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The Battle for the Soul of the Democratic Party: Moderates Aim to Walk Back Party Socialists

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WASHINGTON – There's a battle brewing over the soul of the Democratic Party. As socialists on the far left look to impeach President Donald Trump, abolish US Customs Enforcement (ICE) and provide free college tuition and health care for all Americans, more moderate members of the party are saying not so fast.

Donna Brazile, former congresswoman and chair of the Democratic National Committee, is one of those more moderate Democrats. She tells CBN News that Democrats need to appeal to more than just their base this fall.   

"Impeaching the president is not a message that will resonate beyond the base of the party," Brazile cautioned. "We need to have a message that resonates beyond the base to the middle, to independents and others who will make the difference in this election cycle."

Recent polling seems to back up this approach. According to Hill.TV and HarrisX American Barometer, 64 percent of Democratic voters say they would not vote for a "socialist" candidate. 

Moderate Democrat Matt Bennett agrees with Brazile. He and his team at Third Way, a moderate Democratic think-tank, just hosted "Opportunity 2020," bringing together middle-of-the-road Democrats to voice their concerns.

They disagree with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on several issues, including the economy.

"Guaranteeing a federal job to everyone in the workforce is not a good idea," Bennett told CBN News. "That might have been a good idea in 1932 when we had 28 percent unemployment at the height of the Great Depression. But it's not a particularly good idea now when we have 3.8 percent unemployment."

And when it comes to abolishing ICE, Third Way also takes a different approach.

"Reuniting families, we think, should be the focus for the Democratic attack on the Trump administration and immigration," said Bennett. 

The one thing nearly all Democrats agree on is their dislike of President Trump.

"Without a doubt, there has never been a unifier like Trump," said Bennett.

His message heading into November is to win – and wait.

"We can have these debates about exactly which direction the party ought to move after November when we start to kind of round the bend towards 2020 and we choose a nominee," said Bennett. 

"Ultimately, we're going to have a leader for our party, that nominee who's going to make those choices," he continued. "But for now, our message is focus on winning and set aside the things that are tremendously divisive."

That's important because polls show GOP voters agree on one thing – their support of Trump – and if that translates into a big Republican turnout in November, it could spell trouble for Democrats.

 

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About The Author

Jenna
Browder

Jenna Browder co-hosts Faith Nation and is a network correspondent for CBN News. She has interviewed many prominent national figures from both sides of the political aisle, including presidents, cabinet secretaries, lawmakers, and other high-ranking officials. Jenna grew up in the small mountain town of Gunnison, Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she studied journalism. Her first TV jobs were at CBS affiliates in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Monroe, Louisiana where she anchored the nightly news. She came to Washington, D.C. in 2016. Getting to cover that year's