Charles Pierce: There is no reason at all for Sanders to drop out now.

[phantom power]

As for the Democratic primaries, one of the most intriguing results was Bernie Sanders's win in deep-red Oklahoma, especially since he lost deep-blue Massachusetts later Tuesday night. However, there is a long—and largely lost—history in that state of prairie populism and a distrust of big and distant banking institutions. The Populist Party, largely brought to Oklahoma by transplanted Kansans in the 1880s, became a serious force in state politics over the next decade before morphing into a very strong Socialist Party by the late 1890s. In 1908, Socialist candidate Eugene Debs got 21,734 votes for president; he nearly doubled that vote four years later. So, anyway, there may have been some old ghosts who came out to play for Sanders on Tuesday night. But losing the Commonwealth (God save it!) was a real blow.

There is no reason at all for Sanders to drop out now. He raised a spectacular $42 million in February. But the best reason for Sanders to fight this all the way to the convention could be found in one passage in Hillary Rodham Clinton's Super Tuesday speech.

Unfortunately, too many of those with the most wealth and the most power in this country today seem to have forgotten that basic truth about America. Yesterday I was at the old south meeting house in Boston where nearly two and a half centuries ago American patriots organized the original Tea Party. I had to wonder what they would make of corporations that seem to have absolutely no loyalty to the country that gave them so much. What would they say about student loan companies that overcharge young people, struggling to get out of debt, even young men and women serving our country in the military or corporations that shift their headquarters overseas to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Like Johnson Controls and Auto Parts from Wisconsin, that we taxpayers helped to bail out with the auto rescue back in 2008, now they're turning their back on America. I'm interested this making things right. Let there be no doubt, if you cheat your employees, exploit consumers, pollute our environment or rip off the taxpayers, we're going to hold you accountable.

I do not believe for a moment that she would have said anything of the sort if she hadn't been pressed by the Sanders campaign, and as long as that campaign goes on, the less tenable any pivot toward "the center" by HRC will be. If we need to lay the ghost of Mark Penn to rest once and for all, this is the best way to do it. By the time she clinches the nomination, there are going to be two compelling features of the HRC campaign: first, she is going to owe the African American voters of this country big time, and second, she is going to have a public record of supporting populist policies that she is going to have a hard time walking back. Both of these are undeniably good things. But she has to lose the "We don't need to make America great again. We need to make America whole again" shtick. It really doesn't sing.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a42608/super-tuesday-takeaways/

[Fawke Em]

1. The thing most pundits are missing: the looming FBI investigation.

The longer we go in this nomination process, the more info will be coming out about the FBI investigation and the testimony of her aids in the FOIA lawsuits.

The "drip, drip, drip" may turn into a steadily flow and, with Trump becoming the likely GOP nominee, people will start to reconsider nominating someone with her legal troubles.

The Democrats already have a turn-out problem: the Republicans are coming out in droves to vote, while Little Debbie has depressed our vote by pushing a boring corporate candidate. This course needs to be reversed PRONTO if the Dems hope to win in November.

[GoldenThunder]

2. Get some comfortable shoes, everyone.

This race is going the distance.

[tularetom]

3. There is no doubt in my mind that as soon as she has the nomination in her hot little hand

That her debt to African american voters will conveniently be forgotten (unless said voters hold her feet to the fire) and that all the lip service she paid to "populist policies" is going to disappear from her stump speech once she no longer has to worry about Bernie Sanders reminding voters that she said it.

She won't win the general election on the strength of African American votes, she needs to appeal to the angry white voter bloc that forms so much of the opposition to her candidacy. No more photographs of her with a group of black ministers, conveniently presented in black an white so that if you squint a little bit, you can imagine they date from 1963 and Dr. King is standing just out of camera range.

She may not be able to ditch the populist talk because Trump will keep reminding her of it. But there is nothing in her political or personal background that suggests she is principled enough to do the right thing. Or smart enough to do the wise thing.

[leftcoastmountains]

4. Exactly I don't believe that anything she says now

or until the convention means anything. The Clintons will do
what the Clintons do. Which is whatever is good for them.

[sarge43]

5. She's flipped and flopped so many times she probably doesn't remember what she said.

She doesn't seem to have any core beliefs, only what's in it for her.

How can anyone trust her? I sure don't.

[jeff47]

6. This.

The story assumes Clinton cares about not looking hypocritical. Her history demonstrates she does not.

[Raster]

7. Pierce has proved over and over again he is one of the best political observers in America today...

...And this piece rings like a bell!

Sander's candidacy is keeping Clinton honest (if there is such a thing), and steering her more to the left. Good for that.

Going to owe the African American voters of this country big time? Good luck collecting on that debt. Certain of the big names in the African American pantheon of statesmen and women will feel the Clinton gratitude. But the every day Black man and woman? No, not unless you've got $250,000 sitting around to pay for a "speech."

And Clinton's "record of supporting populist policies"? That is first-rate humor.

[Babel_17]

8. The public is only beginning to understand Clinton's legal problems

No way should the Sanders campaign lose momentum.