Bernie Sanders: Democrats Risk Losing Working Class, Minority Voters

In a striking address on Saturday at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) pointed out the potential consequences of the Democratic Party’s dwindling support among working-class and minority voters. Sanders’ message came with a warning that the Democrats risk losing the upcoming 2024 elections if they fail to reconnect with these crucial constituencies.

Bernie Sanders scolds Dems for losing working class, minority voters to GOP: 'Frankly it is absurd'https://t.co/rkxd6ZUgZa

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Expressing his surprise that the Republican Party now holds more sway with the working-class voters compared to the Democrats, Sanders said, “Frankly it is absolutely absurd that, given the anti-work ideology and policies of the Republican Party, that that party now has more working class support than Democrats.”

Senator Sanders further voiced his concerns about the shifting allegiances of Hispanic and certain Black voters towards the Republican Party. 

“It should be deeply worrying that, according to recent polls, Democrats are losing support within the Latino communities and even among African American men,” he noted, adding, “That has got to change, not just for the well-being of the Democratic Party, but for the future of our country.”

While commending several policies of the current administration and reaffirming his support for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid, Sanders urged Democrats to embrace the economic populism he has championed over the years as a self-described democratic socialist.

In an impassioned appeal, he pressed for a decisive break from the corporate wing of the party, urging the elevation of voices that will rally behind a grassroots, multi-racial, generational, working-class party in every corner of the nation. 

“Democrats, through words and action, must make clear that they stand with a struggling working class, a disappearing middle class, and millions of low-income Americans who today are barely surviving. They must make it clear that they are prepared to boldly take on the powerful corporate interests that have so much power in Washington and in state capitals across the country,” he stated.

While embracing progress, the congressman also endorsed the integration of artificial intelligence into the party’s vision, but with a caveat that regulations be in place to safeguard the interests of low-income workers. 

“In my view, if Democrats are prepared to do that, they will win this election and win it comfortably. If not, frankly I am not sure what the election outcome will be. Or, for that matter, what the future of our country holds,” he asserted.

Sanders lauded the Biden administration for its efforts in job creation, infrastructure investment, and fostering diversity within the administration. However, he acknowledged that a significant portion of Americans still grapple with pain and hardship, a reality that cannot be overlooked.

President Biden’s economic policies have been dubbed “Bidenomics,” with a focus on boosting private investment in clean energy manufacturing. 

This approach is expected to be a central theme in his upcoming presidential campaign as he touched on it during a visit to Milwaukee earlier this month. 

But Republicans have been challenging the optimism surrounding Bidenomics, aiming to tie it to the growing skepticism that many Americans harbor about the nation’s dwindling economic prospects.