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Bernie Sanders, photographed in 2016, insists that the progressive proposals touted by the candidates in 2018 show the strength of the movement in the main states of the battlefield
Lydia Thompson / NPR
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Lydia Thompson / NPR
Bernie Sanders, photographed in 2016, insists that the progressive proposals touted by the candidates in 2018 show the strength of the movement in the main states of the battlefield
Lydia Thompson / NPR
Progressive superstars like Beto O 'Rourke, Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams have all lost or are following extremely tight races in Texas, Georgia and Florida. But Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders insisted that the Democrats' takeover of the House of Representatives and other key victories reflected the progressive stance for which he had long been defended.
"Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum have had some brilliant campaigns, they have created tremendous local excitement and have been in states that are difficult for Democrats," Sanders told NPR. (Abrams did not concede in the race for the governorship of Georgia.) Gillum initially conceded his race for the post of governor Tuesday night, but his campaign now suggests that they could wait for a possible recount in Florida. )
In a previous interview with the Daily Beast, Sanders seemed to attribute in part Gillum and Abrams' apparent losses to the fact that none of these states had ever elected African-American governors. "You know that there are a lot of whites who are not necessarily racist and who felt uncomfortable for the first time in their lives about whether they wanted to vote for it or not. an African-American. "
Sanders spokesman insists that these words have been taken out of context. Speaking to NPR, Sanders said the votes that Gillum or Abrams had lost during their race were entirely due to what he called "racist" campaigns carried out by their Republican opponents.
"There is no doubt that in Georgia and Florida, racism has come in. And you have candidates who ran against Gillum and Stacey Abrams who were racist and did their best to try to play them. Whites against blacks, "he said. . "And it's a scandal, and we must continue to do everything in our power to fight against all forms of racism."
The Gillum campaign repeatedly pointed to what they saw as racist statements by representative Ron DeSantis and his supporters, a charge vehemently denied by DeSantis. In a memorable moment, Gillum turned to DeSantis during a debate and said, "I do not call Mr. Racant DeSantis." I simply say that the racist believes that he is racist. "
As Sanders examines Tuesday's results, the presidential candidate, formerly and perhaps future, says that the most notable victories of Democrats have occurred in the Midwest.
Trump became president because he had lost the popular vote, but he won the state electoral college like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, three of the four elected states. were elected Democratic governors, and the other four democratically elected Senators of the United States, "Sanders said. "So, I think Trump's wins in these very important states may not last long."
Several Democratic leaders are reading the party's major advances in the House and reclaiming governorates and other key positions as an endorsement of moderation. A large number of Democrats who overthrew Republican-held seats in the House of Representatives of the suburbs fled the unofficial attack on President Trump, to which much of the Democratic base has been interested. in the last two years. Sanders, who won a new term in the Senate Tuesday as an independent, clearly disagrees with this assessment. "Democrats are fighting back because many of these Democrats now have progressive agendas."
"When the first year class in Congress takes office in January, it will become the most progressive first year class in modern history in this country," he said. "There will be many people out there who have won elections on the basis of the fight for Medicare for all, based on raising the minimum wage to $ 15 at the hour, ensuring to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. "
Sanders is certainly not a selfless observer on the question of whether the future of the Democratic Party lies in a bold, progressive or strategically moderate positioning. Although he never joined the party, he finished second in the 2016 presidential primaries and plans to try again in 2020.
Like many other potential candidates for 2020, Sanders is sure to include in its travel itinerary key states of the primary and caucuses like Iowa and South Carolina in the United States. last weeks of the mid-term.
Sanders has inherited the widely accepted idea that the 2020 primary is already underway. "Endless elections," he said, "are very unfair to the American people who are fed up and have enough."
But with the Democratic group that should be well above the double digits, Sanders acknowledged that he would not be able to wait as long as he would like to announce a race. "I will have to make a decision in the not too distant future," he said. "But I think we have a few months to make that decision."
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