Written by Andrew Schwartz
With his kooky white hair, agitated tone of voice, and generally un-poised presence as a politician, it is rather curious why Senator Bernie Sanders has such an increasingly strong following amongst young voters. However, when such trivial qualities are pushed aside and the Vermont senator is instead evaluated by his policy positions and his progressive gravitas, it is clear that Sander’s charisma and viability as a candidate are just as strong – if not stronger – than any other in the race for the White House. Characterized by his innovative social and economic policies, his efforts to minimize the influx of money on American politics, and, most importantly, his integrity, Sanders and his campaign have clearly transformed the politics of the 2016 presidential race. Initially deemed too radical and progressive to hold such an office, Sanders can now only smirk in the face of his skeptics, as he crowds hundreds of thousands of Americans into his rallies, bears a commanding lead in the New Hampshire primary, and shatters fund-raising records exclusively with the help of over 1 million small donors – and not a penny of Super PAC money.
The United States, the wealthiest country in the world, has one of the highest wealth and income inequality rates, a disparity that is wider than any time since the 1920s. Sanders has made it clear that closing this gap is a crucial aspect of his presidential agenda. He plans to carry out this mission by exercising reforms amongst the lower and middle class as well as the so-called 1 percent. Sanders has proposed an increase of the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour – “starvation pay” in the words of the senator – to $15 an hour, as he believes that strengthening the labor movement is a critical step in mitigating wealth inequality. Additionally, in an effort to revitalize the “American dream” and promote opportunity regardless of socioeconomic status, Sanders seeks to make tuition free at public colleges and universities throughout America. Obviously, these extensive socioeconomic reforms do not come without a cost. However, by showing no reluctance to tax the wealthy and demand that they pay their fair share, Sanders’ budget appears to be entirely feasible.
Sanders has been persistent about eliminating the loopholes the wealthiest Americans have been able to exploit for their own economic well being, preventing corporations from shifting their profits and jobs overseas to avoid paying U.S. income taxes, creating a progressive estate tax on the top 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit more than $3.5 million, and holding Wall Street speculators “who caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, homes, and life savings” financially accountable for their misconduct. Overall, Sanders’ entire socioeconomic agenda can be characterized by his efforts to eradicate the plutocracy that is the U.S. government – a system that allows “millionaires” and “billionaires” to “buy elections and candidates.” Ever since the Supreme Court struck down the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) – opening the floodgates for an unparalleled influx of money into the American political process – Bernie Sanders has been among the most outspoken advocates of new campaign reform regulation, both as a senator and presidential candidate.
Though socioeconomic issues have seemed to be put at the forefront of Sanders agenda and candidacy, that’s not to downplay his positions on a series of social and foreign policy issues. A prominent activist during the Civil Rights Movement while in his early-20s, Bernie Sanders has always been a stark advocate for racial justice and gender-equality. In an effort to mitigate racial injustice and transform the United States, Sanders seeks to address the five central types of violence waged against black, brown and indigenous Americans: that of physical, political, legal, economic and environmental violence. Additionally, Sanders invokes the principles of the long-overdue Equal Rights Amendment in the fighting against the gender pay gap, and has fought hard in the senate against Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood, the Title X family planning program, and “other initiatives that protect women’s health, access to contraception, and the availability of a safe and legal abortion.” With regard to foreign policy, Sanders speaks to the appeal of war-weary Americans, prioritizing diplomatic solutions over military action, but showing no reluctance to defend freedom at home and abroad when necessary. Overall, every facet of Bernie Sanders’ agenda seems to advance reforms necessary to the American political system.
Bernie Sanders’ stance on gun control legislation, to the surprise of many, marks a slight departure from his otherwise strictly leftist rhetoric. Having received an ideologically unlikely endorsement from the N.R.A., Sanders opposed the Brady Bill that mandated background checks for gun owners as a member of the House, and as a senator, has voted in support of the Amtrak Checked Firearms Program and the bill granting gun manufacturers and dealers broad exemptions from legal liability. Though Sanders has been attacked by the left for not voting in favor of gun control regulation, his position on gun control speaks to something far more significant: his principled character, his refrain from political expediency, and his willingness to act on behalf of his constituents – a fundamental component of our representative government. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who has received criticism for “political expediency” given her inconsistent positions on a series of policy measures, Bernie Sanders is disciplined and consistent with regard to his positions. Sanders refuses to modify his image and persona to appeal to others for purely electoral purposes. For example, Sanders self-identifies as a Democratic-Socialist as the most honest description of his persona and agenda as a candidate, despite the harsh stigma associated with the word socialist in American politics. It is clear that Sanders’s un-conventional and un-orthodox persona is a product of his unyielding integrity.
On the other end of the ideological spectrum, the GOP seems to be the embodiment of how easily a party can implode when moderates clash with more ideologically pure candidates. The general dissatisfaction with career politicians amongst American voter’s today, to which the anti-establishment frontrunner Donald Trump owes his unrelenting support, seems to consume the rhetoric of right-wing voters. However, the stigma associated with “career politicians” is incompatible with Bernie Sanders of the left. A member of the Senate for nearly a decade, following his 16-year career as Vermont’s sole congressman in the House of Representative, Bernie Sanders is a career politician only in the literal sense. However, by refusing to act for profit and with the prospect of reelection in mind, Sanders instead has prioritized cohesive and nationally oriented public policies that will further the common good over political expediency. For these reasons, Sanders doesn’t nearly embody the unprincipled, egotistical, and deceitful “career politician” that the American people wish to displace.
Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The only title in our democracy superior to that of President is the title of citizen.” While these words once spoke a great truth about American government, they unfortunately don’t bear much relevance today. In an effort to restore government to the consent of the common man, Sanders has taken it upon himself to galvanize a “political revolution,” mobilizing citizens themselves – both active and apathetic in previous elections – to “transform our country economically, politically, socially and environmentally.”
For Bernie Sanders, the 2016 election is nothing short of a long shot. The “long shot” campaign, however, is a barrier that Sanders has so often overcome as a politician on the local, state and national level. The Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, could not be a more titanic opponent for Sanders, with her boundless PAC support network, extensive curriculum vitae, and dynastic name recognition. But as such a devout advocate for restoring fairness and equality to the United States, Bernie Sanders could very well take the primary by surprise, capitalizing on the frustration amongst disenfranchised and dissatisfied Americans.