The Take: Bernie Sanders, endorsement for mayor, Gov. Brown wins Netflix for life
Good morning. On behalf of The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board, welcome to The Take, your opinion-politics newsletter.
We start with Bernie Sanders, move to Indian casinos and UC regents, a nod to Reed Hastings of Netflix, and conclude with plans for the endorsement in the Sacramento mayor’s race.
It’s not over till it’s over. That’s the song Bernie Sanders was singing in Atlantic City, N.J., early Monday, hours before flying across the country to take the stage in Sacramento.
The Democratic presidential candidate is down by almost 300 pledged delegates – 800, when you account for superdelegates – compared to Hillary Clinton. Not that it seems to matter to Sanders or his rabid young supporters.
As Donald Trump attacks Clinton, Sanders vows to fight for the last vote. We question whether this is wise. Feeling the Bern shouldn’t mean Berning the house down.
Voters head to the polls in West Virginia today.
– Erika D. Smith, @Erika_D_Smith
Take a number: $1.345 million
Boosted by a $495,985 donation from Netflix founder Reed Hastings last week, Gov. Jerry Brown has raised $715,986 in the past week for his proposed initiative to overhaul criminal sentencing. Hastings gave $850,000 this year to the initiative to abolish the death penalty. Clearly, he has taken some lessons from Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.” At a minimum, it has made Hastings a little green. We look forward to binging on Season 4, which starts 10 days after the June 7 primary.
Our take
Editorial: Rep. Doug LaMalfa seeks to ensure that California’s governor, legislators and voters have a say over off-reservation Indian casinos.
Editorial: Even after a rewrite, Sen. Ricardo Lara’s latest attack on University of California regents is a solution in search of a problem.
Foon Rhee considers Donald Trump’s impact on down-ticket races, including the Sacramento mayoral race between Darrell Steinberg and Angelique Ashby.
Their Take
The (San Jose) Mercury News questions Anthem Blue Cross’ merger with Cigna after the way Blue Cross has treated consumers.
The Orange County Register wonders why police misconduct records should stay private.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail of West Virginia endorses in the Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders primary. One candidate has the wisdom, judgment and presidential stature.
The Charlotte Observer describes the implications of Trump’s victory in the swing state of North Carolina, based on Larry Sabato’s analysis, and implications for Republican Sen. Richard Burr and Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.
Mark Antonio Wright @mawrightjr in The National Review challenges Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Nikki Haley, Scott Walker and other Trump backtrackers: One electoral defeat or electoral victory is not worth the abandonment of your principles.
Syndicates’ take
Michael Gerson: GOP lunacy in high places. Guess who.
Paul Krugman: The making of an ignoramus. Guess who.
E.J. Dionne Jr.: Make America empathetic again.
Kathleen Parker: Farewell, grand old party.
And finally,
Having watched candidate debates, done candidate interviews, and talked to voters and others, we plan to endorse in the race for Sacramento mayor later today. Watch for it at sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/.
This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 5:31 AM with the headline "The Take: Bernie Sanders, endorsement for mayor, Gov. Brown wins Netflix for life."