President Obama’s former environmental adviser Van Jones said Sunday that Democrats should be very worried about the growing diversity of the Republican Party, suggesting the GOP is “beginning to look like the rainbow coalition.”
“Democrats should be very worried about this Republican primary. This is going to be the greatest show on earth. They’re beginning to look like the rainbow coalition,” Mr. Jones told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.”
“You may have a field where you have two Latinos, [Sens. Ted] Cruz and [Marco] Rubio, you could have an Asian, Jindal, you could have a woman, Carly Florina, you could have a black guy, Herman Cain, uh, Ben Carson, you could have real superstars,” he continued. “And suddenly, you have a riveting primary on their side. Nothing on our side. I think Democrats should worry.”
Mr. Jones also argued that it’s Sen. Elizabeth Warren, not Hillary Clinton, who is “on the lips of every grassroots Democrat” in America.
“We have talked about gender,” he told Mr. Stephanopoulos. “We talked about a couple of other names. Elizabeth Warren, that’s the name that is on the lips of every grassroots Democrat.”
Mr. Jones argued that even though the Massachusetts Democrat has repeatedly said she is not running, there is a swelling ground movement for her candidacy “at the grassroots, where people actually matter, where people actually vote.”
“There’s thunder on the left. Hillary Clinton … she’s in a different world when it comes to economics. Post-Occupy Wall Street, income inequality is a big issue. Mitt Romney is talking about it,” Mr. Jones said. “She’s now gotta get her head wrapped around — there’s a Democratic Party very comfortable about talking about the middle class. Very comfortable talking about tax the rich. How does she relate to that?”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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