'Down-Ballot Carnage': James Clyburn Sounds the Alarm About Bernie Sanders Nomination [View all]

[highplainsdem]

Mediaite article with video at the link:

Influential South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn cut into Sen. Bernie Sanders’ electability argument on CNN’s New Day Friday, comparing him to failed 1972 Democratic nominee George McGovern, and sharing grave concerns he’s heard from Democrats.

“I talk to members on both sides of our political equation, some people who are very progressive, some people who are relatively moderate,” he said of a trip this month to Texas. “I talked to the faith community down there and they were very, very concerned about whether or not we will have somebody on the ticket that will cause down-ballot carnage. That’s our biggest problem for my members, we want to see somebody on the ticket that will allow us to expand our numbers, not having to run some kind of a rear guard campaign to avoid from being tarnished with a label.”

Clyburn said he has been in Congress 28 years, but in the minority 21 years, which is not a fun place to be. He echoed his endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden, saying the country needs someone who will make the greatness of the country accessible and affordable, and warned against a repeat of the 1972 Democratic convention.

“I remember the crowds that George McGovern brought in, I remember all of the excitement,” Clyburn recalled “George McGovern left there, 3 o’clock in the morning, everybody yelling about what a great victory this was. He carried one state. One state.”

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