The 2016 Presidential race has been nothing short of extraordinary.
With Donald Trump firmly entrenched as the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, the Democrats continue to slug it out.
Hillary Clinton seems to be close to clinching the nomination with 2,312 delegates out of a required 2,383 in order to be the nominee, with 1,769 pledged and 543 super delegates.
Bernie Sanders is making somewhat of a comeback when it comes to delegates, currently having 1,545 delegates, with nearly 97 percent of them (1,501) being pledged delegates, according to the Associated Press.
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While it might seem based on these numbers that Hillary Clinton seems to have the nomination waiting for her, the Sanders campaign still has a “Hail Mary” hope in California; where he could find enough delegates to even out the race.
But he would really need something dramatic to happen.
According to a recent NBC News poll, Clinton still holds a small lead when it comes to how likely Democratic voters will vote in California; with Clinton at 49 percent, leading Sanders, who is right on her tail at 47 percent.
An NBC News analysis that ran with the poll states that a win in California could help even out the race and keep Sanders going into more primaries, improving his chances of winning.
In the article, Sanders is quoted as saying “Obviously, if we don’t do well in California, it will make our path much, much harder. No question about it. But I think we have a good chance to win in California, maybe win big, and maybe win four or five of the other states that [hold races] on June 7.”
If Sanders does secure a win in California, whose primary is being held on June 7, it could help bring him back in the nomination fight, and possibly pose him in a position where he is able to secure the nomination.
Of course, Clinton would have to preform in an historically awful way in order for that to happen.
The Sanders camp is hopeful that even if they do not win in California, that they will be able to make it past the primary season and on to the convention.
“We have absolutely the financial resources that we need to run a very, very strong campaign here in California and in the other states and in D.C. and Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands and throughout the rest of the campaign,” Sanders recently said, according to the New York Times.
So what exactly can be said for the viability of the Sanders campaign?
At this moment, while he is still mathematically alive, it will take something along the lines of divine intervention for the Vermont Senator to win the Democratic nomination.
Of course, his whole upstart movement has been something along the lines of a miracle all campaign long, so maybe something interesting will happen again.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Hyperbole Abounds in Coverage of Oregon “Militia” Takeover
Armed.
That’s the word that every media outlet under the sun is emphasizing in their coverage of a small group of ranchers and extremists who have decided that knowingly entering and remaining upon a Federal facility (the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge) while it’s closed is a good idea. By the way, that amounts to a “petty misdemeanor” under Federal law.
Sure there is a lot of banter, and they have guns. Okay. But even if these ‘militiamen’ broke in to the building, or entered through an unlocked door, under Federal Statutes, it’s still just a burglary. Yes, it’s also unlawful to carry weapons on Federal property. Still not a violent act in and of itself.
So while it may not be a wise career move for me to dispute our Opinion Editor’s position, I’m going to, simply on the basis that what’s unfolding in the high plains desert of Oregon is in to no way terrorism.
Could it reach the threshold of terrorism? Yes. But at this point in time, this is a group of folks who perceive a long history of grievances against the Federal government, some based on the historical events within their own family – and some who simply align with the Mormon / LDS religious beliefs of the ideological leaders of this undertaking, the Bundy family.
As I’ve spoken to before, terrorism involves violent acts, or acts dangerous to human life. That again is based in Federal statutes. So where has it been reported that a single shot has been fired in this ‘armed takeover’ of this Fish and Wildlife Service facility? It hasn’t. Because it hasn’t happened.
These are dangerous people, with dangerous ideology, a grudge against the Federal Government of the United States,
The facility is in an area with a lesser population density than Wyoming, or Alaska. Even if there was a shot fired, there’s no one around for miles. How does this present an act dangerous to human life, if there’s nobody to get shot?
Yes, when Law Enforcement enters the area, the likelihood for an armed conflict rises exponentially. This is a group with which Federal law enforcement has some experience, and though these folks profess to be ‘ready to die for the cause’, the much more attended events at the Bundy Ranch were resolved peacefully.
Then again, they also weren’t occupying and refusing to leave a Federal facility in that case.
Brass tax – I am not delusional.
These are dangerous people, with dangerous ideology, a grudge against the Federal Government of the United States, and who have displayed a willingness to use violence, or the threat of violence to achieve the outcome that they desire.
The Bundy Ranch standoff is fresh in many people’s minds. But let’s not blow things out of proportion either. Yes, the headlines are flashy, and it gets people all worked up, which generates click-throughs and ratings – but at the end of the day – we have not reached the point of terrorism.
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Could Libya Be The Next Syria?
The Islamic State group and al Qaeda are aggressively expanding to the politically unstable North African country of Libya, according to a report Wednesday by a U.S.-based security consulting firm. Since dictator Moammar Gadhafi was overthrown in 2011, Libya has been a hotbed for civil war and extremism, with training facilities and recruitment drives springing up… Read More
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So What Exactly Did The Government Do With Your Money Last Year?
Paying taxes fucking sucks.
Even if you deeply believe in your patriotic duty and understand that your tax dollars are going to make the nation run, it still really hurts.
Of course, like anything else, we might feel a little better about hacking off a sizable percentage of our yearly earnings if we actually knew where the money goes.
Well thanks to the National Priorities Project, we now have a better idea of how your money is spent by Uncle Sam.
Just take a look at this handy infographic that the group created:
The biggest chunk of your tax dollar goes to Healthcare spending but is closely followed up by spending on National Defense.
Less than 4 cents of every one of your dollars that go to Washington is spent on Education.
Pretty crazy when you think about it.
Tell us in the comments what you think is the most surprising about this and share with your friends!
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us
Photo Credit: National Priorities Project
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