Sanders faces a hard reality in New York: Some of his most ardent backers can't vote for him
The men and women who make up one of Bernie Sanders’ best political assets in New York are doing just about everything to help him except one: vote.
The Working Families Party, a nearly two-decade-old political force in the Empire State, has sprung into action on behalf of Sanders, the independent-turned-Democratic presidential hopeful. But only registered Democrats can vote in Tuesday's primary, shutting out the nearly 50,000 Working Families members.
Though their ranks are minuscule compared with the state's 5.8 million Democrats, Sanders' inability to count on support at the polls from them or others outside the Democratic Party underscores the reality that a core source of his strength throughout the nomination battle, independent liberals, can’t vote for him in dozens of states, including New York.
In this unexpectedly drawn-out Democratic primary in which delegates are awarded proportionally, a few thousand votes here or there could help Sanders snatch a handful of delegates from front-runner Hillary Clinton. Sanders’ campaign has said its current strategy to win the nomination is to come within striking distance of Clinton in pledged delegates and persuade the so-called superdelegates, party leaders and elected officials who can back the candidate of their choosing and who largely support Clinton, to switch allegiances.
The urgency of Sanders’ challenge was apparent Wednesday evening at a rally in downtown Manhattan where Sanders, the senator from Vermont, drew 27,000 supporters, the latest in a string of “yuge” rallies scheduled in the run-up to New York’s most consequential Democratic presidential primary in decades.
One of the first speakers reminded the audience that New York’s primary was closed to all but registered Democrats, prompting boos across Washington Square Park. Sanders himself raised the issue at the conclusion of his more than hourlong speech, acknowledging a “tough race for us.”
“We have a system here in New York where independents can’t get involved in the Democratic primary, where young people who have not previously registered and want to register today can't do it,” Sanders said from the foot of park’s signature arch, the Empire State Building gleaming in blue and green behind him.
Still, Sanders predicted a “surprise for the establishment.”
“If we have a large voter turnout on Tuesday, we are going to win this thing,” he said, echoing predictions he’s made in other states.
Johanna Weiss of Brooklyn, who arrived at the Sanders rally more than six hours before he took the stage, said she switched her registration to the Democratic Party just before the October deadline. She said she only learned about the need to do so because of her engagement with the Sanders campaign online through social media.
“I was very active with the campaign on Facebook, so I was lucky enough to have stuff coming up in my feed all the time. And I’m always reminding family members – get out there, switch if you need to switch,” she said.
“Back in the fall and the late summer, a lot of people didn’t know who Bernie Sanders was,” she said, adding that media coverage of his candidacy only became widespread after similar voter deadlines had passed.
“I still don’t necessarily consider myself a Democrat,” she added, saying she’d vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in November if Sanders isn’t the Democratic nominee. “I still have some qualms with the Democratic establishment.”
Hurley Graham of Queens, who also attended the rally and is registered as a Libertarian, said that by the time he learned he had to switch parties to participate in the Democratic primary, it was too late.
“It certainly is a handicap for a lot of voters,” he said, blaming Democratic leaders in New York who overwhelmingly support Clinton, a state resident for the last 16 years. “Whatever they’re going to do to handicap [Sanders], they’ll do.”
On Thursday, dozens of voters at City Hall protested the state’s closed primary system, which one speaker called the “largest act of voter suppression in the state of New York.” Taxpayers should not fund such elections in which millions of voters are ineligible to participate, said John Opdycke, president of the group Open Primaries.
Jackie Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org and campaign manager for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s campaigns on the Independence Party line, held up a full-page newspaper ad from the state Board of Elections that noted that Tuesday’s primary was only open to registered Democrats and Republicans, but said no similar voter education effort was made ahead of registration deadlines months before
She said she’s glad Sanders is speaking out about the issue now.
“I would like him to be more vocal, not just about the consequences in any particular race but about the systemic problems that exist and that do affect a major portion of the constituency that is drawn to him,” she said. “To conduct voter suppression against people on the basis of their identity is both shameful and illegal. To conduct voter suppression against people on the basis of political choices that they’re making, i.e., to be independent and not be unaffiliated with a party, is just straight up un-American.”
