2020 Democrats Call for Change at California Convention



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Democratic presidential candidates presented themselves to primary voters in San Francisco, California on Saturday, calling on the party to make big changes. Messages on gun control, immigration reform, income inequality and Medicare for all were warmly welcomed by delegates to the California Democratic Party Convention, many of whom are progressive.

Most of the party's pioneers participated in the California Democratic Party convention, including Sens Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker. In total, 14 candidates took the floor and another, the author, Marianne Williamson, was present but did not speak. Former Vice President Joe Biden, absent from the congress, notably stalled on the need to speak at an event of the organized human rights campaign in the United States. l & # 39; Ohio.

Some candidates, including Warren, quietly drew attention to Biden in his absence – the Massachusetts senator reacted against an assertion that the former vice president had made early in his campaign that Republicans would have an "epiphany" after Donald Trump is no longer in the White House. and work actively with the Democrats on a bipartisan basis.

"Some say that if we all calm down, the Republicans will regain consciousness, but our country is going through a crisis," said Warren. "The time of the little ideas is over."

Warren went on to explain that the problems of income inequality and health care debt are related to the concentration of power among the rich, and then he again proposed to dissolve the big tech companies. She also introduced a plan to raise taxes to pay for pre-K, a free public college, Medicare for all and a Green New Deal.

"Here's the thing, when a candidate talks about everything that's not possible, how the political calculations first appeared, how you should settle for little things in the first place. Instead of a real change, they tell you something very important. – They tell you that they will not fight for you, "she said.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the youngest candidate on the field at age 37, has come forward as a new generation leader likely to disrupt Washington's operation. His message was based on the idea that economic change is possible and that the middle class has been left behind.

"In these times, the Democrats can no longer promise to take us back to the years 2000 or 1990 that the Conservatives can not take us back to the 1950s," said Buttigieg. "If we want to defeat this president and lead the country in a new direction, we must be ready to transform our economy and our democracy into something different, better."

Like Warren, the mayor offered a subtle dig to Joe Biden; Proponents of the former vice president say his more moderate approach makes him the most "eligible" Democratic candidate. However, Buttigieg said that this type of thinking was wrong: "The most risky thing we can do is try too hard to play cautiously. There is no return to normal. "

Senator Cory Booker echoed this sentiment in his congressional speech, saying the Democrats had to think about something other than the defeat of President Trump.

"Beat Donald Trump is a must, but it's a floor, not a ceiling," Booker said. "We are bigger than that, we have bigger ambitions than that."

Beto O'Rourke also carefully proposed to Democrats to share a vision of the future beyond Trump's rejection. The former Texas congressman alternated between spanish and english while he was talking about the changes that he would bring to the current immigration policy. He recently unveiled a plan to use executive power to reorganize immigration management by the United States, particularly at the US-Mexico border.

"Never again will we put another child in another cage," he said. "We will not deport another mother to a country that she fled in the first place."

Many candidates have tried to balance things between criticizing Trump and sharing their own ideas, but Kamala Harris has linked her calls for change to an explicit call to "start an impeachment proceeding".

"Democrats, we have to fight," Harris said. "It's a struggle for who we are as a people. It is a struggle for the highest ideals of our country. With this president, it's a fight for the truth itself. "

One candidate – former Colorado governor John Hickenlooper – took a more moderate approach to his remarks and displeased the crowd. The former governor was booed after pleading against socialism, saying, "We should not be trying to get universal coverage by removing the private insurance of more than 150 million Americans. We should not be trying to fight climate change by guaranteeing every American a job in government. "

Later, Hickenlooper did not seem disconcerted by the reception.

"I was not surprised," he told NPR after leaving the scene. "We know it's not a popular message with some part of the Democratic Party, but I think it's a message that needs to be said."

Hickenlooper was followed by the current Washington governor, Jay Inslee, who introduced himself to the crowd by referring to the message that every candidate before Hickenlooper was delivering.

"I am a governor who does not think we should be ashamed of our progressive values," said Inslee to applause; his speech on progressive ideas, especially with regard to the issue of climate change, his signature, would have received a standing ovation.

California becomes a major battlefield state

The 2020 elections mark a change for California – this election cycle, the Democratic primaries will take place next Tuesday, Tuesday, instead of June. This change means that the approximately 500 state delegates have the opportunity to influence candidates who are becoming avant-garde. This is one of the reasons why so many candidates took part in the state convention.

Li Zhou of Vox reported:

Earlier in the primary poll in June, California voters were often among the last to go to the polls, sometimes even after the result of the Democratic candidacy was actually decided. By postponing its main date – what any state has the power to do – California lawmakers have made the state a favorite ground for Democrats seeking to stand out.

[California Secretary of State Alex] Padilla said the jet lag also meant that candidates would have to highlight issues that California voters said were a priority, a much more diverse electorate than places like New Hampshire and Iowa.

However, because of some quirks in the state's electoral process, it is not clear that the California primary will choose a candidate decisively. Specifically, the way delegates are divided in the state could mean that no candidate emerges as a fleeing winner. What is certain is that several prominent candidates are clearly determined to give the state its best chance.

On a crowded primary ground, winning even some of the California delegates could give the contestants a much needed boost. Current polls show that state voters favor Biden and Sanders; However, Harris's years of contact with California voters should give him a healthy share of the vote. The effect of this weekend's speeches on voters is not yet known, but now that candidates have had the opportunity to speak directly to the best Democrats in the state, the vote could change in favor of 14 candidates who attended the convention.

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