Bernie Sanders Warns Democrats Not To Get ‘Cocky’ Ahead Of Midterms: There Is No ‘Great Blue Wave’ Coming
Bernie Sanders has a word of caution for Democrats.
Democrats appear to be upbeat about their chances in the upcoming midterms, especially as Donald Trump’s two years at the helm of the country seems to have reinvigorated a dormant but left-leaning populace towards voting in the elections. Recent polls have shown Democrats gaining momentum in swing states and actually edging out Republicans in Congress, but Sanders, who very well knows that a massive uprising does not always translate to a win, cautioned Democrats not to get carried away about their chances.
Marching for Democrat J.D. Scholten, who is running against Representative Steve King in Iowa, along with a group of college Democrats, Sanders told the New York Times that he does not see a “blue great wave” coming in the midterms. Instead, he said, the party which would win control of the Congress would edge out the other only by a few seats.
“I happen not to believe that there’s going to be this great blue wave. I happen to believe that on election night, which party controls the U.S. House will come down to a very few seats.”
He said that while a Democratic win is definitely in the cards, it won’t happen if people who would identify themselves as Democrats get “cocky” and imagine a thrashing.
“I’m doing everything I can to make it happen. But one thing I will absolutely guarantee you: It will not happen if people are sitting back and are cocky and talking about how sure they are of winning.”
“I’m just issuing a warning, and that warning is that overconfidence will result in disaster.”
Donald Trump likes to talk about a "booming economy." This is not a "booming economy" when you have people working 2 or 3 jobs, making $8 an hour just to put food on the table. pic.twitter.com/g1lraQkPHi
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 25, 2018
Sanders, who has not yet commented on whether another presidential run is in the offing come 2020, has nonetheless been very active campaigning for candidates that seem to align with his Democratic, socialist ideas. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-confessed socialist who was backed by Sanders, winning the congressional seat in New York back in June was heralded as a new awakening for a left-leaning America, according to The Guardian, but Sanders is not all that optimistic. He concedes that he and other Democrats have a lot of work to do if they intend to edge out Republicans. To this end, two weeks before the midterms, Sanders has been on a nine-state blitz tour campaigning for candidates he supports. He has already covered Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and Iowa, and is set to travel to Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and California.
When asked if he is preparing another presidential run, Sanders kept his cards close to his chest, instead focusing on the upcoming and more immediate task.
“My job right now, and that is the simple truth,” he said, “is to do everything that I can to see that we end one-party rule in Washington.”
