Bernie Sanders Biography
On 26 May 2015, Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Socialist Democrat, announced his candidacy for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Sanders, a junior senator from Vermont, began his political career as an officer in the University of Chicago’s chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1981 he was elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont by a mere 10 votes. Sanders’ socialist views are not like those of Vladimir Putin or Raul Castro. For example, he believes in leveling the playing field when it comes to large companies paying their fair share of taxes, so that our government can pay a majority of the tuition for public colleges and universities. Since Sanders announced his intentions to run for president, he has lessened the gap between
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frontrunner, Hillary Clinton from 61.4% to 16.4%. Though Sanders is a candidate for the Democratic nomination, he is an Independent. For this reason, Sanders is a political outsider, which is both good and bad. On one hand, he identifies with the people very well. On the other hand, he does not have the spotlight. It is very rare that a 3rd party candidate does as well as Sanders. Accordingly, the Democrats need to capitalize on this opportunity to nominate such a different candidate.
He brings an active, bold voice in the area of economics, social issues, and he is not afraid to say what he believes. Possibly one of Sanders’ strongest qualities as a candidate is that his platform is extremely clear. Prominently on his platform is his plank on economics. Sanders’ is a major supporter of a higher minimum wage, which he calls “a living wage” (Sanders Introduces) in an address to low wage workers in July of 2015. The definition of a living wage, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a wage sufficient to provide the necessities and comforts essential to an acceptable standard of living.” Sanders’ believes that the opportunity …show more content…
to succeed should be available to everyone. Raising the minimum wage would increase said opportunity. However, some may argue that changing the minimum wage is not the way to help the poor. For instance, Kevin Hasset, the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Michael Strain, a research fellow at AEI, say in their article entitled, “The Minimum-Wage Debate,” that raising the minimum wage “will make it more expensive for business to hire young and low-skill workers at a time of crisis-level unemployment.” Throughout the article they argue that raising the minimum wage alone will not ease poverty. However, that is not Sanders’ only solution to the growing poverty issues here in America. Along with raising the minimum wage, Sanders’ wants to invest in the future of the youth of this country by providing free tuition to public colleges and universities. This combined with raising the minimum wage will increase the ability for people to climb out of poverty and into the middle class. Sanders is quoted saying that “If our economy is to be strong, we need the best educated work force in the world” (Desiderio). The work force is becoming more and more competitive. Without an education, people cannot be expected succeed. All future generations will benefit from free college tuition regardless of social class. Free college and university means that people can save more; thus, giving them more money to invest here in America. Free tuition combined with a higher minimum wage will provide countless opportunities for underprivileged people to succeed. Over the time that Sanders has played in the political sphere, his views have been unwavering, thus making his position on many things evident. Today in America, social issues ravage the news ranging from race relations to abortion. On the issue of race relations, Sanders has an exquisite track record. As stated earlier, while in college, Sanders was an officer in his local chapter of Congress of Racial Equality. Not only does Sanders support positive race relations for people of America, but for those in others countries as well: “Sanders opposed both Iraq Wars on Moral Grounds…’death and destruction caused’ would ‘not be forgotten by the poor people of the Third World” (Jilani). Sanders was against the war because he thought of how it would affect the Iraqis. Regardless of if it is war time or peace time, Sanders has always been very considerate and supportive of other races. During his time in high school he ran for student body president where “his platform was based around raising scholarship funds for Korean War orphans” (Jilani). This mentality of wanting to help others succeed regardless of their circumstances is exactly why Democrats need to nominate Sanders for the Presidency. Not just for the good of the Party, but for the good of the American People. We need someone who is in tune with the people and cannot be bought by corporations to look out for their personal interests. On the other hand, others might argue that Sanders is too involved with helping people, which they say is a bad idea because of how expensive it will be. However, as previously argued, if Sanders were to hold big businesses accountable for their fair share of taxes, then we would have the money to help those who need it most. Thankfully, Bernie Sanders is not afraid to speak the truth, which reveals the problem at hand and allows those who problem solve to find an adequate solution. Unlike the frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, Sanders’ has no problem answering the “tough” questions with the truth. Sanders’ takes on questions with a dignity unlike any that has been seen before. With ease, Sanders is able to answer questions regarding his view on controversial topics such as abortion and racism. Not only does he do this with great dignity, but he is able to put himself in the shoes of the other side, allowing him to fully understand there point of view. For example, on September 9th, 2015, Sanders spoke to an arena fully of Liberty University students, who are primarily Christians. Knowing that Sanders is pro-choice when it comes to abortion, the student body collectively asked the question, “Children in the womb need our protection too. How do you reconcile the two in your mind?” Sanders replied with:
I do believe that it is improper for the United States’ government, or state government to tell every woman in this country the very painful and difficult choice that she has to make on that issue…I respect absolutely a family that says, “No, we are not gonna have an abortion.” I understand that, I respect that. But I would hope that other people respect the very painful and difficult choice that many women feel they have to make, and don’t want the government telling them what they have to do.
