Debbie Wasserman Schultz Fails To Explain The Difference Between A Socialist And A Democrat

On MSNBC‘s Meet the Press, Chuck Dodd asked Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to explain the difference between a socialist and a Democrat, the same question Schultz recently avoided answering on Hardball With Chris Matthews. Once again, Schultz failed to explain the difference and instead skirted around the question by bringing attention to the disagreements between Republicans and Democrats.

“You know, Chuck, it’s always fun to be interviewed by Chris Matthews and I know that he enjoys that banter. The important distinction that I think we’re going to be discussing — I’m confident we’ll be discussing — this campaign is the difference between Democrats and Republicans. The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats want to make sure that people have an opportunity to reach and climb the ladders of success, reach the middle class, have a good education, have a secure retirement.”

Schultz then spun her answer into an assault on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who currently leads amongst Republican voters.

“Look at the Republican Party, what they stand for is the extremism we’ve seen on full display the last few weeks, which is why Donald Trump is their frontrunner. I mean, Donald Trump is essentially a reflection of where the Republican party is today: limiting a woman’s right to make their own healthcare decisions, shifting towards a more privately-focused education system, ending Medicare as we know it. That’s the important relevant contrast as we go through the next 18 months of this presidential election.”

The question about the difference between a socialist and Democrat comes at a time when Bernie Sanders, a self-described “Democratic Socialist,” seeks the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Sanders runs on a socialist platform that aims to end income inequality by raising taxes on the rich, providing free 4-year education and making health care a human right. So far, his campaign has been wildly popular, attracting crowds above 10,000 people and over 250,000 individual donors. Plus, he’s already polling as a close second behind establishment-favorite Hillary Rodham Clinton.

It’s important that Schultz presents an air of fairness during the Democratic Primary, which is why she’s avoiding a comparison between the values of a socialist and a Democrat. By singling out Bernie Sanders, she’d appear too in favor of Clinton’s calculated nomination.

Watch a clip of Schultz’s interview on Meet the Press below.

[Image via Kris Connor/Getty Images]