Karl Rove: Sanders could win presidency in 2020
By Zack Budryk - 04/18/19 10:02 AM EDT
Republican strategist Karl Rove says Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) could defeat President Trump in 2020.
In an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal Thursday, Rove cited Sanders's performance at a Monday town hall on Fox News, during which the audience applauded his calls for "Medicare for All."
“When only 37% of Americans in the RealClearPolitics average think the country is going in the right direction while 56.4% think it’s on the wrong track, Mr. Sanders could be perceived as an agent of change,†Rove wrote.
“If he is the Democratic nominee, Mr. Trump’s task will be to convince Americans that a socialist turn would be a ruinous change. Based on Monday’s town hall, that won’t be as easy as Republicans may think. Mr. Sanders is a real contender,†he added.
Rove wrote that Sanders showed he has improved as a candidate since 2016, citing how he sidestepped a question about whether he benefitted from the Republican tax cuts to focus instead on Trump's refusal to release his own returns.
Rove added that Sanders had learned how to “smooth socialism’s rough edges" and now had a message focused on economic disparities that resonated with voters.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/439489-karl-rove-sanders-could-win-presidency-in-2020