PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Three years after Democrats witnessed a vicious presidential primary battle between eventual nominee Hillary Clinton and one-time longshot Bernie Sanders, there are rising concerns that a revival of the war of words between their two camps could hurt the party in 2020.
“I think there’s a small segment of people in both camps who harbor significant resentment,” a veteran New Hampshire-based Democratic campaign strategist told Fox News.
“There are Bernie people who have constantly attacked Clinton and there are Clinton people who resent the primary of 2016. I think this is a lingering problem that’s going to find its way into the 2020 nomination process,” warned the strategist, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.
Kathy Sullivan, a Democratic National Committee member from New Hampshire, urged that “it’s time for people to move on. The 2016 primary was three years ago…. We have another election coming up and that’s what we should be focusing on.”
And former state Sen. Burt Cohen pleaded: “They need to stop that.”
“We have to put that behind us and unite,” emphasized Cohen, a leading Granite State Sanders supporter from the 2016 campaign.
Cohen was in the crowd at a joint rally at Portsmouth High School in July of 2016, when Sanders and Clinton tried to bury the hatchet in hopes of putting to rest a bitter and contentious battle for the Democratic presidential nomination that saw Sanders blast the party’s establishment favorite. – READ MORE