Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters Why Democrats must confront extreme left wing incitement to violence MORE (I-Vt.) is the tip of the spear of the Democratic comeback that began immediately after the 2016 elections. He represents the true working-class hero who offers ideas that bridge divides in American politics. Like Sanders, now a growing number of major Democrats, in different ways, are moving the party to become the party of working-class heroes who oppose President Trump.

Here is the real, clear truth that Sanders knew and Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonHillicon Valley: FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden | Treasury Dept. sanctions Iranian government-backed hackers The Hill's Campaign Report: Arizona shifts towards Biden | Biden prepares for drive-in town hall | New Biden ad targets Latino voters FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden MORE neglected in her 2016 presidential run: From equal pay to higher wages to affordable healthcare, Democrats can win the votes of working-class Americans of all races and both genders not by negative campaigns, but by championing the policies that brought Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy to the presidency.

Democrats should not consider abandoning any voters. White working-class voters are united in their interests with black, Hispanic and other minority voters. That was always the lesson of the Kennedys and is the message of Sanders and groups such as Our Revolution that support his vision. It is increasingly the message of Democrats, too, and works in blue and red states alike.

Sanders is pushing for stabilizing Social Security for the long-term and increasing benefits to seniors by making the financing of Social Security more progressive. That means lifting the ceiling on Social Security taxes and asking higher-income citizens to do a little more for their country.

By contrast, Republicans are debating among themselves whether to privatize Social Security and make the program another profit center for banks, and/or to raise the retirement age for Americans, making them wait even longer for the modest benefits that lag behind real increases in cost of living.

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Sanders fiercely defends the good that was done by ObamaCare while calling on America to join democratic nations around the world and enact a Medicare-for-all system of healthcare that would lower insurance premiums and reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals for consumers.

Medicare and Social Security are among the most successful and popular programs ever devised by Democrats to lift the lives of Americans, and Sanders wants to expand Medicare to make it the paradigm for healthcare in America, and also raise benefits for recipients of Social Security.

By contrast, many Republicans would prefer to privatize Medicare — making the program yet another profit center for corporate conglomerates — just as they are besieged by constituents at town meetings about their constantly shifting and retreating promises to repeal, replace or revise ObamaCare.

The GOP fiasco over ObamaCare will end up with Republicans, whatever they ultimately decide to do, making sure major alternatives do not go into effect before November 2018. They fear and dread the prospect that the punishment their policies will impose on Americans will be felt by voters before the midterm elections.

While Sanders has been clear as a bell for decades on these matters, the shifting sands and endless GOP retreats on ObamaCare expose their position as a political fraud. This is why during the seven years of GOP attacks against ObamaCare they have never, not once, offered a clear and effective alternative they can take to voters with confidence.

There are reasons why Sanders repeatedly polled far ahead of Trump throughout 2016, reasons why too many working-class voters who preferred Sanders in the primary unfortunately voted for Trump in the general election and reasons why Trump is the most unpopular new president in the history of presidential polling.

Democrats now get it. Ideological differences among Democrats are minor compared to policy agreements demonstrated by the brilliantly constructed — but immediately forgotten — 2016 Democratic platform.

Like Sanders in 2016 and today, many Democrats now campaign as and act like true working-class heroes. Sens. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenWarren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon No new taxes for the ultra rich — fix bad tax policy instead MORE (Mass.), Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell BrownEmboldened Democrats haggle over 2021 agenda Hillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts MORE (Ohio), Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharEPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates Biden marks anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, knocks Trump and McConnell MORE (Minn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten GillibrandSuburban moms are going to decide the 2020 election Jon Stewart urges Congress to help veterans exposed to burn pits The Hill's Campaign Report: 19 years since 9/11 | Dem rival to Marjorie Taylor Greene drops out | Collin Peterson faces fight of his career | Court delivers blow to ex-felon voting rights in Florida MORE (N.Y.), each in his or her own way, are among the working-class heroes in the Senate alongside Sanders.

One last thing: Watch closely for Christopher Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of President Kennedy, who has run Kennedy businesses while helping hungry children. He is running for governor of Illinois in 2018.

As an upcoming column will suggest, Chris Kennedy could well be the next star in the class of Democratic working-class heroes who answer President Trump's hate-ridden divisions with the appealing vision of a state, nation and economy in which the rising tide, as JFK famously said, should lift all boats.

Brent Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Chief Deputy Majority Whip Bill Alexander (D-Ark.). He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. He is a longtime regular columnist for The Hill and can be contacted at brentbbi@webtv.net.

The views of contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.