Bernie Sanders Gives Democrats Two Keys To Resisting Trump And Winning Back Congress

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:06 pm

As Democrats work to find ways to resist Donald Trump and limit the damage Republicans can do with control of all branches of government, Bernie Sanders has some advice for how progressives can regain their power.

On MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes on Wednesday, the Vermont senator said it’s time for Democrats to speak to all Americans in every state, especially the folks who voted for the president because they’re the ones being hurt the most.

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Sanders said:

Democrats need to do two things, Chris. Number one, a 50-state agenda. Do not surrender parts of the country to right-wing Republicans. Number two, a progressive agenda that makes it clear that the Democrats are going to stand with working families, they are prepared to take on Wall Street and the one percent. We do those things, I think you’re going to see fundamental changes in the way politics works in America.

Bernie Sanders is exactly right. Democrats will win elections when they go to all parts of the country and explain that their policies have historically helped average Americans get ahead. They shouldn’t be afraid to tell their story.

Nowhere is that more clear than Tuesday’s special election in Kansas – which swung toward the Democrats by 20 points since the November elections – as an example of where Republicans can be toppled if the Democratic Party is willing to fight.

This same dynamic will also play out next week in Georgia when Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff makes Republicans sweat out another election night over a contest that shouldn’t even be on the map for the Democrats.

The Democratic Party can no longer be reluctant to go to parts of the country that have historically been unreceptive to their message. It is policies that matter, and in the age of Donald Trump – when the president and his GOP allies in Congress are pushing a litany of devastating agenda items – there is no district in the country they shouldn’t be fighting for.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.