"We hear your pain," Sanders says Dem message should be
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, surprised some this week by taking his populist message to the campaign trail in Kansas.
But Sanders did not appear worried about the saliency of his democratic socialist message, stumping in a state President Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2016.
"I think when we speak to the needs of working families, people are gonna come out and vote," Sanders told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan in a joint interview with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young, Bronx-born progressive who pulled off an upset in her Democratic congressional primary last month.
The pair traveled to the heartland to rally for two progressive House candidates before the state's Aug. 7 primary: Brent Welder in Kansas' 3rd District and James Thompson in Kansas' 4th District.
"I honestly happen to believe, that if we understand that four years ago in the midterm election, we had the lowest voter turnout in 70 years, that all over this country, working people, lower income people, young people are discouraged about the political process. And I think we have got to give them a message which says, we hear your pain," Sanders said.
Sanders also brushed off concerns that campaigning with more moderate or traditional voices, as opposed to Ocasio-Cortez, might create more unity in the Democratic Party.
"Well, Margaret, there are 435 congressional districts and every candidate is going to run in his or her own way," he told Brennan.
Welder and Thompson face an uphill battle in a state President Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2016.
But Sanders remained hopeful about Democrats' prospects in GOP-held states, contingent on their ability mobilize disaffected voters.
"I think Democrats are going to do extremely well. Take back the House and take back the Senate and do well all over the country," he said.