Why Sanders 2016 backers are no longer feeling the Bern


Democrats may not be ready to feel the Bern a second time.
Some backers of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)'s 2016 presidential bid, including lawmakers as well as former staffers and advisers, spoke with The New York Times on Thursday and said they won't necessarily support him if he runs again in 2020. This includes Sanders' former press secretary, Symone Sanders, who said "there are a lot of good candidates this time" and that she'll "wait and see" who she backs.
Two other 2016 campaign staffers told the Times they'll be supporting Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) if he runs; both helped organize his 2018 Texas Senate race. Additionally, a consulting firm led by three key Sanders 2016 aides also hopes to work for O'Rourke in 2020. A few devoted Sanders backers, though, did tell the Times they're ready to support him again in 2020.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But the Times spoke with plenty of others who were reluctant about Bernie 2020, including former Nevada state Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, who said it's "not a given" that she'll endorse him again. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the first congressman to endorse Sanders in 2016, said that "one has to wait and see who’s got the best chance mathematically."
A common concern among the Democrats the Times spoke to was Sanders' age; the Vermont senator would be 79 by the time he took office, which would make him the oldest president in U.S. history. Others noted that Sanders no longer sticks out among Democrats as much when many of his policy proposals, such as single-payer health care, have been adopted by other candidates, including O'Rourke and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Progressive talk show host Bill Press, who thinks a Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) 2020 bid could be the way to go, observed, "What I hear from a lot of friends is that a younger Bernie is what we need."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How global conflicts are reshaping flight paths
Under the Radar Airlines are having to take longer and convoluted routes to avoid conflict zones
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders