The Democratic party appears to be heading into an unprecedented evolutionary phase and Senator Bernie Sanders is driving the movement for such transition.
Soon after his convincing victory in diversity-rich Nevada, the Vermont threw light on the force behind his campaign that has seen him win over the Whitest American states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
“In Nevada we have just put together a multi-generational, multi-racial coalition, which is not only going to win in Nevada, it’s going to sweep this country.” Sanders told his cheering supporters.
Sanders spoke at Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday evening. Texas is one of the 14 states that vote on Super Tuesday on March 3, and polls are already putting the Vermont senator ahead of his fellow Democratic White House hopefuls.
Considered a liberal outsider, Sanders has gained momentum on the back of growing support among America’s diverse communities including African Americans, Latinos and Muslims, as noted by Edison polling agency.
His campaign staff boasts of broad representation – something that contrasts with the campaigns of his fellow Democrats including Joe Biden, who finished second but still lacks the steam to make a match of it.
In Nevada, Sanders won despite opposition to his plans by a culinary organization with thousands of members.
Sanders is now clearly ahead of Joe Biden, considered to be closest to the thinking of the Democratic establishment as middle of the ground candidate.
Sander, 78, looks to run against President Donald Trump, who has a strong conservative base and is showcasing his economic performance as a case for his reelection. The leftwing politician’s policies are seen as too radical by traditional Democrats.
In fact, Sanders’ momentum is making some conservatives scratch their heads. “We can take nothing for granted,” Sara Sanders, Trump’s former Press Secretary told Fox News, contemplating the scenario for November 3 election.
But to the voters they contrast with what Trump pursues, especially on issues in some key areas like immigration, healthcare and foreign policy.
Faiz Shakir, a Pakistani-American, managing Sanders’s campaign, endorsed a tweet that notes that Sanders narrowly won over moderates and conservatives, apart from young voters most notably millennials.
The Sanders win was emphatic: he prevailed among those with college degrees and those without; in union, and nonunion households; in every age group except over 65. He won more than half of Hispanics, and even narrowly carried moderates and conservatives: https://t.co/zRP4XXA17M
— Matt Viser (@mviser) February 23, 2020
Sen. Sanders has won support of some leading American Muslim organizations for both his positions on both domestic and international issues.
For example, Sanders has taken clear-cut positions in support of the struggle of Kashmiris and Palestinians for their unalienable rights while Biden and several others have mostly kept quiet.
In a speech at the annual conference of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in September last year, Sanders called India’s repressive actions in Jammu and Kashmir as “unacceptable”.
“The communications blockade must be lifted immediately, and the United States government must speak out boldly in support of international humanitarian law and in support of a UN-backed peaceful resolution that respects the will of the Kashmiri people.”
Significantly, Sanders used the words “Kashmiri people,” a not-so-subtle signal that he accepts the existence of Kashmir as an independent political entity.
On the Middle East dispute, Sanders has supported a two-state solution, emphasizing that “we must treat the Palestinian people with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
