‘Joe Biden is a friend of mine, but...’ Bernie Sanders hits Democratic rival in California rally

Bernie Sanders used his return to California on Sunday afternoon to argue that he’s better positioned than former Vice President Joe Biden to win a general election against Donald Trump.

Two days before the Golden State’s presidential primary election and one day after Biden’s sizable win in South Carolina, Sanders sought to paint a clear contrast for the millions of California voters who may still be weighing their options.

“Joe Biden is a friend of mine, but here is the point that we’ve got to be honest about: We have to be honest and say which campaign can beat Trump,” Sanders told the roaring crowd of 9,500.

Sanders says he can mobilize young voters and Latinos to generate a large general-election turnout. On Sunday, he touted his performances in national polls showing him beating President Donald Trump 70 out of 75 times in a hypothetical general election match-up.

National polls, however, have Biden doing even better against Trump by that measure, winning 75 out of 80 times, with one tie. Biden’s campaign argues he’s more electable in conservative states in a general election.

The former vice president campaigned Sunday in Selma, Alabama and Norfolk, Virginia. His campaign released an endorsement from former California U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, who called him “a candidate who unites us, cares about us, and knows how to get things done.”

California has been a central focus of Sanders’ campaign, which has at least 22 offices and 105 paid staff members in the state — the largest California ground game besides Michael Bloomberg. Sanders has constantly polled at the top of the pack, though Bloomberg has also risen in certain polls.

A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Sunday afternoon showed Sanders with at 35 percent support among likely Democratic primary voters. Michael Bloomberg, Biden and Elizabeth Warren were in a distant statistical tie for second place with 16 percent, 14 percent and 12 percent of the vote, respectively.

Sanders followed the release of the poll with a prediction: “The candidate who wins here in California will likely be the Democratic nominee,” he said.

Some voters are still undecided.

Susan Thomas, a registered Democrat living in Hayward, supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary. With 48 hours left until polls close on Super Tuesday, she has filled out nearly everything on her mail-in ballot.

Just one bubble remains unchecked.

She is deeply torn between Sanders and former vice president Joe Biden and has no clue which of the two she’ll wind up supporting.

“I like the energy I feel here today with Bernie supporters, but at the same time, Biden was (former President Barack) Obama’s VP and speaks to a lot of older people and African-Americans,” Thomas said.

Based on the enthusiasm she saw from the San Jose crowd, she thinks Sanders is likelier to beat President Donald Trump in a possible general election matchup. She also believes he’s more likely to meet the 15 percent threshold needed statewide at the congressional level for a candidate to be eligible for pledged delegates in the California primary.

The policy and electability calculations are weighing on her.

“My mail-in ballot is ready to go. I’m just waiting to figure out who I’m going to vote for for president,” Thomas said. “It’s been terrible. I’ve watched every town hall, I’ve watched every debate, I’ve talked to people, but I’m running out of time.”

Sanders spent much of his speech appealing to the overwhelming majority of attendees who were his enthusiastic supporters. He called for a $15 hourly minimum wage, elimination of the country’s cash bail system, federal legalization of marijuana and expunging the records of those convicted for possession of the drug.

Annie Stepka, a health care worker in Santa Cruz who was attending her first-ever political rally, said she likes Elizabeth Warren but prefers Sanders because she feels he has been more consistent in his views over a longer period of time than Warren.

“He and Warren were neck-and-neck for me for a long time, but he’s been more consistent on Medicare for All, not incrementally but more like it has to change now,” Stepka said. “We tried moderate last time, and this is where we are. I think we’ve tried fronting a moderate candidate, and it landed us with Trump. We’ve got to go as far as we can.”

This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 5:31 PM.