Sanders: We Don’t Want a ‘Right-Wing Extremist in the White House’

‘Republicans win when people are demoralized and the voter turnout is low’

STEPHANOPOULOS: “It does appear that Secretary Clinton could hit a nerve, though, with this issue of electability. You know, we did this — conducted this focus group over the weekend, Frank Luntz (ph) conducted it. And some of the voters had some concerns about you and the electability issue. Let’s listen.”
[clip starts]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: “My biggest thing is Bernie being [indecipherable]. (Laughter) I [indecipherable] --  And I see how that office ages people. Bernie won’t make it.” (Laughter)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “Can he go the distance? Is in my mind, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “One of the biggest flaws of Bernie Sanders was this —“
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: “Yes.”
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: “— or state that he was [indecipherable].”
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: “[indecipherable] Communism.”
[clip ends]
STEPHANOPOULOS: “There were issues of socialism, Communism and age getting in the way of your electability. How do you reassure those voters?”
SANDERS: “Well, for a start, I would urge those voters, the voters all over this country, to take a look at recent polls in which Bernie Sanders is matched with Republican candidates Trump on down. Hillary Clinton is matched with Republican candidates. And do you know what? In many of those polls, including the major recent one, the Quinnipiac Poll, we beat Trump nationally by 13 points. Secretary Clinton beat him by 7 points. Look at a recent New Hampshire poll, just in New Hampshire. We did much, much better against the Republican candidates than did Hillary Clinton. So if people are concerned about electability, and Democrats should be very concerned, because we certainly do not want to see some right-wing extremist in the White House, I think Bernie Sanders is the candidate. We’re doing much better with Independents. We even draw a little bit better with Republicans. So I believe, quite honestly, that with the enthusiasm that we are generating, with the kind of voter turnout that I think we can bring out — look, Republicans win when people are demoralized and the voter turnout is low. Democrats and progressives when I when working people and low income people and young people get involved in the political process.”
STEPHANOPOULOS: “And...”
SANDERS: “George, I think any objective look at our campaigns would suggest we have the energy, we can drive a large voter turnout.”

 

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