An internal poll from the Michael Bloomberg campaign shows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders threatening Democrats’ chances at keeping the House of Representatives and key Senate seats if the so-called Democratic socialist snags the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
The poll, of course, clearly benefits Bloomberg, but it tracks with what some key Democrats have been saying since last Saturday, when Sanders took a commanding lead in the Nevada caucuses and emerged as the clear frontrunner for the Dem nod.
“Bernie Sanders’ nomination could drag down vulnerable House Democrats trying to hold onto their competitive districts, according to a new poll conducted for Mike Bloomberg’s campaign that is circulating among members — providing fresh data for moderates warning about a wipeout if Sanders emerges to lead their ticket against President Donald Trump,” Politico reported Tuesday.
There is good news for “President Donald Trump in Bloomberg’s internal poll; if the Democrats nominate Sanders, he’s head-to-head with Trump in national polling, but the news is dire in battleground states where Trump’s message resonates with working class voters, and things get worse when Trump speaks directly about Sanders’ socialism. “Trump opens up 6-point advantage after a list of negative messages about Sanders’ ideology and alleged ineffectiveness in the Senate is presented to poll respondents,” Politico said.
And if Trump is re-elected, Sanders makes it much easier for the Republican to regain control of the House of Representatives, which swung to the Democrats in the 2018 mid-terms.
“Sanders’ potential impact extends beyond the presidential race,” according to Politico. “A plurality of voters, 39 percent, say they will be less likely to vote for a Democrat for Congress if Sanders is the Democratic nominee and his ideas are folded into the party platform. That’s nearly double the 21 percent who say they would be more likely to vote for a Democrat for Congress, while 34 percent say it wouldn’t impact their vote.”
In addition, swing voters in narrowly Democratic districts told Bloomberg’s pollsters that they weren’t happy with the party’s leftward shift. Only a small percentage — just 12% — said they were excited about socialism becoming a more important part of the Democrats’ platform.
Sanders’ supporters seem reticent to accept the news, but Democratic candidates are certainly getting the message. The Washington Post reported Monday that downballot Democrats are running from Sanders’ platform and doing their best to distance themselves from the front-runner’s far-left agenda.
We flipped those seats [in 2018] because of Donald Trump,” one House Democrat told WaPo on condition of anonymity. “And if Democrats want to hand most of those back, put Bernie at the top of the ticket. And that’s how many of us feel.”
Another told the outlet that, “Our overarching priority [is] to replace the president, but to do so with someone who is going to be equally divisive does not serve the country’s interests, and I think that’s at the core of what is making so many so uncomfortable.”
Republicans in tight races also smell blood. Martha McSally, running against retired astronaut Mark Kelly in Arizona, is airing an ad connecting Kelly to Sanders through support for the “Green New Deal,” and in the battleground state of Michigan, John James has pulled even with Democratic stalwart Sen. Gary Peters using a mostly digital ad campaign showcasing Peters’ support for Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan.
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