Bernie Sanders Pledges To Do A Better Job Of Explaining Democratic Socialism

[DonViejo]

March 18, 20195:00 AM ET

Heard on Morning Edition

DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN

The Bernie Sanders who's running for president in 2020 is not the same Bernie Sanders who ran in 2016.

Yes, he has many of the same policy positions, and many of his 2016 supporters are enthusiastically backing him again. But the Vermont independent senator is no longer the insurgent taking on a political Goliath with huge name recognition. Now, he is the candidate with high name recognition, taking on candidates who are introducing themselves to the American people again.

Not only that, but he is running against candidates who have adopted positions he energized Democrats around in 2016, like Medicare-for-all and a $15 minimum wage.

NPR's Rachel Martin spoke to Sanders about differentiating himself in this field of candidates, as well as why he thinks he can win this time.

-snip-

On why he's running again

Martin: "The ideas that you championed during that [2016] campaign, which were then considered fringe are now not fringe. ... So if we take the Democratic presidential field, you've got candidates now who who sound like Bernie Sanders. So why do you need to run?"

Sanders: "Well maybe the more appropriate question is, 'Why do they need to run?' [laughter]

"Look, I've been doing this for a long time, and I'm very proud of the 2016 campaign, in the sense not only that the ideas that we fought for, which were, as you indicated, considered radical and extreme, but are now accepted.

more
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/702708256/bernie-sanders-pledges-to-do-a-better-job-of-explaining-socialism

[TexasTowelie]

1. If Bernie still has to explain what democratic socialism is at this point in time,

then it is clear that he isn't getting his message across. That makes me wonder if people have tuned him out.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. I am always eager to learn.

[RobertDevereaux]

3. And the next paragraph...

"But the other part of the equation is that we reached out to the American people, and we said, look: it's not just the progressive agenda that we have to fight for. You need to be involved in the political process. If you want to transform this country, you can't do it unless millions of people begin to stand up and fight back, because change never occurs from the top on down. It's always from the bottom on up."

[WeekiWater]

4. Please leave it to AOC.

Thank you.