海角大神

[Updated 6:10 p.m. Thursday] The Democratic Party now well and truly belongs to Hillary Clinton, but it鈥檚 not the party she thought she would inherit.

The Bernie Sanders 鈥渞evolution,鈥� fueled by Millennial fervor as well as aging 鈥�60s-era liberals and working people feeling left behind by a changing economy, has altered what the party stands for. Free trade is out. A big increase in the federal minimum wage is in. And on foreign policy, the party stick closer to President Obama鈥檚 vision than the more interventionist approach of Mrs. Clinton.聽

But the precise future shape of the Democratic Party remains a work in progress, as the delicate task of wooing Senator Sanders and his followers ramps up following Mrs. Clinton鈥檚 clinching of the nomination this week. That effort took a large step forward Thursday, when Sanders met with President Obama and agreed to work with Clinton "to聽defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent."

Still, the battle over the platform looms large, as does Clinton鈥檚 choice of running mate and Sanders鈥檚 role at the convention.

In the final days of campaigning ahead of Tuesday鈥檚 primary, Sanders pledged to take his bid all the way to the Philadelphia convention in July. But after losing four out of six contests Tuesday, including California, Sanders headed home to Vermont to reassess.聽

In the end, analysts say, the Democratic Party is likely to land somewhere between the unalloyed liberalism of 1972 nominee George McGovern and the 1990s-era centrism espoused by Clinton鈥檚 husband, former President Bill Clinton. But that represents a broad spectrum.

Balancing the budget 鈥� one of Mr. Clinton鈥檚 signal accomplishments, in concert with the Republican-led Congress 鈥� surely won鈥檛 be a priority for Hillary Clinton. And while her spending priorities for social programs don鈥檛 go as far as Sanders鈥檚, her goals are still aggressive. For example, where Sanders promises free tuition at public colleges, Clinton tuition-free community college and debt-free four-year college.聽

Already, Clinton has distanced herself from some of her husband鈥檚 policies, such as the 1994 crime bill, which resulted in mass incarceration of African-American men. Her support as first lady for welfare reform in 1996 has been another by Sanders, who said it amounted to 鈥渟capegoating people who were helpless.鈥� The Clinton campaign has defended the reform, saying the child poverty rate fell under President Clinton, but adds that Hillary Clinton intends to amend the program.聽

鈥淔or now, Sanders has pulled the party to the left, but we鈥檒l see. Things can fade,鈥� says Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Bernie's continuing influence

In the short run, though, Sanders will 鈥渄irectly influence鈥� the platform, as well as Clinton鈥檚 choice of running mate, Professor Sabato says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any way that Clinton can choose someone he would actively oppose,鈥� he adds. 鈥淗e will at least have to acquiesce, if not fully embrace [that person].鈥�

But does the platform even really matter? The drafting of party platforms, on both sides, often involves intense negotiation, even if the final product is ultimately read by only the most fervent of activists, and a few diehard reporters and political scientists. In 1996, GOP nominee Bob Dole famously said that he hadn鈥檛 read the Republican platform.

鈥淎nd Bob Dole didn鈥檛 get elected,鈥� says Sabato.

Former Senator Dole lost that election for many reasons, not least, the fact that he was up against a popular incumbent in Clinton. But his indifference toward the platform spoke volumes to the party鈥檚 most devoted activists 鈥� and so in fact some connection can be drawn with his loss.

As president, Hillary Clinton would not be bound by the platform, but if she were to stray too far from it, she could face challenges keeping the base of her party happy, and in working with Democrats in Congress.

For now, Clinton faces pressure on a range of issues that have separated her from the Sanders camp. On fossil-fuel regulation, Sanders supports a nationwide ban on fracking. Clinton does not. He also supports a $15 an hour federal minimum wage, while Clinton supports $12. Though she has said she would sign legislation setting the minimum at $15. Thus the $15 minimum wage is nearly certain to wind up in the platform.

Apart from platform changes, the Sanders camp is also urging fundamental changes to the Democratic nominating system, including the existence of 鈥渟uperdelegates鈥� 鈥� the unbound convention delegates who can support whomever they want, and who are backing Clinton by an overwhelming margin. Sanders decries the system as rigged and undemocratic,聽and his message has created momentum for the party to consider procedural reforms.

But with only the June 14 District of Columbia primary to go, the reality is that Sanders is losing the popular vote in the Democratic primaries by 3.7 million votes, and pledged delegates by 380.

Getting past bitterness

Still, his legions of supporters give him massive leverage as he contemplates his path forward. And the fact that he鈥檚 not really a Democrat 鈥� having spent his entire political career as a self-described democratic socialist 鈥� also makes him a little dangerous, in the eyes of some Democrats. Party unity may well not be his top priority.

鈥淐linton people are going to have to be patient, and they鈥檙e going to have to let Sanders and his campaign work their way through this,鈥� says William Carrick, a veteran Democratic strategist based in Los Angeles. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a little bit of back and forth regarding the platform and probably rules.鈥�

Mr. Carrick doesn鈥檛 sound all that concerned, though, about the party鈥檚 ability to sew together the Clinton and Sanders wings. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in some bitter campaigns, and I don鈥檛 find this to be as bitter as sometimes the pundit class describes it.鈥�

Carrick also sees Sanders as having done an enormous favor for Clinton: He has drawn a new generation of voters into politics and into the Democratic fold.

鈥淢illennials are disappointed that he鈥檚 not the nominee, but then they begin to sort through it,鈥� he says. 鈥淚nstead of taking their bat and ball and going home, I think they鈥檙e going to say, 鈥楤etter finish the job. No Donald Trump.鈥� 鈥�

For now, though, Clinton has her work cut out.

Jessica Salans, a children鈥檚 book publisher in her late 20s, says she wasn鈥檛 into politics when she was younger, but has felt empowered by Sanders.

Sanders has 鈥渂roken the machine,鈥� says Ms. Salans, who lives in Los Angeles, speaking on the eve of the California primary. 鈥淒emocrats used to be the party of the working people, now it鈥檚 the party of the elites and the educated middle class. That鈥檚 not the majority. Bernie鈥檚 ideas are not radical. Other countries have universal health care. Other countries have free college.鈥�

And, she concludes, 鈥淚 know in my heart of hearts I can鈥檛 support Hillary Clinton.鈥�

Staff writer Jessica Mendoza contributed to this report in Los Angeles.