Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate SOSEScript: profileTree_MainNav.php5 failed executing with the following error: Error on line 177 position 1: Maximum execution time of 60 seconds exceeded FEATURED » NEWS NOW Suspending ego identification helps in living enlightenment ... Grange remembers Leif Brecke ... Bonfire by Shop'n Kart parking lot leads to fence, cutting off short-cut ... Suspending ego identification helps in living enlightenment ... Grange remembers Leif Brecke ... Bonfire by Shop'n Kart parking lot leads to fence, cutting off short-cut ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: The house that Bernie built Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News As of this week, Hillary Rodham Clinton, long the "presumptive nominee" of the Democratic Party, is within spitting distance of the nomination. At this writing, Clinton needs only 200 more delegates. Were she to sweep all the states before California, she would still reach the required number of delegates — without even needing the Golden State. Despite the enormous and visceral presence of Bernie Sanders supporters at every level of social media, the much-loved senator from Vermont is not going to be able to make up the ground needed to take home his party's nomination. Sanders supporters, for the most part, don't agree. Millions of newly empowered and impassioned young people, armed with the tools and talent to swarm any media environment with pro-Bernie commentary, are working feverishly in an attempt to change the inevitable. There is even an aggressive branch of that core group that is attempting to change the established, if unfortunate, effect of electoral mathematics. But delegates and superdelegates will have their way and, unfortunately, the boomer constituency Hillary currently represents is going to win the fight — this time. So what has Sanders done? Nothing less than change the course of history. Scruffy, sincere and sublimely authentic, the democratic socialist has obliterated the excuse that Democrats have long seized upon to justify their hypocrisy whenever an election cycle comes into view. The idea that a blue party candidate has to press the ethical mute button whenever a campaign draws near — the suggestion that in big politics, only big donors can help a candidate seize the ring of power — has gone down the drain. Instead, Sanders has broken, indeed smashed, any record for individual contributions since American politics began. The Sanders campaign has now taken in more than 7 million individual contributions that have averaged just $27 apiece. And while he will not become the People's President, he has positioned himself to take a cadre of young, activist, socially progressive and technologically savvy voters to the convention; a group of voters that Clinton and her establishment cronies ignore at their peril. She cannot simply pay them lip service, either. Sanders has successfully moved the entire party to the left, and most of the young people in the party will not be leaving there anytime soon. While Clinton is a rock star candidate who will probably secure two terms as president, the party will need to look ahead, and find ways to embrace, the 84 percent of voters 18-30 who share Sanders' vision for the Democrats. If they do not, that group will have come into their own version of establishment power, eight years from now, and they will not have forgotten their hero. At 74, Sanders may not live to see his vision for the party realized. His supporters, of which your columnist is one, can only hope that he will pull a Strom Thurmond, and stay in the Senate for 25 more years. It would be sweet indeed to see a man of such character and devotion to principle receive his reward. While that won't happen this November, Sanders' commitment to a new vision of American politics will forever influence the halls of government. For that, if nothing else, we should all be very grateful. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501