In an interview with the Guardian from his home base in Burlington, Vermont, Sanders urged the Democratic president to inject more urgency into his bid for re-election. He said that unless the president was more direct in recognising the many crises faced by working-class families his Republican rival would win.
“We’ve got to see the White House move more aggressively on healthcare, on housing, on tax reform, on the high cost of prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “If we can get the president to move in that direction, he will win; if not, he’s going to lose.”
The US senator from Vermont added that he was in contact with the White House pressing that point. “We hope to make clear to the president and his team that they are not going to win this election unless they come up with a progressive agenda that speaks to the needs of the working class of this country.”
Sanders’ warning comes at a critical time in American politics. On Monday, Republicans in Iowa will gather for caucuses that mark the official start of the 2024 presidential election.
Biden faces no serious challenger in the Democratic primaries. But concern is mounting over how he would fare against Trump given a likely rematch between them in November.
I voted for Bernie every chance I’ve had, but I genuinely doubt he could have achieved the current level of success much less something better.
Without a Congress full of like-minded people, it would have been a struggle. I think we can have someone like Bernie for president one day, but it’s people being passionate and engaging with every vote and every election.
You underestimate the “soft” or indirect power of the bully pulpit.
Biden uses his speeches to reinforce the status quo and talk about how at our soul we are a good country - something no one except people who already have all their major tangible needs addressed care to hear.
Bernie has always talked about direct and material type needs - like healthcare, rights - not only social, but also economic - and how little Americans have on average when it comes to social safety nets compared to even modest economies across the rest of the industrialized world… issues that a vast majority of disenfranchised would-be voters want addressed, but otherwise have given up hope for.
Never mistake that a populist activates a ton of apathetic voters, whether first time or those long disengaged. It’s how Trump could take a person like Cesar Sayoc, who didn’t give a shit about politics before Trump - and turn him into a sticker covered madman dipshit terrorist. It’s how he convinced a bunch of assholes attending his rally to literally storm the Capitol.
Populism is powerful. And it is only possible to be most effective when a country’s elected leaders have done little to address real material condition type problems, ripening a populace grown restless, desperate and angry for any change… and unfortunately - more likely also to be vulnerable to demagoguery.
Though I agree with you that Bernie may not have been able to do things directly, I can guarantee you he would’ve indirectly gotten more people actively working - both from a citizenry perspective and those who would work to be elected into office themselves for the change that is needed.
Don’t forget that people like AOC literally ran after volunteering for Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.
That’s a really great point and something I hadn’t really considered.