The Clinton campaign has insisted that she has performed best in elections in which the greatest number of voters participate, not Sanders. Clinton won 17 of the first 21 states where turnout exceeded 7% of eligible voters, campaign manager Robbie Mook wrote in a memo on the eve of last week’s Wisconsin primary.
Clinton won open primaries in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri but lost them in Michigan and Wisconsin, among others.
Whether a presidential nominating contest is open or closed varies by state and by party. In California, for example, only registered Republicans can participate in the GOP presidential primary. Unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in the Democratic primary, but not, say, members of the Green or Libertarian parties.
But all voters will be able to vote in congressional and other down-ballot races under the California's top-two system.
New York Assemblyman Fred Thiele, the body's only independent lawmaker, has introduced legislation to implement the same system in New York.
“New York state has some of the most archaic voter laws in the entire country,” he said. “If you want to vote in New York, you really have to want to; and even if you want to vote, sometimes they won't let you.”
The Working Families Party has joined with independent unions who also back Sanders to hold rallies throughout the state, register new voters (who had until a few weeks ago to sign up) and knock on doors, said Bill Lipton, the party’s state director.
“Tens of thousands of people have shown up to these rallies, which is indicative of huge momentum,” he said. “The volunteer energy from young people especially is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
And even if its members can’t support Sanders, he said, the Working Families endorsement is an important signal to progressive Democrats.
“We’re the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for progressives,” he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-sanders-closed-primary-20160415-story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+topoftheticket+%28Top+of+the+Ticket%29
The men and women who make up one of Bernie Sanders’ best political assets in New York are doing just about everything to help him except one: vote.
The Working Families Party, a nearly two-decade-old political force in the Empire State, has sprung into action on behalf of Sanders, the independent-turned-Democratic presidential hopeful. But only registered Democrats can vote in Tuesday's primary, shutting out the nearly 50,000 Working Families members.
Though their ranks are minuscule compared with the state's 5.8 million Democrats, Sanders' inability to count on support at the polls from them or others outside the Democratic Party underscores the reality that a core source of his strength throughout the nomination battle, independent liberals, can’t vote for him in dozens of states, including New York.
In this unexpectedly drawn-out Democratic primary in which delegates are awarded proportionally, a few thousand votes here or there could help Sanders snatch a handful of delegates from front-runner Hillary Clinton. Sanders’ campaign has said its current strategy to win the nomination is to come within striking distance of Clinton in pledged delegates and persuade the so-called superdelegates, party leaders and elected officials who can back the candidate of their choosing and who largely support Clinton, to switch allegiances.
The urgency of Sanders’ challenge was apparent Wednesday evening at a rally in downtown Manhattan where Sanders, the senator from Vermont, drew 27,000 supporters, the latest in a string of “yuge” rallies scheduled in the run-up to New York’s most consequential Democratic presidential primary in decades.
One of the first speakers reminded the audience that New York’s primary was closed to all but registered Democrats, prompting boos across Washington Square Park. Sanders himself raised the issue at the conclusion of his more than hourlong speech, acknowledging a “tough race for us.”
“We have a system here in New York where independents can’t get involved in the Democratic primary, where young people who have not previously registered and want to register today can't do it,” Sanders said from the foot of park’s signature arch, the Empire State Building gleaming in blue and green behind him.
Still, Sanders predicted a “surprise for the establishment.”
“If we have a large voter turnout on Tuesday, we are going to win this thing,” he said, echoing predictions he’s made in other states.
Johanna Weiss of Brooklyn, who arrived at the Sanders rally more than six hours before he took the stage, said she switched her registration to the Democratic Party just before the October deadline. She said she only learned about the need to do so because of her engagement with the Sanders campaign online through social media.
“I was very active with the campaign on Facebook, so I was lucky enough to have stuff coming up in my feed all the time. And I’m always reminding family members – get out there, switch if you need to switch,” she said.
“Back in the fall and the late summer, a lot of people didn’t know who Bernie Sanders was,” she said, adding that media coverage of his candidacy only became widespread after similar voter deadlines had passed.
