Democratic socialism hits the heartland: Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders to campaign in deep-red Kansas

The trip is unusual on several fronts. For one, Trump won Kansas in 2016 by 20 percentage points, making it seemingly inhospitable for progressives.

by Associated Press / Jul.20.2018 / 9:44 AM ET

Excerpt:

In an election year defined by energized Democratic voters seeking to send President Donald Trump a message, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are betting they can stoke the liberal march in places where the left rarely competes. Some liberal voters are welcoming the spotlight.

The trip is unusual on several fronts. For one, Trump won Kansas in 2016 by 20 percentage points, making it seemingly inhospitable for Democrats, much less democratic socialists. Moreover, Sanders is a 76-year-old Jewish senator from Vermont, while Ocasio-Cortez is a 28-year-old Latina from the Bronx who is poised to become the youngest member of Congress.

Liberals argue that they are not just convincing moderate Democrats or disaffected Republicans but also engaging new primary voters, as Ocasio-Cortez did in New York this summer and as Sanders did in his insurgent 2016 presidential campaign.

"If you're going to flip the district, you have to get new people involved in the political process," said Sanders spokesman Josh Miller-Lewis. "There are so many people not involved."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democratic-socialism-hits-heartland-ocasio-cortez-sanders-campaign-deep-red-n893076