Bernie Sanders Shifts the 2016 Presidential Paradigm
The inevitability of Hillary Clinton’s nomination has been turned on its head by Sanders, whose insurgent candidacy has breathed new life into next year’s election.
Aloha, Hillary supporters! In one of the bluest of blue states, we love and respect Hillary Clinton. I loved Hillary when she was still Hillary Rodham. She rocked Wellesley College with a great . Later, she wrote an  advocating for children’s rights that was well ahead of its time. She even created a  for herself at the Children’s Defense Fund as its first legal counsel. Her liberal instincts are impeccable. She has been a role model and inspiration for women and girls worldwide.
She did everything right to prepare to run, and win, the Democratic nomination for president. She got the money, got the organization, got the party machinery backing her. Some prognosticators are declaring her basically unbeatable.
Unfortunately, she is a victim of her own success. She is the wrong person who is running at the wrong time. The very things that make her excellent are the Achilles heel for her presidential run.
The money she raised means that she will “fight for” us, but only as much as she can, being beholden to billionaires and corporations. She cannot even fight for “us” if there is no “us” behind her. We need to fight for ourselves, and she needs to form a new consensus and movement. Lead, not follow, the opinion polls, and micro-target to get elected and govern. Like Bill, she is the best person to cut deals with Republicans to do what little is possible to do.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, shifts the paradigm. He can advocate for things that are universally popular with the public, but that big business will not tolerate. He will have the movement of millions of citizens behind him to get it done, too. Hillary got the money for her campaign instead. After all, traditionally that’s how you win.
Can Hillary suggest, much less get passed, a transaction tax on Wall Street stock trades to pay for public college for all? Make corporations pay taxes (any taxes) to pay for long overdue public works? Ditch huge HMOs in exchange for universal free health care for all? Tell Exxon, Chevron, and BP they can’t frack our aquifers, and drill our oceans, and actually make them pay a carbon tax to pay for clean solar energy for those who can’t afford it instead?
Republicans win when people stay home and don’t vote because they think their vote doesn’t matter. Sen. Sanders will not only get Democrats out to vote, he will expand the number of first-time and unlikely voters. He will get Reagan Democrats and independents, and even some Republicans. See this  in red state Arizona, and even  if you don’t believe me.
There is a rapid radicalization of the people who have been shoved from middle class into poverty — regardless of political affiliation. They want someone who isn’t beholden. They don’t want so slip further into poverty because their money is being redistributed to the the wealthiest people and companies all around the world.
It’s important to note that we in Hawaii can tell you with confidence that this presidential primary is not about race. It’s about class. Hawaii is  percent haole (white). We care about immigration reform. We care about racial profiling and police brutality. We are also the state that sent the second most  to the 2004 Democratic convention for haole Rep. Dennis Kucinich. I feel confident in predicting that Senator Bernie will win Hawaii — Pacific Islanders, Asian diaspora, African Americans, Hispanics, haoles, and every combination of the above, and then some.
It might not be by the same  margin as keiki o ka aina (native son) Barack got in 2008 against Hillary (maybe only 70 percent …to lower expectations, of course). We are all struggling with the high cost of living, low wages, and our shrinking safety nets have pukas (holes).
But one thing we don’t have a problem with is voter suppression. So if there’s going to be a razor tight 50 percent-plus one race, the Republicans have all sorts of strategies for the 2016 election, in all sorts of swing states, to keep Democrats from voting. The Supreme Court will get to sit this one out. No need to recount the hanging chads.
GET IN-DEPTH REPORTING ON HAWAII’S BIGGEST ISSUES
Community Voices aims to encourage broad discussion on many topics of community interest. It’s kind of a cross between Letters to the Editor and op-eds. This is your space to talk about important issues or interesting people who are making a difference in our world. Column lengths should be no more than 800 words and we need a current photo of the author and a bio. We welcome video commentary and other multimedia formats. Send to news@civilbeat.org. The opinions and information expressed in Community Voices are solely those of the authors and not Civil Beat.
Support Independent, Unbiased News
Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾±. When you give, your donation is combined with gifts from thousands of your fellow readers, and together you help power the strongest team of investigative journalists in the state.