SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Wisconsin Adds Momentum To The Sanders Revolution
Bernie Sanders swamped Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin Democratic primary Tuesday. Ted Cruz won big over Donald Trump on the Republican side. The chances for a contested Republican convention increased markedly. And Sanders' momentum in the Democratic race continues to gather strength.
Apr 06, 2016
Bernie Sanders swamped Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin Democratic primary Tuesday. Ted Cruz won big over Donald Trump on the Republican side. The chances for a contested Republican convention increased markedly. And Sanders' momentum in the Democratic race continues to gather strength.
The margin of Sanders victory - 56.5 percent to 43.1 percent - surprised. He ran even with Clinton among Democrats and slaughtered her among independents (by a 40-point margin) who chose to vote in the Democratic primary. He ran even among women, and enjoyed a big lead among men. Once more he won young voters by staggering margins - 82 to 18 percent among those 18-29, two to one among those 30-44. He lost African American voters, but won young nonwhite voters 54-44. (For analysis of exit poll data go here and here).
Wisconsin voters reflected the attitudes that have largely defined this race. Those most concerned about honesty and trustworthiness or a candidate who cares about "people like me" went for Sanders. Those who valued experience or electability went with Clinton. The economy remained the most important issue, with three-fourths of Democratic voters worried about the direction of the country, and 40 percent fearful that their children will not fare as well as they have.
Celebrating the victory at a massive rally in Wyoming (the Wyoming caucuses are this Saturday), Sanders hailed his "momentum." He started as a "fringe" candidate at single digits in the polls and now runs even with Clinton nationally. He was mocked for suggesting he'd run a campaign by raising money from small donors and disavowing any super PAC. He's now outraised Clinton $109 million to $75 million over the last three months. He's on the campaign trail while she's going to high-dollar fundraisers. (She spent election night at one of those in Brooklyn.) He's now won six contests in a row - Wisconsin, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Utah and Idaho. He continues to cut Clinton's lead in pledged delegates. Pundits dismissing his chances say he has to win over 55 percent of the vote in remaining contests to catch up to Clinton. He's done that or better in each of the last six races.
On Republican side, Cruz' victory margin exceeded most predictions. What is clear is that even Republican primary voters are not happy with their choices. Only 62 percent of Republican voters in Wisconsin would support Trump in the general election; only 66 percent would back Cruz in the general. The Republican race has exposed both of these candidates for what they are - and even Republicans are appalled.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Robert Borosage
Robert Borosage is the founder and president of the Institute for America's Future and co-director of its sister organization, the Campaign for America's Future.
Bernie Sanders swamped Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin Democratic primary Tuesday. Ted Cruz won big over Donald Trump on the Republican side. The chances for a contested Republican convention increased markedly. And Sanders' momentum in the Democratic race continues to gather strength.
The margin of Sanders victory - 56.5 percent to 43.1 percent - surprised. He ran even with Clinton among Democrats and slaughtered her among independents (by a 40-point margin) who chose to vote in the Democratic primary. He ran even among women, and enjoyed a big lead among men. Once more he won young voters by staggering margins - 82 to 18 percent among those 18-29, two to one among those 30-44. He lost African American voters, but won young nonwhite voters 54-44. (For analysis of exit poll data go here and here).
Wisconsin voters reflected the attitudes that have largely defined this race. Those most concerned about honesty and trustworthiness or a candidate who cares about "people like me" went for Sanders. Those who valued experience or electability went with Clinton. The economy remained the most important issue, with three-fourths of Democratic voters worried about the direction of the country, and 40 percent fearful that their children will not fare as well as they have.
Celebrating the victory at a massive rally in Wyoming (the Wyoming caucuses are this Saturday), Sanders hailed his "momentum." He started as a "fringe" candidate at single digits in the polls and now runs even with Clinton nationally. He was mocked for suggesting he'd run a campaign by raising money from small donors and disavowing any super PAC. He's now outraised Clinton $109 million to $75 million over the last three months. He's on the campaign trail while she's going to high-dollar fundraisers. (She spent election night at one of those in Brooklyn.) He's now won six contests in a row - Wisconsin, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Utah and Idaho. He continues to cut Clinton's lead in pledged delegates. Pundits dismissing his chances say he has to win over 55 percent of the vote in remaining contests to catch up to Clinton. He's done that or better in each of the last six races.
On Republican side, Cruz' victory margin exceeded most predictions. What is clear is that even Republican primary voters are not happy with their choices. Only 62 percent of Republican voters in Wisconsin would support Trump in the general election; only 66 percent would back Cruz in the general. The Republican race has exposed both of these candidates for what they are - and even Republicans are appalled.
Robert Borosage
Robert Borosage is the founder and president of the Institute for America's Future and co-director of its sister organization, the Campaign for America's Future.
Bernie Sanders swamped Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin Democratic primary Tuesday. Ted Cruz won big over Donald Trump on the Republican side. The chances for a contested Republican convention increased markedly. And Sanders' momentum in the Democratic race continues to gather strength.
The margin of Sanders victory - 56.5 percent to 43.1 percent - surprised. He ran even with Clinton among Democrats and slaughtered her among independents (by a 40-point margin) who chose to vote in the Democratic primary. He ran even among women, and enjoyed a big lead among men. Once more he won young voters by staggering margins - 82 to 18 percent among those 18-29, two to one among those 30-44. He lost African American voters, but won young nonwhite voters 54-44. (For analysis of exit poll data go here and here).
Wisconsin voters reflected the attitudes that have largely defined this race. Those most concerned about honesty and trustworthiness or a candidate who cares about "people like me" went for Sanders. Those who valued experience or electability went with Clinton. The economy remained the most important issue, with three-fourths of Democratic voters worried about the direction of the country, and 40 percent fearful that their children will not fare as well as they have.
Celebrating the victory at a massive rally in Wyoming (the Wyoming caucuses are this Saturday), Sanders hailed his "momentum." He started as a "fringe" candidate at single digits in the polls and now runs even with Clinton nationally. He was mocked for suggesting he'd run a campaign by raising money from small donors and disavowing any super PAC. He's now outraised Clinton $109 million to $75 million over the last three months. He's on the campaign trail while she's going to high-dollar fundraisers. (She spent election night at one of those in Brooklyn.) He's now won six contests in a row - Wisconsin, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Utah and Idaho. He continues to cut Clinton's lead in pledged delegates. Pundits dismissing his chances say he has to win over 55 percent of the vote in remaining contests to catch up to Clinton. He's done that or better in each of the last six races.
On Republican side, Cruz' victory margin exceeded most predictions. What is clear is that even Republican primary voters are not happy with their choices. Only 62 percent of Republican voters in Wisconsin would support Trump in the general election; only 66 percent would back Cruz in the general. The Republican race has exposed both of these candidates for what they are - and even Republicans are appalled.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy