theguardian--2020-02-29--Sanders hopes to ride 'blue wave' to victory in Virginia on Super Tuesday

On a crisp weekday afternoon before the Virginia primary on Super Tuesday , thousands of people turned out to see the Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speak in the state ’ s capital , Richmond .
Four years ago , Democratic voters in the commonwealth delivered a resounding rebuke of the Vermont senator ’ s promise for political revolution .
But there are signs that this year might be different .
After strong showings in the early primary voting states of Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada , Sanders stood before an adoring crowdat the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea of blue placards bearing his name , as the clear frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Interest in the rally was so overwhelming that the campaign relocated to a larger venue .
“ That is getting the establishment very , very nervous , ” he said , gleefully conjuring images of a cabal of Democrats desperately searching for a way to slow his march .
“ They ’ re staying up day and night trying to figure out how to stop us .
And when they see turnout like this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t exaggerating .
That morning , the New York Times published a report based on interviews with dozens of Democratic Party officials who said they would attempt to block his nomination at the party ’ s convention in July if Sanders arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority needed to win the nomination outright .
With so much uncertainty around the mechanics – and the mathematics – of the nomination process , Sanders is dedicating precious time to competing for Virginia ’ s 99 delegates before Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when 16 states and US territories will have their say on which of the eight major remaining candidates should take on Donald Trump in the November election .
On Saturday , as South Carolina holds its primary , Sanders will return for events in northern Virginia , where he will appear with the Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar , and Virginia Beach .
Powered by moderate , suburban voters , Virginia has become increasingly Democratic since the election of Trump .
In 2017 , Virginia elected a Democratic governor , Ralph Northam , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of antipathy to Trump in suburban America .
In 2018 , Virginia Democrats flipped three congressional seats critical to the party ’ s takeover of the US House .
And in 2019 , Democrats gained control of both chambers of the state legislature for the first time in a generation .
A tradition-bound , business-friendly southern state isn ’ t an obvious fit for a democratic socialist senator from Vermont .
In the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial primary , Northam handily beat the former congressman Tom Perriello , who ran as a progressive with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monmouth University poll from last week showed Sanders neck-and-neck with Michael Bloomberg , the billionaire former New York mayor who will appear on the ballot for the first time on Tuesday after foregoing the early-state contests .
Virginia is a top target for Bloomberg , who launched his campaign in Norfolk and has blanketed the state with millions of dollars worth of political advertisements .
“ Mike Bloomberg has visited Virginia more than any other Super Tuesday state because of the importance our Commonwealth has in our overall strategy , ” said Melissa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state director .
“ With more than 80 staffers on the ground , seven offices open across the Commonwealth , and an unmatched field program , our campaign has been putting in the work to reach out to every voter in Virginia.
” “ In some ways you could say Virginia is a battle for the soul of the Democratic party , ” said Bill Neidhardt , Sanders ’ s Virginia state director , who previously served as the campaign ’ s deputy state director in Iowa .
“ Bloomberg is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state with as much money as possible , ” he said .
“ But we ’ ve had hundreds , if not thousands , of volunteers who have been organizing here relentlessly for months … These two distinct models are about as far apart as it can get in the Democratic party .
Which one can win here ?
” But the race is not a neat showdown between Sanders and Bloomberg .
The former vice-president Joe Biden is also a major force in the state .
On Friday , he was endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he will hold a rally in Norfolk on Sunday .
A new poll on Friday showed Biden regaining momentum as Sanders slipped to second , underscoring the uncertainty of the primary .
In the survey by Christopher Newport University ’ s Wason Center for Public Policy , 22 % of Democratic voters said they preferred Biden compared with 17 % who chose Sanders .
Bloomberg trailed in third place with 13 % .
A strong showing in South Carolina on Saturday could boost Biden ’ s standing further , particularly with African American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unease many Virginia Democrats feel about Sanders , averse to his populist policies or worrying that they will repel independent and moderate Republicans in crucial swing states in the general election on 3 November .
Of the 18 % of respondents who said they were uncertain or would definitely not support the party ’ s nominee if their candidate did not win , two-thirds said they were concerned the nominee might be “ too liberal ” .
This small slice of the Democratic electorate will be decisive in determining not only if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congresswomen like Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger , who flipped Republican-held seats in 2018 , are re-elected in November , said Larry Sabato , director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia .
“ Democrats can not assume anything about Virginia , ” Sabato cautioned , adding : “ The candidate matters.
” Already , Republican groups are targeting the once deeply conservative Virginia districts held by Luria , Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton in an effort to tie the freshman Democrats to Sanders and other leftwing members of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ocasio-Cortez .
Luria endorsed Biden last month , along with other freshman moderates who have raised concerns about the down-ballot risk of nominating Sanders .
In a statement , she said the former vice-president would “ defeat Donald Trump and win in tough districts like mine ” .
More Virginia Democrats are likely to take sides in the final days before the primary .
But , as has happened in other contests , the establishment is fractured among the many moderates still in the race , leaving an opening for Sanders to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fertile ground for his rivals .
In Virginia , voters of either party can cast ballots in the primary and there are indications that there could be more Republicans who participate this year than in 2016 .
Sanders , an independent senator , and Bloomberg , who was elected mayor of New York as a Republican and an independent , both see an opportunity to appeal to a crossover of disaffected voters .
The Sanders campaign is targeting the state ’ s growing immigrant communities , with an emphasis on turning out Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoping to tap into the populist , anti-establishment streak that runs through the Appalachian corner of the state .
Bloomberg has the largest staff in the state with seven offices and 80 members of staff on the ground .
In visits , Bloomberg has presented himself to Virginia as a political pragmatist whose prolific spending on candidates in 2018 and 2019 played a role in Democratic victories across the state .
Virginia unlocks only a fraction of the more than 1,300 pledged delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday .
But in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination outright , every delegate could matter .
The Virginia delegate Lee Carter , a former marine who defeated the Republican House majority whip to win his seat in 2017 and identifies as a Democratic socialist , believes Sanders has every reason to be optimistic about his standing in the state .
“ If people have the choice between a halfway Republican and a whole Republican , they ’ re going to pick the whole Republican , ” Carter said , as the rally emptied on Thursday .
“ But if you give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is unabashedly fighting for corporate interests and a Democrat like Bernie Sanders who is unabashedly fighting for the people ’ s interest , the people are going to show up to vote .
”

On a crisp weekday afternoon before the Virginia primary on Super Tuesday, thousands of people turned out to see the Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speak in the state’s capital, Richmond.
Four years ago, Democratic voters in the commonwealth delivered a resounding rebuke of the Vermont senator’s promise for political revolution. But there are signs that this year might be different.
After strong showings in the early primary voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Sanders stood before an adoring crowdat the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center, a shock of white hair against a sea of blue placards bearing his name, as the clear frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Interest in the rally was so overwhelming that the campaign relocated to a larger venue.
“That is getting the establishment very, very nervous,” he said, gleefully conjuring images of a cabal of Democrats desperately searching for a way to slow his march. “They’re staying up day and night trying to figure out how to stop us. And when they see turnout like this, they get even more nervous.”
Sanders wasn’t exaggerating. That morning, the New York Times published a report based on interviews with dozens of Democratic Party officials who said they would attempt to block his nomination at the party’s convention in July if Sanders arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority needed to win the nomination outright.
Q&A What is Super Tuesday? Show It’s the day when the greatest number of US states cast their votes to nominate presidential candidates, who will eventually compete for the White House in November’s general election. It is the biggest day in the US election calendar apart from election day itself. The candidates have each held hundreds of meet-and-greet events, travelled thousands of miles, eaten a lot of junk food, and their campaigns have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to get them to this make-or-break moment. In 2020, Super Tuesday falls on 3 March. Both Democrats and Republicans will be voting, but because Donald Trump does not face any serious challengers, all eyes will be on the Democratic contest. The early voting states – Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina – have all had their say over the past month, with Bernie Sanders emerging as the possible national frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination. But now, 14 states across the country – Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia – as well as one US territory (American Samoa) and Democrats abroad will cast their votes on the same day. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.
With so much uncertainty around the mechanics – and the mathematics – of the nomination process, Sanders is dedicating precious time to competing for Virginia’s 99 delegates before Tuesday’s slate of primary contests, when 16 states and US territories will have their say on which of the eight major remaining candidates should take on Donald Trump in the November election.
On Saturday, as South Carolina holds its primary, Sanders will return for events in northern Virginia, where he will appear with the Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and Virginia Beach.
Powered by moderate, suburban voters, Virginia has become increasingly Democratic since the election of Trump. In 2017, Virginia elected a Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, in the first major test of the depth of antipathy to Trump in suburban America. In 2018, Virginia Democrats flipped three congressional seats critical to the party’s takeover of the US House. And in 2019, Democrats gained control of both chambers of the state legislature for the first time in a generation.
A tradition-bound, business-friendly southern state isn’t an obvious fit for a democratic socialist senator from Vermont. In the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial primary, Northam handily beat the former congressman Tom Perriello, who ran as a progressive with Sanders’s endorsement.
But a Monmouth University poll from last week showed Sanders neck-and-neck with Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York mayor who will appear on the ballot for the first time on Tuesday after foregoing the early-state contests. Virginia is a top target for Bloomberg, who launched his campaign in Norfolk and has blanketed the state with millions of dollars worth of political advertisements.
Mike Bloomberg speaks to employees of a veteran-owned business in Alexandria, Virginia, on 7 February. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
“Mike Bloomberg has visited Virginia more than any other Super Tuesday state because of the importance our Commonwealth has in our overall strategy,” said Melissa Gallahan, Bloomberg’s 2020 Virginia state director. “With more than 80 staffers on the ground, seven offices open across the Commonwealth, and an unmatched field program, our campaign has been putting in the work to reach out to every voter in Virginia.”
“In some ways you could say Virginia is a battle for the soul of the Democratic party,” said Bill Neidhardt, Sanders’s Virginia state director, who previously served as the campaign’s deputy state director in Iowa.
“Bloomberg is trying to buy this election by basically flooding the state with as much money as possible,” he said. “But we’ve had hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers who have been organizing here relentlessly for months … These two distinct models are about as far apart as it can get in the Democratic party. Which one can win here?”
But the race is not a neat showdown between Sanders and Bloomberg. The former vice-president Joe Biden is also a major force in the state. On Friday, he was endorsed by the Virginia senator Tim Kaine and he will hold a rally in Norfolk on Sunday. A new poll on Friday showed Biden regaining momentum as Sanders slipped to second, underscoring the uncertainty of the primary.
Q&A Why is Super Tuesday important? Show The primaries and caucuses are a series of contests, in all 50 US states plus Washington DC and US territories, by which the party selects its presidential nominee. The goal for the candidates is to amass a majority of pledged delegates whose job it is to nominate the candidate at the party’s convention. In all states, delegates are awarded proportionally among top vote-winners. To become the Democratic presidential nominee on the first ballot, the candidate must secure 1,991 pledged delegates. So far, less than 5% of delegates have been allotted, but on Super Tuesday, more than a third of available delegates are up for grabs – giving it the potential to propel one candidate to frontrunner status, and prompt others who perform badly to quit the race. California has the most pledged delegates (494) followed by Texas (261), North Carolina (72) and Virginia (65). The Super Tuesday states also represent a much broader sweep of the US population, not just in terms of geography, but demographics too, than the early voting states. The results will therefore give a more detailed picture of who supports the candidates, and what their chances of winning on a national level may be. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.
In the survey by Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center for Public Policy, 22% of Democratic voters said they preferred Biden compared with 17% who chose Sanders. Bloomberg trailed in third place with 13%. A strong showing in South Carolina on Saturday could boost Biden’s standing further, particularly with African American voters.
The survey also reflected the unease many Virginia Democrats feel about Sanders, averse to his populist policies or worrying that they will repel independent and moderate Republicans in crucial swing states in the general election on 3 November. Of the 18% of respondents who said they were uncertain or would definitely not support the party’s nominee if their candidate did not win, two-thirds said they were concerned the nominee might be “too liberal”.
This small slice of the Democratic electorate will be decisive in determining not only if the party carries Virginia in November but if congresswomen like Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger, who flipped Republican-held seats in 2018, are re-elected in November, said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
“Democrats cannot assume anything about Virginia,” Sabato cautioned, adding: “The candidate matters.”
Already, Republican groups are targeting the once deeply conservative Virginia districts held by Luria, Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton in an effort to tie the freshman Democrats to Sanders and other leftwing members of the party such as the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Luria endorsed Biden last month, along with other freshman moderates who have raised concerns about the down-ballot risk of nominating Sanders. In a statement, she said the former vice-president would “defeat Donald Trump and win in tough districts like mine”.
More Virginia Democrats are likely to take sides in the final days before the primary. But, as has happened in other contests, the establishment is fractured among the many moderates still in the race, leaving an opening for Sanders to do well in a state that should be fertile ground for his rivals.
Sanders speaks at the Richmond rally. Photograph: Zach Gibson/Getty Images
In Virginia, voters of either party can cast ballots in the primary and there are indications that there could be more Republicans who participate this year than in 2016. Sanders, an independent senator, and Bloomberg, who was elected mayor of New York as a Republican and an independent, both see an opportunity to appeal to a crossover of disaffected voters.
The Sanders campaign is targeting the state’s growing immigrant communities, with an emphasis on turning out Muslim and Hispanic voters. They are also hoping to tap into the populist, anti-establishment streak that runs through the Appalachian corner of the state.
Q&A Who are the Democratic presidential candidates? Show There are currently five leading Democratic presidential candidates: former vice president Joe Biden, senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, former mayor Mike Bloomberg and Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Sanders and Warren are on the progressive side of the party, while candidates like Biden and Bloomberg are regarded as more moderate. Super Tuesday will be the first time that Bloomberg will be on the ballot, and will be a key test of whether the hundreds of millions of dollars he has invested in his own campaign have paid off. He controversially skipped the first early voting states to concentrate on winning support in larger, delegate heavy states. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar both dropped out of the race in advance of Super Tuesday, and have endorsed Joe Biden. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.
Bloomberg has the largest staff in the state with seven offices and 80 members of staff on the ground. In visits, Bloomberg has presented himself to Virginia as a political pragmatist whose prolific spending on candidates in 2018 and 2019 played a role in Democratic victories across the state.
Virginia unlocks only a fraction of the more than 1,300 pledged delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday. But in the rare event that no candidate wins the nomination outright, every delegate could matter.
The Virginia delegate Lee Carter, a former marine who defeated the Republican House majority whip to win his seat in 2017 and identifies as a Democratic socialist, believes Sanders has every reason to be optimistic about his standing in the state.
“If people have the choice between a halfway Republican and a whole Republican, they’re going to pick the whole Republican,” Carter said, as the rally emptied on Thursday. “But if you give them the choice between a Republican who is unabashedly fighting for corporate interests and a Democrat like Bernie Sanders who is unabashedly fighting for the people’s interest, the people are going to show up to vote.”


theguardian--2020-03-02--Super Tuesday: Biden sets up Sanders showdown with South Carolina win

Joe Biden ’ s decisive victory in South Carolina on Saturday night has teed up a major showdown in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination , as the race speeds towards the critical Super Tuesday vote and the former vice-president ’ s centrist rivals ponder whether to step aside .
On Sunday evening , the first of them did : campaign officials confirmed to the Guardian that Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , was out .
Biden delivered a landslide in the first southern state to vote , establishing himself as the main @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
At a victory party in the state capital , Columbia , the former vice-president issued a thinly veiled dig at his opponent , a self-declared democratic socialist , as he urged voters to rally behind a “ a lifelong Democrat , a proud Democrat , an Obama-Biden Democrat ” .
He continued the charge on Sunday with appearances on major news shows in which he touted his legislative record in the Senate and the White House , repeating the same message : “ The people aren ’ t looking for revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” With less than 48 hours before the Super Tuesday ballot , in which 14 states and two other constituencies will decide more than a third of all the presidential delegates , Biden ’ s campaign still faces an uphill battle against Sanders .
The Vermont senator has raised vastly more money , crisscrossed the country to rally and spent more on TV advertising .
Biden had focused almost entirely on South Carolina , appealing for support among black voters who make up a majority and who eventually carried him to victory after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sanders came a distant second but still holds a small lead in the national delegate count after victories in New Hampshire and Nevada .
He shot back at Biden on Sunday , describing himself as “ an existential threat to the corporate wing of the Democratic party ” .
“ For too long the Democratic party and leaders have been going to rich peoples ’ homes raising money and they ’ ve ignored the working class and the middle class , ” Sanders told ABC ’ s This Week .
On CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticised Biden ’ s campaign for taking support from a super pac fundraising committee and mega-rich donors .
Saturday ’ s result also raised questions about the future of other centrist candidates .
Buttigieg initially told NBC News he planned to continue fighting , as “ Every day we are in this campaign is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party ” .
In the early evening , however , came the news that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar will drop out before Tuesday , which is when her home state takes to the ballot box in a race that has also been targeted by Sanders .
Sanders is polling ahead in the delegate-heavy states of California and Virginia and is running close to Biden in Texas and North Carolina .
Despite this , Biden predicted he would see a strong showing on election night .
“ I feel good about where we are , ” he told Fox News Sunday .
“ It ’ s not for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should get out of the race .
They ’ ll know whether or not they remain viable , whether they have a chance .
I ’ m confident that the primaries that are coming up and the ones that follow are going to whittle that field.
” Speaking to CNN ’ s State of the Union , Biden said he hadn ’ t had any conversations with other candidates but : “ I think everyone knows it ’ s going to be much more difficult to win back the Senate and keep control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the top of the ticket.
” Super Tuesday also marks the first time the billionaire Mike Bloomberg will appear on the ballot .
Despite two poor debates and Biden ’ s surge , the former New York mayor has shown no signs of leaving the race , having invested $ 500m of his personal fortune .
Bloomberg has bought a three-minute primetime advertising slot to be broadcast on two TV stations on Sunday , where he will make a presidential style address touting his leadership experience and criticising the Trump administration ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden reiterated on Sunday that he planned to push for the nomination if no single candidate secures the 1,991 pledged delegates needed to win the party ’ s presidential candidacy outright .
Should that occur , the so-called super delegates , 771 senior Democratic figures who can decide for themselves who to back , could steer the nomination at a contested convention .
“ We need unity , ” he told ABC .
“ If you reject the candidate who has the most votes from the people and you win it through super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate wing of the Democratic party , do you think you ’ re going to have the energy and the excitement of a grassroots movement to defeat Donald Trump ?
” Still , there are dozens of states and jurisdictions to vote before such an outcome becomes inevitable .
Saturday ’ s result in South Carolina led to another candidate , billionaire Tom Steyer , dropping out of the race .
Steyer secured no delegates and came a disappointing third , having invested millions campaigning in the state .

Oliver Laughland in Charleston, South Carolina

Joe Biden’s decisive victory in South Carolina on Saturday night has teed up a major showdown in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, as the race speeds towards the critical Super Tuesday vote and the former vice-president’s centrist rivals ponder whether to step aside.
On Sunday evening, the first of them did: campaign officials confirmed to the Guardian that Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was out.
Biden delivered a landslide in the first southern state to vote, establishing himself as the main rival to frontrunner Bernie Sanders’ progressive campaign.
At a victory party in the state capital, Columbia, the former vice-president issued a thinly veiled dig at his opponent, a self-declared democratic socialist, as he urged voters to rally behind a “a lifelong Democrat, a proud Democrat, an Obama-Biden Democrat”.
He continued the charge on Sunday with appearances on major news shows in which he touted his legislative record in the Senate and the White House, repeating the same message: “The people aren’t looking for revolution. They’re looking for results.”
With less than 48 hours before the Super Tuesday ballot, in which 14 states and two other constituencies will decide more than a third of all the presidential delegates, Biden’s campaign still faces an uphill battle against Sanders.
For too long the Democratic party and leaders have … ignored the working class and the middle class Bernie Sanders
The Vermont senator has raised vastly more money, crisscrossed the country to rally and spent more on TV advertising. Biden had focused almost entirely on South Carolina, appealing for support among black voters who make up a majority and who eventually carried him to victory after significant losses in the other early states.
Sanders came a distant second but still holds a small lead in the national delegate count after victories in New Hampshire and Nevada. He shot back at Biden on Sunday, describing himself as “an existential threat to the corporate wing of the Democratic party”.
“For too long the Democratic party and leaders have been going to rich peoples’ homes raising money and they’ve ignored the working class and the middle class,” Sanders told ABC’s This Week.
On CBS’s Face the Nation, he criticised Biden’s campaign for taking support from a super pac fundraising committee and mega-rich donors.
Saturday’s result also raised questions about the future of other centrist candidates. Buttigieg initially told NBC News he planned to continue fighting, as “Every day we are in this campaign is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party”.
In the early evening, however, came the news that he was gone.
It is unlikely the Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar will drop out before Tuesday, which is when her home state takes to the ballot box in a race that has also been targeted by Sanders.
Sanders is polling ahead in the delegate-heavy states of California and Virginia and is running close to Biden in Texas and North Carolina.
Despite this, Biden predicted he would see a strong showing on election night.
“I feel good about where we are,” he told Fox News Sunday. “It’s not for me to tell any other candidate they should get out of the race. They’ll know whether or not they remain viable, whether they have a chance. I’m confident that the primaries that are coming up and the ones that follow are going to whittle that field.”
Speaking to CNN’s State of the Union, Biden said he hadn’t had any conversations with other candidates but: “I think everyone knows it’s going to be much more difficult to win back the Senate and keep control of the House if Bernie’s at the top of the ticket.”
Bernie Sanders greets supporters during a rally at Virginia Wesleyan University in Norfolk, Virginia. Photograph: Samuel Corum/EPA
Super Tuesday also marks the first time the billionaire Mike Bloomberg will appear on the ballot. Despite two poor debates and Biden’s surge, the former New York mayor has shown no signs of leaving the race, having invested $500m of his personal fortune.
Bloomberg has bought a three-minute primetime advertising slot to be broadcast on two TV stations on Sunday, where he will make a presidential style address touting his leadership experience and criticising the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Biden reiterated on Sunday that he planned to push for the nomination if no single candidate secures the 1,991 pledged delegates needed to win the party’s presidential candidacy outright. Should that occur, the so-called super delegates, 771 senior Democratic figures who can decide for themselves who to back, could steer the nomination at a contested convention.
Sanders, striving to secure the 1,991 majority, staunchly opposes a contested convention.
“We need unity,” he told ABC. “If you reject the candidate who has the most votes from the people and you win it through super delegates and the Democratic establishment and the corporate wing of the Democratic party, do you think you’re going to have the energy and the excitement of a grassroots movement to defeat Donald Trump?”
Still, there are dozens of states and jurisdictions to vote before such an outcome becomes inevitable. Saturday’s result in South Carolina led to another candidate, billionaire Tom Steyer, dropping out of the race.
Steyer secured no delegates and came a disappointing third, having invested millions campaigning in the state.


theguardian--2020-03-02--Pete Buttigieg drops out of 2020 race to be Democratic presidential nominee

Pete Buttigieg has ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Two campaign sources confirmed the news to the Guardian and said the former candidate was on his way back to South Bend , his home town in Indiana , where he would speak later on Sunday night .
The 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend has never held statewide or national office but made a strong run in the Democratic primary , winning the Iowa caucuses narrowly from Bernie Sanders , now the national frontrunner , to whom he placed second in New Hampshire .
But Buttigieg could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , the first two states with influential minority voting blocs .
Joe Biden , the former vice-president , won the South Carolina primary on Saturday by a landslide margin .
The next date on the primary calendar is Super Tuesday , 3 March , when 14 states , American Samoa and Democrats who live overseas will vote .
Biden will look to harvest support from Buttigieg as he seeks to establish himself as the moderate choice to deny Sanders , a progressive senator from Vermont .
Speaking to CNN on Sunday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any conversations with other candidates about whether they should drop out and back him but added : “ I think everyone knows it ’ s going to be much more difficult to win back the Senate and keep control of the House if Bernie ’ s at the top of the ticket.
” The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar is still in the race , though she is unlikely to quit before her state votes on Tuesday .
The billionaire former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg is also a centrist candidate for the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not yet entered a primary .
Another billionaire moderate , Tom Steyer , dropped out on Saturday night .
On Sunday Rick Wilson , a former Republican consultant turned columnist and anti-Trump organiser who advocates a moderate choice of Democratic nominee , wrote on Twitter : “ It ’ s hard to pick the right time to go in a campaign , but Pete Buttigieg did.
” At first on Sunday , which he began with breakfast with former president Jimmy Carter in Plains , Georgia , it did not seem Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every day we are in this campaign , ” he told NBC News , “ is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party.
” But later in the day he was out .
It seems likely Buttigieg will remain a figure on the national political stage .
A charismatic campaigner in the centre lane of the primary , having run for party chair in 2016 , he was also the first openly gay candidate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kaiser , a Guardian contributor and the author of The Gay Metropolis : the Landmark History of Gay Life in America , said : “ Even though he is leaving the race , his success in Iowa and New Hampshire was transformative .
“ Before Pete Buttigieg no one knew if an openly gay or lesbian American could be a credible candidate for president .
Now , no one from the LGBTQ community will ever grow up thinking their sexuality is an unsurmountable obstacle on the road to the White House .
”

Martin Pengelly in New York and Lauren Gambino in Los Angeles

Pete Buttigieg has ended his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination with a call for Democrats to unite in their fight to beat Donald Trump in the election.
The 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend has never held statewide or national office but made a strong run in the Democratic primary, winning the Iowa caucuses narrowly from Bernie Sanders, now the national frontrunner, to whom he placed second in New Hampshire.
But Buttigieg could not make progress in Nevada and South Carolina, the first two states with influential minority voting blocs.
Speaking to supporters in South Bend on Sunday night, Buttigieg issued a call for unity. “Today is a moment of truth ... the truth is that the path has narrowed to a close for our candidacy if not for our cause.” he said.
“We must recognize that at this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with those goals and ideals is to step aside and help bring our party and country together.”
“Our goal has always been to unify Americans to help defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for our values.”
Joe Biden, the former vice-president, won the South Carolina primary on Saturday by a landslide margin. The next date on the calendar is Super Tuesday, 3 March, when 14 states, American Samoa and Democrats who live overseas will vote.
Biden will look to harvest support from Buttigieg as he seeks to establish himself as the moderate choice to deny Sanders. The progressive from Vermont, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, sits in the Senate as an independent. Party figures fear he will not be able to beat Donald Trump in November.
Speaking to CNN on Sunday morning, Biden said he had not had any conversations with other candidates about whether they should drop out and back him but added: “I think everyone knows it’s going to be much more difficult to win back the Senate and keep control of the House if Bernie’s at the top of the ticket.”
The Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar is still in the race and is unlikely to quit before her state votes on Tuesday. The billionaire former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg is also a centrist candidate for the nomination but he is self-funding his campaign and has not yet entered a primary.
Another billionaire moderate, Tom Steyer, dropped out on Saturday night.
At first on Sunday, which Buttigieg began with breakfast with former president Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia, it did not seem he would take the final step.
“Every day we are in this campaign,” he told NBC News, “is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party.”
But later in the day he was out.
CNN reported that the former mayor was “unwilling to be [the] reason Sanders is able to get ‘insurmountable’ delegate lead on Super Tuesday”. It was also reported that Buttigieg was not planning to endorse another candidate on Sunday.
Sanders responded to Buttigieg’s exit from the campaign on Sunday night with an appeal to his supporters.
I want to congratulate @PeteButtigieg for running a strong and historic campaign, and to welcome all of his supporters into our movement. I urge them to join us in the fight for real change in this country. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 2, 2020
Rick Wilson, a former Republican consultant turned anti-Trump organiser who advocates a moderate choice of Democratic nominee, wrote on Twitter: “It’s hard to pick the right time to go in a campaign, but Pete Buttigieg did.”
It seems likely Buttigieg will remain a figure on the national stage. A charismatic campaigner in the centre lane of the primary, having prepared his ground with a run for party chair in 2016, he built an impressive fundraising operation.
He was also the first openly gay candidate for American president.
“The Pete Buttigieg story isn’t over. It’s just beginning,” said Democratic strategist David Axelrod. “He’s 38 years old. He’s vaulted himself into the national conversation.”
“He obviously has work to do on some things that – some weaknesses we’ve seen in this election – but whenever there is a conversation again about Democratic candidates, he’ll be in that conversation. And that’s a remarkable achievement, given where he started a year ago.”
Recently, when the rightwing shock jock and Trump ally Rush Limbaugh questioned whether Americans were ready to vote for a gay president, even the controversialist in the Oval Office was quick to disown the suggestion. On the campaign trail, where he regularly appeared with his husband Chasten, Buttigieg hit back hard.
In comments distributed to the media on Sunday, a Buttigieg campaign official said: “Pete was willing to go where no other candidates were – and when he held a Fox News town hall and got a standing ovation, people realised that Pete’s message of moving past our divided politics was truly possible.”
One of Buttigieg’s last tweets as a candidate linked to a Michigan ballot initiative on anti-discrimination law and promised supporters that as president he would “help pass the Equality Act, and with your courage and activism … create a community where we all belong”.
In a statement, Sarah Kate Ellis, president and chief executive of the Glaad advocacy group, said Buttigieg “showed the world that Americans are ready to accept and embrace qualified LGBTQ public leaders.”
Charles Kaiser, a Guardian contributor and the author of The Gay Metropolis: the Landmark History of Gay Life in America, said: “Even though he is leaving the race, his success in Iowa and New Hampshire was transformative.
“Before Pete Buttigieg no one knew if an openly gay or lesbian American could be a credible candidate for president. Now, no one from the LGBTQ community will ever grow up thinking their sexuality is an unsurmountable obstacle on the road to the White House.”


theguardian--2020-03-01--Trump tweets praise for under-fire Mexican restaurant – but gets city wrong

The owners of a Tucson-area Mexican restaurant are fending off social media attacks after appearing in the VIP area at a Trump rally in Phoenix last month .
The Arizona Daily Star reported that a Facebook group posted a screenshot image from the rally that showed Sammy ’ s Mexican Grill co-owner Betty Rivas standing behind Trump , wearing a red cowboy hat emblazoned with “ Latinos Love Trump ” .
The newspaper says the post attracted more than 230 comments , almost all negative .
Sammy ’ s co-owner Jorge Rivas said some people also posted “ very ugly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurant ’ s Yelp and Google pages .
On Sunday Trump tweeted support for the Rivas ’ restaurant .
Despite apparently watching a segment on the eatery on his favourite Fox News magazine show , Fox & Friends , the president got its location wrong .
“ The food is GREAT at Sammy ’ s Mexican Grill in Phoenix , Arizona , ” the tweet said .
“ Congratulations to Betty & Jorge Rivas on doing such a wonderful job .
I will try hard to stop by the next time I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 113 miles apart .
Trump ’ s hardline immigration policies make him unpopular with most Latino Americans .
Rivas said he and his wife posted a video on Facebook defending their rights as “ naturalized American citizens ” to vote , support and meet whomever they please .
“ Just because we are Latinos it doesn ’ t mean that we have to feel like every other Latino in this country , “ Rivas said .
“ We are individuals and we feel that we have the constitutional right to meet and support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the online attacks had little to no impact on business at the restaurant which he and his wife opened in 1996 .

The owners of a Tucson-area Mexican restaurant are fending off social media attacks after appearing in the VIP area at a Trump rally in Phoenix last month.
The Arizona Daily Star reported that a Facebook group posted a screenshot image from the rally that showed Sammy’s Mexican Grill co-owner Betty Rivas standing behind Trump, wearing a red cowboy hat emblazoned with “Latinos Love Trump”.
The newspaper says the post attracted more than 230 comments, almost all negative. Sammy’s co-owner Jorge Rivas said some people also posted “very ugly stuff” on social media including the restaurant’s Yelp and Google pages.
On Sunday Trump tweeted support for the Rivas’ restaurant. Despite apparently watching a segment on the eatery on his favourite Fox News magazine show, Fox & Friends, the president got its location wrong.
“The food is GREAT at Sammy’s Mexican Grill in Phoenix, Arizona,” the tweet said. “Congratulations to Betty & Jorge Rivas on doing such a wonderful job. I will try hard to stop by the next time I am in Phoenix.”
Phoenix and Tucson are 113 miles apart.
Trump’s hardline immigration policies make him unpopular with most Latino Americans.
Rivas said he and his wife posted a video on Facebook defending their rights as “naturalized American citizens” to vote, support and meet whomever they please.
“Just because we are Latinos it doesn’t mean that we have to feel like every other Latino in this country,“ Rivas said. “We are individuals and we feel that we have the constitutional right to meet and support whoever we want.”
Jorge Rivas said the online attacks had little to no impact on business at the restaurant which he and his wife opened in 1996.


theguardian--2020-03-01--Pompeo dismisses Afghan rejection of key clause in US-Taliban deal

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday brushed off the Afghan president ’ s rejection of a key clause of the US-Taliban deal he saw signed into effect on Saturday .
After Ashraf Ghani rejected a Taliban demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners which was included in the deal as a condition for further talks , Pompeo was asked if a major stumbling block had emerged only a day after the deal was signed .
He told CBS ’ s Face the Nation : “ There have been prisoner releases from both sides before .
We ’ ve managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the deal signed in Doha on Saturday , which will lead to US troop withdrawals , was historic and contained detailed commitments by the Taliban to reduce violence .
He also expressed hope that talks would begin in the coming days between Afghanistan ’ s government and the Taliban , adding that Donald Trump would be actively engaged .
Pompeo gave no date for a Trump meeting with Taliban leaders , which the president promised at the White House on Saturday .
The deal faces criticism at home but in Kabul , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Afghanistan has made no commitment to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners.
” Under the accord , the US and the Taliban are committed to work expeditiously to release combat and political prisoners as a confidence-building measure , with the coordination and approval of all sides .
The agreement calls for up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be released in exchange for up to 1,000 Afghan government captives by 10 March .
Ghani said it was “ not in the authority of United States to decide ” about the swap , because it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to CNN , the Afghan president said Trump had not asked for the release of the prisoners and the issue should be discussed as part of a comprehensive peace deal .
“ The political consensus … that would be needed for such a major step does not exist today , ” he said .
Ghani said key issues need to be discussed first , including the Taliban ’ s ties with Pakistan and other countries that had offered it sanctuary , its ties with what he called terrorist groups and drug cartels , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its civil administration .
“ The people of Afghanistan need to believe that we ’ ve gone from war to peace , and not that the agreement will be either a Trojan horse or the beginning of a much worse phase of conflict , ” he said .
Pompeo said that though the Taliban “ have an enormous amount of American blood on their hands ” , they “ have now made the break .
They ’ ve said they will not permit terror to be thrust upon anyone , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s accord was signed in Doha by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar , witnessed by Pompeo .
Pompeo said he met “ a senior Taliban negotiator ” .
Baradar met foreign ministers from Norway , Turkey and Uzbekistan and diplomats from Russia , Indonesia and other nations .
“ The dignitaries who met Mullah Baradar expressed their commitments towards Afghanistan ’ s reconstruction and development … the US-Taliban agreement is historical , ” said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid .
In the US , Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the deal and trusting the Taliban , while Democrats demanded congressional involvement .
In a Saturday briefing at the White House , Trump rejected all criticism and said he would meet Taliban leaders .
Aides to Ghani said Trump ’ s decision to meet the Taliban could pose a challenge to Afghanistan ’ s government at a time when the US troop withdrawal is imminent .
Washington is committed to reducing troops to 8,600 from 13,000 within 135 days of signing the deal .
The US is also committed to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces , if the Taliban adheres to security guarantees and ceasefire .
If so , a full withdrawal of all US and coalition forces will occur within 14 months .
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and imposed draconian restrictions on women ’ s rights and activities it deemed un-Islamic .
After being ousted in a US-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks engineered by al-Qaida forces harboured by the Taliban , the Taliban led a long and violent insurgency .
“ The Bush administration and the Obama administration both tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper yesterday that the Taliban would break from al-Qaida publicly , ” Pompeo said .
“ We got that .
That ’ s important .
Now , time will tell if they ’ ll live up to that commitment is our expectation .
They have promised us they will do so and we ’ ll be able to see on the ground everything they do or choose not to do.
” The Afghan war , easily America ’ s longest , has been a stalemate for more than 18 years .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 20,000 wounded .
As of October 2019 , more than 43,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed .
Talks between Afghan government and Taliban groups will be “ rocky and bumpy ” , Pompeo said .
“ No one is under any false illusion that this won ’ t be a difficult conversation .
But that conversation for the first time in almost two decades will be among the Afghan people .
”

Martin Pengelly in New York and agencies

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, on Sunday brushed off the Afghan president’s rejection of a key clause of the US-Taliban deal he saw signed into effect on Saturday.
After Ashraf Ghani rejected a Taliban demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners which was included in the deal as a condition for further talks, Pompeo was asked if a major stumbling block had emerged only a day after the deal was signed.
He told CBS’s Face the Nation: “There have been prisoner releases from both sides before. We’ve managed to figure our path forward.”
Pompeo said the deal signed in Doha on Saturday, which will lead to US troop withdrawals, was historic and contained detailed commitments by the Taliban to reduce violence. He also expressed hope that talks would begin in the coming days between Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban, adding that Donald Trump would be actively engaged.
Pompeo gave no date for a Trump meeting with Taliban leaders, which the president promised at the White House on Saturday.
The deal faces criticism at home but in Kabul, Ghani told reporters: “The government of Afghanistan has made no commitment to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners.”
Under the accord, the US and the Taliban are committed to work expeditiously to release combat and political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, with the coordination and approval of all sides. The agreement calls for up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be released in exchange for up to 1,000 Afghan government captives by 10 March.
Ghani said it was “not in the authority of United States to decide” about the swap, because it was “only a facilitator”.
Speaking to CNN, the Afghan president said Trump had not asked for the release of the prisoners and the issue should be discussed as part of a comprehensive peace deal.
“The political consensus … that would be needed for such a major step does not exist today,” he said.
Ghani said key issues need to be discussed first, including the Taliban’s ties with Pakistan and other countries that had offered it sanctuary, its ties with what he called terrorist groups and drug cartels, and the place of Afghan security forces and its civil administration.
“The people of Afghanistan need to believe that we’ve gone from war to peace, and not that the agreement will be either a Trojan horse or the beginning of a much worse phase of conflict,” he said.
Pompeo said that though the Taliban “have an enormous amount of American blood on their hands”, they “have now made the break. They’ve said they will not permit terror to be thrust upon anyone, including the United States, from Afghanistan.”
Saturday’s accord was signed in Doha by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, witnessed by Pompeo. Pompeo said he met “a senior Taliban negotiator”. Baradar met foreign ministers from Norway, Turkey and Uzbekistan and diplomats from Russia, Indonesia and other nations.
“The dignitaries who met Mullah Baradar expressed their commitments towards Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development … the US-Taliban agreement is historical,” said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid.
In the US, Republicans in Congress expressed concerns about the logistics of the deal and trusting the Taliban, while Democrats demanded congressional involvement. In a Saturday briefing at the White House, Trump rejected all criticism and said he would meet Taliban leaders.
Aides to Ghani said Trump’s decision to meet the Taliban could pose a challenge to Afghanistan’s government at a time when the US troop withdrawal is imminent.
Washington is committed to reducing troops to 8,600 from 13,000 within 135 days of signing the deal. The US is also committed to work with allies to reduce the number of coalition forces, if the Taliban adheres to security guarantees and ceasefire. If so, a full withdrawal of all US and coalition forces will occur within 14 months.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and imposed draconian restrictions on women’s rights and activities it deemed un-Islamic. After being ousted in a US-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks engineered by al-Qaida forces harboured by the Taliban, the Taliban led a long and violent insurgency.
“The Bush administration and the Obama administration both tried to get the words that were on the paper yesterday that the Taliban would break from al-Qaida publicly,” Pompeo said. “We got that. That’s important. Now, time will tell if they’ll live up to that commitment is our expectation. They have promised us they will do so and we’ll be able to see on the ground everything they do or choose not to do.”
The Afghan war, easily America’s longest, has been a stalemate for more than 18 years. More than 2,400 Americans have been killed and more than 20,000 wounded. As of October 2019, more than 43,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed.
Talks between Afghan government and Taliban groups will be “rocky and bumpy”, Pompeo said.
“No one is under any false illusion that this won’t be a difficult conversation. But that conversation for the first time in almost two decades will be among the Afghan people.”


theguardian--2020-03-01--Mike Bloomberg addresses US in TV ad on coronavirus and Trump response

Mike Bloomberg has bought three minutes of primetime TV on Sunday night , in order to address the US about the coronavirus outbreak and Donald Trump ’ s response .
News of the billionaire former New York mayor ’ s latest campaign advertising outlay , reckoned to be between $ 1.25m and $ 3m , was followed by a pair of tweets from the White House .
“ Mini Mike Bloomberg ’ s consultants and so-called ‘ advisors ’ ( how did that advice work out ?
Don ’ t ask ! )
, are on the ‘ gravy train @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all making a fortune for themselves pushing Mini hard , when they knew he never had what it takes .
“ Don ’ t pay them anymore Mike , they led you down a very dark and lonely path !
Your reputation will never be the same !
” Reportedly impressed , if not cowed , by Bloomberg ’ s personal fortune of around $ 60bn , Trump was initially said to have urged aides to take seriously the formerly Republican mayor ’ s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination .
But despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic debates and failed to oust Joe Biden as the moderate frontrunner .
The key test of his ambitions comes on Tuesday , when 14 states and one territory , American Samoa , will stage primaries .
In the ad which will air on CBS and NBC around 8.30pm ET on Sunday – and which is entitled “ Leadership in Crisis ” – Bloomberg appears in suit and tie and American flag pin , in front of a background which thanks to more flags and a sunlit window looks not unlike the Oval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is the job of the president to reassure the public that he or she is taking all the necessary steps to protect the health and wellbeing of every citizen , ” Bloomberg says .
“ The public wants to know their leader is trained , informed and respected .
When a problem arises , they want someone in charge who can marshal facts and expertise to confront the problem.
” Bloomberg does not mention Trump and instead touts his experience in public health management while mayor of New York City between 2001 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with “ a hurricane , a blackout , attempted terror attacks , the West Nile virus and swine flu ” .
In response , the Trump campaign said the president was “ effectively managing the coronavirus situation and has placed the United States ahead of the curve in its comprehensive response ” .
A spokesman added : “ Mike Bloomberg is shamelessly politicising the issue and only further exposing himself as an unserious candidate .
He ’ s a joke.
” Trump , who complained at a rally on Friday night that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in seeking to use the outbreak against him , has been accused of politicising the virus himself .
On Sunday his vice-president Mike Pence , the leader of much-criticised White House efforts to contain the outbreak , parried questions about remarks by Trump and key supporters .
The first US death from coronavirus was reported in Washington state on Saturday .
According to the World Health Organization , there have been 83,652 cases and nearly 2,800 deaths worldwide .
Most are in China but international travel , trade , business and sporting events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steep falls on most financial markets .
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Saturday , meanwhile , Trump mocked Bloomberg physically .
“ We ’ ve got Mini Mike [ Bloomberg ] but I think he ’ s out of it , ” said Trump , 73 and 6ft 3in , about his 78-year-old , 5ft 4in challenger .
“ That was probably the worst debate performance in the history of presidential debates .
It just shows you can ’ t buy an election .
I mean , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ You got ta bring the goods a little bit , too.
’ ” Trump then pretended to be Bloomberg , crouching behind the lectern to audience laughter and chants of : “ Four more years !
” According to the New York Times , on NBC Bloomberg ’ s ad will run “ during Little Big Shots , a variety show featuring child performers hosted by the [ actor ] Melissa McCarthy ” .

Mike Bloomberg has bought three minutes of primetime TV on Sunday night, in order to address the US about the coronavirus outbreak and Donald Trump’s response.
News of the billionaire former New York mayor’s latest campaign advertising outlay, reckoned to be between $1.25m and $3m, was followed by a pair of tweets from the White House.
“Mini Mike Bloomberg’s consultants and so-called ‘advisors’ (how did that advice work out? Don’t ask!), are on the ‘gravy train’,” Trump wrote, “all making a fortune for themselves pushing Mini hard, when they knew he never had what it takes.
“Don’t pay them anymore Mike, they led you down a very dark and lonely path! Your reputation will never be the same!”
Reportedly impressed, if not cowed, by Bloomberg’s personal fortune of around $60bn, Trump was initially said to have urged aides to take seriously the formerly Republican mayor’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
But despite massive spending Bloomberg has struggled in two Democratic debates and failed to oust Joe Biden as the moderate frontrunner. The key test of his ambitions comes on Tuesday, when 14 states and one territory, American Samoa, will stage primaries.
In the ad which will air on CBS and NBC around 8.30pm ET on Sunday – and which is entitled “Leadership in Crisis” – Bloomberg appears in suit and tie and American flag pin, in front of a background which thanks to more flags and a sunlit window looks not unlike the Oval Office.
“At times like this it is the job of the president to reassure the public that he or she is taking all the necessary steps to protect the health and wellbeing of every citizen,” Bloomberg says.
“The public wants to know their leader is trained, informed and respected. When a problem arises, they want someone in charge who can marshal facts and expertise to confront the problem.”
Bloomberg does not mention Trump and instead touts his experience in public health management while mayor of New York City between 2001 and 2013, which he says included dealing with “a hurricane, a blackout, attempted terror attacks, the West Nile virus and swine flu”.
In response, the Trump campaign said the president was “effectively managing the coronavirus situation and has placed the United States ahead of the curve in its comprehensive response”.
A spokesman added: “Mike Bloomberg is shamelessly politicising the issue and only further exposing himself as an unserious candidate. He’s a joke.”
Trump, who complained at a rally on Friday night that Democrats were perpetrating a “hoax” in seeking to use the outbreak against him, has been accused of politicising the virus himself.
On Sunday his vice-president Mike Pence, the leader of much-criticised White House efforts to contain the outbreak, parried questions about remarks by Trump and key supporters.
The first US death from coronavirus was reported in Washington state on Saturday. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 83,652 cases and nearly 2,800 deaths worldwide. Most are in China but international travel, trade, business and sporting events have been affected. This week saw steep falls on most financial markets.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Saturday, meanwhile, Trump mocked Bloomberg physically.
“We’ve got Mini Mike [Bloomberg] but I think he’s out of it,” said Trump, 73 and reportedly 6ft 3in, about his 78-year-old, 5ft 8in challenger.
“That was probably the worst debate performance in the history of presidential debates. It just shows you can’t buy an election. I mean, there’s a point at which people say, ‘You gotta bring the goods a little bit, too.’”
Trump then pretended to be Bloomberg, crouching behind the lectern to audience laughter and chants of: “Four more years!”
According to the New York Times, on NBC Bloomberg’s ad will run “during Little Big Shots, a variety show featuring child performers hosted by the [actor] Melissa McCarthy”.


theguardian--2020-03-01--Buzz of expectation as Bernie Sanders looks to blow away rivals on Super Tuesday

Bernie Sanders doesn ’ t do things by half measures .
As he vies to become the 46th president of the United States he is looking to shatter no fewer than three historic records .
President Sanders would be the first Jewish incumbent of the most powerful office on Earth .
Aged 79 on inauguration day , he would become the oldest president in US history having unseated the current record-holder , Donald Trump , 73 .
Most striking of all , he would be the first American commander-in-chief describing himself as a “ democratic socialist ” .
Judging by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones , not Trump supporters – that is the political equivalent of carrying the coronavirus .
“ I ’ ll tell you what it adds up to , ” said Pete Buttigieg , his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination , at this week ’ s TV debate ahead of Saturday ’ s primary in South Carolina .
Buttigieg referenced Sanders ’ “ radical ” policies of universal tax-funded healthcare , debt-free college tuition and a Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis , then said : “ It adds up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday Sanders has the chance to take his political insurgency and wipe it across the nation .
In the 2020 cycle , Super Tuesday is even more super-charged than usual , providing him with an opportunity to take his already impressive lead over Buttigieg and six other Democratic rivals and virtually blast them out of the water .
In Iowa he finished a splinter-thin second to Buttigieg .
In New Hampshire he won .
In Nevada he sealed his frontrunner status with a slam-dunk victory .
Now Super Tuesday promises to project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states go to the polls on 3 March , between them commanding two-thirds of the 1991 delegates he needs to win outright .
In all but two of those states , Sanders is competitively placed or head and shoulders above the pack , including in his home turf of Vermont .
But the real prize is California .
With its gargantuan crop of 451 delegates – a quarter of those needed to secure the Democratic nomination , no questions asked – California ’ s participation in this year ’ s Super Tuesday has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , where Sanders is currently polling a 13-point lead over next-placed Elizabeth Warren , with delegate-rich Texas , which also goes to the polls on Tuesday , and the buzz of expectation in Sanders ’ circles is almost as palpable as the fear coursing through everyone else .
“ If Sanders cleans up in California and Texas , he is almost guaranteed a plurality of the delegates nationwide , ” said political analyst Larry Sabato .
“ I don ’ t see anyone who could come close.
” Success on Tuesday is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about democratic socialism and crank it to ear-splitting levels .
Buttigieg ’ s claim that Sanders ’ radicalism is a gift to Trump , rendering the US senator from Vermont all but unelectable , will become the rallying cry of the moderate Democrats still clinging to presidential life .
Sanders is having none of it .
At a rally this week in Virginia – another of the Super Tuesday states – he ridiculed the idea that he was extreme .
“ My critics say ‘ Bernie is so radical !
’ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that working people should have the right to live in dignity and security.
” As for his electability , Sanders thundered : “ We are going to defeat Trump because American people do not like frauds and pathological liars.
” The possibility that “ democratic socialist ” might harm Sanders , in turn inflicting terrible damage on America and the world by giving Trump four more years , certainly bears contemplating .
The US is , after all , the crucible of capitalism with a long tradition of individualism and suspicion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense of America ’ s enduring political prejudices , a survey Gallup has been conducting since the 1950s makes for interesting reading .
It shows that on almost all fronts – race , religion , sexuality – the country has loosened up immensely over the decades .
Americans would vote for a well-qualified presidential candidate who is : Jewish by 93 % ( great news for Sanders and Bloomberg ) ; over 70 years old by 69 % ( not bad for Sanders , Bloomberg and Warren ) ; female by 93 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the last two women in the race ) ; gay or lesbian by 78 % ( good for Buttigieg , who is gay ) .
Nor did Sanders ’ recent praise of Fidel Castro ’ s literacy program in Cuba help , stirring up old Cold War antagonisms .
Some of the more piercing attacks from his Democratic adversaries have also intensified the issue , notably the suggestion from Michael Bloomberg , the billionaire late entrant into the race , that Russia was trying to boost Sanders ’ nomination hopes because that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election for Trump .
Against that , Sanders can point to any number of polls that have him beating Trump more convincingly than any of his Democratic rivals .
The idea that socialism remains a bogey word has also been disputed , as has the sharp distinction between “ radical ” versus “ moderate ” Democrats .
As the former US secretary of labor Robert Reich has argued , those concepts are obsolete in an age of soaring inequality when so many Americans feel “ politically disempowered and economically insecure ” .
Greg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known Sanders since 1971 , believes the whole socialism thing is overblown by the media .
“ It ’ s not like he ran as a socialist or or even mentioned it .
I have never heard him utter the word .
Right now the Democrats are doing Trump ’ s work for him by red baiting.
” Guma , the author of The People ’ s Republic : Vermont and the Sanders Revolution , recalls that when he first met Sanders they quarreled over political identity .
Sanders was then running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and wanted only to talk about the “ movement ” .
Guma wanted the candidate to open up about himself .
“ You ’ re a person , not a movement , you have to prove you ’ re a basically good person if you want my vote , ” he told him .
To which the fledgling politician replied : “ It ’ s the movement that ’ s important .
I don ’ t want your vote.
” If Guma ’ s account ended there , it would reinforce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dogmatic ideologue that Sanders ’ enemies promote .
But over the years , Guma says , he saw the emergence of a very different politician , one who builds coalitions and works across the aisle .
“ As an intelligent person , he knew that what mattered was not what labels were pinned on him , but how he did as a political manager – and he did that rather effectively .
He is very good at working with people , going beyond his own rhetoric and establishing alliances with unlikely partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sabato agrees that amid the current brouhaha about socialism , what is being lost is Sanders ’ considerable skills as an organiser .
“ People think of Bernie as an ideological leader and not an organisational leader , but he ’ s both .
That might be the ultimate source of his strength.
” Over the past several years Sanders has followed Barack Obama ’ s example and laid the foundations of a national network of young , energised supporters that has left his less industrious rivals standing .
While his opponents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been quietly doing the unglamorous work it takes to get elected .
He has simply outslogged the competition .
That includes Bloomberg , with his $ 410m glut of TV ads .
“ We live in the age of the permanent campaign , ” Sabato says .
“ There ’ s a big advantage to a candidate who runs flat-out all the time , and that ’ s what Bernie has done and what Joe Biden and the others haven ’ t .
The Sanders crowd hasn ’ t taken a day off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graft are starting to materialise in what Sanders calls a “ multigenerational , multiracial coalition sweeping this country ” .
His ability to mobilise young voters who “ feel the Bern ” was evident four years ago in his epic battle with Hillary Clinton .
This cycle he is also showing resounding support among Latinos .
In Nevada he won the support of 51 % of Hispanic Democrats .
That ’ s a critical statistic .
It suggests that his tireless outreach to Latino communities , combined with policies that talk to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wage , a moratorium on immigration deportations , and commitment to an NHS-style system of Medicare for All which appeals to the high numbers of Latinos who have no or little health insurance – will pay dividends on Tuesday in heavily Hispanic California and Texas .
The key question now is whether this coalition of young voters , Latinos , African Americans , blue-collar workers and urban progressives is big enough to prevail against Trump .
He doesn ’ t only have to match the ecstatic enthusiasm that Trump can muster among his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s approval rating among Republicans is at an astronomical 90 % .
Sanders also has to compensate for those voters balking at the idea of a tax-and-spend socialist in the White House .
That is particularly true in affluent suburbs where independent and moderate Republicans who are disaffected with Trump – especially women – were key to Democrats taking back the House of Representatives in 2018 .
Without such a surge in turnout Sanders could suffer the same fate as Clinton , winning the popular vote but still being outgunned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took 77,744 votes in Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , out of a total of 137m nationally , to hand Trump the presidency in 2016 .
There are warning signs for Sanders – and indeed the entire Democratic field – here .
Turnout in the early caucuses and primaries has so far fallen short of stellar .
“ The early promise from the Sanders camp that only he could generate a large turnout of minorities and young people who failed to turn out for Hillary Clinton is not necessarily true , ” Sabato @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so far , and it ’ s all about getting voters to show up.
” So the still-crowded Democratic field remains far from settled .
Super Tuesday may clarify matters , but if it fails to deliver a clear winner a primary season that is already fractured and ill-tempered will grow uglier by the day .
To add to the jitters , there is even talk of the nightmare scenario .
Should Sanders fail to gain an overall majority in the delegate count by the end of the primaries in June he faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Milwaukee , Wisconsin a month later of a brokered convention .
At that point “ super delegates ” – some 771 officials and potentates of the Democratic party – could use their establishment power to block him from the nomination .
It would provide a spectacular ending to what is turning into an impressively unedifying process .
But it would benefit only one person : the man gleefully watching the fireworks from his vantage point in the Oval Office .

Bernie Sanders doesn’t do things by half measures. As he vies to become the 46th president of the United States he is looking to shatter no fewer than three historic records.
President Sanders would be the first Jewish incumbent of the most powerful office on Earth. Aged 79 on inauguration day, he would become the oldest president in US history having unseated the current record-holder, Donald Trump, 73.
Most striking of all, he would be the first American commander-in-chief describing himself as a “democratic socialist”. Judging by recent attacks from his detractors – Democratic ones, not Trump supporters – that is the political equivalent of carrying the coronavirus.
“I’ll tell you what it adds up to,” said Pete Buttigieg, his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, at this week’s TV debate ahead of Saturday’s primary in South Carolina. Buttigieg referenced Sanders’ “radical” policies of universal tax-funded healthcare, debt-free college tuition and a Green New Deal to tackle the climate crisis, then said: “It adds up to four more years of Donald Trump.”
On Tuesday Sanders has the chance to take his political insurgency and wipe it across the nation. In the 2020 cycle, Super Tuesday is even more super-charged than usual, providing him with an opportunity to take his already impressive lead over Buttigieg and six other Democratic rivals and virtually blast them out of the water.
In Iowa he finished a splinter-thin second to Buttigieg. In New Hampshire he won. In Nevada he sealed his frontrunner status with a slam-dunk victory.
Now Super Tuesday promises to project him to all-but invincible heights. Fourteen states go to the polls on 3 March, between them commanding two-thirds of the 1991 delegates he needs to win outright.
In all but two of those states, Sanders is competitively placed or head and shoulders above the pack, including in his home turf of Vermont. But the real prize is California.
With its gargantuan crop of 451 delegates – a quarter of those needed to secure the Democratic nomination, no questions asked – California’s participation in this year’s Super Tuesday has shaken up the race. Combine the state, where Sanders is currently polling a 13-point lead over next-placed Elizabeth Warren, with delegate-rich Texas, which also goes to the polls on Tuesday, and the buzz of expectation in Sanders’ circles is almost as palpable as the fear coursing through everyone else.
“If Sanders cleans up in California and Texas, he is almost guaranteed a plurality of the delegates nationwide,” said political analyst Larry Sabato. “I don’t see anyone who could come close.”
Success on Tuesday is certain to take the already shrill debate about democratic socialism and crank it to ear-splitting levels. Buttigieg’s claim that Sanders’ radicalism is a gift to Trump, rendering the US senator from Vermont all but unelectable, will become the rallying cry of the moderate Democrats still clinging to presidential life.
Sanders is having none of it. At a rally this week in Virginia – another of the Super Tuesday states – he ridiculed the idea that he was extreme. “My critics say ‘Bernie is so radical!’ I don’t think it’s radical to say that working people should have the right to live in dignity and security.”
As for his electability, Sanders thundered: “We are going to defeat Trump because American people do not like frauds and pathological liars.”
The possibility that “democratic socialist” might harm Sanders, in turn inflicting terrible damage on America and the world by giving Trump four more years, certainly bears contemplating. The US is, after all, the crucible of capitalism with a long tradition of individualism and suspicion of overweening government.
People think of Bernie as an ideological leader and not an organisational leader, but he’s both Larry Sabato
To get a sense of America’s enduring political prejudices, a survey Gallup has been conducting since the 1950s makes for interesting reading. It shows that on almost all fronts – race, religion, sexuality – the country has loosened up immensely over the decades.
Americans would vote for a well-qualified presidential candidate who is: Jewish by 93% (great news for Sanders and Bloomberg); over 70 years old by 69% (not bad for Sanders, Bloomberg and Warren); female by 93% (great for Warren and Amy Klobuchar, the last two women in the race); gay or lesbian by 78% (good for Buttigieg, who is gay).
But socialist? That rates a miserable 45%.
Nor did Sanders’ recent praise of Fidel Castro’s literacy program in Cuba help, stirring up old Cold War antagonisms. Some of the more piercing attacks from his Democratic adversaries have also intensified the issue, notably the suggestion from Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire late entrant into the race, that Russia was trying to boost Sanders’ nomination hopes because that’s the best way of ensuring re-election for Trump.
Against that, Sanders can point to any number of polls that have him beating Trump more convincingly than any of his Democratic rivals. The idea that socialism remains a bogey word has also been disputed, as has the sharp distinction between “radical” versus “moderate” Democrats.
As the former US secretary of labor Robert Reich has argued, those concepts are obsolete in an age of soaring inequality when so many Americans feel “politically disempowered and economically insecure”.
Greg Guma, a Vermont resident who has known Sanders since 1971, believes the whole socialism thing is overblown by the media. “It’s not like he ran as a socialist or or even mentioned it. I have never heard him utter the word. Right now the Democrats are doing Trump’s work for him by red baiting.”
Guma, the author of The People’s Republic: Vermont and the Sanders Revolution, recalls that when he first met Sanders they quarreled over political identity. Sanders was then running for an anti-Vietnam war party, Liberty Union, and wanted only to talk about the “movement”.
Guma wanted the candidate to open up about himself. “You’re a person, not a movement, you have to prove you’re a basically good person if you want my vote,” he told him.
To which the fledgling politician replied: “It’s the movement that’s important. I don’t want your vote.”
If Guma’s account ended there, it would reinforce the image of the crusty old, rigid, dogmatic ideologue that Sanders’ enemies promote. But over the years, Guma says, he saw the emergence of a very different politician, one who builds coalitions and works across the aisle.
Sanders has followed Obama’s example and laid the foundations of a national network of young, energised supporters. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP
“As an intelligent person, he knew that what mattered was not what labels were pinned on him, but how he did as a political manager – and he did that rather effectively. He is very good at working with people, going beyond his own rhetoric and establishing alliances with unlikely partners including Republicans to get things done.”
Sabato agrees that amid the current brouhaha about socialism, what is being lost is Sanders’ considerable skills as an organiser. “People think of Bernie as an ideological leader and not an organisational leader, but he’s both. That might be the ultimate source of his strength.”
Over the past several years Sanders has followed Barack Obama’s example and laid the foundations of a national network of young, energised supporters that has left his less industrious rivals standing. While his opponents have been screaming about unelectability, Sanders has been quietly doing the unglamorous work it takes to get elected.
He has simply outslogged the competition. That includes Bloomberg, with his $410m glut of TV ads.
“We live in the age of the permanent campaign,” Sabato says. “There’s a big advantage to a candidate who runs flat-out all the time, and that’s what Bernie has done and what Joe Biden and the others haven’t. The Sanders crowd hasn’t taken a day off since 2016.”
The fruits of hard graft are starting to materialise in what Sanders calls a “multigenerational, multiracial coalition sweeping this country”. His ability to mobilise young voters who “feel the Bern” was evident four years ago in his epic battle with Hillary Clinton.
This cycle he is also showing resounding support among Latinos.
In Nevada he won the support of 51% of Hispanic Democrats. That’s a critical statistic. It suggests that his tireless outreach to Latino communities, combined with policies that talk to them such as a $15 federal minimum wage, a moratorium on immigration deportations, and commitment to an NHS-style system of Medicare for All which appeals to the high numbers of Latinos who have no or little health insurance – will pay dividends on Tuesday in heavily Hispanic California and Texas.
The key question now is whether this coalition of young voters, Latinos, African Americans, blue-collar workers and urban progressives is big enough to prevail against Trump. He doesn’t only have to match the ecstatic enthusiasm that Trump can muster among his “Keep America Great” base – the president’s approval rating among Republicans is at an astronomical 90%.
Sanders also has to compensate for those voters balking at the idea of a tax-and-spend socialist in the White House. That is particularly true in affluent suburbs where independent and moderate Republicans who are disaffected with Trump – especially women – were key to Democrats taking back the House of Representatives in 2018.
Without such a surge in turnout Sanders could suffer the same fate as Clinton, winning the popular vote but still being outgunned in the electoral college. It only took 77,744 votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, out of a total of 137m nationally, to hand Trump the presidency in 2016.
There are warning signs for Sanders – and indeed the entire Democratic field – here. Turnout in the early caucuses and primaries has so far fallen short of stellar.
“The early promise from the Sanders camp that only he could generate a large turnout of minorities and young people who failed to turn out for Hillary Clinton is not necessarily true,” Sabato says. “Turnout has been underwhelming so far, and it’s all about getting voters to show up.”
So the still-crowded Democratic field remains far from settled. Super Tuesday may clarify matters, but if it fails to deliver a clear winner a primary season that is already fractured and ill-tempered will grow uglier by the day.
To add to the jitters, there is even talk of the nightmare scenario. Should Sanders fail to gain an overall majority in the delegate count by the end of the primaries in June he faces the prospect at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin a month later of a brokered convention.
At that point “super delegates” – some 771 officials and potentates of the Democratic party – could use their establishment power to block him from the nomination. It would provide a spectacular ending to what is turning into an impressively unedifying process.
But it would benefit only one person: the man gleefully watching the fireworks from his vantage point in the Oval Office.


theguardian--2020-03-01--'America v socialism': conservatives rage against the left and plot new red scare

It came from abroad and infected America .
It can spread from person to person and is potentially fatal .
When symptoms emerge , it may already be too late .
The virus of socialism has broken out again , the biggest annual gathering of US conservatives was told this week , and it puts everything they hold dear at risk .
The leftwing ideology poses a bigger threat to the economy than the rampant coronavirus , Larry Kudlow , the economic adviser to Donald Trump , told the Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) .
“ The virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , ” he said at the National Harbor near Washington .
“ What is , or could , sink the American economy is the socialism coming from our friends on the other side of the aisle .
That ’ s the biggest fear that I have today.
” Claiming that “ the Lord loves free enterprise ” , Kudlow , who shared a stage with the president ’ s daughter Ivanka , added : “ I don ’ t want to be snarky .
I don ’ t even want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year : America versus socialism.
” “ America vs socialism ” was the official theme of this year ’ s CPAC , a slogan stamped all over the convention centre .
The agenda included sessions entitled “ Socialism : Wrecker of Nations and Destroyer of Societies ” , “ Socialism and the Great Awokening ” and “ Prescription for Failure : The Ills of Socialised Medicine.
” Before Trump ’ s speech on Saturday in an opulent ballroom , a parody SNN – “ Socialist News Network ” – studio was set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine that included mockery of Democrats and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg .
Host Jesse Kelly promised to be back to bring more news “ from our studio to your breadline ” .
As a framing of the upcoming election battle , it might also have been described as “ the return of the red scare ” .
Seventy years after Republican senator Joseph McCarthy alleged that hundreds of communists had infiltrated the US government , launching a witch hunt that reached into the army and Hollywood , there was fresh fearmongering about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular .
CPAC organiser Matt Schlapp , chairman of the American Conservative Union , told attendees : “ America versus socialism : it ’ s a very intended theme .
Our view is it ’ s not capitalism versus socialism because socialism isn ’ t just about economics .
Socialism , we believe , gets to the very core of violating the dignity of the individual human being that has God given rights .
And that ’ s got us pretty fired up.
” Mike Lee , a Republican senator from Utah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does .
One of the things that differentiates Bernie Sanders from others is that he actually acknowledges he ’ s a socialist .
He ’ s far from the only one in the United States Senate , sadly enough.
” Lee added darkly : “ They ’ re talking about having the government become your healthcare provider , your banker , your nanny , your watchdog .
Having the government lie to you and spy on you and requiring the government to force you to work months out of every single year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become the party of socialism .
I don ’ t think we ’ re ready for that and I know you aren ’ t. ” Trump supporters wandering the corridors agreed that the perceived threat of socialism will be a motivating factor on election day .
Many characterised it as big government promising something for nothing , raising taxes and curtailing freedoms .
They pointed to examples of poverty in Cuba and Venezuela and tyranny in China and the Soviet Union .
Claude O ’ Donovan , 81 , remembered listening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Communism was a muddy thing at the time , ” he said .
“ He didn ’ t have the charisma to make the argument.
” Now he takes the Democrats ’ shift to the left seriously .
“ Today it ’ s a real threat .
Bernie Sanders can say he ’ s a ‘ democratic socialist ’ but that ’ s just an acronym for communist .
It ’ s communism without a gun .
In this day and age , I would never have thought we ’ d have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” O ’ Donovan , from Aiken , South Carolina , turned up wearing a “ Trump ” cap and a Santa Claus costume – a hobby of his .
“ Santa gave things at Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ .
These people want us to give everything from cradle to grave and it can ’ t be done .
We can ’ t print money.
” What if Sanders is elected ?
“ We would crash almost immediately .
It would be disastrous.
” Asked the same question , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump merchandise from Las Vegas , replied : “ The guy ’ s a certified nut and the world would be hurt .
The last place to go for real freedom would be destroyed by a radical socialist .
Any place they ’ ve decided to go down that road has resulted in a stagnating middle class , a collapse of business and people forced to break into zoos to feed themselves.
” Sanders ’ brand of democratic socialism is more Scandinavian than Soviet , seeking to expand publicly funded education and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been endorsed by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , 30 , and dominates among young Democratic voters .
Victoria Spiotto , a 21-year-old student from Ashburn , Virginia , was having none of it .
“ For me , socialism is a completely destructive ideology and system , ” she said .
“ I think a lot of young people are ready for it but most Americans don ’ t trust it .
You have people from Venezuela and Cuba who speak out about it and tell the truth of the situation.
” Numerous students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kiss me , I ’ m a capitalist ” coupled with images of shamrocks ahead of St Patrick ’ s Day .
Among them was Salicia Bayes , 21 , from Lansing in Michigan .
“ I have a lot of friends from Venezuela and just hearing their stories is terrifying , ” she said .
“ Even a lot of people in the Democratic party are not going to vote for Sanders.
” Others questioned how Sanders would pay for his ambitious reforms .
Robert Douglas , 86 , a neurologist from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America great ” cap , said : “ You can ’ t justify Medicare for all : it will cost $ 30tn .
What about the green new deal ?
We ’ re talking about $ 60tn for that .
JFK was the last moderate Democrat in my lifetime : he was not for big government.
” On Friday , British rightwing politician Nigel Farage urged attendees to donate to Sanders ’ campaign , predicted that his nomination would guarantee victory for Trump and could enable Republicans to regain the House .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 19 , a student from Arlington , Massachusetts , said : “ We ’ re calling it right now : Bernie Sanders is the next Jeremy Corbyn.
” Although Sanders made for an obvious and satisfying target , he was seen as symptomatic of a deeper shift in the Democratic party .
A former New York police officer who goes by the name of Grizzly Joe said : “ They ’ re all just different degrees of socialism , saying the same stuff in a different way .
At least Bernie is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free this , free that .
They ’ re telling their base , whoever that is – the morons that vote for them – that we ’ ll give you free stuff .
It ’ s not physically possible.
” In a speech on Thursday , Vice-President Mike Pence summed up : “ Today ’ s Democratic party has been taken over by radical leftists who want higher taxes , open borders and late-term abortion .
“ There are no moderates in this Democratic field .
Every other one of the Democrats running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialism .
”

It came from abroad and infected America. It can spread from person to person and is potentially fatal. When symptoms emerge, it may already be too late.
The virus of socialism has broken out again, the biggest annual gathering of US conservatives was told this week, and it puts everything they hold dear at risk.
The leftwing ideology poses a bigger threat to the economy than the rampant coronavirus, Larry Kudlow, the economic adviser to Donald Trump, told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“The virus is not going to sink the American economy,” he said at the National Harbor near Washington. “What is, or could, sink the American economy is the socialism coming from our friends on the other side of the aisle. That’s the biggest fear that I have today.”
Claiming that “the Lord loves free enterprise”, Kudlow, who shared a stage with the president’s daughter Ivanka, added: “I don’t want to be snarky. I don’t even want to be political. We will have it out this year: America versus socialism.”
“America vs socialism” was the official theme of this year’s CPAC, a slogan stamped all over the convention centre. The agenda included sessions entitled “Socialism: Wrecker of Nations and Destroyer of Societies”, “Socialism and the Great Awokening” and “Prescription for Failure: The Ills of Socialised Medicine.”
Bernie Sanders actually acknowledges he’s a socialist. He’s far from the only one in the Senate, sadly enough Senator Mike Lee
Before Trump’s speech on Saturday in an opulent ballroom, a parody SNN – “Socialist News Network” – studio was set up on the main stage for a routine that included mockery of Democrats and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg. Host Jesse Kelly promised to be back to bring more news “from our studio to your breadline”.
As a framing of the upcoming election battle, it might also have been described as “the return of the red scare”. Seventy years after Republican senator Joseph McCarthy alleged that hundreds of communists had infiltrated the US government, launching a witch hunt that reached into the army and Hollywood, there was fresh fearmongering about Democrats in general and Bernie Sanders in particular.
CPAC organiser Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, told attendees: “America versus socialism: it’s a very intended theme. Our view is it’s not capitalism versus socialism because socialism isn’t just about economics. Socialism, we believe, gets to the very core of violating the dignity of the individual human being that has God given rights. And that’s got us pretty fired up.”
Mike Lee, a Republican senator from Utah, said: “Socialism is as socialism does. One of the things that differentiates Bernie Sanders from others is that he actually acknowledges he’s a socialist. He’s far from the only one in the United States Senate, sadly enough.”
Lee added darkly: “They’re talking about having the government become your healthcare provider, your banker, your nanny, your watchdog. Having the government lie to you and spy on you and requiring the government to force you to work months out of every single year. In a word, the Democratic party has become the party of socialism. I don’t think we’re ready for that and I know you aren’t.”
Trump supporters wandering the corridors agreed that the perceived threat of socialism will be a motivating factor on election day. Many characterised it as big government promising something for nothing, raising taxes and curtailing freedoms. They pointed to examples of poverty in Cuba and Venezuela and tyranny in China and the Soviet Union.
Sanders can say he’s a ‘democratic socialist’ but that’s just an acronym for communist. It’s communism without a gun Claude O'Donovan
Claude O’Donovan, 81, remembered listening to the McCarthy hearings on the radio.
“Communism was a muddy thing at the time,” he said. “He didn’t have the charisma to make the argument.”
Now he takes the Democrats’ shift to the left seriously.
“Today it’s a real threat. Bernie Sanders can say he’s a ‘democratic socialist’ but that’s just an acronym for communist. It’s communism without a gun. In this day and age, I would never have thought we’d have socialism become so dominant in the country.”
O’Donovan, from Aiken, South Carolina, turned up wearing a “Trump” cap and a Santa Claus costume – a hobby of his. “Santa gave things at Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. These people want us to give everything from cradle to grave and it can’t be done. We can’t print money.”
What if Sanders is elected?
“We would crash almost immediately. It would be disastrous.”
Ivanka Trump speaks on Saturday at the convention. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Asked the same question, Ronald Solomon, 60, a retailer of Trump merchandise from Las Vegas, replied: “The guy’s a certified nut and the world would be hurt. The last place to go for real freedom would be destroyed by a radical socialist. Any place they’ve decided to go down that road has resulted in a stagnating middle class, a collapse of business and people forced to break into zoos to feed themselves.”
Sanders’ brand of democratic socialism is more Scandinavian than Soviet, seeking to expand publicly funded education and healthcare and tackle inequality. He has been endorsed by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 30, and dominates among young Democratic voters.
Victoria Spiotto, a 21-year-old student from Ashburn, Virginia, was having none of it.
“For me, socialism is a completely destructive ideology and system,” she said. “I think a lot of young people are ready for it but most Americans don’t trust it. You have people from Venezuela and Cuba who speak out about it and tell the truth of the situation.”
Numerous students were sporting T-shirts that said, “Kiss me, I’m a capitalist” coupled with images of shamrocks ahead of St Patrick’s Day. Among them was Salicia Bayes, 21, from Lansing in Michigan.
“I have a lot of friends from Venezuela and just hearing their stories is terrifying,” she said. “Even a lot of people in the Democratic party are not going to vote for Sanders.”
Others questioned how Sanders would pay for his ambitious reforms. Robert Douglas, 86, a neurologist from Pensacola, Florida wearing a “Keep America great” cap, said: “You can’t justify Medicare for all: it will cost $30tn. What about the green new deal? We’re talking about $60tn for that. JFK was the last moderate Democrat in my lifetime: he was not for big government.”
On Friday, British rightwing politician Nigel Farage urged attendees to donate to Sanders’ campaign, predicted that his nomination would guarantee victory for Trump and could enable Republicans to regain the House. Some agreed with that analysis. Shea Justice, 19, a student from Arlington, Massachusetts, said: “We’re calling it right now: Bernie Sanders is the next Jeremy Corbyn.”
Although Sanders made for an obvious and satisfying target, he was seen as symptomatic of a deeper shift in the Democratic party. A former New York police officer who goes by the name of Grizzly Joe said: “They’re all just different degrees of socialism, saying the same stuff in a different way. At least Bernie is honest about it.
“They want free this, free that. They’re telling their base, whoever that is – the morons that vote for them – that we’ll give you free stuff. It’s not physically possible.”
In a speech on Thursday, Vice-President Mike Pence summed up: “Today’s Democratic party has been taken over by radical leftists who want higher taxes, open borders and late-term abortion.
“There are no moderates in this Democratic field. Every other one of the Democrats running for president embraces Bernie’s democratic socialism.”