Disclaimer: This is a Hillary Clinton appreciation thread, which means that most people who come here really like Hillary Clinton. If you have criticisms, please be respectful.
If you haven’t had the chance, check out the daily News & Views and the Hillary Writers Circle, as well as the afternoon Hillary Hangouts and the #ImWithHer evening open threads. In addition, here are some new diaries:
Jon Perr: On taxes, Hillary puts her money where her mouth is. Trump not so much.
Scandalous One: > > > BREAKING NEWS: I’ve Found the Perfect VP Pick for Hillary: XAVIER BECERRA!
floridageorge: LA TIMES ENDORSES HILLARY: “Hillary vastly better prepared than Bernie Sanders for the presidency”
teacherken: Greenberg: Republicans, beware: Moderates could help elect Clinton
Joan McCarter: Democrats hold early registration edge in battleground states
sideboth: Bernie Sanders supporters called my husband
Scandalous One: Julian Castro Out of the Running to be Hillary's VP pick?
beholderseye: Hey Dailykos — Benchmark here. Let’s have a talk.
On Tuesday we have primaries for Oregon and Kentucky. Should be interesting, as both are closed primaries, and Hillary has yet to lose one. Polling suggests that she could win both… or neither. I’m hoping for at least a split, though fortunately she doesn’t need it.
Meanwhile, California draws nearer, though by the time the primary arrives, it may not matter:
Sanders, virtually unknown in California at this time last year, enters the final weeks after an internal disagreement over strategy and an abrupt change in top staff. State director Michael Ceraso exited Wednesday, amid a debate over whether more money should be invested in digital and grass-roots organizing or traditional TV ads, the typical way to reach voters in the vast state. Ceraso's strength is digital organizing. The spot will be filled by Robert Becker, who was the campaign's director in Iowa, Michigan and New York.
"The campaign wanted to go in a different direction with the California strategy, so we mutually parted ways," said Ceraso, who had set a staff goal of knocking on 1 million doors before Election Day.
Meanwhile, Sanders' fundraising has slowed, and the campaign began cutting scores of workers last month. With Clinton eager to save money for the fall, and Sanders' fundraising slowing, it's not yet known if voters will witness a last-minute barrage of TV ads.
That may be true, but it doesn’t stop California-based pundits from trying to pretend as though Hillary is in much more trouble than she is. One lamented that while Donald Trump had locked up the Republican nomination, Hillary Clinton had not yet “sealed the deal” with Democratic voters. Said pundit forgot that Trump’s opponents dropped out and that under Republican nomination rules, Hillary Clinton would have already clinched the nomination, while Trump has yet to meet the necessary threshold. Lots of manufactured drama to come over the next month.
Fortunately, Hillary has lots of Californians in her corner, like soon-to-be-very-missed Senator Barbara Boxer:
xU.S Senator Barbara Boxer on endorsing Hillary Clinton:😍🇺🇸#ImWithHer#Florida#UniteBlue#KYPrimary#CAPrimarypic.twitter.com/svdbqnx1Ki
— Hillary for Florida (@Hillary4Florida) May 13, 2016And singer celebs like Christina Aguilera and John Legend:
Hillary Clinton will return to Los Angeles on June 6 for a fundraising concert at the Greek Theatre featuring Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Ricky Martin and Andra Day.
The star-studded event is slated for June 6 at the Greek Theatre, on the eve of California’s June 7 primary, with Clinton expected to attend the concert.
The concert raises money for the Hillary Victory Fund.
Beyond that, Hillary Clinton has broad support throughout California, including the seemingly Bernie-friendly Bay Area:
xOur latest newsletter! https://t.co/TNLkK6oogd
— CoCo4Hillary (@coco4hillary) May 14, 2016 x#hillyes#ImWithHer#HillaryForCA#hillifornia@HillaryClintonpic.twitter.com/2ucaNuZ3LI
— SanMateoforHillary (@HillarySanMateo) May 9, 2016 xWe're at the Oakland office & calling other Asian Americans in California! Join us! #AsiansforHillary#CAforHillarypic.twitter.com/BcP7dHZdcN
— SanFrancisco4Hillary (@SF4Hillary) May 14, 2016The @CoCo4Hillary newsletter has an interesting item about tabling at the Concord Farmers Market in Contra Costa County. For those unfamiliar with Contra Costa, it is one of the nine Bay Area Counties, and is generally considered more conservative than counties such as Alameda and San Francisco. Concord is the largest city in the county, at 122,000.
The highlight of the event in my view was the unforeseen appearance of a very enthusiastic supporter decked out in a quality Hillary shirt who said she is a lifelong Republican, plans to remain a Republican, and intends to dress for and support Hillary all the way through to November because she is so disgusted with the nomination of Donald Trump.
Michele also boldly countered someone who said that as a Republican there was no way he was going to vote for that *?$%?!, swiftly responding, "Sir, I am a Republican too! I am a lifelong Republican!" I think my other fellow tabler Jeannie just didn't know what to make of Michele, but I chuckled because before she got there the Bernie tablers were boasting volubly that all they were trying to do at this point was bring more independents and Republicans into the democratic process, since they perceive that Bernie has an advantage among those voters.
As for me, personally, not much has gone on since my training last Saturday. However, I have gotten in touch with a local neighborhood rep and will be attending a strategy session next week, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, if you have any money to spare, please consider
**CONTRIBUTING TO THE CAMPAIGN**
This is your open thread.