WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — “Because of the strength of the progressive movement, we've moved the Democrat Party and the national debate. Electing Joe Biden president will allow some of those gains to be institutionalized so our movement can focus on pushing the debate even further (left) in years to come,” said Bernie Sanders's 2016 and 2020 senior campaign adviser Jeff Weaver recently.
“Over the last five years, the progressive movement has had tremendous success in changing the debate and changing the Democrat party,” Weaver told the New York Times recently, adding that the new organization he'll head sees in Joe Biden a chance “to elect a candidate who will help us institutionalize some of those changes.”
Top advisers to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign are forming an outside Super-PAC to support the candidate who beat him in the Democrat primary, Joe Biden, hoping to push him further to the left on key issues and boost his appeal with young voters, Latinos and others who have historically shunned Biden in favor of Sanders.
"All that success means little if we don’t elect the candidates we've pushed, and continue to push, to be more progressive,” said Weaver, announcing the formation of a new super-PAC called "A Future to Believe In".
Top advisers to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign are forming an outside Super-PAC to support the candidate who beat him in the Democrat primary, Joe Biden, hoping to push him further to the left on key issues and boost his appeal with young voters, Latinos and others who have historically shunned Biden in favor of Sanders.
"All that success means little if we don’t elect the candidates we've pushed, and continue to push, to be more progressive,” said Weaver, announcing the formation of a new super-PAC called "A Future to Believe In".
Weaver said Sanders's self-proclaimed "Democrat Socialst" campaign has helped bring ideas that were once dismissed as too radical — including “Medicare for All”, cancelation of student loan debt, and a more open souther border — into the Democrat Party's mainstream, adding that the group wants to ensure that voters energized by those ideals stay that way.The announcement of the new Super Pac comes as Biden works to consolidate the progressive movement behind him, marching in lock-step with the Democrat party in order to have any chance of defeating President Donald Trump to win in November.
In 2016, Sanders waited until shortly before the Democrat National Convention to endorse his former rival, Hillary Clinton, leading establishment Democrats to blame Sanders for not doing enough to rally his far-left progressive supporters earlier for Clinton.
Its a criticism that Sanders and his allies felt was unfair. This time around, however, Sanders quickly endorsed Biden and now his top campaign staffers are launching a new super PAC to boost Biden in the general election.
Biden has since backed some of Sanders policy proposals, as well as some of those promoted by Sanders's fellow progressive, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren – including the expansion of health insurance coverage under Medicare, canceling student loans for millions of Americans, and overhauling the nation’s bankruptcy laws.
While two of the central themes of Sanders’ presidential campaign were denouncing Super PACs and representing the down-trodden, Weaver is reversing that position, and now says forming such an organization is necessary.
“Bernie Sanders remains opposed to super PACs. Joe Biden is already supported by a number of Super PACs,” said Weaver.
“Bernie Sanders remains opposed to super PACs. Joe Biden is already supported by a number of Super PACs,” said Weaver.
The "A Future to Believe In" PAC will be headed by Weaver, as well as the Vermont Senator’s former top aide on Latino outreach, Chuck Rocha. Also helping is Tim Tagaris, a veteran of Sanders’ 2016 & 2020 campaigns who was instrumental in building Sanders' fundraising operation by bringing in small, but consistent donors from across the nation. Still, some of the senator’s core supporters have been reluctant to immediately embrace Biden, saying they’d like to see him champion more progressive values.
Weaver also noted that Biden and Sanders's campaign advisers are preparing joint task forces to tackle top issues ahead of the Democrat National Convention, now scheduled for August.
“I don’t think anybody should be under the illusion that Joe Biden is suddenly going to become exactly like Bernie Sanders,” said Weaver, noting that advisers to the Biden campaign spoke to Sanders before forming "A Future to Believe In".
He believes that Sanders’s advisers can bring deep knowledge of successful digital organizing and outreach to Biden’s campaign.“Everything starts with leaders saying, ’Hey, let’s come together and let’s unite.’ But then there’s a lot of hard work that has to go on to take that vision and make that a reality,” said Ron Klain, who was Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president.
Klain, who has no paid role with Biden’s presidential campaign but has assisted in its debate prep efforts, added. “I think what Jeff’s doing is part of taking that vision, that vision that Vice President Biden and Senator Sanders and others have had, and saying, ‘Hey, now how can we go make this happen?’”
Klain, who has no paid role with Biden’s presidential campaign but has assisted in its debate prep efforts, added. “I think what Jeff’s doing is part of taking that vision, that vision that Vice President Biden and Senator Sanders and others have had, and saying, ‘Hey, now how can we go make this happen?’”
The new Super PAC's name mirrors that of Sanders book, "Our Revolution : A Future to Believe In".
