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So…The Race for the Democratic Nomination has tightened… Sanders is still the best by far and has the strongest base of support.

March 3, 2020

DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 16: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his wife Mary Jane O’Meara Sanders acknowledge the crowd and support before Sanders spoke to his supporters at a rally in the Colorado Convention Center on February 16, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images)

(slightly edited “the morning after” – one short paragraph)

Don’t kvetch, Organize! (…or OK you can kvetch, but then try to get over it and organize)…

So…OK. The race has tightened. Doesn’t bother me. I like a good fight and it appears we’re in for one. Bernie did not appear discouraged… neither am I about his campaign.

Of course “Super Tuesday” should be renamed “Super Dirty Tricks Day.” Them that make the rules, change them. Those who follow the rules, as so many Americans who take their voting serious, get screwed. Texas, that big oil and gas state, seemed to lead the way in this respect. Still, we, those of us who stand with Bernie Sanders need to follow through on this process, see it through till the end and be thinking long and hard about what are our alternatives.
In Vermont and Colorado he “kicked butt.” He looks strong in Nevada as well. Texas and California look good – big ones…  I’m tired and am going to be before the California results come in. At the very least I am confident Bernie will do well, if not win. Particularly appreciated Colorado Rising’s Joe Salazar’s remarks about the campaign against fracking in our state – and his dissection and savaging of John Hickenlooper’s record as governor.
No it’s not the sweep that was predicted but a solid showing. Nothing to be ashamed of and much to be proud of. Tomorrow’s predictable claim that Joe Biden has emerged as the front runner that much hot air. On the other hand a warning that there is much more work to be done.
Latinos solid behind Bernie S… a historic shift… Blacks far less so… (Need to understand what didn’t happen there. But the influence of Obama on the Black middle class was one of the factors… More on this later)(1) …Youth carrying Sanders’ candidacy along on their shoulders. They have no problem supporting a 78 year old Jewish socialist from the Flatbush Ave, area of Brooklyn, New York.
What I noticed about Biden – other than he can’t tell the difference between his wife and his sister – is that he has in his speech this evening, in a general sense, co-opted the Sanders’ program – issue-wise he swallowed it more or less, hook, line and sinker. Of course the devil is in the details and it’s difficult to think he’s anything but cynical given his political history – which Sanders’ tonight criticized point for point.
We knew that the powers that be both economically and within the political establishment have been shitting in their pants about Sanders’ moderate progressive program. It makes me chuckle how they scream when hearing things like “Healthcare For All!” “Support The Green New Deal”, etc. The Clintons and their ilk have a lot of experience, an inordinate amount of $$$, the support of the mainstream still, very effective, despite everything, media…
But more and more “we” have the people. A classic contest between money and votes. OK.
So… let’s redouble our efforts for a Bernie nomination and Bernie win… He’s still in a strong position and not all Bloomberg’s $$$ or Biden’s support among Clinton types will stop the Sanders’ campaign if we who support Bernie get out there and do our bit.
Don’t kvetch, Organize! (…or OK you can kvetch, but then try to get over it and organize)…
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1. My hunch is that older Blacks – especially given the influence of Obama – supported Biden while younger ones cast their votes for Sanders.
2 Comments leave one →
  1. Coleen Rowley permalink
    March 4, 2020 5:25 am

    So when Bloomberg throws in with and starts throwing his billions of $$$ to the warhawk team of Biden-Klobuchar-Buttagieg, you won’t hear a peep anymore from them about “buying the election.” It will be interesting to see how their previous criticisms of Bloomberg’s $$$ now have to morph 180 degrees to make it a good and virtuous philanthropy. But probably no one in the bought and paid for corporate media will even bother to ask any of them.

  2. George Entenman permalink
    March 8, 2020 8:44 pm

    Rob, I think your hunch about black youth is only half right: https://now.tufts.edu/news-releases/exclusive-analysis-south-carolina-young-people-support-sanders-smaller-margin

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