Blogger Candidate Forum: Final Super Tuesday Wrap Up

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
eonline.com

Hello Everyone:

It is Wednesday and time for the weekly edition of Blogger Candidate Forum.  This is a special edition because we are celebrating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton becoming the first American woman to become the presumptive nominee of a major party.  Say what you will about Madame Secretary, good or bad, you have to give her major respect.  the proverbial glass ceiling was shattered.  It is a sublime moment.  It was exactly eight years ago, on Tuesday, that Madame Secretary conceded the nomination to then-Senator Barack Obama.  It is a moment in history.

   Blogger knows that in some countries, a woman president or prime minister is common but in this country it is a big deal.  It is as big a deal as electing an African-American president.  It is a ground breaking event.  It came on the 96th anniversary of American women getting the right to vote.  The prospect of a woman president is pretty awesome.  Before we start planning Madame Secretary's Inauguration, we still have a long bumpy road ahead.  Let us talk about where we go from here.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
biography.com

First of all, congratulations to Senator Bernie Sanders on his victories in Montana and North Dakota.  For that matter, congratulations on running an outstanding campaign.  This was a real campaign, focused on issues not personalities.  The Sanders campaign successfully pushed Madame Secretary out of her centrist comfort, toward the left on the issue that matter.  His campaign, once thought a fool's errand, energized a large group of voters that would have probably remained disengaged from the process.  Major respect to the Gentleman from Vermont.

Blogger knows that Sen. Sanders has no real intention of conceding just yet and that is okay.  Keep going, you have a place on the national stage.  Blogger genuinely believes that the movement you started, together with the Clinton campaign, will be a potent force against the Red Team.  For the ardent supporters, you have a choice to make.  Yours truly knows that about a third of you plan to vote for Mr. Trump simply because you refuse to support Madame Secretary on principle.  However, Blogger asks you to think about it for a minute.  Before you switch your allegiance to Mr. Trump, please do your research on him and ask yourselves "Does this candidate genuinely reflect my values?  Will he craft policy that benefits the American people and nation?"  For now, let us see where we stand.

"Commitment 2016"
wmur.com

Where do things stand?  We now know who the presumptive nominees are: Mr. Trump and Madame Secretary.  Barring an indictment, man-made or natural disaster, they will be officially nominated at their respective national conventions.  Here are the numbers for the Super Tuesday of the Primary calendar.  On the Republican side, Mr. Trump has more than enough to secure the nomination outright.  His one-sided victories earn him 1,447 delegates and 95 unplugged delegates for a total 1,542. (http://www.nytimes.com)

On the other side of the aisle, Sec. Clinton's hard fought victories in California, New Jersey New Mexico, and South Dakota earned her 2,203 delegates and 574 Superdelegates for a grand total of 2,777.  (Ibid) Senator Sanders earned a total leaving him with  a total of 1,876 out the necessary 2,383 delegates to secure the nomination.  (Ibid) Senator Sanders seems to still be pinning his hopes on flipping some of the Superdelegates (i.e. office holders who are free to vote as they please) and snatching the nomination away from Madame Secretary.  That is a very steep challenge for the Sanders campaign.  The Gentleman from Vermont is not oblivious to the math.  The prospects for turning Clinton Superdelegates do not look good.  However, Senator Sanders does have a way to make an impact on the future of the Democratic party.

Democratic National Committee Convention
demconvention.com

The party platform is the most important way for the Sanders campaign to make a difference in the direction of the party.  The construction of the party platform is already a source of contention that is threatening to erupt at the Convention in Philadelphia in July.  The Sanders campaign is vying for control of the platform.  Why is the control of the platform so  important.  The party platform-Democrat or Republican-is a statement of values and beliefs.  Throughout the campaign, Senator Sanders has been pulling Secretary Clinton to the left on every issue.  Control of the platform offers the opportunity to enshrine those values and beliefs dear to the Gentleman from Vermont.  Senator Bernie Sanders has already won a key concession from the Democratic National Committee, seating five pro-Sanders people on the platform committee, Secretary Clinton secured six seats, and DNC Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz picked four members.  The platforms fights to pay attention to are: Israel, Fracking, Keystone XL Pipeline, Trade, Wall Street, Minimum wage, Health care, Black Lives Matter, Campaign finance, and the Superdelegates.  While both campaigns are close on some of the plank issues, there is still enough friction between the both that could lead to open warfare.

Republican Nation Committee Convention
en.wikipedia.org

The Republican National Committee's platform seems a little more up in the air.  Fox News reported today that RNC has asked for the public's help in defining who the party is in 2016.  This in response to the Donald Trump-induced identity crisis. (http://www.foxnews.com)  To wit, the RNC has launched a website, http://www.platform.gop, for anyone to share what planks they would on the party platform.  Party Chairperson Reince Priebus, in a statement, told Fox,

While Democrats are letting party insiders write their platform behind closed doors, http://www.platform.gop is proof of our Party's philosophy of listening to the voice of the people and honoring he democratic process.

The website asks visitors to check six general policy subjects such as : foreign policy, the economy, natural resources.  The public can rate which is the most important by using a drop-and-drag tool to list pre-set topics into a top three list.  This strategy comes in response to tensions within the party over how Mr. Trump might try to adjust the platform.  Mr. Trump has eschewed party doctrine, remaining fluid on his position.  This has created suspicion that the Trump campaign might try to reconfigure the platform in his own image.  Former candidate, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, is urging his fellow conservatives to stand their ground in the platform committee.  For his part, Mr. Trump signaled that he was not planning any major changes.  Stay tuned.

Seal of the Vice President of the United States
en.wikipedia.org

For now, we have one more primary to go, Washington D.C., then decisions will have to be made.  Will Senator Bernie Sanders remain in the race through to the convention?  Theoretically, he still can continue to campaign for the nomination.  The Senator has indicated that he wants to continue campaigning but realistically, his chances for stealing away the nomination do not look good.  The DNC and the Clinton campaign must find a way to gently nudge the Gentleman from Vermont off the campaign trail without alienating his die-hard supporters.  Both candidates have begun vetting running mates.

Finding a running mate is like an arranged marriage-you put two people together and hope that things work out.  A good running mate will complete the candidate at the top of the ticket.  For Madame Secretary, ideally a someone who appeals to younger voters and shares Sen. Sanders's socialist values.  For Mr. Trump, it is anyone's guess who would be his ideal running mate.  A few names have been tossed around but nothing has landed, yet.

Of course Blogger would be remiss if she did not mention the Sword of Damocles hanging over the Clinton campaign-those emails.  Specifically, will Madame Secretary be indicated or not.  If she is indicated, then what?  Will Senator Sanders step back into the spotlight and be the party standard bearer?  Stay tuned everyone, we are in for a wild ride to the finish.