An adviser and speechwriter to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Thursday that the White House hopeful is starting to be taken more seriously as a top-tier candidate in the crowded 2020 Democratic field.
David Sirota told Hill.TV that “folks are starting to notice that Bernie Sanders has a real shot” at becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.
“I want to be clear: We have known that Bernie Sanders has a real shot to win this nomination and to defeat Donald Trump,” Sirota said.
Sirota argued that the perception of Sanders among voters has a lot to do with the national media’s coverage of the senator. Sanders and his allies have long complained about what they see as unfair coverage, claiming that his campaign is often cast in a negative light.
“The revelation … among the political class is ‘wow, Bernie Sanders really does have a serious and significant and real shot to win the nomination and win the presidency,’ ” he said.
Sanders continues to be among the top four candidates nationally, according to several polls.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll released last Friday showed Sanders in second place with 14 percent support behind former Vice President Joe Biden with 19 percent. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) trailed with 9 percent, Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) had 6 percent, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who made his debut in the poll, registered 4 percent support.
Biden has 28.5 percent in the RealClearPolitics average of recent national polling, while Sanders has 17.8 percent, Warren has 15.3 percent, Buttigieg has 9 percent and Bloomberg rounds out the top five at 5.5 percent support.
—Tess Bonn
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