Bernie Sanders tied himself to Democratic hero Franklin D. Roosevelt on Thursday in a long-awaited speech in which he defined “democratic socialism.”
Sanders said the inequality in the United States mirrors the same gap between wealthy and poor that Roosevelt fought during the Great Depression and that Roosevelt faced claims that his programs were “socialist.” He then quickly pivoted to tying his definition of “democratic socialism” to the his fiery populist rhetoric which has fueled his surprise campaign.
“Democratic socialism means that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy,” Sanders said, according to prepared remarks provided before his speech at Georgetown University. “Democratic socialism means that we must reform a political system in America today which is not only grossly unfair but, in many respects, corrupt.”
His remarks are a key moment for the longtime independent lawmaker and insurgent Democratic presidential candidate. Sanders and his staff have been careful to point out he is a “democratic socialist,” in the vein of many European politicians, and not a full-bore “socialist.”
Sanders’ speech at Georgetown had been long promised, but the campaign pushed it back a few times, leading to some speculation that Sanders might can the idea altogether. After a bump in the polls in late summer, Sanders has fallen back against Hillary Clinton of late.
Sanders has long embraced the socialist tag, and he is expected to use the speech to link his values to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1944 call for a “Second Bill of Rights” with promises of well-paying jobs, housing, health care and general economic security for Americans.
Coining a “socialism” anything has long been an epithet in American politics, especially for Democrats. Donald Trump recently got in a dig on Sanders, calling him a “communist” more than a “socialist.”
Attitudes among voters have softened, but a Gallup survey this past June found that a “socialist” would still have trouble getting elected with that label — with 47% saying they would consider voting for a “socialist,” but 50% of voters polled ruling out the idea altogether.
For comparison, 58% of voters polled said they would consider an atheist for president, 60% would consider a Muslim candidate, 73% would consider an evangelical Christian and 74% were open to a gay or lesbian candidate.
Sanders speech comes just hours after his chief primary opponent, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton gave a speech outlining her plans to combat ISIS, speaking to the Council for Foreign Relations in New York.