California, and the San Francisco Examiner, get it!
This is the first California presidential primary that has mattered in nearly a half century. This is truly a momentous election for the voters. California might be Sen. Bernie Sanders’ last stand, but the fact he has made it this far against the Democratic machine that seemed intent to discount his candidacy from the outset speaks to the force of discontent in this country and the feeling, on the Democratic side, that Hillary Clinton is a flawed standard bearer for the party.
The disagreement between Democrats in this race bears some semblance to the troubles on the Republican side, where the rise of Donald Trump as the presumptive nominee is evidence of how broken the GOP has become. But there are very different tensions, too, leading to Sanders’ surprising and encouraging successes thus far.
Sanders’ vision for the future of America is optimistic, egalitarian and just. The revolution he speaks of, however distant or far-fetched, is about restoring hope to so many who have assumed the terrors and injustices of modern life were insurmountable. That vision, that government can better people’s lives and root out entrenched corruption and cowardice, deserves our heartfelt support and full-throated endorsement.
As does Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon!
“Mr. Sanders’s lone endorser in the Senate, who said that the party’s divisions would only deepen if Mr. Sanders was driven from the race now. “You can’t say to them, ‘Hey we don’t want to hear your views,’ and shut the door on them,” Mr. Merkley said, “and then a month later open the door and say, ‘Hey, can you come in and help us out?’”