Fox News headline today: “Bernie Sanders slams Elizabeth Warren as ‘capitalist’”
In the story, Fox readers are told:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders – the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist whose standing in the 2020 primary has become threatened by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s surge in the Democratic primary with progressive voters – is seeking to cut into the support of his rival by dismissing her as a “capitalist.”
“There are differences between Elizabeth and myself,” Sanders said during an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “Elizabeth I think, as you know, has said that she is a capitalist through her bones. I’m not.”
The comments come amid a rise in socialism in the Democratic Party, as candidates become more willing to openly embrace socialism over capitalism. It also follows polling showing that Democrats now view socialism more positively than they do capitalism.
Last year, when asked if she was a capitalist, Warren reportedly said, "I am a capitalist to my bones."
That is, without a doubt, the nicest thing Bernie could have done for Warren. He’s effectively campaigning for her to swing voters. He’s mainstreaming her. And that’s how even Fox is portraying this event.
It’s not an attack, it’s a boost.
I suspect that this is Bernie’s first gentle step off stage.
Time will tell if I’m right.