Congressman Jim McGovern, an unabashed progressive Democrat who cast his super-delegate’s ballot this week for Hillary Clinton, nonetheless credited Bernie Sanders for “a Democratic platform that’s the most progressive in the history of the Democratic party.”
And while his assessment of the mood after this week’s Democratic National Convention was “I think we’re more unified than not” with “some people who still need some convincing” in the Sanders camp, the Worcester Democrat was clear, “We still need Bernie Sanders supporters: We need their passion, we need their activism, we need their votes. People like me need to go out there and try to convince them. To win, we’re going to need everybody. ”
Returning from his seventh Democratic National Convention, he said, “I’m a Hillary supporter, but in all candor I have to tell you I doubt very much if that the platform would look like it does if it weren’t for Bernie and his supporters,” adding that many of the issues touched on in Clinton’s Thursday night speech reflected those Sanders talked about: overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, pushing for free public college education and college affordability, a liveable minimum wage and investing in infrastructure.
“I think she’s a better candidate going into the general election because of Bernie Sanders and his supporters,” McGovern said.
To be effective, he said, Democrats need to work hard to win back a Senate majority and try to win back House seats, “because the status quo translates into gridlock. …We can’t even get a bill requiring universal background checks on guns to even be debated on the House floor, yet we’ve voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 67 times. The Republican leadership refuses some of these issues to even come to the floor.”
McGovern, who faces no Republican opposition for re-election this fall, said, “I’m going to do everything I can,” stumping for House and Senate candidates and devoting campaign funding to like-minded candidates.
“We need to get people together, not only to make sure we don’t take Massachusetts for granted, but to drive up to New Hampshire and help Maggie Hassan become the next senator from New Hampshire and help Carol Shea-Porter” win back her House seat.
“I think there’s a strong possibility we can win back the Senate and we have a possibility to win back the House, as compared to several months ago, when people thought it wasn’t even a possibility,” he said. “I intend to be very active.”
After the convention, he said, the choice is clear.
“In my lifetime, I’ve never seen anybody as polarizing (as Donald Trump.) Nor have I seen anyone become a major party nominee who I think is less prepared for the role. … This is a battle, and those of us who think Donald Trump is a disaster and think Hillary Clinton is by far the better alternative here, we need to work like hell. We can’t take this for granted. We have a lot of work to do.”
You can reach Richie Davis at:
rdavis@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 269