Harold Ford Jr: Abortion alone can't lead Democrats to victory in November
'Special Report' panelists Ari Fleischer, Harold Ford Jr. and Matthew Continetti discuss what issues candidates are focusing on as the midterm elections approach.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., and Democratic strategist James Carville both warned against Democrats going all-in on abortion and ignoring economic issues ahead of the midterms.
"But, as we enter the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, I am alarmed to hear the advice that many Democratic candidates are getting from establishment consultants and directors of well-funded Super Pacs that the closing argument of Democrats should focus only on abortion," Sanders wrote in an op-ed on Monday for The Guardian.
Sanders said it was "political malpractice" to ignore the economy but emphasized abortion should remain a top issue.
"I believe that if Democrats do not fight back on economic issues and present a strong pro-worker agenda, they could well be in the minority in both the House and the Senate next year," he wrote.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, (I-VT), walks to the Senate floor as republican and democratic leaders work on an amendment to the bipartisan infrastructure bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S., August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)
Sanders called out the Republican Party and said they have "nothing to say" about issues such as healthcare, paid family leave, the cost of college and the minimum wage.
"You can’t win elections unless you have the support of the working class of this country," he continued.
Meanwhile, Carville argued that Democrats weren't going to win on abortion alone, but said it is a "good issue.
"A lot of these consultants think if all we do is run abortion spots that will win for us. I don’t think so," James Carville told the Associated Press. "It’s a good issue. But if you just sit there and they’re pummeling you on crime and pummeling you on the cost of living, you’ve got to be more aggressive than just yelling abortion every other word."
MIAMI BEACH, USA - JUNE 26: James Carville speaks at the Inaugural Luncheon of the 85th Annual Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors in the Fontainebleau Hotel & Resort Miami Beach, USA on June 26, 2017. (Photo by Raul E. Diego/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Carville told Fox News Digital in September that voters see the Democrats' message on abortion much clearer than the Republicans' message on the economy.
"Republicans don't have a plan to reduce inflation that I know of. However, they do see a distinction between Republicans and Democrats on abortion and the distinction is the Republicans are trying to restrict abortion," he said.
FILE - In this Friday, June 24, 2022, file photo, abortion rights protesters cheer at a rally following the United States Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, federally protected right to abortion, outside the state capitol in Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
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Democrats made abortion a centerpiece of their midterm campaigns after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
Fox News' Andrew Murray and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.