Bernie gaining on Clinton in New Hampshire

~ susie

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Go, Bernie, go!

Sen. Bernie Sanders is beginning to show some life against Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire with the Democratic presidential primary there less than eight months away, according to a Suffolk University poll of likely Granite State Democratic primary voters.

Clinton, the former secretary of state, was the choice of 41 percent, followed by Vermonter Sanders (31 percent), Vice President Joe Biden (7 percent), former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (3 percent), and former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia tied at 1 percent. Fifteen percent of likely Democrats were undecided.

“Most political observers felt that Hillary Clinton’s large early lead among Democratic voters would eventually shrunk a bit over time,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston. “But in New Hampshire right now, the lead has shrunk a lot, and this is a much different Democratic primary race than we are seeing in other states so far.”

The poll depicts a clear gender gap, with Clinton carrying women 47 percent to 28 percent but trailing Sanders among men 35 percent to 32 percent. Geographically, Clinton easily carried the central and highly populated southern counties of Rockingham and Hillsborough, but Sanders led 47 percent to 26 percent in the five counties in northern and western New Hampshire, including Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties—which border his home state—and Carroll County.

Donald Trump: All in, and really rich

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

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Donald Trump finally stopped being coy and just came out with it: He’s running for the Republican nomination. In a rambling, bombastic, and self-aggrandizing 45-minute burst of nouns and verbs interspersed with dire predictions and pronouncements, Trump claimed his rightful spot in the 2016 Clown Car. “Our country needs a truly great leader, and we need… Continue reading “Donald Trump: All in, and really rich” →

The first Bernie controversy

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

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One of my formerly radical friends predicted this when Bernie got in. She said since he adheres to Marxist theory, he doesn’t believe in sexism or racism — it’s all class war. (I used to believe that, too. I mostly do, I just don’t exclude racism and sexism.)

I understand what he’s saying, but that’s not how it sounds. That won’t stop the mediafrom piling on:

On African American support for Democrats

Well, here’s what you got. What you got is an African-American president, and the African-American community is very, very proud that this country has overcome racism and voted for him for president. And that’s kind of natural. You’ve got a situation where the Republican Party has been strongly anti-immigration, and you’ve got a Hispanic community which is looking to the Democrats for help.

But that’s not important. You should not be basing your politics based on your color. What you should be basing your politics on is, how is your family doing? … In the last election, in state after state, you had an abysmally low vote for the Democrats among white, working-class people. And I think the reason for that is that the Democrats have not made it clear that they are prepared to stand with the working-class people of this country, take on the big money interests. I think the key issue that we have to focus on, and I know people are uncomfortable about talking about it, is the role of the billionaire class in American society.

By the way? Don’t go jumping to conclusions. The only person who benefits from going negative this early is Martin O’Malley, who’s struggling to get on the radar. He’s the only one desperate enough to take a shot at Bernie.

Or: This blogger just dug it up by him or herself. A lot of black voters are very hostile to Bernie, and this is how it plays out.

Pope Frank: Spread the wealth!

~ susie ~ 2 Comments

PM Harper travels to Vatican City and Rome, Italy

Conservatives really, really hate it when Pope Frank says things like this:

Handing over wealth to the poor is Christianity – not communism, Pope Francis told Catholics.

The pope struck back during Mass Tuesday at critics who accuse him of promoting socialist ideals, saying they misunderstood the Gospels’ central theme, reported National Catholic Reporter.

“Poverty is precisely at the heart of the Gospel,” Pope Francis said. “If we were to remove poverty from the Gospel, people would understand nothing about Jesus’ message.”

He urged Catholics to share their “wealth of the heart” – which he said Christ taught and offered to everyone – by sharing the wealth in their wallet.

“When the faith doesn’t reach your pockets, it is not a genuine faith,” the pope said.

Pope Francis reminded Christians that Jesus became poor and eventually sacrificed his own life to save humanity – but he said charity is not enough.

“Christian poverty is that I give to the poor what is mine, not just what is left over, but even that which I need for myself, because I know that he enriches me,” he said.

“Why does the poor person enrich me?” the pope continued. “Because Jesus said that he himself is in the poor.”

He said Christ works within those who give up their attachment to worldly possessions, telling Catholics that giving to others would enrich them – just as Jesus gave of himself in the Eucharist.

Bernie Sanders continues to draw big crowds

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

Even the Wall Street Journal is paying attention: The 73-year-old Mr. Sanders is particularly popular among young voters, who say they are drawn to his grandfatherly image. Joe Thoms, a 22-year-old who recently graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa, said Mr. Sanders is his top pick for the Democratic nomination, as well as that of… Continue reading “Bernie Sanders continues to draw big crowds” →