There is some irony in the fact that the most progressive candidate in the 2016 presidential race is a 73-year-old white Jewish male. Yet Bernie Sanders, the self-described Socialist Democrat from Vermont, can make the race for president very interesting.
Many think Bernie’s chances are very low. Hillary has the name and more importantly the backing of large donors. But I wouldn’t count Bernie out. He raised $1.5 million in just 24 hours, more than Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Rand Paul.
One interesting aspect of the amount Bernie raised is that the average donation was only $43. For one thing the average donation amount is a testament to who is donating. It is one thing to raise such an amount from a handful wealthy contributions but he collected from 35,000 contributors.
Such a great start for a candidate running in a primary that is supposedly already decided says a lot. It says for one that he has an excited and supportive base. A strong base is also essential in an election.
Moreover, it says that the main platform he is running on is something that resonates with a lot of people. That is, income inequality, an issue Bernie has been saying since the 1980s is a major issue, will be an important topic this election cycle and rightfully so.
Bernie’s ability to distance himself from big money and large corporations over his years in public office has been quite a feat. Take for example, the comparison of top contributors between Hillary Clinton and Bernie. Bernie’s top three contributors over the course of his career are Machinists Workers Union, Teamsters Union, and United Auto Workers while Hillary’s top contributors are Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, and DLA Piper (a multinational law firm).
In addition, Bernie has not been afraid to come out and take a stand against the large trade agreements—Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership—that are being negotiated, unlike Hillary.
An additional unflinching stance Bernie has taken is on raising the minimum wage, a promise made in 2008 by President Obama that was never fulfilled. Furthermore, taking on Wall Street, real tax reform, and the expansion of trade unions are all major points of Bernie’s platform. Overall, if there is any candidate who truly has on the middle class on his/her side, its Bernie.
That is why it came to some surprise to me that an email sent out by The Young Progressives here on campus identified the group as already being committed to Hillary for the nomination. How progressive is such a commitment?
I think it is easy to immediately assume that Bernie doesn’t stand a chance against such a big name like, Hillary but I wouldn’t sell him short. Moreover, his policies are far more progressive than anything any other candidates are offering.
Only the Sandman will usher in the progressive revolution we need to change America.
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