Bernie Sanders says midterms prove progressive can win the White House

[arenean]

Source: The Guardian

Bernie Sanders has declared that the midterm election results show a clear path for a progressive candidate to win the White House in 2020 – but the Vermont senator hasn’t made up his mind yet as to whether he will be among those running.

In a phone interview from Burlington on Wednesday, Sanders, fresh off his Senate re-election victory, called Trump’s “us-against-them” approach to government a lesson in “demagoguery 101” and said he was dismayed that the president’s fear-based appeals helped strengthen Republican control of the Senate.

“When people are anxious and worried about the future, demagogues not just in the United States but all over the world play to those fears,” Sanders said.

But the Democratic takeover of the House, which ended one-party rule in Washington, was a “very clear message from the American people against Trump policies, his behavior and his bigotry”, Sanders told the Guardian.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/07/bernie-sanders-midterms-progressive-2020-president

[truthisfreedom]

1. He's quite right.

[duforsure]

2. And again trump lied

He claimed the markets would go bad if they were voted out, the opposite occurred and it shot up over 500 points showing the Dems win was good. It will crash before long from their policies, and he knows its coming.

[njhoneybadger]

3. Wait, I thought he said he didn't see a blue wave coming

[Cha]

16. That's right.. BS was wrong.

[Nitram]

4. That's not the whole story, Bernie. In New York a progressive candidate replaced a progressive

candidate. In other states, moderates won because a progressive would never have won. Democrats need to keep a big tent, because the country has an enorrmous and very diverse population. One size most defnitely does not fit all.

[still_one]

11. The midterms did not prove his assertion one way or another, and your assessment is quite correct.

The only thing the midterms demonstrated is what you said, "one size does not fit all"

Howard Dean's 50-state strategy

[Blue_Tires]

5. Has anyone ever said a progressive *couldn't* win the White House??

I seem to remember that dude we ran back in '08 did all right for himself...

[NurseJackie]

6. You're correct. NOBODY has ever said that. It's an absurd statement.

Has anyone ever said a progressive *couldn't* win the White House??

You're correct. NOBODY has ever said that. It's an absurd statement. -- I think maybe I've heard pundits say that Bernie couldn't win the White House... maybe that's what he's referring to.

I seem to remember that dude we ran back in '08 did all right for himself...

Absolutely true. Obama was very progressive and he did indeed do quite well for himself AND for our nation.

Bernie's statement assumes things that haven't been seriously claimed conflicts with what we already know to be true and it serves no good purpose for anyone to claim otherwise and to ignore or denigrate Obama's progressive accomplishments. At this time, we need to acknowledge and CELEBRATE our party's history and contributions. Why ignore them or pretend that it didn't happen?

From the Guardian: "And for progressives, like Sanders, who had hoped the midterm elections would prove that Democrats can run unapologetically liberal campaigns and win in battleground districts and states, the night provided little evidence."

Exactly. The type of "one-size-fits-all" approach that Sanders and his supporters advocate has been proven (again) to be the wrong way to go.

All I'm saying is that Howard Dean was correct with his "Fifty-State" approach. Dean understood that New England and East-Coast politics doesn't work well in the Midwest or the Deep South. The candidates we select must be able to attract votes from the center-left AND the center-right. We can't win on "far left" votes alone.

[still_one]

10. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[George II]

18. A "progressive*" can win the Presidency, but not just ANY "progressive".

*a loosely defined, evolving term.

[NurseJackie]

20. That is an important distinction. AND...

*a loosely defined, evolving term.

... and that's an important distinction.

[beastie boy]

7. With all due respect, Bernie...

Midterms prove that progressives can win the House and lose the Senate. It's a far stretch to project either on the outcome of the Presidential elections.

This is a repeat of what Bernie was saying in 2016, and look where it got us.

[George II]

14. On top of that, if the endorsed candidates by his own organization (Our Revolution).....

....is indication, his premise is incorrect.

This year Our Revolution endorsed candidates in 287 races, only 88 (30.7%) won. This is from Our Revolution's own website.

[George II]

8. Did he explain how that was proven on Tuesday night? The right progressive can win...

....in 2020, but it's more likely that a moderate can/will win.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

13. Yeah, I think so too, because of rural America. n/t

[OilemFirchen]

9. Congrats to Governor Cordray and Senator O'Rourke.

And a special shout-out to my new Representative Theresa Gasper.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

12. Except the composition of the Senate is closer to what is takes to elect a president

Not saying Sanders is wrong, but winning the house majority is more like Hillary getting 3 million more votes... and still not wining the presidency. If we can win senate majority, that's like being able to win the electoral collage. We were close to that at least. Rural areas have more say than they should I think. It should be based on popular vote, but it's not.

[Power 2 the People]

15. Bernie is right. It's just the beginning!

[R B Garr]

17. The Clintons' were progressive and they won--25 years ago.

Healthcare
Climate change

Obama actually accomplished the ACA. Go Democrats!

[GulfCoast66]

19. Don't know if a progressive(whatever the hell that means) can.

But I damn well know a liberal Democratic candidate can.