Will Sanders ‘Fight Oligarchy’ Message Play in PA?
Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders is bringing his anti-capitalist “Fight Oligarchy” tour to Philadelphia, and he’s picked the perfect date.
May Day.
May 1, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a major holiday for the international labor movement, symbolizing solidarity among workers worldwide and the fight against capitalist exploitation. At the Philadelphia rally, Sanders will be joined by the AFL-CIO for a “Workers over Billionaires” event. It’s set for 4 p.m. outside Philadelphia City Hall.
Unlike many of his previous rallies, Sanders will not be joined by progressive celebrity (and possible presidential candidate) U.S. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The rally website says he will head to Harrisburg on Friday and Bethlehem on Saturday with U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Beaver).
Sanders has drawn big crowds to his tour, with about 35,000 cheer him and Ocasio-Cortez on in Los Angeles earlier this month.
“When the top one percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent, when big-money interests can control both political parties, [Americans] are living in an oligarchy,” Sanders told NBC News.
But Sanders’ rhetoric often sounds like it addresses as much to his party’s current leadership as it does to President Donald Trump and Republicans.
“To our establishment friends in the Democratic Party: the status quo is not working and cannot be defended,” Sanders posted on social media Tuesday. “We will not shrink from big ideas.”
Others in the Democratic Party, however, say that while the enthusiasm among Sanders’ crowds is undeniable, the far-left progressive message isn’t a winner in general elections. Some observers say calling for the impeachment of Trump, support for illegal immigrants, and advocacy for transgender issues handed Republicans their wins last November.
Polls show that, while Trump’s approval is falling, support for the Democratic Party is even lower. A new poll of potential battleground districts released by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Tuesday found the Democratic brand is battered. “The Democrat Party’s image is in free-fall, falling underwater by nearly 50 points (25 percent favorable/72 percent unfavorable), as voters overwhelmingly reject their extreme and out-of-touch agenda,” according to the NRCC polling data.
Will Sanders’ message resonate with Pennsylvanians?
Democratic consultant TJ Rooney said, “While they have been drawing amazing crowds and represent an important part of the party, I don’t believe they represent the majority view.
“They have good intentions and very loud voices,” Rooney added. “As we see every day in America, on every level of government, the loudest voices don’t usually represent the majority view. I believe the majority of my party, like the majority of Americans, believe solutions are found in the middle.”
Jeff Jubelirer, vice president with Bellevue Communications, said, “While I don’t have any recent data to back up my take, I believe Pennsylvania Democrats are likely split.”
Jubelirer pointed to Democrats Pennsylvanians have actually elected as evidence voters are more moderate than the pro-Sanders base.
“Voters in Pennsylvania have leaned moderate – note Gov. Josh Shapiro, former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (for several terms) among others who have successfully proven that their brand of moderation wins,” he said.
“Pennsylvania is also home – demographically speaking – to some of the oldest citizens in the U.S. Historically, older Democrats have leaned moderate while younger voters in the party lean more progressive,” he said.
“Turnout at the rallies signals intensity: intensity of enthusiasm combined with despising Trump. Since the Sanders/AOC wing has gone after Trump more than the centrists, they’ve drawn large crowds of individuals eager to express their disgust.”
And Democratic strategist Mark Nevins told DVJournal, “Pennsylvania Democrats span a pretty wide slice of the political spectrum, but they’re all in agreement that the first 100 days of Trump 2.0 have been a train wreck. So whether they’re AOC fans or Team Shapiro, it doesn’t really matter. They’re pissed and they just want someone who will stay focused on making life just a little easier for regular, middle class families.”
