The Bernie Sanders campaign is feeling the burn from Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo who took exception to a campaign monologue by actor Tim Robbins as he introduced the candidate at a rally in Wisconsin.
Robbins, on the eve of the Wisconsin primary election in the race for president, said "winning South Carolina in a Democratic primary is about as significant as winning in Guam" as he introduced Sanders in Green Bay. Robbins was referring to Clinton's victory over Sanders in South Carolina.
“I am deeply disappointed by remarks made today by Tim Robbins at a campaign rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders that used the inability of the people of Guam to vote for president as a political punch line," Bordallo said. "These remarks are an insult to our community and they trivialize the disenfranchisement of our people in selecting our president. As a candidate for president of the United States, Sen. Sanders and his campaign should be working to be inclusive of all Americans, regardless of where they live."
Bordallo added, "The people of Guam are patriotic Americans; our men and women have and continue to volunteer in large numbers to serve in our armed forces, but apparently their voice doesn't matter as much to the Sanders campaign."
In her denouncement of Robbins' remarks, Bordallo, a former first lady of Guam, used the opportunity to endorse the former first lady of the United States.
Support Hillary
"Hillary Clinton, however, understands our importance in this campaign and to our nation. She was a key architect of the Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, supports war claims, and has championed many other issues that are important to the people of Guam," Bordallo said. "That's why I'm confident that Democrats on Guam will support Hillary, because she cares about us."
On the Facebook site "Guam for Hillary in 2016," the administrator posted, "Secretary Hillary Clinton and the Hillary for America campaign are working hard to earn every vote, from every state and territory. Hillary has been to our island, knows our unique challenges, and is the best candidate to represent us as president of the United States of America."
In late February, Clinton bested Sanders in the South Carolina primary, taking 73.5 percent of the vote, and secured 39 delegate votes versus Sanders' 14.
While votes by Guam's electorate do not count at the polls in the national election for president, the two political parties in Guam send representatives to the national conventions of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party to take part in the selection of the parties' presidential candidates.
According to the Democratic Party of Guam, the island is allotted a total of 11 delegates and one alternate. Six delegates are selected at-large and each of the delegates will cast a full vote for a total of six pledged delegate votes from Guam.
Guam’s Democratic delegation, consisting of Guam's party chairperson, vice chairperson, committeeman, and committeewoman, each cast one vote for a total of four unpledged delegate votes, which includes Bordallo who holds one unpledged vote.
Guam's Democratic party is expected to vote for its leadership and nomination for president on May 7. The Democratic nominee for president chosen by Guam Democrats will have to garner at least 15 percent of the votes cast during the election to earn Guam's pledged votes for the nomination.