“I still don’t necessarily consider myself a Democrat,” she added, saying she’d vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in November if Sanders isn’t the Democratic nominee. “I still have some qualms with the Democratic establishment.”
Hurley Graham of Queens, who also attended the rally and is registered as a Libertarian, said that by the time he learned he had to switch parties to participate in the Democratic primary, it was too late.
“It certainly is a handicap for a lot of voters,” he said, blaming Democratic leaders in New York who overwhelmingly support Clinton, a state resident for the last 16 years. “Whatever they’re going to do to handicap [Sanders], they’ll do.”
On Thursday, dozens of voters at City Hall protested the state’s closed primary system, which one speaker called the “largest act of voter suppression in the state of New York.” Taxpayers should not fund such elections in which millions of voters are ineligible to participate, said John Opdycke, president of the group Open Primaries.
Jackie Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org and campaign manager for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s campaigns on the Independence Party line, held up a full-page newspaper ad from the state Board of Elections that noted that Tuesday’s primary was only open to registered Democrats and Republicans, but said no similar voter education effort was made ahead of registration deadlines months before
She said she’s glad Sanders is speaking out about the issue now.
“I would like him to be more vocal, not just about the consequences in any particular race but about the systemic problems that exist and that do affect a major portion of the constituency that is drawn to him,” she said. “To conduct voter suppression against people on the basis of their identity is both shameful and illegal. To conduct voter suppression against people on the basis of political choices that they’re making, i.e., to be independent and not be unaffiliated with a party, is just straight up un-American.”
The Clinton campaign has insisted that she has performed best in elections in which the greatest number of voters participate, not Sanders. Clinton won 17 of the first 21 states where turnout exceeded 7% of eligible voters, campaign manager Robbie Mook wrote in a memo on the eve of last week’s Wisconsin primary.
Clinton won open primaries in Ohio, Illinois and Missouri but lost them in Michigan and Wisconsin, among others.
Whether a presidential nominating contest is open or closed varies by state and by party. In California, for example, only registered Republicans can participate in the GOP presidential primary. Unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in the Democratic primary, but not, say, members of the Green or Libertarian parties.
But all voters will be able to vote in congressional and other down-ballot races under the California's top-two system.
New York Assemblyman Fred Thiele, the body's only independent lawmaker, has introduced legislation to implement the same system in New York.
“New York state has some of the most archaic voter laws in the entire country,” he said. “If you want to vote in New York, you really have to want to; and even if you want to vote, sometimes they won't let you.”
The Working Families Party has joined with independent unions who also back Sanders to hold rallies throughout the state, register new voters (who had until a few weeks ago to sign up) and knock on doors, said Bill Lipton, the party’s state director.
“Tens of thousands of people have shown up to these rallies, which is indicative of huge momentum,” he said. “The volunteer energy from young people especially is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
And even if its members can’t support Sanders, he said, the Working Families endorsement is an important signal to progressive Democrats.
“We’re the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for progressives,” he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-sanders-closed-primary-20160415-story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+topoftheticket+%28Top+of+the+Ticket%29
Today at 7:04 am by Rocky
» utube MM&C 4/16/24 IQD Update - Iraq Dinar - America - Activate - Massive Economic Deals -
Today at 7:02 am by Rocky
» utube MM&c 4/19/24 Iraqi Dinar - Private Sector - Economic Stability - Financial Reform - Al Sudan
Today at 7:01 am by Rocky
» Iraq officially signs the “Singapore” agreement to resolve trade disputes
Today at 6:59 am by Rocky
» Parliament Finance advises raising exchange rates again... What about oil revenues?
