Boston for Bernie: Electability

One of my favourite conversations from my first day of canvassing was with a young woman named Sharon from Cambridge. She was very concerned about the electability of the eventual Democratic nominee.

As a disclaimer, I personally don’t really prioritize electability. I’m an independent socialist, and I don't buy into the mantra of ‘Vote Blue No Matter Who.' There’s so much more to do than to beat Trump. The world has been falling apart for decades under both party’s leadership. While it isn’t my priority, in this situation my job was to convince this woman that Bernie could perform on her number one issue. He has a very strong electability argument, and it’s important to communicate it, especially to those voters who like Bernie, but feel uncertain about his chances against Trump.

She began the conversation firmly in the camp of Amy Klobuchar, who she reasoned had a good argument for beating Trump due to her moderate policies, which could appeal to the more moderate Republicans. She had a lot of respect for Bernie, but felt that his appeal wasn’t wide enough.

So much of the discussion of the 2020 democratic nomination cycle has been about electability, and so much of that discussion has baselessly assumed that Bernie is not electable. The conventional and oft-repeated logic is that to beat Trump, the nominee should appeal to republican voters by running to the center, peeling off votes from Trump. I think that this logic is flawed and misleading.

In order to win, the democratic base has to provide the floor of support. This will make things competitive with Trump, but not a clear victory by any means. Trump has a higher approval rating within his own party than any leader ever. The Republican base will turn out to vote for him. Bernie has proven in 2016 and in the 2020 cycle so far that he can energize and bring out Democratic voters. His enthusiasm among young democrats drives grassroots involvement at a level not seen in any other campaigns. He is the only candidate whose rallies come even close to those of Trump. I do think that some centrist figures would sit out a Bernie-Trump election, a nightmare matchup for free-market fundamentalists who lean left on social issues. The reality is that the corporate-first ideology in the Beltway is not at all prevalent among real voters. Far more voters (including myself) would be alienated by a Bloomberg or a Buttigieg, candidates who represent the corporate and billionaire-friendly end of the party, and could choose not to vote. Beyond the base, the democrats can target independents, non-voters, and first-time voters. These voters are going to need to be convinced to come out to the polls. The idea of going back to the Democratic party from before Trump isn’t a very exciting message. It doesn’t promise anything new, it just wants to put some tape over the cracks, and to tweet more politely. Bernie is a trustworthy character with an amazingly spotless 40-year record who wants to break up the bipartisan consensus that has been devastating for working people, marginalized communities, and the environment.

Centrists worry about the Republican’s ability to smear Bernie as a ‘socialist’ or being too far left. Steven Crowder published a video a few days ago titled "EXPOSED: Buttigieg's Leftist Extremism.” Barack Obama was called a socialist on Fox every day. They will use that line on anyone, and it won’t mean anything. Beyond labels, going issue-for-issue, Bernie’s policies are in line with what Americans want. Medicare-for-all is supported by 81% of Americans. Tuition-free college is supported by 80%. Boosting the minimum wage is supported by 84%. Labels like ‘socialist’ won’t matter if Bernie engages in policy discussion, which is his forte. 

What happened in 2016? Democrats went with Hillary Clinton, an established and experienced politician. She had a long history of hawkishness with the military, supporting the war in Iraq, and playing a critical role in the bombing of Libya and Pakistan. Trump used this and ran to her left, promising to end the wars in the Middle East. Hillary had a history of compromising American interests in regards to free trade. Trump unashamedly bashed TPP and NAFTA on the campaign trail, helping him tremendously in the rust belt. The traditional political spectrum doesn’t really represent voter’s patterns. I firmly believe that bigger than the divide between democrats and republicans is the divide between establishment and anti-establishment. Trump ran against the establishment, and while he didn’t govern it that way, it was a winning strategy, and he will undoubtedly do it again. 

Hillary’s defeat was a wake-up call, and there is much to learn from it. Running an establishment Democrat is a strategy that will inevitably lead to the same humiliating defeat. To match Trump, Democrats need a burst of energy, a vision of change, an uncompromised set of values, and popular policy. This isn’t all theory; Bernie has a bigger polling lead on Trump than any other Democratic candidate. Bernie is the one who can win this thing.

Needless to say, Sharon is now feeling the Bern. I'm can't wait to talk to more people tomorrow. Canvassing works.