The liberal media virtually never recognize the glaringly obvious fact that the Democratic Party has moved far to the left in recent years. Almost without exception, they harp on the idea that the Republicans have shifted to the right, while suggesting that the Democrats are in mainstream.
However, on the June 8 edition of Wolf, CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger noted that “it won’t work to be a centrist” in the Democratic Party anymore because the party “has moved so far to the left.” The discussion was on a surprising straw poll result in Wisconsin: Bernie Sanders captured 41% of the vote to Hillary Clinton’s 49%.
Borger and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein seemed to dismiss Sanders’ chances, but both spoke of the influence the self-described democratic-socialist could have on the race. Brownstein described the vote as a sort of protest by grassroots liberals:
Bernie Sanders is very unlikely to be the Democratic Party nominee, but he does speak for a portion of the base. And I think above all, that base wants to be sure that Hillary Clinton knows that they are there, and I think he can be an effective vehicle for that. Whether he can be an effective vehicle for anything more substantive than that is yet to be seen.
When host Wolf Blitzer wondered whether the Vermont senator would have an impact on Clinton’s positions, Borger claimed that he probably would. She added: “I think it's Elizabeth Warren. I think this started before Bernie Sanders officially got into the race. Look, the Democratic Party has shifted since Bill Clinton ran for president.”
Brownstein agreed and noted that the Democrats have “unquestionably moved to the left on cultural issues since Bill Clinton’s day.”
The relevant portion of the transcript is below.
CNN
Wolf
June 8, 2015
1:56 p.m. EasternWOLF BLITZER, host: Let's get to American politics. Hillary Clinton wins the straw poll of Wisconsin Democrats, but the big surprise was the very strong showing by her challenger, Senator Bernie Sanders. The self-described democratic-socialist took 41% of the votes. He finished in second place behind Hillary, who took 49%. The other Democratic candidates and possible contenders were far behind in the single, single digits. Let's bring in our chief political analyst Gloria Borger and our senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. What do you make of the very strong showing from the Vermont senator?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN chief political analyst: We’re all atwitter, Wolf. Uh, not really. Look, it’s clear that with the base of the Democratic Party there's a lot of resonance for Bernie Sanders, who is to the left of Hillary Clinton, who is growing more to the left of herself every day. And if you look at Wisconsin, there's an element, a bastion in Madison, Wisconsin, for example, of liberal left leaning Democrats. And so they were supporting Bernie Sanders, but it shows you where a lot of the activity in the Democratic Party is right now.
At least a lot of the passion.
BLITZER: Yeah, he's drawing huge crowds, relatively speaking, wherever he goes.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN senior political analyst: Yean, I don't think 41% of Democratic attendees at the party convention were expecting or even preferring Bernie Sanders to be the nominee. But look, they want to make a statement that we’re here and you have to listen to us. And I think that Bernie Sanders is very unlikely to be the Democratic Party nominee, but he does speak for a portion of the base. And I think above all, that base wants to be sure that Hillary Clinton knows that they are there, and I think he can be an effective vehicle for that. Whether he can be an effective vehicle for anything more substantive than that is yet to be seen.
BLITZER: Does he have any impact on her positions, though? Is he pushing her further to the left?
BORGER: Yeah, I think he is. I think it's Elizabeth Warren. I think this started before Bernie Sanders officially got into the race. Look, the Democratic Party has shifted since Bill Clinton ran for president. When Bill Clinton ran for president, he was kind of the centrist. It won’t work to be a centrist anymore in the Democratic Party because it's moved so far to the left.
BROWNSTEIN: I would say the party has unquestionably moved to the left on cultural issues since Bill Clinton’s day. And Hillary Clinton has followed that on things like immigration, on gay marriage. We've seen her take a position. On the economic side, it is really unclear where she is going to land. She has not shown a lot of her cards. It is likely she will be somewhere to the left of where Bill Clinton was with welfare reform and emphasizing a balanced budget.
