Bernie Sanders recently received endorsements from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar , two members of the progressive group of congresswomen known as “The Squad,” per The Inquisitr . The endorsements came after Sanders’ poll numbers took a dip following a health scare while rival Elizabeth Warren’s support continued to surge.
During a recent broadcast of HBO’s Real Time , host Bill Maher said that the endorsements would benefit Warren, suggesting that she needs to move to the center, Breitbart reports.
“[T]he Squad coming out for Bernie, first thing I thought was, that’s good for Elizabeth Warren. Because it makes him to the left of her, and she needs to move to the middle.”
Maher’s comments reflect worries that Sanders is too far to the left for many Americans. But as the Vermont senator’s campaign adviser Jeff Weaver told The Hill in August, Warren and Sanders have different bases of support.
“Their bases really are not co-extensive,” he said. “His base is much more diverse, much more working-class. Her base is much more college-educated, and so they are not really at this point competing for the same pool of voters.”
In addition, more than half of Warren’s supporters reportedly identify as “very liberal” or “liberal,” while only 7 percent claim they are moderate or conservative Democrats.
In Queens, New York, the @BernieSanders campaign is kicking off their “Bernie’s Back” rally where Sen. Sanders is set to speak shortly. Filmmaker Michael Moore is currently on stage, and is set to endorse Sen. Sanders. Rep. Ocasio Cortez will also endorse Sen. Sanders today. pic.twitter.com/Scv52cu99W
— Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) October 19, 2019
Regardless, despite Warren’s attack on Wall Street, she is seen as more of a centrist than Sanders and often faces criticism from the more progressive Democrats. In a report from The New York Times , Shane Goldmacher spotlighted the wealthy donor funding that Warren received over her political career, which she is now using to fund her primary.
“The open secret of Ms. Warren’s campaign is that her big-money fund-raising through 2018 helped lay the foundation for her anti-big-money run for the presidency,” he wrote.
According to Goldmacher, some of the money used for Warren’s campaign is from the wealthy donor class her current presidential run takes aim at. While supporters believe the Massachusetts senator is right to change the system from within, others are skeptical whether she will cave to corporate interests if elected.
As for Sanders, he and Ocasio-Cortez recently channeled Ariana Grande’s Twitter presence to promote their progressive policies, including Medicare for All, student debt loan forgiveness, the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and the Green New Deal.
Sanders previously spoke to rapper Cardi B — who previously endorsed his presidency — for a campaign video. During the video, he spoke to 27-year-old about her struggles to make ends meet before she achieved fame, as well as other topics, including police brutality, wages, education, and jobs.
