--- title: Democratic Debate; Bernie Sanders Talks Electibillity description: Sanders says he can take a Republican in the general election. canonical: https://time.com/4208978/bernie-sanders-ted-cruz-electability/ author: Daniel White article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-05T05:38:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:29.761Z article:section: Politics og:title: How Sanders Echoes Cruz on Electability og:description: They both argue that turning out irregular voters is key. og:url: https://time.com/4208978/bernie-sanders-ted-cruz-electability/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3e6749831158b3b/69887c3ccf40a82118c41d23/timepol-democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Democratic Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Debate In Durham, New Hampshire og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Sanders Echoes Cruz on Electability twitter:description: They both argue that turning out irregular voters is key. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf3e6749831158b3b/69887c3ccf40a82118c41d23/timepol-democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-09.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Sanders Echoes Cruz on Electability > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=49e9899f-9102-4cd8-a9cf-58687bcb269a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Best Split Screen Moments From The Fifth Democratic Debate [Watch (HLS stream): Best Split Screen Moments From The Fifth Democratic Debate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/a5OpVU9Y.m3u8) (3:32)  _Published 2016-02-05. The best split screen moments between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton._ by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Feb 5, 2016 5:38 AM UTC  Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a Democratic debate with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the University of New Hampshire on Feb. 4, 2016 in Durham, N.H. Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a Democratic debate with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the University of New Hampshire on Feb. 4, 2016 in Durham, N.H. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Feb 5, 2016 5:38 AM UTC Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz are on the opposite ends of the political spectrum. But on one subject, they sound very similar: their own electability. At Thursday’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire, the Vermont Senator was pressed by moderators on how he could win the general election. His response: By getting more irregular voters to show up. “Democrats win when there is a large voter turnout; when people are excited,” he said. “I believe that our campaign up to now has shown that we can create an enormous amount of enthusiasm from working people, from young people, who will get involved in the political process and which will drive us to a very large voter turnout.” Sanders’ argument echoed one that’s been made by Cruz about his conservative candidacy. “There are a lot of folks in Washington who argue that the way Republicans should win is that they should nominate a candidate from the mushy middle,” [Cruz told Fox News in 2015](http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/09/an-awkward-exception-to-cruzs-recipe-for-winning-the-white-house/). “The way Republicans win is we paint in bold colors, not pale pastels—pale pastels is a path to losing.” ## Transcript Please join us in welcoming Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders. [ APPLAUSE ] I am enormously proud. Never believed it would happen. That we have raised three and a half million individual Contributions averaging $ 27 a piece that is what the political revolution means. Cherry picking a quote here or there doesn't change my record of having fought for racial justice. Having fought for kids rights. Having fought against The kind of inequities that fueled my interest in service in the first place. [ APPLAUSE ] It is true, it's not to be denied, I am the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, we're gonna make progress together when I'm President. Go to YouTube today. Look up Greenspan Sanders. And before it was called Obamacare it was called Hillary care because we took them on. In your definition, as you being the self- proclaimed gatekeeper for progressivism, I don't know anyone else who fits that definition. Instead of arguing about definitions, [ CROSSTALK ] let's talk about what we should do. So I think it's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign Ooh. Come on. Have been carrying out in recent weeks and let's talk about the issues. Let's talk about the issues. Let's talk about. Let's talk about the issues that divide us. Okay let's- And let's- Let us talk about issues. We both agree with campaign finance reform. I've- Let's talk about issues. I worked hard for McCain- Feingold. I wanna reverse Citizens United. Let's talk about issues. And so let's talk about issues. Let's talk about issues. She has the entire establishment, or almost the entire establishment behind her. That's a fact. I don't deny it. Senator Sanders is the only person who I feel would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president as exemplifying the establishment [ APPLAUSE ]. It is really quite, it's really quite amusing to me. Pointing out some of the comments he has made on these issues. Like such as inviting Iranian troops into Syria to try to resolve the conflict there. Putting them right on the door step of Israel. Asking Saudi Arabia to work together when they. Can't stand each other and are engaged in a proxy battle right at this moment. So I do think questions have been raised, and questions have to be answered. I fully concede that Secretary Clinton, who was Secretary of State for four years, has more experience. That is not arguable. And foreign affairs. But experience is not the only point. Judgment is. I believe we have to take this step by step to try to rein in Iranian aggression, their support for terrorism, and the other bad behavior that can come back and haunt us. Who said That I think we should normalize relations with Iran tomorrow. I never said that! I think we should move forward as quickly as we can. And you're right! Just to set the record straight, I very strongly supported the agreement which makes certain that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. Secretary Clinton, do you want 30 seconds on this issue? No. [ APPLAUSE ] [ LAUGH ] And with that we'll take a break. 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