CBS's Bouie Embraces Sanders's Plan for a 'Very, Very Robust Welfare State': 'If This is Socialism...Sign Me Up'

Following Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan's interview with self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, New York Times columnist and CBS News Political Analyst Jamelle Bouie dismissed the idea that Sanders wants to radically transform America into a socialist country: "it's not as if Bernie Sanders is calling for...democratic control of the means of production, right? Like he's not calling for...nationalization."  Bouie went onto praise Sanders's embrace of some of the "gateway drugs" to establishing a social state: "he's calling for a very, very robust welfare state, for more Medicare, for free college," which Bouie described as "broadly popular with the public." Bouie went on to declare "if you're going to start defining Medicare for all or even just Medicare expansion, if you're going to start defining free college or any of these programs as socialism, then the other thing that could happen is that voters say hey, if this is socialism, like, sign me up." Bouie's analysis came after Anna Palmer of Politico argued that the move towards socialism might not be as much of a blessing for Democrats as they seek to win in "moderate districts" and swing states in 2020.