote for a “Socialist.” A news commentator opined that younger Hispanic voters don’t necessarily have such a negative attitude toward that term, but older Hispanics who emigrated from Cuba or other countries run by socialist dictators have a very negative impression–and that may hurt Bernie with the Hispanic demographic. He’s shot himself in the foot.
Listening to election results here this Thursday , March 17 , I would declare the REAL winner of this past Tuesday the suppression of Democratic voters by the new state ‘election protection’ laws.
If I were stupid enough to believe that I , and a cabal of fiends could actually steal an election by our voting more than once , under aliases , it would be done.
Truth is , the REAL way to steal an election is to be the ones that COUNT THE VOTE , or control those machines that only the party in power, and their accomplices.
That’s how it was done in the bad old days of Chicago politics , 75 years ago, that today’s GOP loves to unearth from the political cemetery.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it , Ebrun. You can share a hit with Buncombe’s bully boy Chad Nesbitt.
What primary is Alex Castellanos talking about? Hillary clobbered Bernie in NC.
My chief objections to Hillary are her actions regarding Iraq, Libya and Honduras. The released emails indicate that her contributions to Libya regime change were affected by French Banking interests and that the overthrow of the democracy in Honduras was to assist moneyed interests that did not want to see an increase in wages. Neither our interests or the interests of locals have been well served by the hawkish behavior.
I do believe Sanders is more likely to achieve substantial income equality gains as a result of being free of corporate contributor expectations.
Sanders only answer to any foreign policy question is “I didn’t vote for the Iraq war”
I’m voting for Clinton precisely because she has survived so many years of relentless, almost hysterical attacks by the right wing and, this season, by rabid Sanders supporters. And she’s done it with grace. I have not agreed with the attacks on Sanders by Clinton’s team, but this is big boy politics and that’s what happens. Most of all, that woman is one tough bird and she does not let pettiness or manufactured hysteria stop her. We need someone that tough and persistent in the White House. She has my vote for those reasons.
You are so right.
I’m one of those women (white, mid-fourties, middle class, extremely pro-choice, etc.) who USED to be inspired by Clinton, but I absolutely can’t stand her now. I will hold my nose and vote for her in November if I have to, but I sure wish we could have an honest primary where the candidates run on their own ideas and reputations instead of having a coronation that was decided by the corporate media and self-serving party establishment in 2015.
I’ve actually been surprised at how well Sanders has done in spite of the self-defeating “conventional wisdom” of Democrats and the fact that he doesn’t get treated by many as a serious candidate.
Clinton was a progressive icon when she was a strong, smart First Lady, but she’s been a disappointment as a Senator, meh as Secretary of State, and a disaster as a presidential candidate. When she started using racist dogwhistle tactics against Obama in 2008, she lost my trust. Events since then have only reinforced the feeling that I can’t trust her words nor her ethics.
http://imgur.com/gallery/oYD5zeU AND http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-freeman-sexual-freedom-fluoride
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2157403-sanders-cancer.html
http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/texans-defend-sierra-blanca-community-against-nuclear-waste-disposal-1996-1998
There was no racist dog whistle. Clinton never said a thing about Obama winning in SC that his campaign didn’t say. She won SC for the same reason he won it in 2008, because of the large AA community. What IS racist of Sanders saying that Clinton has now won all the confederate states and the real primaries can begin.
Here is a nice selection of buttons and graphic Bernie people have created to make their racist point. https://www.google.com/search?q=clinton+has+won+the+confederate+states&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdhNWOq8rLAhXJ2D4KHe2zD0YQ_AUICSgE
I understand Alex Castellanos’s point, but I’m not sure I agree. The ideological differences between Bernie and Hillary are real, but microscopic compared to the differences between either of them and the likely Republican nominee. If either Trump or Cruz is the Republican nominee there will be plenty of room, and I mean a vast canyon of room, for Hillary to occupy the center. I believe that most of Bernie’s supporters will acknowledge this huge gulf between the two parties and vote for Hillary. A few on the far left will not, but Hillary needs the center as well as the center left more than she needs the far left.
