Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont said on Wednesday that the ideas he’s championing in his presidential campaign are winning and that the “young people” in the U.S. are on his side.
“We have introduced an agenda that I think the American people now support,” Mr. Sanders said on NBC’s “The Tonight Show.”
He listed policy items such as increasing the minimum wage, universal health care and free college.
“On all of those issues, we have succeeded, I think, in bringing the American people into a progressive agenda,” he said.
He also said that he’s been winning the “overwhelming majority” of young people.
“The young people of this country are on our side,” Mr. Sanders said. “The future of this country believes in a progressive agenda.”
Still, Mr. Sanders is coming off a rough stretch. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden won at least four of the six states that held their nominating contests this week, continuing a stretch that saw Mr. Biden win 10 of 14 states that voted on Super Tuesday.
“Where we have not succeeded, frankly, is that most people today think that Joe is more electable than I am,” Mr. Sanders said.
He said Mr. Biden’s status as President Barack Obama’s vice president is a factor there.
“And I think the media has played a role in that as well,” the senator said. But what I honestly believe … is that in order to defeat Trump, we need the largest voter turnout in the history of this country.”
“I think you’re going to have to bring young people into the political process in a way we’ve not seen before, and I think you got to get through to working-class people who in many cases have given up on the political process,” Mr. Sanders said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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