Though she’s made a career for herself as a tried and true political moderate, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has begun moving to the left in hopes of winning over progressives, many of whom have been less than impressed with what they believe is President Barack Obama’s wishy-washy record on progressive issues.
Sen. Bernard Sanders‘ strong second-place showing in Wisconsin Democrats’ presidential straw poll has party leaders warning Hillary Rodham Clinton that she could have a real primary race on her hands.
Mrs. Clinton, who is supposed to be the party’s all-but-inevitable presidential nominee, barely beat Mr. Sanders in the balloting this past weekend, garnering 252 votes to his 208, or 49 percent to 41 percent.
“By golly, I think Clinton has got to pay attention to who’s out there,” said Gerry Lisi, Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman for Barron County. “I know Clinton is listening, and I’m sure this will have an effect.”
Mr. Lisi attended the straw poll at the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s 2015 convention at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee. He did not cast a vote in the contest, but he said he understands why fellow Democrats threw their support behind Mr. Sanders, an avowed socialist from Vermont.
“It would be crazy to commit ourselves too early [to Mrs. Clinton],” he said. “This is not a time to push anybody out of the dialogue.”
A longtime centrist, Mrs. Clinton has jogged to the left this year to satisfy the party’s liberal base.
Mrs. Clinton has already adopted many of Mr. Sanders‘ liberal positions, including announcing support Sunday for raising the federal minimum wage to a $15 per hour “living wage.” She previously called for a higher minimum wage but never set it at the $15 mark favored by Mr. Sanders, unions and liberal activists.
Mrs. Clinton declared herself the living-wage candidate when she spoke by telephone to a convention of about 1,300 fast-food workers in Detroit.
You may remember that just last weekend here in Wisconsin Sen. Sanders had a stronger-than-expected showing in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s presidential straw poll, winning 41% of the votes to Clinton’s 49%. I know that straw polls mean nothing when it comes to deciding the party’s nominee, but the results do speak to the fact that the activists and grassroots folks who make up the base of the Democratic Party are receptive to the kinds of progressive ideas Bernie Sanders is talking about during his presidential campaign.
Nothing that comes out of the Washington Times is trustworthy. Why don’t you link to Gatewaypundit and Newsmax?
Hillary does not have a left. Spiraling financially upward and counterclockwise are the only possibilities for either of the Clintons.