What a load of crap. Sorry it must be said. I am one of those women you just wrote about and I am not for Clinton. I am so disgusted with the DNC during this primary process and the “assumption” that I am a Clinton supporter because she is a woman. Well let me tell you I am not a fan of her tactics and also the lack of support for Sanders from the establishment DNC is proof of rigging the nomination process. I voted for Sanders and am still supporting his run. Shame on you!!! And by the way I am a business woman and 61 years young.
You tell ‘im Julie. Though the numbers back him up, I’m sorry to say. In state after state we’ve seen Clinton winning — often by lopsided margins — among women and minorities. Sanders crushes it with the young voters, which is encouraging, and would be more so if the 29-and-under demographic made up more than 20% of the total number of primary voters.
That said, Bernie was always a long shot, but that doesn’t make his run meaningless. On the contrary, he’s proven that it is possible to be competitive in a race for the highest office in the country without selling your soul to Wall Street and the corporatocracy. That alone is nothing short of astonishing, and will hopefully encourage some of those young voters to mount their own campaigns at the local and state level. Further, the longer Sanders stays in the race, and the more delegates he collects, the more his influence on the platform can outlive his campaign. He may not win the nomination, but he can make the Etch-a-Sketch a good bit harder to erase. So in that sense, the opening of this story isn’t far off the mark at all.
Ditto, Julie.!! You expressed my sentiments exactly.
And I just contributed another $50 to Bernie’s campaign and put his “Bernie” sticker on my rear car window this morning to keep the faith. Like you, I am also a 68 years young business woman who has never in my life voted for a candidate based on whether that person had a penis or a vagina. I always have voted for the best, most honest, straight-forward, and visionary candidate on the ballot. Obviously, neither Hillary nor Trump will EVER get my vote because I refuse to cast my vote into the political gutter. The other factor the Democrats are trying to ignore is the cadre of some 100 FBI agents currently investigating Hillary’s e-mail fiasco–which is an example of gross negligence, at best– or criminal cover-up, at worst. So, when Hillary hits the wall legally–Bernie will still be standing tall for authentic leadership, common sense government, and equal opportunity for all–not just the millionaires and billionaires–who happen to include both Hillary and Trump.
So D.g., are you suggesting that the FBI is a part of that vast, right-wing conspiracy that is trying to take down Hillary Clinton? Or is the agency just inclined to do the bidding of the GOP? If I remember correctly, the FBI is currently a part of the Obama Administration’s U.S Department of Justice. And wasn’t the current FBI Director appointed by President Obama himself?
I agree with you completely and I am older than you. I really resent the idea that women must support Hillary rather than listening to what Bernie has to offer. His message addresses the needs of all people and deserves our support.
Hillary’s wins yesterday were very impressive. She is steamrolling over Bernie and his supporters, who must be feeling a burn instead of “the Bern.” Bernie’s backers should pack it in now so that Hillary can move back to the center to pick up moderate voters. She will need them next fall.
Shake the Etch-a-Sketch, huh? Why don’t you ask Mitt Romney how well that worked out for him in 2012. You needn’t worry about Hillary moving back to the center. She’s already demonstrated triangulation skills without peer.
Faint praise, utter disdain or dispassionate observation?
D.g., It seems you just don’t get it. It’s not the “party management,” it’s those ‘yahoos’ out there in the hinterland. Some refer to them as the “base.” And some Sanders voters could well stay home in November. Hillary will be needing to win over a lot of disillusioned youths.
This is what Bernie has to offer:
http://imgur.com/gallery/oYD5zeU AND http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-freeman-sexual-freedom-fluoride
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2157403-sanders-cancer.html
http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/texans-defend-sierra-blanca-community-against-nuclear-waste-disposal-1996-1998
Oh yeah and “I didn’t vote for the Iraq war”.
There is no one more “establishment” than Bernie Sanders who has been in Congress for over 25 years, with little accomplishment to show for it. Pure ideology with no action will not lead this country. He lived on his
father’s inheritance until age 40 and held no substantial position, except Mayor, until he was elected to Congress. I will vote for Bernie if he is the Dem nominee and am grateful he has pulled the election towards the left. But, his lack of real accomplishments cannot be overlooked. He is “establishment” and lacks evidence of getting things done. And, don’t get me started on his lack of foreign policy knowledge! And, by the way, I am over age 60 and accomplished. too.
shame on you… http://imgur.com/gallery/oYD5zeU AND http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-freeman-sexual-freedom-fluoride
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2157403-sanders-cancer.html
http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/texans-defend-sierra-blanca-community-against-nuclear-waste-disposal-1996-1998
And North Carolina’s presidential primary had some good news for Democrats, despite all the talk of higher Republican turnout. The total vote for Republicans, including all inactive candidates, was 1,138,876. The total for all Democrats was 1,129,476. That calculates to 50.2% for Republicans, 49.8% for Democrats. Considering Romney carried North Carolina by two percentage points in 2012, but Obama carried the country by four points, the Democrats could be on track to carry both North Carolina and the national election in November.
