Sanders looks just like he did in 2016, with same challenges
WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be different this time.
But three months into his second presidential campaign, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is struggling with some of the same challenges that sank his last bid: doubts about his electability, worries about support from minority voters and an opponent with deep ties to the party establishment.
Sanders, 77, entered the Democratic race with an organized donor base, name recognition and experience earned from 2016, giving him an instant edge over his rivals. His front-runner status, however, proved shortlived.
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s surge to the top of the pack has exposed Sanders’ struggle to expand his appeal. Polls have shown the senator with a grip on a significant slice of Democrats, but there are few signs yet that he is building support.
As some of his frustrated rivals made changes, Sanders has stuck close to the message, stump speech and campaign style that powered his failed underdog bid in 2016. His 2020 effort may test whether Democrats are hungry for that doover or want a new face to rally the left wing of the party against the more moderate Biden.
He and his team vowed to run a bigger and stronger campaign this time. His team also says it has modest plans to reach African American voters in key early states.
Yet Sanders himself sits at the center of any campaign strategy, and the self-described democratic socialist is well past the point of reinventing himself or his approach. Example A: As he launched his bid, his campaign told reporters he would adopt a more personal tone on the campaign trail, but Sanders quickly returned to his familiar promises to transform a rigged system that favors the rich at the expense of the working class.