Reading Salon, CNN, NPR, NYTimes, Washington Post, theDailyBeast, Politico and other popular political websites this Spring into Summer, one can see the transformation of Bernie Sanders as Democratic 2016 Presidential candidate with “no chance” thru “picking up steam” to “the real deal”. Will Bernie do an Obama on Hillary? Two months ago that would be deemed demented wishful-thinking. Now on the 4th of July, the odds given Hillary’s financing advantage and huge Democratic institutional support are still long. But clearly they are out from under the Mission Impossible epithet.
Just look at the latest trends in the polls regarding the key primary races in Iowa and New Hampshire:
Notice the trend in the Quinnipiac polls. In February Sanders has barely 5%. Two months later in April he is up to 15%. In June his numbers have more than doubled again to 33%. The same pattern occurs in New Hampshire which is the second 2016 primary state:
The contest is even closer in New Hampshire. But is also noteworthy that Sanders gains have come as much from other democratic candidates as from Hillary. Here is a good summary of why Bernie Sanders is popular in New England. But even of greater interest is the coverage that Sanders is getting in the foreign press – here is a series of articles in Britain’s the Guardian which underlines the increasing polling popularity of the candidate and how that is translating into large campaign crowds and funds.
Salon.com’s Sophia Tesfaye has written the best assessment of Bernie Sanders popularity. His strong positions on the Veteran Affairs Debacle, Occupy Wall Street Wealth Disparity issue, College Student Debt, Citizens United Unleashing Malevolent Campaign Financing Trends in US politics, and reinforcing Obamacare. These are all issues that in the current political paralysis other candidates turn a blind eye to. But even more important is the notion that Sanders is is returning to Hope and Change issues with renewed public support: “Sanders’ campaign, surely more so than that of any of the Republican candidates, seems to be gaining traction more for the ideas he espouses than because of a cult of personality.Granted, many supporters have pointed to Sanders’ straightforward manner and willingness to call out bad actors as refreshingly appealing, but unlike with Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Chris Christie, it isn’t just a brash style that’s being sold. Sanders makes a direct effort to address many of the issues that have arisen since the Hope & Change campaign of 2008 and it appears as though he is tapping into very real and long-simmering sentiments in the Democratic base.” So Bernie Sanders is a throw back to what the country is yearning for – politicians willing to address issues that have been left behind in the new era of complete obstruction and sabotage politics.
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