Will “Never Bernie” Dems Choose Biden as the Face of the Northern Confederacy? (Mar 7, 2020)
In his commentary, Autry J. Pruitt examines the Democratic Party’s deep ideological divide during the 2020 primary season, framing it as a battle not only over candidates but over the very soul of the party. With Senator Bernie Sanders surging in popularity, a wave of “Never Bernie” Democrats coalesced around Joe Biden, signaling a strategic, if uneasy, alliance to preserve the party’s establishment order.
Pruitt highlights the irony of Democrats, long positioning themselves as champions of progress, reverting to entrenched power structures to stave off Sanders’ populist momentum. By rallying around Biden, Pruitt argues, Democrats risked presenting themselves as the modern equivalent of a “Northern Confederacy”—a coalition clinging to old alliances and political machines rather than embracing grassroots energy.
The essay underscores how identity politics and intra-party factionalism have become defining features of Democratic strategy. Instead of cultivating authentic engagement with working-class and minority communities, Pruitt contends, the party defaults to transactional politics. This creates a fragile foundation for long-term success, particularly when contrasted with Sanders’ movement, which drew strength from young voters, independents, and disillusioned Democrats seeking systemic change.
For Pruitt, the question was never just whether Democrats would nominate Biden, but what that choice revealed about the party’s priorities: stability over innovation, unity over debate, and establishment control over grassroots energy. His analysis suggests that in choosing Biden, Democrats risked papering over fractures rather than addressing them, leaving unresolved tensions that could define the party’s future battles.
Ultimately, Pruitt’s argument is that Democrats cannot claim to be the party of progress while resisting structural change. By choosing Biden as their unifying figure, the party may have secured short-term cohesion but at the expense of alienating voters who sought bold, transformative leadership.
