It’s clear: the world wants Bernie Sanders

[Uncle Joe]

As an American living abroad, I rarely think of myself as belonging to any sort of expat bloc, even though, taken together, we would constitute the 12th most populous state: there are 8.7 million US citizens living outside the country. I did, however, vote in the Democratic primary as part of this constituency.

Democrats Abroad will send 13 delegates (as well as eight superdelegates) to the Democratic convention, which is more than Wyoming. The results came in a few days ago, and Bernie Sanders is the winner.

He is, in fact, the overwhelming winner: 69% of the vote, to Clinton’s 31%, with just under 35,000 votes cast internationally. In the UK, which had the most overseas voters of any country, he gained 62%. Of seven expat Democrats in Afghanistan, five voted for Sanders and two for Clinton. She came top only in the Dominican Republic, Singapore and Nigeria.

It’s hard to know what to make of this, so far-flung and generally unpolled is this particular subset of voters. Are Americans who go abroad more liberal, or do they become more liberal as a result? Two of my sons were old enough to vote in this primary – both did – and they’ve never lived in the US.

(snip)

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/23/world-wants-bernie-sanders-overseas-democrats-hillary-clinton

My own gut feeling is, living abroad allows one to more easily escape the narrow minded, provincialism bubble of the corporate media conglomerates here in the U.S. and to broaden your horizons as to the different realities around the world.

This in turn fosters liberalism, a more open receptivity to new ideas and different ways of doing things.

I have no doubt my own experience overseas had a profound impact on my view of the world.

[metroins]

1. Yet American nationals do not

Hillary is up on popular vote and pledged delegates.

The caucuses not counted would not make up the large deficit in popular vote.

[amborin]

2. yes, they have a broader perspective; can see the bigger picture; have more objectivity, too.

[Ferd Berfel]

3. K&R -

Tx Uncle Joe - I missed this one.

I think there are more 'adults' in Europe than in the US. They have better and more mature priorities than we do on the whole

[Uncle Joe]

5. Thank you Ferd Berfel.

[AtomicKitten]

4. At 69%, Bernie did better than Candidate Obama did in 2008 at 65.85%.

k/r

[Uncle Joe]

6. AtomicKitten.

[FourScore]

7. I whole-heartedly agree with you.

Living abroad certainly had a profound impact on my world view as well.

Thanks for posting this, Uncle Joe!

[Uncle Joe]

9. Thank you, FourScore.

[rhett o rick]

8. The world's lower 99% are starting to stand up to the Oligarchs of the World.

Time to end the Clinton Aristocracy.