Democrats would be wise to run against Trump on a radical platform
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Democrats would be wise to run against Trump on a platform of completely open borders and abolishing private health insurance. There are limits. But, generally, the tiny sliver of voters in this country who are still persuadable are not highly ideological people. They are fundamentally anti-élite in nature, and they are looking for three characteristics in a candidate for President that don’t have much to do with left-versus-right. And those characteristics are authenticity, being a credible agent for change, and empathy. In other words, does this person understand my daily struggles? And a common thread between Obama and Trump was a common touch.
It’s all relative, but, whether it was having been a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago or a billionaire who ate K.F.C. and went to professional wrestling matches, it struck a chord with those voters.
Democrats shouldn’t under-learn the lessons of Hillary Clinton’s failure. She was viewed not as an Arkansas Democrat but as a Chappaqua Democrat, by 2016. She ran a campaign that didn’t just fail in terms of targeting the right states but failed to drive an economic message. And “stronger together” and “Trump is unfit for office” were not substitutes for “here’s my plan to get the American heartland back to work.”
The problem for Democrats is that they could still win five million more votes than Donald Trump and lose the Electoral College. The problem is that trends are benefitting Democrats in states that are not decisive in the Electoral College. Democrats are continuing to gain millions more votes in California. They could cut into Trump’s margin in Texas by eight hundred thousand and not be rewarded by a single electoral vote.
Too much of the media in Washington, D.C., is viewing candidates’ chances against Trump through a left-versus-right spectrum, or a sliding scale, in which if they nominate Biden they can win middle America, but if they nominate someone too far left they will risk alienating those voters.
But all of these criticisms ignore Sanders’s considerable strengths. He commands a passionate, dedicated and active army of volunteers and small-dollar donors. He either leads or is right behind former vice president Joe Biden in Iowa, depending on the poll. He also leads in New Hampshire. And Sanders slightly leads Trump in head-to-head polling, including in Texas, underscoring that he would be running against a deeply unpopular president who has already been impeached.
Sanders’s message, whether you agree with it or not, is consistent and resonates deeply with millions of Americans. It is unclear whether Sanders is the strongest candidate in the Democratic field, particularly in the purple states that Democrats will need to beat Trump. But he should not be dismissed before a single primary vote is cast.
It’s a dubious bet to write off the caucus’s front-runner. After the 2016 election, it should be no surprise that too many well-respected politicos have already done so.
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