As someone who is trying to stay neutral right now in the growing Democratic Primary, I am very happy and excited with the growing field of candidates (Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro) and welcome more great Democrats (Sherrod Brown, Joe Biden and maybe Beto O’Rourke) to join the race. I am also happy to see this great community already pushing for calls for unity that we get behind whoever the Democratic nominee is because we realize that we have too much at stake to fight with each other and be divided if we are to defeat Trump (presuming he is the GOP nominee next year). With that said, I have been receiving e-mails from all the Presidential candidates and I for one loved how Senator Kamala Harris (D. CA) embraced the news of Senator Bernie Sanders (D. VT) joining the primary:
Earlier this week, Senator Bernie Sanders announced that he is running for president. I want to let you know: I am excited to welcome my friend and colleague to the growing field of incredible Democrats who have entered this race.
I also very much look forward to the coming months when each candidate will share their ideas for the future of our country and make their case directly to the American people. Because, at the end of the day, that is what this is all about: the people.
These are not ordinary times, and this will not be an ordinary election. There is a long, tough fight ahead of us -- and I can’t walk this path alone. Running a competitive, winning campaign will take significant resources. So I’m asking:
If you are with me in this campaign, will you pitch in a donation today? We are just a few days away from our end-of-month fundraising deadline, and we need to continue building on our momentum in these early months:
There are many amazing candidates that voters will hear from in this election. It’s up to us to reach as many voters as we can and introduce them to our people-powered campaign and our positive message.
With your support, I know we can share our stories, organize in communities across the country, and win this fight -- together.
Thanks for all that you do,
— Kamala Harris
Emphasis Mine (Bold & Italics).
This is the right way to approach this primary. Don’t be afraid of Bernie, welcome him. It’s just an example of how we shouldn't have anxiety but excitement about the number of great and diverse candidates we as Democrats have to offer. I for one am proud to have a big and diverse primary and I look forward to the upcoming debates.
We will have our arguments for sure in the next coming months but Harris welcoming Sanders to the primary is the right approach because we need a big primary to determine who truly is the best progressive candidate to not only defeat Trump but also push our agenda for America forward. Let’s all strive to be as civil as we can and be united at the end of this. Thank you.