Feelin' the Bern
Union Leader:
PERHAPS it’s apt in this wild primary season that one of the candidates leading the Democratic presidential race here is not even a Democrat. At least, not yet.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont, joins four other Democratic candidates in addressing the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s state convention Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. He will soon join the party.
Sanders state director Julia Barnes said Sanders will, at some point, register as a Democrat.
When Sanders announced his presidential campaign in May, the question of his declaration of candidacy with New Hampshire’s Secretary of State eventually came up. The form, part of state law, requires a candidate to declare that they are a registered member of the party for whose nomination they seek.
The New Hampshire Democratic Party is supportive of Sanders running and appearing on the Democrats’ primary ballot. And, in the U.S. Senate, Sanders caucuses with the Democrats.
The Sanders campaign has long held that Bernie Sanders would be just fine gaining ballot access for Democratic voters across the country.
Secretary of State Bill Gardner has not announced the filing period for the New Hampshire primary. It will likely be in late October or November.
EDIT & UPDATE: Wow this thread blew up. I was probably too abrasive with the earlier version of this post.
But, as it stands, if people were using this as an excuse to not support Bernie because he was only an Independent who caucused with the Democrats and didn't actually have a D next to his name... well that excuse won't exist anymore.
Bernie's been a better Democrat that some people with a D next to their name. (Blue Dogs? Nelson? Lieberman? etc)
And to answer some other comments below... I think he's going to register as a Democratic in NH. Vermont has no party registration.
Thanks to everyone for their constructive criticism with my diaries... I'll keep it in mind for the next time.