May 2, 2022
Last week, a lot of pragmatic Democrats in Washington let out a groan at the news that Senator Bernie Sanders’ inner circle was laying the groundwork for a possible 2024 White House bid—which would be his third in as many presidential cycles—and once again give voice to a progressive message that so far hasn’t landed wins in battleground territory, reports Time magazine.
The self-described democratic socialist from Vermont has animated a distinct corner of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, which, to be clear, is not where Sanders calls his home when he’s not seeking its White House
Sanders’ agenda of Medicare for All, student-loan forgiveness, and massive social-welfare spending has an audience, but it hasn’t been a winning coalition to this point.
According toTime, there’s a significant chunk of the Democratic establishment who:
- Openly loathe Sanders for standing in the way of a clean nomination for Hillary Clinton in 2016;
- Despise him for not rallying his base behind Clinton more quickly while he instead wrote a book that made him a millionaire; and
- Questions why he forced Joe Biden to defend his own policy beliefs across multiple focus groups in exchange for an endorsement two years ago.
Democrats last nominated an avowed hardcore liberal when they put up Michael Dukakis 1988 and he lost 40 states. The successful Democrats who have won the Oval Office were skilled—but closeted—centrists who convinced the party’s base they were safe and unthreatening.
Indeed, Time claims, Democrats often flirt with the liberal edge of their party but ultimately have always come home to a candidate who represents the most electable contestant.”
The memo put out by his allies that Sanders hasn’t closed the door on a 2024 run laid bare the problems the party faces. Reliable Democrats freaked out about the prospects of winning the next presidential election if there’s another potential primary where the frontrunner faces a Sanders-esque candidate. But they need to keep calm and not get ensnared by the sticky Vermont maple syrup. After all, there are some caveats in the signals coming out of Burlington. If you read between the lines, the Bernie bros aren’t actually preparing for an intra-party war. They’re just tilling the soil.
For another, Sanders has yet to win the nomination, despite having run against two of the most easily attacked frontrunner candidates Democrats had put forward in decades. Hillary Clinton’s baggage is legendary, yet she still bested Sanders. Biden, whose record now is the product of 50 years in public office, often reflected the mores of the era—but those sometimes don’t look quite right when seen through today’s lens. Yet he prevailed.
Finally, Time suggests, it’s actually in Biden’s interest for Sanders and his pals to float this. Historically, the party in the White House faces steep losses in Congress in its first midterm elections, and Biden’s polling suggests this fall may be more brutal for Democrats than most. If Democrats are to stand a chance, they need every friendly voter, volunteer, and donor activated.
A drop-off in Sanders’ voters in 2016 may well have cost Clinton the election; two surveys found that roughly one-in-ten Sanders supporters voted for Donald Trump that year. Having lived through four years of Trump, those Sanders voters didn’t make the same choice in 2020, even if they didn’t exactly love Biden. The 2024 election could be a sequel if Trump attempts his expected comeback—but whether it’s a sequel to 2016 or 2020 may depend on the voters Democrats can inspire.
If the prospect of a Sanders 2024 campaign remains an option, those progressive activists will keep clicking, retweeting, and donating. And, in doing so, they may accidentally build the foundation of a Biden re-election bid.
Thus, Time posits, in quietly signaling to the base that Sanders is open to a third bid, his allies may actually be preparing for the most unlikely of roles: keeping Biden in office.
Research contact: @TIME
