Report from the Front Lines – IV – embedded in Hollywood Campaign HQ - LA. Monday
When you read this news it will be old, but given the obviously well planned, immense, oppressive, and deftly coordinated all out carpet bombing assault that is being inflicted by the Clinton camp and the Democratic Party establishment on the Sanders Campaign it certain warrants a note.
I drive back from S.D. and arrive at the Hollywood Sanders World Campaign HQ in LA on Monday in time for my canvass. It’s all business at HQ, mixed with a sense of desperation. For a long while everyone has been incensed and fearful that the networks would declare Hill the winning nominee after the Jersey polls closed at 8P EST, thus depressing voter turnout for Bernie in California during the 5-8 Pacific coast time slot when Bernie voters getting off from work would consider whether their vote mattered. How civilized and naïve of us! Because by Monday 5PM, well before the polls have even opened on election day Tuesday, Hillary has been declared the winner by the AP, CNN, and the NY Times ALL in bold multicolored celebratory headlines ignoring even the Democratic National Committee’s statement – perhaps made sotto voce just to cover their asses - that it is wrong to count the votes of super delegates before they actually vote at the convention. And without super D’s Hillary is not close … although before Cali is tallied she is 200+ vote closer to the magic 50% +1 than Sir Bernie is.
Of course, one of three possible paths that lead to the nomination of Senator Sanders (at least as I perceive it) is changing the inclinations of super delegates who do not officially vote until July 25 - including the more than 400 super delegates who endorsed Secretary Clinton 10 months before the first caucuses and primaries and long before any other candidate was in the race, something I hope may actually disqualify them from voting.
The urgent, shrilled, fixed drum beat to declare Secretary Clinton the nominee reaches a peak on MSNBC which reports Senator Sanders will be heading to Burlington on Wednesday to re-evaluate his campaign ... as if evaluating one’s strategy after the Cali results are in is the equivalent of a concession. There is even a report alleging Bernie received a call from Obama who – it is said - is ready to endorse Hillary and wants Bernie to step aside as Hill did in 2008.
Naturally. what would throw a wrench into all these plans would be that Californians come out in large numbers, because the more pedople who vote, the bigger will be Bernie's margin of victory. And a BIG Bernie victory in California keeps hope alive. Besides, everyone knows we can’t win if we play by their rules … so here’s to thinking outside the box and, dare I say it, to revolution.