Bernie Sanders could be the Democratic Nomination for President since he’s won more votes than any other candidate so far. However the Democratic Party establishment is hoping someone can stop Bernie Sanders from capturing the presidential nomination.
Sanders may not the first choice of most Democrats, he’s won more votes than any other candidate so far.In Iowa, he essentially tied for first place with Pete Buttigieg. In New Hampshire , he narrowly defeated Mayor Pete.
Sanders could consolidate his hold on first place, even if he only wins about a quarter of the votes, which is what he got in Iowa and New Hampshire.
A CBS News study about one-third of people described themselves as “very liberal,” which is Sanders’ base; another third said they were “somewhat liberal,” and the last third called themselves “moderate” or “conservative.” I
So will next Saturday’s Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary a week later, produce a clear surge for one of the candidates they consider more electable, namely Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar or Joe Biden.Klobuchar, finished a surprising third in New Hampshire, seems to be more experienced than Buttigieg, and a better campaigner than Biden.
In New Hampshire, Klobuchar was boosted by a strong performance in the final debate. A lot may hang on whether she performs as well at the next debate in Las Vegas.
This is also be the first debate to include Michael R. Bloomberg , the former mayor of New York who has spent more than $300 million to elbow on his way into the competition. Bloomberg will be on ballots beginning on March 3 — Super Tuesday — when 14 states including California hold primaries that will choose more than a third of the elected delegates to the Democrats’ convention.
This could be a problem for the establishment Democrats- a split convention. Bernie supporters are already worried that the establishment is plotting to stop him. But it’s not clear that the establishment is capable of intervening effectively.
Party leaders could tip the scales by endorsing a favorite candidate but endorsements don’t count as much as theyonce did. Voters who once relied on politicians for advice now have direct access to information — and disinformation — through the internet.
Big Money used to have a lot of influence. But that’s changed, too. Sanders has raised more than $121 million almost entirely from small-dollar donors. Bloomberg isn’t asking anyone for money at all. Party leaders seem to know they don’t want Sanders, but they can’t do much about it.
Party leaders could exert some influence by delegate-swapping if no one has a majority of delegates during the primaries, several candidates could try to cut bargains before the Democratic convention in Milwaukee.
For example, a candidate in third or fourth place could drop out and release his or her delegates, which would free them to vote for anyone else.
And then there is there are the party’s “superdelegates”. If there’s no winner on the first ballot, they get to join in later voting. The DNC adopted those rules in 2018 in a compromise that Sanders approved. So the establishment might make its voice heard after all.
But those hypothetical plot twists are months away. Until then, the choice is out of the establishment’s control and up to the voters. Like it or not, the Democrats are going to have to solve their problem through democracy.
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Source: LA TIMES and CBS NEWS