Kimberley Strassel: Bernie Sanders didn’t really concede to Biden, this isn’t over yet
The Wall Street Journal columnist and Fox News contributor Kimberley Strassel said that despite Sen. Bernie Sanders’ apparent concession to former Vice President Joe Biden last week, the Democratic presidentialprimary «isn’t over» and that may have damaging consequences for the party’s presumptive nominee.
«I would point out that while Bernie Sanders did give a kind of concession speech… kind of dropped out, he didn’t really. That was sort of fake news,» said Strassel on Fox Nation’s «Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson.»
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«I will stay on the ballot in all remaining states and continue to gather delegates,» Sanders, I-Vt., told his supporters in a livestreamed message last week. «While Vice President Biden will be the nominee, we must continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible at the Democratic Convention, where we will be able to exert significant influence over the party platform, and other functions.»
«He says he’s going to remain on the ballot on all continuing primary states and continue to collect as many delegates as he can,» continued Strassel, «And the purpose of this… is that he is in negotiations with the Biden’s camp about what aspects of his agenda Biden has to adopt before Bernie will allow his people to support Biden.»
Axios reported earlier this month that Biden’s and Sanders’ teams «will hold policy discussions in the next few weeks with the expectation that Biden will incorporate some elements of Sanders’ agenda.»
And notably, while Sanders said he has thrown his support behind Biden, some prominent backers and members of this campaign have not. Briahna Joy Gray, who served as Sanders’ national press secretary tweeted, «With the utmost respect for Bernie Sanders, who is an incredible human being & a genuine inspiration, I don’t endorse Joe Biden…»
«This is all about extracting pounds of policy flesh from Joe Biden. And they’ve already put out their list of demands,» said Strassel.
«[Biden] needs to support Medicare-for-all. He needs to support the Green New Deal. He needs to support a 50 percent reduction in prison populations. He needs to support free college tuition, a complete forgiveness of all student loan debt.»
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«And while it’s unlikely to see Biden doing all of that, he’s going to end up doing some of it. And that is very dangerous for Joe Biden if you’re trying to get independents, disaffected Trump voters, suburban housewives,» warned Strassel, arguing that Biden should be attempting to appeal more to the electorate’s moderate center ahead of the general election in November.
«Bernie made clear this week that his intention is to make sure there’s no pivot,» concluded Strassel, «and, in fact, that Joe Biden becomes just as unelectable as he was.»
To watch all of this interview and previous episodes of «Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson,» go to Fox Nation and sign up today.
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