Mitch PerryWe finally have a challenger to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential nomination contest.
Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, 73, officially announces his candidacy Thursday, though he says he won’t give a big speech noting the event until May 26.
“I’ve been traveling around the country for the last year trying to ascertain whether there really is grassroots support in terms of people standing up and being prepared to take on the billionaire class,” Sanders told USA Today. “I believe that there is.”
Though Sanders is the first official candidate to join Clinton in the race, he won’t be the last. Former Rhode Island Sen. and Gov. Lincoln Chafee is all but officially in as well.
Neither have been Democrats for very long. Chafee was a moderate Republican-turned-independent who only turned Democrat two years ago.
Sanders is a socialist who realized he couldn’t run a credible campaign as an independent, and has become a Democrat.
(By the way, Ben Carson, who announces his candidacy officially next week, has always been an independent who only became a Republican a few months ago because he too realized that running as an independent for president would be impossible).
Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is all but officially in the race, though lucky for him, he’s not announcing this week. O’Malley’s tenure in Baltimore was full of accomplishments, but as the blame game begins on why that city is still struggling so much, his policies regarding policing are coming to the fore this week, and the reviews have not been good.
Sanders says he hopes to raise $50 million in small, online contributions.
If you’re a Democrat who supports Clinton’s candidacy, in my mind you should embrace more candidates in the race. However, many who I’ve spoken with in recent months have said that it’s perfectly fine if she runs un-opposed. Then again, that was before the email controversy and the new reports about the Clinton Global Initiative.
Clinton gave a speech about the incarceration rate for blacks and police tactics Wednesday in New York City yesterday, a speech that absolutely repudiated Bill Clinton‘s 1994 crime bill that paid for 100,000 officers, built more prisons and increased the number of federal crimes. It’s an example of how society changes, and shows the negative side of being a “legacy” candidate a la Jeb Bush.
In other news …
Ken Hagan for Tampa Mayor? The veteran Republican county commissioner says it’s a possibility for him that he’s considering in four years.
• • •
A new poll shows Marco Rubio moving’ on up in Iowa — but he’s still down double-digits to Scott Walker there.
• • •
More angry back-and-forths between Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli was the big news in Tallahassee Wednesday.
