The Democrats’ Turn to the Left Is Overblown

Jonathan Bernstein: “I saw a number of analysts flag the liberal positions that some candidates took as general-election vulnerabilities. Perhaps! But it’s not exactly a secret that candidates tend to play to their parties during the nomination fight and then moderate their positions when they face the larger electorate. So I’d guess that such concerns are overblown. And in a world where Republicans will call even very modest Democratic proposals ‘socialism,’ it’s not clear that supporting somewhat more liberal policies will change anyone’s perceptions.”

“That said, I’ve always thought Sen. Bernie Sanders is an exception. It’s normal to back away from a campaign promise, claim to be misunderstood or generally modify specific policy positions for the general election. Sanders just isn’t in a position to do that, and I doubt he has any interest in it. Perhaps that’s to his credit, but it makes him a very vulnerable potential nominee nonetheless. Political-science research is uncertain as to whether ideological extremism harms presidential candidates, but the truth is, there hasn’t been a comparable major-party nominee in the last century.”