Bernie campaign slams Warren as candidate of the elite [View all]

[George II]

By ALEX THOMPSON and HOLLY OTTERBEIN

01/11/2020 10:31 PM EST

DES MOINES, Iowa — The non-aggression pact between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren is seriously fraying.

Sanders’ campaign has begun stealthily attacking Warren as a candidate of the upper crust who could not expand the Democratic base in a general election, according to talking points his campaign is using to persuade voters obtained by POLITICO.

The script instructs Sanders volunteers to tell voters leaning toward the Massachusetts senator that the “people who support her are highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what” and that “[s]he's bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party.”

“I like Elizabeth Warren. [optional]” the script begins. “In fact, she’s my second choice. But here’s my concern about her.” It then pivots to the criticisms of Warren.

The Sanders campaign did not challenge the authenticity of the script, but declined to comment. The Warren campaign also declined to comment.

It is not clear whether the script is being used for phone calls or door knocking or both, or in which locations.

The document also instructs to tell voters who are favorable toward Pete Buttigieg that he lacks support among African Americans and young people, and to tell voters sympathetic to former Vice President Joe Biden that “he doesn’t really have any volunteers” and that “no one is really excited about him.” All of the attacks relate to the electability of Sanders' top rivals.

The campaign script signals a break from the predominantly positive tone that the Warren and Sanders have adopted throughout the campaign. While Sanders has been critical of other Democratic rivals, particularly Biden, he and Warren, longtime personal friends, have largely abstained from attacking one another despite regular prodding from reporters.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/11/bernie-quietly-goes-negative-on-warren-097594