Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced Monday he will run for reelection this year, squelching speculation that the 82-year-old progressive icon might retire at a time when the Democratic Party is anxious about the advancing age of its top leaders.
Hailing from a Democratic stronghold, Sanders’ decision virtually guarantees that he will return to Washington for a fourth Senate term. And his announcement comes at a critical moment for Democrats as the party navigates a growing divide over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Sanders has criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Israel even as he’s hailed much of Biden’s domestic agenda ahead of what could be a tough reelection fight for Biden against presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The only two acceptable viewpoints are “liberal” and “conservative”, so center-right to far-right. Everything else is extremism and has no place in current politics.
Blame Rush Limbaugh. He turned ‘liberal’ into a word that means ‘anyone and everyone to the left of the current Republican party agenda.’
Is it fair to blame one dead radio fascist for the originating nation of liberalism (arguably) not being able to define liberal anymore?
The issue seems a bit more systemic than that.