Sen. Bernie Sanders carries a "real voting bloc" among Democrats and Hillary Clinton must take him seriously as a potential spoiler in her quest to become the first woman president, veteran Democratic strategist David Goodfriend tells
Newsmax TV.
"She has to take him very seriously, particularly in the early state of New Hampshire, which borders his home state of Vermont," Goodfriend said Monday to Amy Holmes and Bill Tucker, guest hosts of "The Steve Malzberg Show."
Until Sanders, a Vermont Independent, threw his hat in the ring, Clinton was considered the presumptive Democratic nominee.
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Not that his challenge is serious enough to topple Clinton's candidacy, according to Goodfriend, who served as deputy staff secretary to President Bill Clinton.
"There's a difference between making Hilary answer to the left of the Democratic Party and making her a stronger candidate for having a good fight for the nomination, versus a mortal threat to her candidacy for president," he said.
"He's not a mortal threat to her ability to become president, but he is absolutely making sure that she answers to a very core constituency within the Democratic Party in states like New Hampshire and Iowa and the early voting states — and that's important."
Sanders has skyrocketed in the polls in New Hampshire, where he is running second to the former secretary of state. Currently, he is only eight points behind, compared to 38 points in May.
Meaning that his presence cannot be ignored.
"Bernie Sanders represents a real voting bloc within the Democratic Party and within the general election voter base," Goodfriend said.
"He has to continue to play this role so that she, in effect, answers to the progressive core of the Democratic Party."
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