Sep 16, 2018 - Politics & Policy

Danger signs for Bernie, Warren in 2020

Axios

Liz Warren at a campaign rally — Sen. Elizabeth Warren rallies in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 9. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

"HUGE lesson for Dems in 2020 from the primary results," Josh Kraushaar, National Journal's politics editor, tweeted Sunday morning.

The big picture: There's a "limited audience for a white progressive (like Warren/Sanders) outside of a narrow ideologically-driven base ... huge opportunity for someone like Kamala Harris to build multi-racial coalition."

Josh elaborates on this dynamic in his "Against the Grain" column, "Identity, Not Ideology, Driving the Democratic Party."

"White progressives badly underachieved in Democratic primaries for governor. African-American progressives dominated."

"Warren ... faces similar obstacles as her like-minded white progressive counterparts in the states. There’s a long history in Democratic presidential primaries of the so-called 'wine-track' candidates — Howard Dean, Bill Bradley, Gary Hart among them — generating early hype but underachieving because they failed to win support from non-white voters. Bernie Sanders had a similar problem in 2016."

Add Axios on Google

Danger signs for Bernie, Warren in 2020

What to read next