Anti-Establishment Mood Doesn’t Stop ‘Invisible Primary’
With 83 percent of Americans saying they disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job, one might expect presidential candidates and their savvy political teams to keep themselves at a distance.
But even in this year of the outsider — where, from the revolt in the House to the polls in the presidential race, it might appear the strength of the establishment is on the downturn — candidates seeking the highest office in the land are competing for their endorsements in what has been described as the “Invisible Primary.”
On Friday, Sen. Bernard Sanders, the Vermont independent giving establishment favorite Hillary Clinton her biggest challenge for the Democratic nomination, is expected to receive an endorsement from Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) during a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona.
Grijalva would be the only congressional lawmaker to endorse Sanders for president so far — a figure dwarfed by the more than 140 members of Congress who have said they are ready for Hillary . . .
Endorsements from members of Congress are an inherent reflection of establishment support, Lynn Vavreck, a professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote for The New York Times’ Upshot blog. But, she added, research suggests that support from political elites is also “the single best predictor” of a candidate’s success. (Read more from “Anti-Establishment Mood Doesn’t Stop ‘Invisible Primary'” HERE)
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