In an interview with the Guardian from his home base in Burlington, Vermont, Sanders urged the Democratic president to inject more urgency into his bid for re-election. He said that unless the president was more direct in recognising the many crises faced by working-class families his Republican rival would win.

“We’ve got to see the White House move more aggressively on healthcare, on housing, on tax reform, on the high cost of prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “If we can get the president to move in that direction, he will win; if not, he’s going to lose.”

The US senator from Vermont added that he was in contact with the White House pressing that point. “We hope to make clear to the president and his team that they are not going to win this election unless they come up with a progressive agenda that speaks to the needs of the working class of this country.”

Sanders’ warning comes at a critical time in American politics. On Monday, Republicans in Iowa will gather for caucuses that mark the official start of the 2024 presidential election.

Biden faces no serious challenger in the Democratic primaries. But concern is mounting over how he would fare against Trump given a likely rematch between them in November.

    • Suavevillain@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I really don’t want another run of Trump pardoning psychopaths and doing what he wants. But democracy is basically in the hands of Dems and they scrap by when it comes to connecting with people or even giving them a vision post beating Trump.

      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        10 months ago

        The only way Trump is “connecting” with people is by telling them grandiose lies and making impossible promises.

        Annoyingly, a shitton of people are willing to go along with those lies without thinking about it or questioning anything.

        • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          If only the “good guys” would do what the voters they depend on to win are demanding instead of trying to court Republican votes.

    • Moira_Mayhem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      10 months ago

      Sure he’s unpopular with progressives and the youth.

      Most blue voters are older people more interested in the status quo and in any other country with a sane Overton window would be called conservatives.

      And the idealism of youth can easily convince them that a 3rd party vote is a meaningful protest against the DNC’s lack of progressive action.

      • hglman
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        10 months ago

        Biden won’t win without progressives and youth. Pandering to the center is how you lose. Trump won bc he did not play to the center.

        • Moira_Mayhem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          10 months ago

          Just more evidence how monumentally short-sighted and ignorant a huge chunk of humanity is.

          Either Biden wins or we don’t have elections anymore and trumpty dumpty is really masks off about it now on international television,

          And if that happens, there’s gonna be a lot of ‘progressives and youth’ regretting their choices when donny spray-tan invokes martial law.

          I’m sure their idealism will keep them warm and safe when the purges start.

          • bufalo1973
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            10 months ago

            Let’s say Biden wins. What will you, US citizens, do when the next Trump comes? Keep voting the lesser evil?

            • Moira_Mayhem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              10 months ago

              I have actively written my reps about ranked choice voting, it is an effective solution that renders that question pointless.

              Maine’s already implemented it and it’s been working fine.