Bernie Sanders, Who?!
A young audience gets in touch with a seasoned candidate
Young people quietly call him seasoned to suggest that maybe…he’s tough like beef jerky. He ages like fine wine. He…is like cheese and gets better with age. Look, the bottom line is this: young people seem to love the 74 year old curmudgeon who spent the majority of the first democratic debate laying cover for Hillary Clinton as he promulgated the idea that America needs to learn to share.
The self-proclaimed independent socialist isn’t even a Democrat. He just happens to have more in common with the Democratic Party and for this reason is running with that party. (It makes about as much sense as Donald Trump running as a Republican.) That said, crowds of people have flocked to him as a viable alternative to Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. presidency. In fact, the most recent poll when this article went to print had him neck and neck with Clinton in Iowa, and beating her in New Hampshire.
(Image credit: StudensforBernieSanders.com)
What is there to like about Sanders? It turns out, Vermont citizens might know a lot about electing a good and decent person to office if his life story is the measure. For much of his career, Bernie Sanders has remained the ultimate underdog. The son of two Polish immigrants, he spent much of his life struggling in the middle class. However, that didn’t deter him, and Sanders moved onto attend both the University of Chicago and Brooklyn College. Sanders started his career as a politician by running for mayor of Burlington, Vermont.
What’s interesting about his tenure as mayor in Vermont is everything he was able to create based on his belief system that active government can make things fair and equal for the wealthy and poor alike without sacrificing freedom. His bio reads that, “As mayor, Bernie’s leadership helped transform Burlington into one of the most exciting and livable small cities in America. Under his administration, the city made major strides in affordable housing, progressive taxation, environmental protection, child care, women’s rights, youth programs and the arts (Bio).”
Accepting the odds that came with running as an independent, Sanders managed to snag a position in the House of Representatives. On biography.com, he said he found his inspiration for politics because, “I saw unfairness. That was the major inspiration in my politics," he said. Sanders also counts American socialist leader Eugene V. Debs as an important influence.”
Sanders had the luxury of being able to critique both Democrats and Republicans. As an example, he was an avid protester of the Iraq War. Why is that important? Well, from everything we have seen of him, Sanders is an advocate for peaceful solutions. His interests lie in helping those less fortunate, such as the lower and middle class.
Eventually, Sanders moved onto the Senate. Now, he aims to bring the same leadership of passing more amendments to bills than any other Congressman in modern history, his ability to bring Republicans and Democrats together on difficult decisions, and his undying passion for fairness for all to the Presidency. The question? If he is such an independent, why did he choose to run as a Democrat?
When asked this at a rally in Iowa he claimed it was a good question. He said, “"It's easier to get on the ballot, you can get into the debates, and the media will take you more seriously." The downside he claimed was that, "People are not overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the Democratic Party. (VOX)"
When one looks at what he proposes to do as president, it is odd that he isn’t single handedly thwacking the Clinton machine more soundly. It quickly becomes obvious why the youth vote adores him. He proposes ideas that make a lot of sense to them such as
Free college education paid for by Wall Street transaction taxes
No more wars…period
Fighting bullies on wall street who make it difficult to get a job outside of McDonald’s
Public funding of elections so that the shadow figures buying politicians can’t buy them anymore
If you asked your average young supporter of Sanders, they might say that this country can do a lot worse than a simple man with a good heart in office. They might say, ‘so what if he’s a socialist?’
“So what?”…Is the Sanders campaign ready to make that its campaign slogan? Considering his rise in the political arena despite his unconventional candidacy, they just might.
Sources:
"Why Bernie Sanders Excites Students and Young Voters." TheHill. N.p., 12 June 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
"Issues - Bernie Sanders." Bernie Sanders RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
"Why Bernie Sanders, Socialist Senator from Vermont, Will Run for President as a Democrat." Vox. N.p., 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
Image credit:
http://studentsforberniesanders.com/
