How Bernie can overcome “the Socialist stigma”
Buzz-words have resonance in America more than most countries because we Americans are known for our parsimonious vocabulary. We love using “like” and then the same word over and over again as a means of modifying its meaning but in our mental template the core meaning often stays the same. Such is the case with “socialism” in America. The word has erroneously become synonymous with communism and no matter what prefix you use like “democratic socialism” — the term remains stigmatic. Republicans clearly love this propensity for caricature of epithets like “socialist” for it serves their purpose of fear-mongering very well.
Bernie Sanders has embraced socialism unapologetically, but in order to have even a modest chance of winning he will have to make Americans believe that socialism is not inherently a war on capitalism. The good news is that there is much in Bernie’s past to burnish strong pro-business credentials and to highlight the salience of his agenda as not being a battle with Wall Street. His supporters will also need to get off their ideological pedestals and let him highlight such aspects of his past without dogmatically deserting him at the polls.
For ten years, I was a professor at the University of Vermont and a constituent of Bernie’s at the heyday of his congressional prominence, soon after he had transitioned from being a member of the House to a Senator. Before that he was the mayor of Burlington, Vermont which he transformed from a declining post-industrial town into a vibrant lake-shore destination which has been rated as one of the most livable cities in the country. Bernie did this by embracing constructive capitalism. He established an economic development agency for the city to attract employment generating businesses and investing in the downtown infrastructure. He also encouraged green businesses in Vermont to flourish like Seventh Generation, NRG Systems, Ben and Jerry’s and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
Thus Bernie can show that he not only has 3 decades of congressional experience but also the economic prowess of transforming a small town far more successfully than Pete Buttigieg. That should help with getting past the view that he is merely a legislative Washington hack but rather someone with the pragmatism to make business deals for development of cities. This message is now far more important to drive than repeating his healthcare plan which is already well known. He might also try to announce a running mate early who could resonate with a wider constituency. The most winnable choice in my view would be Andrew Yang. His universal income idea is not far from Bernie’s own social safety net views and yet he has capitalist credentials as an entrepreneur. Yang’s relative youth would also allay concerns about Bernie’s age as well.
Some have suggested Stacey Abrams as a possible running mate, given the need for more diversity on the ticket. Having an African American woman with a strong record of public service could draw in more votes among minority communities in some swing states. However, to win Bernie needs more of the independent and fence-line white Trump supporters as well. Yang is far more likely to deliver those votes while also bringing in minority voters. As a former Obama administration appointee, Yang would likely get enthusiastic support from his former boss who is the ultimate draw for bringing in the African American vote. He would also assuage the business community more so than Abrams.
As for big business, Vermont’s largest employer, after the state government, for decades was IBM which had a chip fabrication plant in Essex Junction, close to Burlington. That plant is still there although it has changed owners. It was Bernie’s deft willingness to work with IBM and congress to ensure there was a steady stream of defense contracts for the company. Although he was willing to protest corporate reductions in pension plan benefits and similar social benefit opportunities for employees, Bernie was very willing to work with the company and help them where needed to secure economic development for Vermonters.
Finally, Bernie has to head-on address his views during the Cold War which Republicans have already started to use against him. Mitch McConnell gave an interview to Fox News last week where he claimed that Bernie honeymooned in Moscow with his wife during the Cold War. Bernie needs to first highlight the Moscow-Washington axis under President Trump with his famous Helsinki huddle with Putin is more concerning than a tourist visit to the Kremlin. Furthermore, Bernie’s willingness to explore the views of the perceived “enemy” during the Cold War is similar to the current administration’s willingness to engage with North Korea! He has to take on the opposing side’s arguments on their own turf. His willingness to do a town hall on Fox News is a good sign in this regard.
As Bernie gains momentum towards Super Tuesday, overcoming the socialist stigma without sacrificing his core values must be a primary priority for his campaign.
Saleem H. Ali is Distinguished Professor of Geography at the University of Delaware. From 2002 to 2012 he was a professor at the University of Vermont.