Sanders makes his statements non-partisan which allows people of all political parties to understand and want to listen to him. It is incredibly difficult to listen to a one-sided individual who fails to even try to see the other side’s point of view. Sanders frequently mentions the pros and cons to the opposing side’s argument before refuting them. This shows his ability to sympathize with others, which is a vital skill to have as President of the United States.
Though Sanders is a good candidate, people are still going to want Hillary Clinton because they know who she is.
Vic Berardelli, a former Regional Director of the Republican Liberty Caucus, states in his article entitled, “Why Bernie Sanders won’t win the Democratic nomination,” that “Bernie Sanders cannot win the nomination” because, “Voters don’t know him.” Though Berardelli is correct, I would argue that there is plenty of time for Sanders to get his message out there and educate people on what he believes in. Additionally, if Sanders’ followers were to host grass root rallies to help support his campaign and motivate people to learn more about Sanders’ views, then the amount of time it would take for people to become aware of who Sanders is would be minimalized. Sally Kohn, a columnist at CNN, agrees in her CNN article titled, “Is America Bern-ing?” She writes that “Once Americans learn more about what Sanders brand of socialism looks like, they may like him even more.” This goes to show that Sanders has what it takes to get the nomination as long as he gets his message out to the
people.
All in all, Bernie Sanders is the Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party. His views on society paired with his economics are bold and are what the American people want. The American people want a president that is bold and respectable; one who can identity as a middle class citizen. If the Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders to be President, The United States could see a change for the better, which may not be available to us through any other president. Sanders will fight for what is right and what will benefit those who need it the most. He has shown time and time again that he is genuine to his word and that his views have remained the same throughout his career. If Democrats do not nominate Sanders they may not win the Presidency. With the recent scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton, people feel as though they cannot trust her. That said, Sander maybe the only chance Democrats have.
frontrunner, Hillary Clinton from 61.4% to 16.4%. Though Sanders is a candidate for the Democratic nomination, he is an Independent. For this reason, Sanders is a political outsider, which is both good and bad. On one hand, he identifies with the people very well. On the other hand, he does not have the spotlight. It is very rare that a 3rd party candidate does as well as Sanders. Accordingly, the Democrats need to capitalize on this opportunity to nominate such a different candidate.
He brings an active, bold voice in the area of economics, social issues, and he is not afraid to say what he believes. Possibly one of Sanders’ strongest qualities as a candidate is that his platform is extremely clear. Prominently on his platform is his plank on economics. Sanders’ is a major supporter of a higher minimum wage, which he calls “a living wage” (Sanders Introduces) in an address to low wage workers in July of 2015. The definition of a living wage, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a wage sufficient to provide the necessities and comforts essential to an acceptable standard of living.” Sanders’ believes that the opportunity …show more content…
to succeed should be available to everyone. Raising the minimum wage would increase said opportunity. However, some may argue that changing the minimum wage is not the way to help the poor. For instance, Kevin Hasset, the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Michael Strain, a research fellow at AEI, say in their article entitled, “The Minimum-Wage Debate,” that raising the minimum wage “will make it more expensive for business to hire young and low-skill workers at a time of crisis-level unemployment.” Throughout the article they argue that raising the minimum wage alone will not ease poverty. However, that is not Sanders’ only solution to the growing poverty issues here in America. Along with raising the minimum wage, Sanders’ wants to invest in the future of the youth of this country by providing free tuition to public colleges and universities. This combined with raising the minimum wage will increase the ability for people to climb out of poverty and into the middle class. Sanders is quoted saying that “If our economy is to be strong, we need the best educated work force in the world” (Desiderio). The work force is becoming more and more competitive. Without an education, people cannot be expected succeed. All future generations will benefit from free college tuition regardless of social class. Free college and university means that people can save more; thus, giving them more money to invest here in America. Free tuition combined with a higher minimum wage will provide countless opportunities for underprivileged people to succeed. Over the time that Sanders has played in the political sphere, his views have been unwavering, thus making his position on many things evident. Today in America, social issues ravage the news ranging from race relations to abortion. On the issue of