Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Monday called on President Biden to focus more on policy when appealing to voters and accused the media of turning politics into a “beauty contest.”
On “The Source” on Monday, CNN’s Caitlin Collins asked Sanders about Biden’s age and his ability to serve as president, and while Sanders expressed confidence in Biden’s ability to serve as president, she continued to emphasize that a candidate’s policy stance is what matters most.
“That’s a problem,” he said when asked about Biden’s age. “But you know what else people are worried about? Yeah, they’re worried about his age. They’re worried about his mental acuity. But you know what else they’re worried about? … Can they afford to feed their family? Can they afford to pay rent? Can they have a livable wage?”
“I have to say what the media has done is turned politics into a beauty contest, a Grammy contest. You vote for someone who knows policy. Who is going to make your life better? Do you want someone who thinks climate change is a hoax, who will take away women’s right to control their bodies, who will appoint very anti-union leaders to your administration, which is what Trump has done?” Sanders continued.
Biden has come under fire in recent weeks for his poor performance in debates with former President Donald Trump, and a minority of Democrats, including some in Congress, have called on him to withdraw from the race, but Biden has refused to do so.
Sanders also suggested Biden should engage with voters to make his case, again targeting the media.
“What Trump needs to do is go out and engage with people, turn off the teleprompter and let people judge for themselves how well he performed,” he said. “But I also want to say what we’re not talking about. This is the media’s fault. This isn’t about who’s the best entertainer. The truth is, Trump had a good TV show. He was a very good entertainer.”
“So what we need to do is come up with policies that contrast what Biden stands for with what Trump stands for, and then I think Biden will do well,” he added.
Sanders on Sunday urged Biden to tout his economic policies to appeal to voters amid ongoing concerns about the aging population. Speaking with Robert Costa on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Sanders said Biden needs to shift his focus to talking about policies for the working class.
