Politico has a story today about how the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democrat Party is already challenging the state party leadership in a number of places where Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the primaries. That didn't take long. Last summer, the Sanders people found out that the state and national party apparatus rigged the system for Hillary during the primaries, but they had to stay on the team during the campaign. Now, with Hillary's defeat, the wheels are coming off the party bus.
Just think what a major shift of party structure towards the far left will do to the Democrats. In many ways, this shift would mirror what happened in the UK when Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership of Labour. The Labour party members felt good about moving back to the left, but the UK as a whole moved towards the Tories in reaction. Would a move further left by the Democrats alienate millions of Americans? Such a move could assuage some of the anger of the Sanders people, but it might push the Democrats into a deeper hole than the one they already occupy.
Bernie Sanders is already making noises about maybe running again in 2020 (when he will be something like 103). That's not going to happen. Still, will the party line up to support a strident leftist in four years? It's wild to contemplate that possibility.
Just think what a major shift of party structure towards the far left will do to the Democrats. In many ways, this shift would mirror what happened in the UK when Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership of Labour. The Labour party members felt good about moving back to the left, but the UK as a whole moved towards the Tories in reaction. Would a move further left by the Democrats alienate millions of Americans? Such a move could assuage some of the anger of the Sanders people, but it might push the Democrats into a deeper hole than the one they already occupy.
Bernie Sanders is already making noises about maybe running again in 2020 (when he will be something like 103). That's not going to happen. Still, will the party line up to support a strident leftist in four years? It's wild to contemplate that possibility.
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