Bernie Sanders says he is no “wild-eyed socialist,” but a presidential candidate who can make the economy work for everyone.
“Democratic socialism means that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy,” Sanders said during his address at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., on Thursday afternoon. “Democratic socialism means that we must reform a political system in America today which is not only grossly unfair but, in many respects, corrupt.”
The 2016 candidate attempted to de-radicalize his views, comparing them with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, a revolt “against the ferocious opposition of the ruling class of his day” by implementing government programs to help the poor and the middle class. The Vermont senator hopes to bring a similar sort of “political revolution” back to the United States if elected.
FDR “reinvigorated democracy. He transformed the country,” Sanders said to cheers. “And, by the way, almost everything he proposed was called ‘socialist.’ I thought I would mention that just in passing.”
He added, “[Democratic socialism] builds on the success of many other countries around the world that have done a far better job than we have in protecting the needs of their working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor.”
Sanders said that when you look at his signature issues, like raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour or improving income inequality, they are individually popular, not radical. Young supporters stood and cheered throughout his remarks, especially when he talked about econoimc policy.
“I think this was a big turning point in connecting to the past and the history he believes built up the middle class and today he put those piece together,” a Sanders aide told the Washington Examiner. “It’s not something he thought of yesterday it’s something he’s been thinking about for the whole campaign. It’s been a long time coming and its just been a matter of finding the right time and the right place.”
