Politics and Business

Why Do Millenials Love Bernie Sanders?

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According to On The Issues, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that provides a political candidates stance on every issue, Bernie Sanders is what they call a “hard-core liberal”.

bernie sanders_politics

The box is diamond shaped and made up with social and political issues that end up determining where you fall. While Bernie is as far left as you can get on this chart, the American people tend to be more in the middle. The major differences between left wing and right-wing ideologies center on the rights of individuals vs. the power of the government. The Left-wing beliefs are liberal in that they believe society is best served with an expanded role for the government. People on the right wing believe that society would be at its best when individual rights and civil liberties are dominant and the role of the government is reduced.

A Millennial is the name for individuals who have reached adulthood around the turn of the 21st century. Millenial’s birth dates can range loosely from 1979 to 1999. Millennials grew up in a world that is electronics-filled, online, and socially connected. They are the generation that has been given the most marketing attention. As the most ethnically diverse generation, Millennials tend to be tolerant of differences. Many were raised by the children of baby boomers, who wanted to praise their children to make them stronger rather than take a tough love approach.  Being told they were special, they tend to be self-assured. While largely a positive trait, the millennial generation’s confidence has been argued to spill over into the territories of entitlement and narcissism. They are seen as more optimistic about the future of America than other generations, despite the fact that they are the first generation since the Silent Generation that is expected to be less economically successful than their parents.

So why do Millenials love Bernie Sanders so much? About half of Millenials say they are not engaged in politics at all and they don’t really care who is running for president. They feel politicians are liars and that the election isn’t decided by their vote anyway so why bother. Ironically, if you ask these same people how they feel about the Republican primary, many laugh and say something mean about Donald Trump. It appears they have been paying more attention then they have let on. They are afraid of the idea of the 1 percent, the wealthy elite. When you ask them about Bernie Sanders, the answer changes. Bernie offers them the idea of hope. He is the anti 1 percent superhero they have been looking for.

Bernie Sanders is a democratic candidate for President of the United States. He is serving his second term in the US senate after being reelected in 2012 with over seventy percent of the vote. He lives in Vermont but was originally from New York.

 

With that, I offer you the top 8 reasons Millenials love Bernie Sanders:

 

  1. He says what he feels.

Bernie Sanders entered this election as an unknown from Vermont. He is progressive and often labeled a socialist. He says what he believes and believes what he says. Throughout his campaign, as well as his time in office, he has stuck by his beliefs and never wavered.

 

  1. He isn’t “bought” by any super-PACS that can control his stance on certain issues if he is elected to office.

Sanders regularly describes the campaign finance system as corrupt and notably refuses to be sponsored by any super-PAC. In fact Sanders and Trump are the only two candidates without a super-PAC standing behind them. Sanders believes mega donors and Wall Street have influence and power over candidates. He has run his campaign based largely on individual supporters donations.

 

  1. He has been pro gay marriage since day one

Sanders voted against “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” in 1993, as well as voted against the Defensive Marriage Act in 1996, that said any state can legally refuse to recognize same sex marriages. He has fought for gay rights even when polls were against the issue and he continues to fight for rights. He is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which would include protection from discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

  1. He supports a racial justice platform

Sanders has pledged to transform our country into a nation that values its people of color. On his website, he recognizes that African-Americans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with the police. No other candidate is willing to speak on race related issues.

 

  1. Bernie Sanders Supports the Decriminalization of Marijuana

He wants marijuana to be taken off the controlled substance list in order to reduce the amount of people put away for marijuana related drug offences. He believes the war on drugs is a failure and advocates for treatment, not punishment.

 

  1. Bernie has never been involved with any scandal

Bernie has been in politics since 1981, when he was elected Mayor of Burlington, Virginia. He then served in the House of Representatives followed by serving in the Senate. Not once in all of these years has he been accused of or involved in any scandal.

 

  1. He supports a free higher education

Many early Millenials are wracked with college debts. Millenials are the first generation in American history that are predicted to make less than their parents. He supports taxing Wall Street in order to pay for every American child’s college education. Since 1980, college tuition has tripled at public and private four-year universities. From 2002 to 2012, prices in undergraduate tuition and room and board have increased 40 percent. This rate of increase is four times faster than inflation. Bernie understands how unfair this is and has pledged to help stop it.

 

  1. Millenials want a “true” progressive in office.

For all of the above reasons, Sanders has proven himself to be a trustworthy and competent potential leader of the United States of America. He has been the voice of equality since the launch of his political career. He gives Millenials the hope for the future that they are so desperately looking for in a president.

 

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