Today at 6:55 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq is in the process of recovery and has taken its leading position that attracts work
Today at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Al-Araji: Iraq is prepared to deal with all circumstances and seeks partnership with the United Stat
Today at 6:52 am by Rocky
» Sudanese from Michigan: The government represents all components and is keen to take care of the aff
Today at 6:50 am by Rocky
» Democratic Party: The "new generation" is the most corrupt and has dozens of cases in court
Today at 6:47 am by Rocky
» What is the benefit of Iraq establishing a petrochemical plant in Egypt?!.. An oil expert explains
Today at 6:46 am by Rocky
» A judicial delegation participates in the Permanent International Forum for Commercial Courts in Qat
Today at 6:43 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The government follows a balanced policy that makes Iraq a station for security
Today at 6:42 am by Rocky
» Deduction of 160 million dinars from the salaries of MPs absent from Parliament sessions
Today at 6:40 am by Rocky
» Central Bank: Washington praised Iraq's measures to resolve 80% of the financial transfer file
Today at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Voices of Resilience: Al-Sudani’s frankness embarrasses the White House
Today at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq confirms the formation of a committee between Baghdad and Washington regarding sanctions on
Today at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Former MP: The Democrat will not hand over power after the regional elections
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Document/allocation of 20% of the lands of Al-Jawahiri Complex to employees of the Ministry of Defen
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Hakim: Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington was a protocol and missed the two most important files
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Security: The National Security Service law will be voted on by Parliament soon
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Reconstruction and Housing: Zarbatieh residential project completed by 82%
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani reveals an intention to establish Al-Faw refinery with a capacity of 300 thousand barrels
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Government readiness to move the Doura refinery to an alternative location.. What are the conditions
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington.. Implications and results
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Association of Iraqi Private Banks: The suspension of some electronic payment services yesterday was
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary memorandum.. Two solutions were before the Federal Court instead of removing the compo
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Blue fuel... Iraqi steps towards inexhaustible wealth for a century
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» For fear of being "upset"... MPs "evade" signing to host Al-Sudani in Parliament
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s statement to convert 40% of Iraq’s exports into derivatives.. What does it have to do wi
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» An Iraqi-American partnership to benefit from oil field gas
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Commerce announces the distribution of the first payments of farmers’ dues for the 2
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Sudanese to members of the Iraqi community in the American city of Houston: Iraq has regained its he
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Romanski announces loans worth $50 million to support the Iraqi private sector
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: We plan to invest production capacities for export
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» “Something happened” in Iran and no one is talking about Iraq and Syria. This is what we have so far
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani asks the American Baker Institute for assistance in preparing studies related to the oil m
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» The Interior Ministry denies the occurrence of explosions inside Iraqi territory and diagnoses “the
Today at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Tensions between Najaf and Baghdad over the airport... the rule of law over “military force” and the
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani from Washington: We agreed with Abu Dhabi on joint management of Al-Faw Port
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» "Al-Party" talks about the region's elections and reveals the reason for refusing to pay salaries di
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Russia's oil is taking more of the Middle East's shares in the Indian market.. How much has Iraq los
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Early next month.. Traffic confirms that the electronic payment system is working only
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» The Service Council accuses state departments of refraining from disbursing bonuses because of the m
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Electricity: The Baghdad street lighting campaign will be completed before the middle of this year
Today at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Oil poses two conditions for moving the Doura refinery to an alternative location
Today at 4:23 am by Rocky
» The Foreign Minister reveals the truth about his resignation and the reason for his departure to Erb
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Progress: Al-Halbousi’s acquittal has become conclusive, and his return to the presidency of Parliam
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Disagreements strike Al-Maliki's coalition over choosing the governor of Diyala
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» The Union accuses Türkiye of exploiting the political situation for a ground incursion into Iraq
