Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he believes Democrats should prioritize core economic issues in their final pitches to American voters before the midterm elections on Nov. 8 — putting these concerns on par with abortion rights.
"As we enter the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, I am alarmed to hear the advice that many Democratic candidates are getting from establishment consultants and directors of well-funded Super PACs that the closing argument of Democrats should focus only on abortion. Cut the 30-second abortion ads and coast to victory," Sanders wrote in a Monday column for The Guardian.
"I disagree. In my view, while the abortion issue must remain on the front burner, it would be political malpractice for Democrats to ignore the state of the economy and allow Republican lies and distortions to go unanswered," added Sanders.
The hot-button issue of abortion rights in America, in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on June 24 (by a 5-4 vote), has had a galvanizing effect in raising additional funds for Democratic Party candidates, in advance of the midterms, reports The Hill.
Still, Sanders would prefer to see congressional and Senate Democrats tone down the abortion rhetoric, and target every-day economic issues down the stretch.
"You can't win elections unless you have the support of the working class of this country," wrote Sanders. "But you're not going to have that support unless you make it clear that you're prepared to take on powerful special interests — and fight for the millions of Americans who are struggling economically."
Republicans have been targeting higher gas prices, 40-year highs with inflation, logistical and supply-chain concerns, and higher costs for staples at grocery chains in their respective campaign advertisements — which all connect to President Joe Biden's economic record after 20-plus months in office.
According to The Hill, a recent strategy memo from the Republican National Committee, revealed the party's approach to the final weeks before Election Day.
"Democrats and the national media are determined to try and make abortion the top issue ahead of the midterms; however, the media is not on our side, and we do not answer to them but to voters," said the analysis by the Tarrance Group.
"Voters have made clear this election is largely about the economy and crime," the memo added.
Sanders, who sought the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, argues his recommendations are hardly "radical."
"It is, in fact, extremely popular. It is what the American people want," Sanders wrote. "If we close this critical midterm campaign with a clear, unified vision to meet the needs of working families, to take on corporate greed, and protect a woman's right to choose, we will begin to rebuild the trust between Democrats in Washington and the working families of this country.
"And we'll win the election."
As Newsmax chronicled last week, the Cook Political Report suggests that 7 out of 10 congressional races in battleground states have shifted to the left.
"A pattern has begun to emerge in surveys by both parties, House Democrats' polling numbers are holding up surprisingly well in states with contentious statewide races driving turnout, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania to name a few," wrote Cook.
Heading into Election Day, the Republicans need a +5 advantage to reclaim the majority from the Democrat-controlled House; and in the Senate, Republicans and Democrats are deadlocked at 50 seats.
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