It is difficult to process just how far left some elements of the Democratic Party have moved since President Obama left office, so to speak, and that will definitely influence the upcoming primary vote.

 

You may remember that Mr. Obama once publicly opposed gay marriage, and his administration deported record numbers  of foreign nationals who had illegally entered the United States.  Compared to the leftist zealots today, Barack Obama could have filled in for Sean Hannity.

 

To provide perspective about exactly where some Democrats are now, it is worth enumerating a few of the policies that ardent leftists support: changing the free market economy to socialism where the federal government controls profit, production, and investment. 

 

Allowing millions of foreign nationals into America while they “await” asylum hearings that could take years, while also using tax dollars to pay for the healthcare of all illegal aliens.

 

Allowing felonies like robbery and drug dealing not to be prosecuted and forbidding cash bail for many arrested individuals. Police in places like San Francisco and New York now issue citations or tickets for even violent acts like physical assault.

 

Permitting abortion for any reason at any time.  In some places, babies can be terminated after birth by an abortion doctor.

 

Just a few years ago, supporting those radical policies would have eliminated a political candidate from serious consideration for office.  Now, many in the Democratic Party embrace them.

 

The recent confrontation with Iran illuminates the situation.  There is no question that the Iranian general Soleimani was a terrorist, responsible for attacks on Americans including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.  Yet, among the democrats running for President, only Michael Bloomberg supported the drone strike on the Quds Force leader.  Bernie Sanders actually condemned the USA for killing the terrorist, a startling and disturbing position.

 

Nevertheless, Senator Sanders continues to compete effectively in the presidential race despite the fact that he would completely disengage U.S. forces from the Middle East, and attempt to run the private economy from Washington, something that has never been done in the history of this country.

 

Realistically, it would take a drastic shift in voter sentiment for Sanders or his fellow traveler Elizabeth Warren to win the White House.  That most likely will not happen this year.

 

But the dramatic shift to the left by the Democratic Party is now official and no one knows if the radical forces will grow.

 

Who would have thunk it?