Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally in Santa Monica, California. (Photo: Marcus Yam/Getty Images)
Dec 17, 2018
While an outsized chunk of the corporate media's early 2020 coverage has been centered on the speculation and big donor enthusiasm surrounding centrist Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's possible White House bid, a new straw poll released on Tuesday found that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is far and away the leading presidential choice among progressives eager to take down President Donald Trump and forge ahead with a bold agenda.
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate."
--Winnie Wong, People for Bernie
Conducted by Democracy for America (DFA)--a political action committee with over a million members--the survey found that Sanders topped the ever-growing list of potential Democratic candidates with 36 percent support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 15 percent and O'Rourke at 12 percent.
All other possible candidates included in the straw poll, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), earned less than 10 percent support.
The Intercept's Ryan Grim argued that the DFA survey shows political elites may once again be underestimating Sanders, who consistently polls as the most popular politician in the country.
\u201cI think people in Washington are (again) underestimating the potential strength of a Sanders campaign (which could actually be part of his strength again) https://t.co/v6QFtn18Il\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1545145015
Though Sanders emerged from the early survey as the strong front-runner, DFA executive director and incoming chair Charles Chamberlain said in a statement, "Progressive support in the 2020 Democratic primary is up for grabs and so is Democracy for America's endorsement."
In the 2016 Democratic primary, the organization endorsed Sanders over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Unlike 2016, no candidate has support strong enough for the Democratic Party establishment to clear the field, which means progressives will have an excellent opportunity over the next year to kick the tires on a wide range of different candidates and find the best one to take on Trump," Chamberlain concluded.
On social media, Sanders supporters touted the DFA poll as further fuel for the "Draft Bernie" 2020 campaign launched earlier this month by former staffers for the Vermont senator's 2016 bid.
\u201cWhat is interesting about this @DFAaction poll, is the honest methodology and the large margin for #Bernie2020 !!\n\nBernie Sanders can become the nominee but we will have to fight with all of our hearts. \n\n#TuesdayMotivation\n\n https://t.co/cnyxIZOukv\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1545147989
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate," declared Winnie Wong, founder of People for Bernie.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
bernie sandersbeto orourkedemocratic partyelection 2020elizabeth warrenjoe bidenkamala harrisroseann demorotrumpism
While an outsized chunk of the corporate media's early 2020 coverage has been centered on the speculation and big donor enthusiasm surrounding centrist Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's possible White House bid, a new straw poll released on Tuesday found that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is far and away the leading presidential choice among progressives eager to take down President Donald Trump and forge ahead with a bold agenda.
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate."
--Winnie Wong, People for Bernie
Conducted by Democracy for America (DFA)--a political action committee with over a million members--the survey found that Sanders topped the ever-growing list of potential Democratic candidates with 36 percent support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 15 percent and O'Rourke at 12 percent.
All other possible candidates included in the straw poll, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), earned less than 10 percent support.
The Intercept's Ryan Grim argued that the DFA survey shows political elites may once again be underestimating Sanders, who consistently polls as the most popular politician in the country.
\u201cI think people in Washington are (again) underestimating the potential strength of a Sanders campaign (which could actually be part of his strength again) https://t.co/v6QFtn18Il\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1545145015
Though Sanders emerged from the early survey as the strong front-runner, DFA executive director and incoming chair Charles Chamberlain said in a statement, "Progressive support in the 2020 Democratic primary is up for grabs and so is Democracy for America's endorsement."
In the 2016 Democratic primary, the organization endorsed Sanders over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Unlike 2016, no candidate has support strong enough for the Democratic Party establishment to clear the field, which means progressives will have an excellent opportunity over the next year to kick the tires on a wide range of different candidates and find the best one to take on Trump," Chamberlain concluded.
On social media, Sanders supporters touted the DFA poll as further fuel for the "Draft Bernie" 2020 campaign launched earlier this month by former staffers for the Vermont senator's 2016 bid.
\u201cWhat is interesting about this @DFAaction poll, is the honest methodology and the large margin for #Bernie2020 !!\n\nBernie Sanders can become the nominee but we will have to fight with all of our hearts. \n\n#TuesdayMotivation\n\n https://t.co/cnyxIZOukv\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1545147989
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate," declared Winnie Wong, founder of People for Bernie.
While an outsized chunk of the corporate media's early 2020 coverage has been centered on the speculation and big donor enthusiasm surrounding centrist Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's possible White House bid, a new straw poll released on Tuesday found that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is far and away the leading presidential choice among progressives eager to take down President Donald Trump and forge ahead with a bold agenda.
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate."
--Winnie Wong, People for Bernie
Conducted by Democracy for America (DFA)--a political action committee with over a million members--the survey found that Sanders topped the ever-growing list of potential Democratic candidates with 36 percent support, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden at 15 percent and O'Rourke at 12 percent.
All other possible candidates included in the straw poll, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), earned less than 10 percent support.
The Intercept's Ryan Grim argued that the DFA survey shows political elites may once again be underestimating Sanders, who consistently polls as the most popular politician in the country.
\u201cI think people in Washington are (again) underestimating the potential strength of a Sanders campaign (which could actually be part of his strength again) https://t.co/v6QFtn18Il\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1545145015
Though Sanders emerged from the early survey as the strong front-runner, DFA executive director and incoming chair Charles Chamberlain said in a statement, "Progressive support in the 2020 Democratic primary is up for grabs and so is Democracy for America's endorsement."
In the 2016 Democratic primary, the organization endorsed Sanders over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Unlike 2016, no candidate has support strong enough for the Democratic Party establishment to clear the field, which means progressives will have an excellent opportunity over the next year to kick the tires on a wide range of different candidates and find the best one to take on Trump," Chamberlain concluded.
On social media, Sanders supporters touted the DFA poll as further fuel for the "Draft Bernie" 2020 campaign launched earlier this month by former staffers for the Vermont senator's 2016 bid.
\u201cWhat is interesting about this @DFAaction poll, is the honest methodology and the large margin for #Bernie2020 !!\n\nBernie Sanders can become the nominee but we will have to fight with all of our hearts. \n\n#TuesdayMotivation\n\n https://t.co/cnyxIZOukv\u201d— RoseAnn DeMoro (@RoseAnn DeMoro) 1545147989
"If the senator runs (I hope he does), he will have the best organizing program of any 2020 candidate," declared Winnie Wong, founder of People for Bernie.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.