The senator cited low enthusiasm among Democrats.
QUICK FACTS:
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he believes Republicans have a good shot at controlling the House and Senate after the midterm elections.
- Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, said that unless there is a course correction on the part of Democrats, there’s just not enough enthusiasm in the Democratic base.
- While the progressive senator said he believes the issues of abortion rights and gun control will help the left, they still don’t have the traction needed.
- “Unless we turn around, the voter turnout is going to be very, very low on the Democratic base,” Sanders said.
- The aging senator said he believes the death of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan was the beginning of the end for voter support for Democrats.
SANDERS’ COMMENTS:
- Sander said in his recent interview that “the enthusiasm level within the Democratic base is extremely low. And it’s not only working-class support that is fading away,” eluding to his socialist platform. “Unless we turn around, the voter turnout is going to be very, very low on the Democratic base.”
- “Say to the American people: ‘Look, we don’t have the votes to do it right now. We have two corporate Democrats who are not going to be with us,'” Sanders said. “The leadership has got to go out and say we don’t have the votes to pass anything significant right now. Sorry. You got 48 votes. And we need more to pass it. That should be the message of this campaign.”
- “Two corporate Democrats, Sens. Manchin and Sen. Sinema, sabotaged [Build Back Better]. And it has been downhill ever since for the Democratic Party,” Sanders said.
BACKGROUND:
- For months many experts have projected that Democrats will lose both houses of Congress with an assessment of changing seats and voter opinion.
- Analyst Jason Chafetz summed up the Democrat party’s problem, saying it’s “the lack of introspection” among party leaders leading them to be out of touch, and possibly out of votes this November.
