Bernie Sanders Says Establishment Dems Attacking Him in 2020 Primary States

00:56 GMT, 28 December 2018

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Senator Bernie Sanders in a press release said the Democratic establishment is already running attack ads in early primary states to undermine his progressive agenda should he run in the 2020 presidential race.

Sputnik

"Right now, a group of Wall Street Democrats known as the Third Way is running ads in early primary states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — calling me out by name and saying our ideas, like Medicare for all, are a path to defeat in 2020," Sanders said on Thursday. "Our agenda terrifies the political and financial establishment of this country."

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Sanders said he knew the US political, financial and media elite would spend vast amounts of money to oppose his candidacy if and when he decided to run for president in 2020. However, Sanders added, he did not expect attack ads to begin before he even announced his intention to do so.

The Third Way describes itself as a national think tank that promotes modern centre-left ideas. The group was co-founded by Matt Bennet, a former Clinton White House staffer.

In a poll of likely voters released by Quinnipiac University on December 19, Sanders finished second to former US Vice President Joseph Biden among a list of possible 2020 presidential contenders. Sanders registered a 44 percent favorability rating overall and 74 percent favorability rating among would-be Democratic voters. Biden secured a 53 percent favorability rating overall including 84 percent among Democrats.