The only people who don’t see the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton as a force for good are those who’ve long since abandoned any principles of common good and common obligations. Those people have embraced the Ayn Randian craziness of the modern Republican party.
Hillary Clinton has a long and well documented history as a force for positive change, and the author of this article captures the gratitude so many of us in her party feel for her efforts now.
I sense that the author does not think the Democratic Party must change to raise its approval rating and be seen by the people as a force for good rather than the lesser of evils. I respectfully disagree.
the Two evils are trump and Sanders. I am sick to death of him. https://www.docdroid.net/rgdBLM6/the-sanders-family-quid-pro-quo-and-the-gop-machine.pdf.html
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-freeman-sexual-freedom-fluoride
OMG, poor, pilloried Hillary. She has been “so bruised and battered” by “right wing attacks” that it’s hard to fathom how she managed to be a more popular figure than her two-term President husband. Or how she managed to be elected twice to the U.S. Senate. Or how she was easily confirmed to be U.S. Secretary of State. Or how in 2016 she is the leading candidate for the Democrat Party’s Presidential nomination.
Mr. Mills’ emotional depiction of Ms. Clinton as a damsel in distress subjected to and triumphing over an ominous and draconian right-wing conspiracy reads like a cheap romance novel where the heroine prevails and receives her just rewards in the final chapter.
In reality, though, it wasn’t a vast right wing conspiracy that prevented Ms. Clinton from receiving her just due in 2008, but a first-term U.S. Senator from her own political party with a thin resume and no Senate accomplishments. Bernie Sanders supporters should be more than offended by this blatant affront to eulogize Hillary Clinton as the rightful heir to the Democrat nomination in 2016.
Believe me Ebrun, we anti-establishment people sure as hell are fed/up with the likes of Mills pandering to the whims of the DNC and jumping on the corporate media bandwagon to proclaim a fraud and criminal like Hillary Clinton to be our inevitable nominee for a leadership position she is abosolutely unqualified to assume. The charges against Hillary are anything but conspiracy; she, just like her husband and Obama – the noble peace lauriate, are little more than warmongers for the corporate/military war machine, also called the establishment or deep state. And we are fed up with perpetuating it.
I am no big fan of Clinton but even I realize that she was one of the original victims of orchestrated far right attacks by partisan fake “news” outlets and organizations. I’m not a fan of those kinds of attacks, not by any political group or side, and I think we would all do well to check our sources and facts before we believe something just because it gets repeated often. Can’t believe you fell for it.
Did we read the same article? Your overly emotional response, and your misguided characterization of her being depicted as a “damsel in distress,” makes me think your existing agenda about Clinton colored your perception of this article. The author was describing how resilient and tough she is — hardly a “damsel in distress” portrait and it a very fair characterization of what Clinton went through.
Please stop. 2008 was ugly and rigged. It has taken some of us a long time to forgive President Obama for his brand of Chicago politics and Donna Brazile for her part in getting the DNC to break it’s own rules for him. Hillary won the popular vote in 2008.
Now many of us have come to love and respect Obama because he has become a good President, great at telling the right to go to hell and he has been such a great champion for Hillary.
Donna is forgiven for similar reasons.
Hillary is still standing, not because she is not beat up, but because she refuses to be beaten. She does it for us.
Right on Thomas!!! As the NYT editorial said recently, get Bernie to encourage all those young folks supporting him to go into Congress and State Legislature and be part of the change.
Absolutely! And if he is truly the feminist he claims to be he should mentor young women until we have 51 percent of the congress, state legislatures etc…
Kudos to Noah Lieberman, whose race for the NC House right out of college is ten votes short of going to November with a few vote sources not yet closed out.