by Simon Li
With the Democratic nomination quickly approaching in July, there still are a plethora of candidates remaining. One such candidate, which everyone already knows, is Bernie Sanders. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont, is running for president yet again after losing to Hillary Clinton back in 2016. Many critics have dismissed him for being unelectable, too extreme, with policies too infeasible, and too old to be president, among other critiques.
However, a closer examination at Sanders reveals the complete opposite. Instead of finding numerous flaws in Sanders, it gives those who examine him more of a reason to support him.
Policies
Sander’s policies include, as stated on his website, Medicare for All, College for All, the Green New Deal, eliminating college loan debts, raising the minimum wage, taxing the extremely wealthy, getting corporate money out of politics, supporting the LGBTQ+ community and women rights, among others.
His policies will help the working class, many of whom are barely scraping by despite the great economy that is being touted by Trump. These workers who are living paycheck to paycheck have no money to pay for the outrageous and frankly absurd amount of medical bills. While living costs have skyrocketed, the minimum wage has stayed the same for a decade, causing these workers to be stuck at the bottom of a rigged system.
It also forces young people to take on thousands of dollars of college loan debt if they ever want to pursue higher education, setting a burden on their shoulders that follows them for years and even decades to come. Implementing Sander’s College for All and the cancellation of all student loan debt policies will enable millions of students to be able to finally pursue their dreams.
Taking a look at the world, one sees that raising the minimum wage is the norm in many countries, with some doing it twice a year to adjust for inflation. One also sees that universal health care has already been implemented in countries around the world, with the most well known being the UK and Canada, where such programs there are immensely popular. One has to wonder why, here in the US, Sander’s policies are considered extreme and infeasible.
Electability Argument
In 1990, Sanders beat an incumbent Republican for a seat held by Republicans for 30 years, representing Vermont’s at-large congressional district. He had been serving as the mayor of Burlington previously, winning the position by just ten votes in 1980, beating a six term incumbent. This proves, despite what others may say, that Sanders is indeed electable.
A question still lingers: Can Sanders beat Trump? The short answer is yes. Sanders, a populist, appeals to the frustrated group of voters that voted for Obama back in ‘08 and ‘12, but for Trump in ’16. These voters are primarily white working class Americans in the rust belt who were disheartened by Obama and his broken promise of change.
They are sick and tired of corrupt politicians in Washington doing everything to enrich the wealthy and doing nothing for them. By running a populist, grassroots funded campaign, he appeals to that group of voters, enabling him to swing back many of the rust belt states that had flipped to Trump, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, two of the states Sanders had won back in the 2016 primaries.
Many polls so far have shown Sanders ahead of Trump in hypothetical head-to-head matchups, including those conducted in Michigan and Wisconsin. Just recently, FiveThirtyEight projected that Sanders has around a 50% chance of winning the Democratic primary, with Biden trailing with roughly a 20% chance.
The winner of the Iowa primaries in recent years has almost always become the eventual nominee. With the results and the winner of the debacle still not certified yet, what is certain is that Sanders won the popular vote by 6,000 votes in the first alignment and 2,500 votes in the final alignment, while Buttigieg is ahead in delegates. This was enough for Sanders to declare victory despite being slightly behind in delegates. All of this goes to prove that not only can Sanders beat Trump, but he can win the Democratic primary.
Age and Health
Another concern for many voters is his age. If he is elected president, he would be 79 years old at his inauguration, becoming the oldest president in US history. Concerns were also raised when he suffered a heart attack in October of last year, where he was hospitalized for a week in Nevada.
However, Sanders released a letter from three doctors, Brian Monahan, Philip Ades, and Martin LeWinter, testifying to his good health and fitness and deeming him capable of handling the rigorous task of being president. This letter proves that, despite the fact Sanders would be the oldest president in American history, it is not the age of one that matters, but whether or not they are capable of handling the difficulties of being president.
What should matter to the voters is not a candidate’s age but their records and their policies. If a candidate is fit enough to become president, their age does not matter in the slightest. The policies and records of a candidate, however, does. Voters deserve to know what they are voting for and how their lives will be impacted as a result of voting for a particular candidate.
Sander’s Records
When looking back at Sander’s decades long history in politics, one can clearly see the type of politician he really is. The type of politician that got involved in politics to make a difference. The type of politician that truly cares for the American people, not just the wealthy. The type of politician that’s genuine and consistent and doesn’t flip flop on issues when it suits them.
Sanders has always supported the civil rights movement and was a civil rights activist himself. He was shown getting arrested in a photo taken in 1963 where he was protesting school segregation. In addition, he had claimed that he was at the March on Washington with Dr. King back in 1963 and that he was one of the few white lawmakers to support Jesse Jackson’s campaign. In addition to his support of the civil rights movement, Sanders was also an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
Back in the 70s, when supporting the LGBTQ+ community was deeply unpopular, one of the policies he had ran on was abolishing the discriminatory laws that pertained to sexuality. In the 80s, after getting elected as mayor of Burlington, he had supported the first ever pride march in Burlington. In addition, Sanders has been a long time supporter of women’s rights, consistently voting pro-choice, advocating for equal pay, as well as fighting to end domestic violence and sexual abuse. In 1996, he was even made an honorary woman by Gloria Steinem, a feminist writer and activist. Clearly, Sanders has been and continues to be a steadfast supporter of women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
As mayor of Burlington, some of Sanders’s accomplishments were balancing the city’s budget and redeveloping Burlington’s waterfront into what he described as “the people’s waterfront”. Sanders listened to the people of Burlington, defended the working class, and was ultimately named one of America’s best mayors in 1987. In Congress, he passed more amendments than any other person despite the Republicans in control, giving Sanders the nickname “amendment king”.
Senator Sanders has always remained consistent with his message, advocating the same values today as he did in the 70s. He has always stood up for the working class. He has always stood up to the wealthy. He has always stood up for minorities. He has always stood up for the LGBTQ+ community and for women rights. That is the type of politician he is. If elected, he will transform America into an America for al
