The Hill’s editor-in-chief Bob Cusack warned Friday that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is going to have to make a concerted effort to reach older voters and ease their concerns over his proposed “Medicare for All” plan.
“Bernie’s going to have to ease their fears about ‘Medicare for All,’ ” Cusack said during an appearance on Hill.TV.
He said it won’t be easy, calling it an “uphill battle” given opposition from many Democrats, including liberal Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), who has frequently spoken out against the proposal.
Senior voters are considered one of the most reliable and important voting blocs for Democrats.
While Sanders has been winning over young voters, recent polls show support for him dwindling among seniors compared to his main rivals for the Democratic nomination.
A Quinnipiac University poll out late last month found only 4 percent of likely voters over 65 support the 77-year-old senator.
The same poll found former Vice President Joe Biden with 48 percent support, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) received 20 percent.
Health care, meanwhile, has emerged as a top issue among Democratic voters.
Several top tier candidates such as Sanders, Warren, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) have all introduced varying forms of Medicare for All, which seeks to create a single-payer, government-run health care program.
Biden, who is the front-runner, has panned the idea, and instead touted a proposal that would expand on ObamaCare.
—Tess Bonn
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