2008 presidential race

BERNSTEIN | If You’re Voting Biden/Harris in New York, Do So on the Working Families Party Line

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The Working Families Party in New York State is at risk of losing its spot on future ballots if it doesn’t reach 130,000 votes for President. This third party is a left-wing advocate for social democracy and progressivism and it’s best known for its support of democratic challengers to moderate incumbents across the state. With new rules raising the minimum votes required for a third party’s spot on the ballot, WFP is at risk of fading away. In 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo formed a commission to reform the campaign finance system in New York. One of the commission’s decisions was to increase the threshold of votes necessary to keep a third party on the ballot in future elections.

2020 presidential election

BERNSTEIN | Don’t Just Settle for Joe Biden, Stand for him

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After a brutal primary season, many democrats have feared that a young progressive bloc would refuse to vote for Joe Biden out of a strong rejection of leadership and moderate positions. Since the vice president all but wrapped up the democrat nomination, one plea to progressives seems to be more popular than the rest: Settle. The “Settle for Biden” mantra is going strong; in fact, there’s a grassroots organization of former Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) supporters leading the way in sharing the motto, fit with a 230,000-plus follower Instagram account. The organization wants to convince young progressives who were turned off to the Biden campaign that not voting would lead to four more years of President Trump. This mission is important — Biden may be ahead in the polls, but if they’re as wrong as they were in 2016, this race could be close.

Opinion

CHANG | The Liberal Microcosm Won’t Solve Itself

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Former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton directed an unsavory comment at Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-H.I.) last Thursday, saying that the Russians were “grooming” a Democratic candidate for president. This baseless name-calling is not only divisive but also unnecessary. As Cornellians gearing up for campus debates on the 2019 election and the 2020 presidential election, we should take note. The evidence Clinton used to support her already hard-to-believe claim about Gabbard on a segment of the podcast “Campaign HQ” was porous. Apparently, “They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far,” she said.

Opinion

FOX | Anti-Establishment Is Not a Platform

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Anti-establishment is an attractive buzzword in politics. Donald Trump clinched the GOP nomination and the Oval Office by contrasting himself to a stuffy old guard. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) led an unexpectedly successful primary challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2016, riding on a joint platform of progressive politics and being a second option. Backlash against perceived institutional meddling in 2016 drove the DNC to throw open its doors for the 2020 nomination contest. But coming from outside of the political establishment is not a credential.