BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is making headlines after speaking out about President Joe Biden’s campaign on “Face the Nation.”
“What we’re talking about now is not a Grammy Award contest for best singer. Biden is old, he’s not as articulate as he once was. I wish he could jump up the steps on Air Force One. He can’t. What we have got to focus on is policy,” said Sanders, I-Vermont.
Sanders says the president has talked about issues like Social Security, Medicare expansion and the child tax credit, but hasn’t made them the focus of his reelection bid.
Sanders say he wants to meet with White House officials on a regular basis to work on highlighting the agenda he sees as important to many Americans.
“We have more income and wealth inequality than we’ve had in the history of this country, the billionaire class has never done better. Hey, how about standing up for the working class of this country for a change? If Biden does that, he’s going to win, he will win big,” Sanders said.
Sanders was more coy in talking about his own political future. When asked if he would be open to being considered the nominee if Biden were to drop out, Sanders said right now his focus is on his Senate reelection campaign.
Middlebury College Political Science Professor Matt Dickinson says what Sanders didn’t say speaks volumes. Sanders didn’t categorically reject potentially being a nominee at the convention if Biden were to drop out, only saying that he is focused on his Senate race.
Dickinson says Sanders would support Biden if the president does more work on things like the minimum wage, health care and labor.
“In effect, Sanders laid down the gauntlet and said my support for you Joe Biden the nominee is conditional on you pushing the agenda that was my agenda when I ran for president in 2016 and 2020. I think that’s a very important conditional statement on Sanders’ part,” Dickinson said.
Dickinson describes Biden’s refusal to step down as a delicate situation. People who think another candidate could challenge Trump in November are trying to signal it but not in a way that would sink Biden’s candidacy.
This all comes two weeks after the presidential debate.
The Democratic National Convention is next month.