Sen. Bernie Sanders as kicked-off his presidential campaign at an event in Burlington, Vermont in 2015. (Photo: AP)
'Trump Agenda Is Dead,' Declares Sanders, If Democrats Do What It Takes To Win in 2018
While noting the possibility of a wave big enough to take back the House, Senate, or both, Sanders openly worries about the party clinging to its "tendency to believe that more conservative candidates are better positioned to win."
Though nobody with a platform as sizeable as his has been more critical of the so-called "establishment" of the Democratic Party, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Friday that the agenda of the Trump administration will be effectively toast if congressional Republicans are toppled in the upcoming midterm elections.
"If Democrats control either the House or the Senate, Trump's agenda is dead," Sanders told the New York Times in an interview.
Appearing to offer fresh criticism of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in charge of coordinating and allocating resources to campaigning party members, Sanders told the Times there's still "a tendency to believe that more conservative candidates are better positioned to win," even as large planks contained in his progressive agenda--like Medicare for All, fighting for a much higher minimum wage, defending labor unions and works, and fighting for far-reaching action on the climate crisis--have shown to be resonating much more with voters across the country.
Though Sanders himself proved to be a small-donation juggernaut, and showed how Democrats who stand on principle can raise huge sums of cash from inspired voters, he said it appears that the DCCC and the party are still looking for candidates wealthy or connected enough to "self-fund" their campaigns.
While Sanders said he does plan to endorse candidates in some Democratic primaries, the Times reports he is "still deciding where he can be most effective."
During public remarks earlier this month, Sanders drew condemnation from some party members for pointing out that "the business model" of the Democratic Party over the last decade and a half--given that it has lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures during that time--"has been a failure."
But even the audience who heard those remarks "erupted in applause" when Sanders admitted the fact openly. As journalist Briahna Joy Gray asked about the incident, "Who could defend as successful the 'almost unprecedented' loss of legislative seats over the last ten years, or Hillary Clinton's defeat to game-show host Donald Trump?"
With an outpouring of energy geared toward dismantling the Trump administration and his GOP enablers in Congress, the question remains: Have Democrats learned enough lessons from their steady habit of defeat to not just win big, but govern boldly?
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Though nobody with a platform as sizeable as his has been more critical of the so-called "establishment" of the Democratic Party, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Friday that the agenda of the Trump administration will be effectively toast if congressional Republicans are toppled in the upcoming midterm elections.
"If Democrats control either the House or the Senate, Trump's agenda is dead," Sanders told the New York Times in an interview.
Appearing to offer fresh criticism of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in charge of coordinating and allocating resources to campaigning party members, Sanders told the Times there's still "a tendency to believe that more conservative candidates are better positioned to win," even as large planks contained in his progressive agenda--like Medicare for All, fighting for a much higher minimum wage, defending labor unions and works, and fighting for far-reaching action on the climate crisis--have shown to be resonating much more with voters across the country.
Though Sanders himself proved to be a small-donation juggernaut, and showed how Democrats who stand on principle can raise huge sums of cash from inspired voters, he said it appears that the DCCC and the party are still looking for candidates wealthy or connected enough to "self-fund" their campaigns.
While Sanders said he does plan to endorse candidates in some Democratic primaries, the Times reports he is "still deciding where he can be most effective."
During public remarks earlier this month, Sanders drew condemnation from some party members for pointing out that "the business model" of the Democratic Party over the last decade and a half--given that it has lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures during that time--"has been a failure."
But even the audience who heard those remarks "erupted in applause" when Sanders admitted the fact openly. As journalist Briahna Joy Gray asked about the incident, "Who could defend as successful the 'almost unprecedented' loss of legislative seats over the last ten years, or Hillary Clinton's defeat to game-show host Donald Trump?"
With an outpouring of energy geared toward dismantling the Trump administration and his GOP enablers in Congress, the question remains: Have Democrats learned enough lessons from their steady habit of defeat to not just win big, but govern boldly?
Though nobody with a platform as sizeable as his has been more critical of the so-called "establishment" of the Democratic Party, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Friday that the agenda of the Trump administration will be effectively toast if congressional Republicans are toppled in the upcoming midterm elections.
"If Democrats control either the House or the Senate, Trump's agenda is dead," Sanders told the New York Times in an interview.
Appearing to offer fresh criticism of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in charge of coordinating and allocating resources to campaigning party members, Sanders told the Times there's still "a tendency to believe that more conservative candidates are better positioned to win," even as large planks contained in his progressive agenda--like Medicare for All, fighting for a much higher minimum wage, defending labor unions and works, and fighting for far-reaching action on the climate crisis--have shown to be resonating much more with voters across the country.
Though Sanders himself proved to be a small-donation juggernaut, and showed how Democrats who stand on principle can raise huge sums of cash from inspired voters, he said it appears that the DCCC and the party are still looking for candidates wealthy or connected enough to "self-fund" their campaigns.
While Sanders said he does plan to endorse candidates in some Democratic primaries, the Times reports he is "still deciding where he can be most effective."
During public remarks earlier this month, Sanders drew condemnation from some party members for pointing out that "the business model" of the Democratic Party over the last decade and a half--given that it has lost about 1,000 seats in state legislatures during that time--"has been a failure."
But even the audience who heard those remarks "erupted in applause" when Sanders admitted the fact openly. As journalist Briahna Joy Gray asked about the incident, "Who could defend as successful the 'almost unprecedented' loss of legislative seats over the last ten years, or Hillary Clinton's defeat to game-show host Donald Trump?"
With an outpouring of energy geared toward dismantling the Trump administration and his GOP enablers in Congress, the question remains: Have Democrats learned enough lessons from their steady habit of defeat to not just win big, but govern boldly?