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» The Democratic Party: Barzani is eagerly awaiting the results of Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» Frame: Al-Halbousi in the news and his return has become a pipe dream
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» A parliamentary request to capitalize on Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad to end the water crisis
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani urges the US corporation Honeywell to help finish the Basra refinery
Yesterday at 2:48 pm by Rocky
» Al-Sudani Meets with Representatives of Western Media Outlets in Washington
Yesterday at 2:46 pm by Rocky
» Chairman of the Investment Authority signs the United Nations Convention on International Mediation
Yesterday at 2:44 pm by Rocky
» PM: We will sign a contract to establish the Al-Faw refinery with a Chinese company
Yesterday at 2:42 pm by Rocky
» PM arrives in Houston as part of his visit to USA
Yesterday at 2:41 pm by Rocky
» Militia Man & Crew 4/18/24 Bush signed it and all presidents implemented it. Iraq’s funds have been
Yesterday at 1:46 pm by Rocky
» Iraq is close to launching the electronic signature
Yesterday at 7:12 am by Rocky
» The Basra government discusses with an international oil company the implementation of social benefi
Yesterday at 7:11 am by Rocky
» The Prime Minister confirms to an American company: Gas projects in Iraq are a priority for the gove
Yesterday at 7:10 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Planning discusses with the World Bank mechanisms for scheduling external loans
Yesterday at 7:09 am by Rocky
» Oil sets the twenty-seventh of this month as the date for opening contracts for the fifth complement
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» “Electronic begging”...professionalism and fabrication of stories” generates millions of dinars dail
Yesterday at 7:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani calls on the American company Hanwell to contribute to the completion of the Basra refiner
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» An American company expresses its willingness to establish LED lighting production lines in Iraq
Yesterday at 7:02 am by Rocky
» Including Iraq.. Iran announces the possibility of exporting 300 megawatts of “renewable electricity
Yesterday at 7:01 am by Rocky
» Political forces present two options to find an alternative to Al-Halbousi
Yesterday at 6:58 am by Rocky
» Parliament is awaiting the arrival of the budget schedules and the government is studying higher spe
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» The International Monetary Fund adjusts its expectations for the development of the world’s economie
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» A representative talks about the difficulty of finalizing the file of “electing the Speaker of Parli
Yesterday at 6:50 am by Rocky
» Work on preparing a law for diplomatic passports
Yesterday at 6:49 am by Rocky
» A female representative accuses the Ministry of Immigration of corruption
Yesterday at 6:47 am by Rocky
» Minister: Solving the Kurdistan salaries problem is the beginning of addressing other disputes betwe
Yesterday at 6:45 am by Rocky
» About 270 million dollars were sold by the Central Bank of Iraq in the currency auction
Yesterday at 6:42 am by Rocky
» The volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Iraq will exceed 800 million dinars in 2023
Yesterday at 6:41 am by Rocky
» Iraq signs memorandums of understanding with American companies in the fields of electricity, oil an
Yesterday at 5:31 am by Rocky
» The American company that manufactures the F16 expresses its readiness to implement the terms of con
Yesterday at 5:30 am by Rocky
» The volume of expected Qatari investments for the Iraq Fund for Development exceeds $3.5 billion
Yesterday at 5:29 am by Rocky
» Decrease in dollar prices in Baghdad and Erbil
Yesterday at 5:27 am by Rocky
» The President of the Region brings together the Kurdish parties to resolve the election file
Yesterday at 5:26 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives in Washington the Chairman of JPMorgan
Yesterday at 5:25 am by Rocky
» Transport is starting to transform its ports into smart ones
Yesterday at 5:23 am by Rocky
» Sudanese reveals the volume of exchange with America
Yesterday at 5:22 am by Rocky
» "Al-Eqtisad News" publishes the memorandums of understanding signed between the Iraqi delegation and
Yesterday at 5:21 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani urges an American company to contribute to establishing a chemical materials factory
Yesterday at 5:20 am by Rocky
» Iraq stresses the importance of Lockheed Martin's commitment to opening military aircraft maintenanc
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Iraq is on the verge of a “water disaster” by 2035
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Great satisfaction and optimism with the results of Sudanese’s visit to Washington
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» Transport is beginning to adopt a plan to transform its ports into smart ones
Yesterday at 5:15 am by Rocky
» Completed 8,000 loan transactions at the Housing Bank
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: We plan to invest production capacities for export
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Transformation and partnership...a new horizon in Iraqi-American relations
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» What is new in the economic dimension of the Washington visit?
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Two letters to the future
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» National interests first
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Iraqi-American rapprochement...a national necessity
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani’s visit to Washington and the course of Iraqi-American relations
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Sudanese carries security, economic and development files to Washington
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky