Does Bernie Sanders Endanger the Democratic House Majority?

Moderate Democrats are terrified a Sanders-topped ticket will destroy any chance Democrats may have at maintaining the House majority.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaking with attendees at the Clark County Democratic Party’s 2020 Kick Off to Caucus Gala at the Tropicana Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. February 15, 2020. (photo: Gage Skidmore)

Nevada Berns

Following Sen. Bernie Sanders’ historic win in Nevada, liberal progressives in the Democratic Party are feeling pretty ecstatic today.

With strong showings in both Iowa and New Hampshire already under his belt, Bernie’s first-place finish in Nevada staggered his many naysayers and appears to have caught the Democratic Party establishment off-guard.

Though they should really be prepared for anything at this point.

Sanders seems on-track to give liberal progressives in the Democratic Party exactly what they want: Their chosen champion, at last. Those Democratic voters who bitterly regret the party’s embrace of Hillary Clinton over Sanders in 2016 are eager to make-up for lost time.

As the experts sort through Nevada’s voting data, it is also becoming clear that Sanders has indeed managed to expand his base of support to include Latino voters. This is something Democratic Party leadership has been confidently assuring the voting public and credulous members of the media absolutely could not and would not happen.

But the Democratic Party establishment class is looking less and credible as the days and weeks pass with no clear front-running alternative to Bernie and no clear plan to stop him.

Because while Democratic progressives are celebrating the fact that Sanders now has a clear path to the nomination, not everyone in the Democratic Party feels much like celebrating.

Moderates in the Democratic Party should be more excited that Sanders has demonstrated an ability to broaden his base of supporters to include the Latino vote; they aren’t.

Towards the middle of the Democratic Party, instead of excitement, there is instead so much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“It’s this incredible sense that we’re hurtling to the abyss. I also think we could lose the House. And if we do, there would be absolutely no way to stop [Trump]. Today is the most depressed I’ve ever been in politics.” — Matt Bennett, Third Way