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~ Jim Hightower, speaking on behalf of Bernie Sanders Though Bernie Sanders is mathematically eliminated from winning the Democratic nomination, he should be commended for his presidential efforts. His grassroots campaign was sustained by a remarkable groundswell of small-time donors, dedicated volunteers, and enthusiastic supporters. Understandably, Sanders remains in the race to gather up as many delegates as possible to potentially influence the DNC platform. Losing the nomination doesn’t m

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said that if she made the presidential primary rules, she would do away with open primaries that allow independent voters to participate in taxpayer-funded elections. Speaking on "MSNBC Live" Monday, Wasserman Schultz said she believes that the Democratic nominee should be chosen by Democrats and Democrats only. "I believe that the party's nominee should be chosen — this is Debbie Wasserman Schultz's opinion — that the party's nominee should be chosen by membe

Republican presidential candidate John Kasich is often plain spoken, even about his own party's flaws. In a meeting with the Washington Post's editorial board, Kasich gave a brutally honest reason for his party's opposition to D.C. statehood: What it really gets down to, if you want to be honest, is because they know that’s just more votes in the Democratic Party. Looking at any red/blue county map, you can instantly see what Kasich is talking about. Most of the urban areas in and around Wash

With the summer fast approaching, and as establishment leaders in both parties frantically try to simmer the flames of the primary chaos, there is still a chance that this election could become even more unconventional than it already is. At the moment both parties are in sticky situations as the establishment wing of the parties are either completely underwater or desperately treading water. With both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio out of the race, and with Gov. John Kasich having just 147 delegates

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is on a winning streak, having won eight of the last nine contests. Though Sanders still trails in terms of pledged delegates (whose support is tied to electoral outcomes in caucuses and primaries) by a count of 1,287 to 1,037, his deficit among superdelegates is even larger. Created in the early 1980s to empower "party leaders and elected officials" (PLEOs), superdelegates can vote for whichever candidate they prefer at the presidential nominating convention. Among

On Friday, April 8, a new Field Poll revealed that, similar to the current Republican race for the presidential nomination, California’s Democratic primary is becoming increasingly competitive. In January, Hillary Clinton was confidently leading Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders among likely Democratic voters by 11 percentage points. This margin has been reduced to only six points: 47 percent now back Clinton, with 41 percent backing Sanders, and 12 percent are undecided. Although Clinton is stil

During an interview with Bloomberg's Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Kansas City Mayor Sly James talked about, among other things, the Democratic presidential race and his role as a superdelegate. A committed Hillary Clinton supporter, James said it is his obligation to stay loyal to her and make sure other superdelegates who have committed to her do the same. "I will be doing everything I can to convince other delegates and to make sure superdelegates are holding the line in order to make su

2016 is shaping up to be the year of the “anti-establishment” candidate. Though this author is still confused how a career politician or real estate mogul (two resumes deeply embedded within the establishment) fully deserve the “anti-establishment” label, it is abundantly clear that Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are not the preferred candidates for their given parties. And this disapproval is not being demonstrated by voters. Both the Sanders and Trump campaigns do not have the stamp of appr

I’m a life-long Republican who hasn’t yet made up his mind for whom I’m voting for in California’s June presidential primary. I’m also co-chair of the Independent Voter Project, authors of California’s nonpartisan, top-two primary. IVP is a voter rights organization. People over parties. So, putting on my Republican voter hat for a moment, I have to admit getting a bit of a kick out of watching both Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and one of her predecessors, forme

The New Times Broward-Palm Beach reported Wednesday that Tim Canova, who is challenging DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her congressional seat in Florida's twenty-third district, was told by a state party executive that he will not have access to the Democratic Party's voter files because, according to the official, anyone running against an incumbent is not allowed access to that data. The DNC came under fire in December when it denied U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders access to the party's