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By: BWST Staff
Published: Wed, Mar 11, 2020
After taking another significant hit in primary states, Senator Bernie Sanders told supporters in a defiant press conference that he was remaining in the race for President.
“On Sunday, I very much look forward to the debate with Joe Biden in Arizona,” said Sanders, stating that he plans to question Biden on his plans to tackle climate change, healthcare disparities, economic inequality, disparity in access to education, immigration injustice and a “racist” criminal justice system.
Sanders claimed that, while his campaign is behind in the delegate count, they are winning the debate on policy and bringing in more voters from key groups than Biden.
“It is not just the ideological debate that this movement is winning, we are winning the generational debate,” he said, “Our campaign continues to win the vast majority of the votes of younger people. I am talking about people, not just in their 20s, but in their 30s and their 40s.”
Turning his remarks directly to the DNC, Sanders said “in order to win in the future, you need to win the voters that represent the future of our country and you must speak to the issues of concern to them.”
Unfortunately for the Sanders campaign, the crux of their electability argument (galvanizing young, first time voters in record numbers) has not yet materialized in the primary process. Aside from a slight uptick in Iowa, first time, young voter turnout is not shattering records across the nation.
Sanders noted that he believes his campaign is losing the debate around electability, saying he has had numerous conversations with individuals who agree with him on policy, but believe Biden is best positioned to defeat Trump in the fall.
“Donald Trump must be defeated and I will do everything in my power to make that happen,” Sanders said, “On Sunday night’s debate… the American people will have the first opportunity to see, one on one, who is best positioned to make that happen.”
Regardless of who Democrats select, Sanders or Biden (Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is still in the race, but polls at or below one percent in both national and state polls), it would be the first time that the party has nominated a white man for president in two decades.
If elected, either candidate would be the oldest president inaugurated in American history. Biden would take office at 78, while Sanders would take the oath at 79 years old.
The next Democratic debate will air live on CNN this Sunday in Phoenix Arizona. The debate will be held without a live audience amid growing concerns of public health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic.