California not dreaming now
PRESIDENCY: VOTERS GEAR UP FOR SUPER TUESDAY
Democrats to choose their person to face Trump.
The idea is to cast its vote at a decisive moment in the race, just days after the important South Carolina primary.
Not known for being particularly mobilised in the past, Californians like Peter Fisher – a 44-year-old lab technician – are well aware that this year, their votes can make a difference.
The primary is about “making sure that my vote goes for the candidate who will take the country in the right direction,” he said at a recent Bernie Sanders rally.
“You can see a difference this year ... there are lots of candidates here, the ads on traditional TV are covered in candidates, social media advertising is heavy,” said Christian Grose, a political scientist at University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
“It’s just something people are talking about.”
California voter registration has surged to a level not seen since the ’50s, with more than 20 million people signed up – out of an eligible 25 million. About 44% of those are registered as Democrats, almost double the Republican electorate (23.6%).
With more Democratic delegates – who ultimately pick the nominee – than any other state, “the fact that it’s on Super Tuesday makes it the big catch of all of the early states”, said Grose.
“It’s important to keep in mind that Democratic primary voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the job that President Trump is doing,” said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California.
“When asked what they’re looking for in a candidate, a very strong majority has consistently said ‘we’re looking for a candidate that can run against Trump.’”
A poll conducted by Grose’s USC Schwarzenegger Institute asked respondents to identify the main issues they felt were at stake in November’s general election.
At number one came housing and homelessness. –