A new Field Poll indicates that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a whopping 30-point lead over Sen. Barack Obama in California. The latest poll of 418 likely Democratic primary voters found 49% support Clinton, 19% support Obama, and 10% support Edwards.
This essay is not about Hillary, but rather, to put the argument that this tells us something about the nature of the California Democratic Party today. Forget the 1960s stereotype about the "Left Coast." Democrats in Big "Blue" California are not the revolutionary Avant-garde.
"Change" -- What Does it Mean?
All the candidates are calling for "change." I think the subtle truth is that part of Hillary's appeal is actual nostalgia for the days of relative peace and prosperity during the Clinton years. Hillary represents a "change" from the Bush monster we know to... the "lesser evil" we also know. That's cool. Clinton, Obama, or Edwards will be an improvement over Bush.
What about those who want "radical" change, i.e., a deep, fundamental paradigm shift in the he we think and act to get things done? I have been telling people for a long time, in and out of the Democratic Party, not to get bent out of shape over the presidential race. On January 20, 2009 almost certainly a Democrat will take the oath of office as the next chief executive and commander-in-chief. And then? Some of the biggest political battles of our lives will begin on January 21st.
You better believe the California Green Party is gonna be in the front lines. We are never, ever going to get real change from Republicans or Democrats or some Mushy Middle. It's time recognized this as responsible citizens of an advanced democracy and act accordingly.
UPDATE: POLL ON WHO COULD BRING MAJOR CHANGES:
A commentor to my Daily Kos diary included a link to opinion poll analysis on:
TransWorldNews
...Although Sen. Barrack Obama had been aggressively positioning himself as the person who could bring major changes in the country, majority of the Democrats think that it's Sen. Hillary Clinton who will mostly likely bring in major changes. A recently conduct poll showed that 40 percent of all registered Democrats believe that Clinton can bring in change while only 27 percent said that it is Obama who can initiate changes in the government. The result of the poll was quite unexpected since from the very beginning, it was Obama who had always pushed for changes in the government. However, experts believe that since Clinton had the most experience in governance, there is no doubt that she can institute some favorable changes in the country. . .
Democrats think Hillary is the one most likely to bring in "major changes?" Now, that is downright bizarre. I say again, this just goes to show where the Democratic Party is at today. They really believe these "New Democrat" Democrats are where it's at. It's not just one or two "bad leaders." It's not some sinister conspiracy by the Democratic Leadership Council. These leaders are a faithful representation of what the Democratic Party is about today.
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