The "Netroots," derisively – and accurately – called the "Nutroots" by some, is a group of hard-left activists who provide the ready foot soldiers when the left goes to electoral war.  So would-be 2020 Democratic presidential candidates appeared before them, each trying to appear more insanely left-wing than the others, in an attempt to curry favor with the certifiably politically insane.

Most prominent among them was Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Caucasian-American pretending to be an Indian-American, and Senator Kamala Harris, an Indian-American who prefers to emphasize being African-American.  Senator Cory Booker was also there, almost as an afterthought, probably for comic relief.  (He posed for a photo with an anti-Israeli sign and then claimed he forgot to read it.)

Warren warmed up the crowd, saying she is for "economic justice."  The crowd went wild because they know that "economic justice" is a code word for redistribution of  income.  Then Warren tossed another buzz phrase: "reproductive rights."  None of the women in the audience has ever been prevented from reproducing, unfortunately.  Warren said she was worried about a "mom" getting shot during a traffic stop.  Police bad!  The crowd went wild.

Warren said the rich are getting richer while people are holding down four jobs "just to pay the rent."  I would have liked to see a show of hands from her audience of holders of four jobs.  Warren complained that "corporate giants" are controlling "more and more and more."

The entity that controls the most, the federal government, escaped Warren's notice.  Big companies don't have the power to tax.  They don't have the power to regulate.  They don't have the power to force people to buy things, like health insurance.  Only government does.  Government has gotten bigger and bigger, but more government is not the problem, Warren assures us – it's the solution.

Harris tried to one-up Warren by specifically taking ownership of identity politics.  Harris gave an example of it.  She claimed that black women are the key force who helped Doug Jones win a Senate race in Alabama.  Why black women were more important to Doug Jones than black men, or white women, or even white men, is not explained.  I can only assume that black women were the most important in Jones's victory because Harris considers herself a black woman and at the very apex of the virtue totem pole.

But in taking ownership of identity politics, Harris was not merely talking about giving victim groups undue credit for achievements.  She was taking credit for the whole movement of sowing discord among races.  Identity politics means pitting black people against white people, women against men, and citizens against illegal aliens, and Harris knows it full well.  She gave a disingenuous example, but by embracing the term, Harris told the audience that she was embracing full class and race warfare.

Cory Booker managed to find his way to the stage, read his prepared speech, and find his way off without incident.  His staff hailed that as a strategic victory for the senator, proving that you can set the bar low enough so there are no losers, only winners.

Like Sauron and Saruman competing for the allegiance of the Orcs, each will get a share of supporters to help fight for the 2020 nomination.  The old white guys, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, not having the advantage of race or sex, knew better than to even show up.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.

Image: Stefan Schubert via Flickr.