Bernie Sanders touts proposals, refutes ‘the establishment’ in remarks in NC

Democrat Bernie Sanders on Thursday sought to knock down growing fears that his nomination would hurt other Democrats in the fall.

“The establishment, in case you haven’t noticed, is getting very nervous,” he told more than 1,400 people at Winston-Salem State University. “The establishment’s line lately is . . . he can’t beat Donald Trump. But you know what? We are the strongest campaign to defeat Donald Trump because we have the energy and we have the excitement.”

The New York Times reported Thursday that 93 Democratic super delegates interviewed would go so far as to try to stop a Sanders nomination.

In North Carolina, Sanders pointed to polls that show him beating President Donald Trump in key states.

“We’re going to beat him here in North Carolina and we’re going to beat him all across the country,” Sanders said.

Sanders’ appearance at the historically black college came a day after he spoke at a Goldsboro church led by former state NAACP president Rev. William Barber II.

It also came two days before the South Carolina primary and less than a week before North Carolina votes on Super Tuesday. Real Clear Politics polling average shows him in a virtual tie in the Tar Heel State with former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

In Winston-Salem and in Goldsboro, Sanders appealed to mostly African American audiences. Black voters are a key for him and other candidates in both Carolinas.

“This is an act of the campaign to send a signal to black voters that they are paying attention to issues that are of concern to them,” said Duke University political scientist Kerry Haynie. “It’s important for candidates to be seen as being attentive to those issues and being concerned about those issues. Visiting Rev. Barber sends that signal.”

A survey this week by Public Policy Polling showed Biden at 36% with black voters in North Carolina while 21% favored Bloomberg. Sixteen percent preferred Sanders.

Addressing poverty

On Wednesday night, Sanders took part in a forum at Greenleaf Christian Church that spotlighted poverty, following an interfaith service.

“What we have got to do is not apologize for the speed in which we want to transform this country,” he told the congregation. “There is no excuse for so many of our black and brown and white brothers and sisters to be living in poverty.”

The event began with worship followed by a sermon from Barber. In a forum following the service, Sanders took questions from a racially diverse audience about a variety of issues, including poverty, health care and voter suppression.

“Just tonight in this church we have had more serious discussion about the issues that impact the American people, just in the half hour I’ve been up here, than I have had in 10 debates,” the presidential hopeful said.

Sanders is the third presidential candidate to visit the church, which is led by Poor People’s Campaign co-chair Barber and has a mostly black congregation. Democrats Pete Buttigieg and Tom Steyer have also made pilgrimages.

Barber, who launched the Moral Monday protest movement, has invited candidates of all parties to visit his church and participate in a forum on poverty.

“We’ve pushed this issue of poverty directly into the narrative of the political discourse,” Barber told The News & Observer before Sanders’ visit. “You can’t have a presidential campaign and not address poverty.”

Sanders touts Medicare for All, other proposals

In Winston-Salem, Sanders blasted Trump, whom he called a “pathological liar” who is “undermining American democracy.”

He touted familiar proposals such as Medicare for All, more money for education, free college tuition, ending student debt, banning assault weapons and legalizing marijuana.

“We’re going to beat (Trump) here in North Carolina,” he said. “It’s not only our grassroots movement. It’s also our agenda, and our agenda is saying in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we are tired of workers earning starvation wages.”

Sanders took an indirect swipe at two opponents: Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, two billionaires who have risen in the polls.

“We don’t need billionaire help to win this election,” he said. “We’ve got the people.”

Like the super-delegates, some North Carolina Democrats have expressed concern over how having Sanders at the top of their ticket could affect other Democrats, including those running for U.S. Senate and other offices.

One group sounding warnings has been Third Way, a center-left group. In a memo Thursday, the group continued its attack, saying “Sanders’ extremist policies could push North Carolina from a battleground state into the Republican column.”

And Republicans continued to hammer that message on Thursday.

“While other Democrats openly fret about what a socialist at the top of the ticket would mean for down-ballot races, the North Carolina Democratic Party is openly embracing his agenda,” state GOP Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement.

But others say it’s less clear what effect a Sanders’ nomination would have. Political scientist David McLennan of Meredith College told The Charlotte Observer this month that there’s not enough evidence to say whether it would be “a net gain for Democrats or a net loss.”

Put students like Aniya Solomon of Goldsboro in the “gain” column.

Solomon, 20, said she already voted for Sanders. She said she believes in his democratic socialist leanings — and his support for historically black colleges and universities. She doesn’t know if other candidates will be able to deliver on their promises to help minority groups.

“They’re speaking, but I haven’t heard anything that reflects they’d be willing to help students of color,” Solomon said.

Paul Collins, 36, a graduate student at nearby Wake Forest University, said he favors Medicare for All.

“Obama’s plan got us moving in the right direction, but Trump is undermining that and continuing to do so,” Collins said. “I feel like if we were insured through public programs, at least I’d have the freedom to work where I want.”

Kristie Austin of High Point called Sanders’ campaign rally and march to an early voting site on campus “incredibly motivating.”

“It was awesome — sometimes it was hard to chant,” said Austin, 49. “I was getting really choked up.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 2:25 PM.