Congratulations on Victory in Wisconsin (and Wyoming)

 (Reuters / Mark Kauzlarich)

Bernie and his supporters have achieved a remarkable string of wins in the primary contest.  They have also changed the political landscape in unprecedented ways.  The Sanders campaign has demonstrated the feasibility of running an effective electoral effort based on small donations with no help from PACs or other big money sources.  There is really no excuse left for future candidates who want to be considered in the progressive camp to not look to the support of the people for campaign financing rather than to the traditional big money sources.

The other big thing coming out of this electoral experience is straight talk about the issues of real importance to the majority of the American people. Issues of income and wealth inequality, banking and financial market regulation, environmental degradation, and control of the endless war machine have been laid bare.  Elected officials are going to have a harder time paying only lip service to the people's fundamental concerns.  By the same token, there seems to be some hope for moving electoral contests at all levels beyond the focus on personality and empty rhetoric that has characterized the elections of recent decades.

The genie is out of the bottle and he isn't going back in.