Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 6 sepTember 2018

Inside the makeover of the Democratic Party

By BILL BARROW and JUANA ance and keep Georgia's
SUMMERS state resources from aiding
WASHINGTON (AP) — The mass deportation efforts.
Democratic makeover is in And dozens of Democratic
full swing. candidates for federal and
With just a few primaries state offices — regardless
remaining before the de- of their positions on ICE,
cisive midterm elections health care or impeach-
in November, voters have ment — have sworn off cor-
dramatically reshaped the porate campaign cash.
Democratic Party to be- The embrace of those po-
come younger, more di- sitions among primary vot-
verse and unquestionably ers has activists on the left
liberal. looking forward to upcom-
The latest turn came Tues- ing primaries in Delaware,
day in Massachusetts, where Kerri Evelyn Har-
where Boston City Coun- ris, a black gay woman,
cilor Ayanna Pressley, 44, is challenging moderate
trounced 10-term congress- incumbent Democrat Tom
man Mike Capuano, 66, in Carper on Thursday. In New
a Democratic primary. It re- York, actress Cynthia Nixon
prised a June primary upset will try on Sept. 13 to oust
in which self-proclaimed Democratic Gov. Andrew
democratic socialist Alex- Cuomo. It's unclear wheth-
andria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, Ayanna Pressley, who won the 7th Congressional District Democratic primary Tuesday, speaks at er any of these outsider
a Massachusetts Democratic Party unity event, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, in Boston. At left is Bos-
toppled New York con- ton Mayor Marty Walsh, and at right is Massachusetts Treasurer Deb Goldberg. candidates will enjoy the
gressman Joe Crowley, Associated Press same success as Pressley or
one of the House Demo- Ocasio-Cortez.
crats' top leaders. They join the party will be able to will lead. Democratic caucus and The overall trend has been
minority candidates like compete in broad swaths "The energy and momen- what its priorities might be a wakeup call on Capitol
Democratic gubernatorial of the country, a poten- tum and the strength is on issues from health care Hill and thrilled leaders of
nominees Stacey Abrams tial vulnerability Republi- clearly on our side," said and immigration to po- the anti-Trump resistance
of Georgia and Andrew cans are eager to exploit. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New tential impeachment pro- and the grassroots left.
Gillum of Florida and a host There's also debate over Mexico, the chairman of ceedings against Trump Stefanie Brown James, co-
of younger white candi- what a younger, more di- the Democratic Congres- once a special counsel in- founder of Collective PAC,
dates — including dozens verse class of lawmakers sional Campaign Commit- vestigation presents its find- which supports African-
of women and a gaggle might mean for the fate tee. "There's nothing more ings. American candidates,
of veterans — who are of- of congressional leaders unifying than winning back Elsewhere, Democratic praised Pressley as an ex-
fering voters an antidote to such as House Democratic the House of Representa- nominees represent a clear ample of a new assertive-
President Donald Trump. leader Nancy Pelosi and tives and restoring checks shift from the status quo ness that goes beyond pol-
"We are at a crossroads," potential 2020 presidential and balances." even if they aren't as left- icy. "I think that for so long,
Pressley declared during candidates who are older Democrats' leftward lurch leaning as Ocasio-Cortez. a lot of us who are Demo-
a party unity rally Wednes- and white, including former looks different contest to Congressional nominees crats have felt like, 'Dude,
day. "This can be our dark- Vice President Joe Biden. contest. Capuano and like Iowa's Abby Finkenauer where's the fight back? ...
est hour or it can be our fin- "2020 is going to be about Crowley are reliable liber- or Arkansas' Clarke Tucker Where's the toughness?'"
est." who voters want best to als, but Pressley and Oca- were the more moderate she said. "You're seeing
Outsider candidates are stand up to Trump and to sio-Cortez often go further, choices in their respective candidates who are brash
taking on establishment- take on Trump," said Ben with full-throated calls for primaries, but are now try- and aggressive and are
aligned Democratic in- Tulchin, who worked as single-payer government ing to topple Republican like, 'No, we're not going to
cumbents in the final pri- a pollster for Democratic health insurance and abol- incumbents with calls for wait.'"
maries of the season over presidential candidate Ber- ishing U.S. Immigration and a public option health in- Crowley, who'd been
the coming week in states nie Sanders in 2016. "You're Customs Enforcement, or surance plan to compete viewed as a possible future
such as Delaware and going to have to have an ICE. Coming from heavily alongside for-profit insurers. House speaker before his
Rhode Island. authentically progressive Democratic districts, Press- Abrams, the Georgia Dem- defeat, said Wednesday
Victories by candidates message and to be able to ley and Ocasio-Cortez ocrat who'd be the nation's he was "sad" for Capuano,
such as Pressley and Oca- communicate that." won't determine whether first black woman elected but celebrated "the en-
sio-Cortez have generated For now, Democratic lead- Democrats pick up the 23 governor, stops short of sin- gagement and the activity
substantial grassroots ener- ers are embracing the en- new seats necessary for a gle-payer health care and that it's causing and the fer-
gy. But they've also raised thusiasm of their base — House majority. But they will abolishing ICE but promises vor that is forming (among)
questions about whether even as it's unclear where it affect the makeup of the to expand Medicaid insur- young people, women."q