race relations, Sanders has an exquisite track record. As stated earlier, while in college, Sanders was an officer in his local chapter of Congress of Racial Equality. Not only does Sanders support positive race relations for people of America, but for those in others countries as well: “Sanders opposed both Iraq Wars on Moral Grounds…’death and destruction caused’ would ‘not be forgotten by the poor people of the Third World” (Jilani). Sanders was against the war because he thought of how it would affect the Iraqis. Regardless of if it is war time or peace time, Sanders has always been very considerate and supportive of other races. During his time in high school he ran for student body president where “his platform was based around raising scholarship funds for Korean War orphans” (Jilani). This mentality of wanting to help others succeed regardless of their circumstances is exactly why Democrats need to nominate Sanders for the Presidency. Not just for the good of the Party, but for the good of the American People. We need someone who is in tune with the people and cannot be bought by corporations to look out for their personal interests. On the other hand, others might argue that Sanders is too involved with helping people, which they say is a bad idea because of how expensive it will be. However, as previously argued, if Sanders were to hold big businesses accountable for their fair share of taxes, then we would have the money to help those who need it most. Thankfully, Bernie Sanders is not afraid to speak the truth, which reveals the problem at hand and allows those who problem solve to find an adequate solution. Unlike the frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, Sanders’ has no problem answering the “tough” questions with the truth. Sanders’ takes on questions with a dignity unlike any that has been seen before. With ease, Sanders is able to answer questions regarding his view on controversial topics such as abortion and racism. Not only does he do this with great dignity, but he is able to put himself in the shoes of the other side, allowing him to fully understand there point of view. For example, on September 9th, 2015, Sanders spoke to an arena fully of Liberty University students, who are primarily Christians. Knowing that Sanders is pro-choice when it comes to abortion, the student body collectively asked the question, “Children in the womb need our protection too. How do you reconcile the two in your mind?” Sanders replied with:
I do believe that it is improper for the United States’ government, or state government to tell every woman in this country the very painful and difficult choice that she has to make on that issue…I respect absolutely a family that says, “No, we are not gonna have an abortion.” I understand that, I respect that. But I would hope that other people respect the very painful and difficult choice that many women feel they have to make, and don’t want the government telling them what they have to do.
Sanders makes his statements non-partisan which allows people of all political parties to understand and want to listen to him. It is incredibly difficult to listen to a one-sided individual who fails to even try to see the other side’s point of view. Sanders frequently mentions the pros and cons to the opposing side’s argument before refuting them. This shows his ability to sympathize with others, which is a vital skill to have as President of the United States.
Though Sanders is a good candidate, people are still going to want Hillary Clinton because they know who she is.
Vic Berardelli, a former Regional Director of the Republican Liberty Caucus, states in his article entitled, “Why Bernie Sanders won’t win the Democratic nomination,” that “Bernie Sanders cannot win the nomination” because, “Voters don’t know him.” Though Berardelli is correct, I would argue that there is plenty of time for Sanders to get his message out there and educate people on what he believes in. Additionally, if Sanders’ followers were to host grass root rallies to help support his campaign and motivate people to learn more about Sanders’ views, then the amount of time it would take for people to become aware of who Sanders is would be minimalized. Sally Kohn, a columnist at CNN, agrees in her CNN article titled, “Is America Bern-ing?” She writes that “Once Americans learn more about what Sanders brand of socialism looks like, they may like him even more.” This goes to show that Sanders has what it takes to get the nomination as long as he gets his message out to the
people.
All in all, Bernie Sanders is the Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party. His views on society paired with his economics are bold and are what the American people want. The American people want a president that is bold and respectable; one who can identity as a middle class citizen. If the Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders to be President, The United States could see a change for the better, which may not be available to us through any other president. Sanders will fight for what is right and what will benefit those who need it the most. He has shown time and time again that he is genuine to his word and that his views have remained the same throughout his career. If Democrats do not nominate Sanders they may not win the Presidency. With the recent scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton, people feel as though they cannot trust her. That said, Sander maybe the only chance Democrats have.