In case you thought there was no bad blood between the Democratic National Committee and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, he made their relationship very clear on CNN Saturday afternoon. During his appearance on "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper, the Democratic presidential candidate said he preferred DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz's primary challenger, Tim Canova, over her in the August 30 contest in Florida.
"Well, clearly, I favor her opponent," Sanders told Tapper. "His views are much closer to mine than as to Wasserman Shultz's."
Sanders added that if he's elected president, he wouldn't reappoint Wasserman Schultz to head the DNC.
Maybe now Schultz knows how Sanders feels. Since the start of his underdog presidential campaign, Sanders has had to overcome a clearly biased primary. The DNC scheduled only six debates ahead of the convention, letting Hillary Clinton coast on name recognition and giving him little opportunity to share his message with voters. He did anyway though, drawing thousands of supporters at his rallies and managing to win several state primaries and caucuses. Yet, despite his victories, he's gained few superdelegates. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump perhaps put it best at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum Friday afternoon. During his remarks, he noted Sanders "keeps winning - and he's losing."
The DNC, in an attempt to make nice with him, offered him seats on a key committee at the Philadelphia convention.
No one expected Sanders to still be in the White House race this late in the primary. However, his energy and authenticity in regards to his progressive values have gained him the support of millennials and progressive liberals. Clinton's nomination, then, is not as guaranteed as it appeared to be at the beginning of the campaign.
Neither is Schultz' reelection. Her opponent Tim Canova has raised more than $1 million in his effort to unseat her.
In the year of the outsiders, is Schultz in for a surprise this summer?
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