Photo by Raheem F. hosseini
Bern-ing Sacramento Bernie Sanders courts California voters, who may actually decide who faces Donald Trump by Raheem F. hosseini
Vendors sold Bernie Sanders merchandise from the sidewalk bordering Cesar Chavez Plaza during the candidate’s Aug. 22 rally.
r aheem h@ n ew s r ev i ew . com
issue on stands 09/26
over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who ultimately Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ visit to Sacramento won the nomination and become America’s first last week confirmed one thing about the 2020 African-American president. presidential race—California will likely play a deciThat primary was also California’s earliest since sive role in determining who challenges President at least 1992, occurring in February 2008, Black Donald Trump for the future of this country. “I need your help to win in California because History Month. After the state’s last two presidential primaries the candidate who wins here in the largest state in June, California moved up the 2020 primary in the country will in all likelihood win the to March 3, when it’ll be one of 15 states nomination,” Sanders told a crowd of more than participating in the super Super Tuesday. Only four 4,000 during an Aug. 22 campaign rally in Cesar states—Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Chavez Plaza. Carolina—will hold earlier nominating contests. That hasn’t always been the case. In the last two According to FiveThirtyEight’s tracking, decades, with Iowa and New Hampshire monoporecent polling shows California voters are lizing early-bird primaries, California’s still considering their options when it role has often been to ratify a choice comes to the Democratic field, with that was all but already made. Giving former Vice President Joe Biden, Over the last four presidential California Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth primaries in which the incumvoters more say in Warren, Harris and Sanders bent participated, California trading first and second place. voters backed the candidate the primaries doesn’t Four years ago, Sanders who would be his (yes, his) necessarily spell victory dueled Hillary Clinton to a opponent each time. In 1992, for a more progressive close second in California, voters in the state favored about 400,000 votes and 8 Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, the candidate. percentage points behind. In eventual Democratic nominee, Sacramento County, Clinton beat over their own governor, Jerry Sanders by 10 points. Brown, by 7 percentage points, which On Aug. 22, the indefatigable should be a lesson to California Sen. Sanders stumped for a full 30 minutes under a Kamala Harris that the home crowd can be fickle. steamy Sacramento sun, just hours after he toured In 1996, California voters overwhelmingly wildfire-devastated Paradise and held court during supported Kansas Republican Sen. Bob Dole over a town hall in nearby Chico. To the Sacramento right-wing firebrand Pat Buchanan to challenge audience, he hit upon his major theme of calling for President Clinton. In 2004, it was Democratic Sen. a political and economic revolution that wrests the John Kerry who dominated his rivals here before levers of power from the wealthy and hands them to facing President George W. Bush. And in 2012, working-class Americans. former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney steam“We understand that to transform this country, rolled Kentucky Sen. Ron Paul by nearly 70 points it is not just good enough to defeat Trump,” he in California to win the GOP nomination. bellowed. “We have to take on the whole damn After running away with results at the one percent!” □ California polls, these three challengers ultimately lost their contests. Giving California voters more say in the For additional moments and photos from primaries doesn’t necessarily spell victory for bernie sanders’ rally in sacramento, visit a more progressive candidate. In 2008, most sacblog.newsreview.com for an expanded version. voters picked New York Sen. Hillary Clinton
08.29.19
|
SN&R
|
13