Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:01 pm
Democratic Senators are unloading on Bernie Sanders for a courting a debate with Donald Trump.
Politico rounded up some reactions to Senate Democrats over the Sanders vs. Trump debate dance:
“Bullshit,†said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “That confirms what we’ve been saying. Why would you expect Bernie should be considerate or be nice or be working to bring everyone together? Why? He’s not a Democrat.â€
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The party’s frustrations are boiling over with Sanders as the primary season winds down: Namely that Sanders seems unwilling or unable to admit that Hillary Clinton is on course for the nomination. The ire toward Sanders began earlier this year among the loudest Democratic cheerleaders for Clinton — and now it’s seeping into nearly the entire Senate Democratic caucus.
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“I don’t know why he would do that. I think it’s time to start to winding down the primary,†said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). “It’s time to move on.â€
“It’s peculiar,†said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). “It’s all about Bernie trying to get the advantage in California. It’s not going to work.â€
The easiest way to understand what Bernie Sanders is doing is to think of Sen. Sanders as a man who is not ready to let go. The one consistency in every answer that Sanders gives about the state of the race is a willingness to keep going. It doesn’t matter what the delegate math, popular vote, or pledged delegate count says, Bernie Sanders is going to keep going.
Eventually, Sen. Sanders is going to have to return to the Senate if he wants to stay in politics, and he could be creating trouble for himself if he burns his bridges with his fellow members of the Senate Democratic caucus. Â For Bernie Sanders to capitalize on his expanded popularity and power, he is going to need the assistance of Senate Democrats.
The Sanders political revolution won’t get very far if he returns to the Senate as a man without a country. Sen. Sanders may have gone a step too far with the Trump debate idea because there was a nearly 100% likelihood that Trump would never debate Bernie Sanders. After Trump had demanded $10 million to do the debate, the writing was on the wall. Trump used the potential debate for publicity, and he has no intention of doing a debate.
Most Democrats were fine with Sanders staying in the primary until the end, but his flirtation with debating Trump has enraged many of his closest colleagues in the US Senate.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
