The Democratic Party's 'biggest threat' in 2020 is disunity, pollster Stan Greenberg warns
A prominent Democratic pollster is warning former Vice President Joe Biden about the Democratic Party's biggest problem in 2020 — and offering "the obvious solution."
Stan Greenberg, former lead pollster for Bill Clinton, in a recent presentation warned the Biden campaign that "the biggest threat" Democrats are facing in 2020 is "the lack of support and disengagement of millennials and the fragmentation of non-Biden primary voters," pointing to battleground surveys he has conducted, Politico reports.
"Biden is now behind where Clinton was with Bernie Sanders voters in 2016, with more than 20 percent of the democratic socialist's backers saying they would not vote for him, even as 87 percent of them pledge to vote for a Democrat for Congress," Politico lays out. "At a similar point in the 2016 cycle, roughly 15 percent of Sanders voters said they wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton and Greenberg's own polling through Democracy Corps around Election Day found the same."
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When it comes to picking a running mate that will help Biden the most politically, Greenberg reportedly argued Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is the "obvious solution," believing that "above all else, [the Democratic Party] needs consolidation" and arguing that her message resonates among those whose support Biden needs. Politico points to a recent Morning Consult poll suggesting Warren would bring Biden the biggest boost, and CNN recently outlined how Warren is being seen as a rising contender for Biden's VP pick, though the report noted "there are still significant political gaps to bridge" between them.
Greenberg previously pushed former Hillary Clinton to tap Warren as her running mate in 2016 and argues that she would have won had she done so. Biden has pledged to pick a woman as his running mate; he's also faced pressure in recent weeks to select a woman of color, although he hasn't committed to doing so. Biden says he hopes to have his running mate picked by the beginning of August.
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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.
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