“Feel the Bern” is not just a catchy slogan. It is the representation of millions of Americans’ burning desire to bring up the standards of the working middle class and to give more opportunities for everyone to grow and reach their full potential.
We’ve never had a candidate like Bernie. The senator from Vermont began his campaign as a democrat in May and has been gaining on Hillary Clinton, his biggest competitor, since then. What’s more interesting is that Bernie, a self-described democratic socialist, has been drawing crowds of thousands across the country, most notably in Portland, Oregon, where 28,000 gathered in support of his campaign.
A socialist? Although Americans may be trained to flinch at the word, Bernie has overtaken Clinton in New Hampshire and Iowa in the Democratic nomination. Stephen Colbert, the new host of the “Late Show,” was baffled. He asked, “You are a liberal and you are a socialist. Why will you not accept those two terms as the insults they’re meant to be?” Bernie, laughing, leaned towards Letterman’s refurbished desk and explained in his rough Brooklyn accent that as in Nordic countries such as Denmark—where everyone has health care, people can get a higher education for free, and wages are higher—the United States government should represent the working class rather than large campaign donors.
This seems to be a large part of what Bernie’s campaign is founded upon and what has gotten the democratic blood flowing and thousands of passionate, pumping fists in the air. Bernie knows that American politics shouldn’t be run by billionaires, but by the people. He is the only candidate without a Super PAC other than Donald Trump, who has a net worth over 1000 times that of the average presidential candidate. Bernie, as senator, voted for the Disclose Act in 2012 as a first step in ending the outrageous amounts of money spent in our politics. Subsequently, his people-oriented campaign is largely funded by small individual donations and official merchandise sales. “If you’re not wearing a Bernie button, you’re out of uniform. We’re not gonna win this election by outspending the opponent. We’re gonna win this race by talking to people,” said Bennet Weiss, a proud supporter of Bernie. Bernie and his supporters want buttons, not billionaires, and to revive America’s democracy.
Bernie has a passion for issues that appeal most to the working people and the middle class. As a socialist, Bernie is part of the enlightened few who have realized that it is pointless to have a few individuals working hard and becoming extremely wealthy, when the community as a whole doesn’t work smoothly. He strongly believes in reducing income and wealth inequality by implementing his twelve-step economic agenda for America, which includes investing in rebuilding the United States’ infrastructure and creating 13 million decent paying jobs, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, demanding large corporations to pay their fair share in taxes, and providing free healthcare to everyone as a right. There is no other candidate who has a plan as practical yet ambitious, because Bernie knows that radical steps must be taken to make radical improvements.
A bulk of Bernie’s campaign addresses economic issues, but he cares no less about social issues such as racial justice. There was a period in Bernie’s campaign during which people doubted that he was qualified to advocate for criminal justice reform, as it pertained to the U.S. black and Hispanic communities. In fact, protesters from Black Lives Matter shut down one of his events in Seattle, because they saw no clear sign in his campaign of a strong call to justice reform. Since then, Bernie’s campaign addressed the issue by forcefully expressing his support for racial justice. Bernie has worked race issues into all of his speeches, added a “racial justice” section to his campaign website, and reached out to Black Lives Matter activists. Deray McKesson, an activist with a large social media presence, has tweeted that “the first draft of [Bernie’s] racial justice platform has promise.”
One of the things Bernie is known for is his endorsement of Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign in 1984 and 1988. He was among the few white politicians who were brave enough to “cross the color line” to support Jackson. He has since then maintained a close relationship with Jackson.
Although Bernie may not have drawn the full attention of voters of color for a period of time, he has attracted many female voters. One reason for this is that his campaign has placed a huge emphasis on women’s rights. Since the 90s, Bernie has either voted for or co-sponsored every major bill that advanced women’s rights, including the Equal Pay Bill of 2008 and the Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014. He also knows that the Equal Rights Amendment has been critically overdue and will fight to pass the bill.
Shockingly, many former Clinton supporters have turned to Bernie over the course of his campaign. Clinton’s campaign, according to the Washington Post–ABC News poll, saw a drop in democratic-leaning female voters from 71 to 42 percent in 8 weeks. Clinton’s female supporters are now almost neck-on-neck with the male.
All of his campaign philosophy and policies aside, Bernie’s middle-class upbringing, dedication, and genuineness are parts of his ethos that appeal a great deal to people. Unlike many of his counterparts, Bernie has been consistent in his beliefs. A distinguished example is showcased in footage of him in 1995 responding to Representative Duke Cunningham, who criticized the idea of what he called “homos in the military.” Bernie, infuriated, scolded Cunningham, saying, “You have insulted thousands of men and women who have put their lives on the line.” Not only did that remark show his bravery in speaking his mind about issues that might be contrary to popular belief, but also the fact that he has been consistently speaking up on issues that he truly believed in. From watching his speeches, it has never crossed my mind that he said things to try to be “politically correct” like many politicians. He has always been a progressive and he has been speaking from his heart all along.
Also, Bernie’s middle-class upbringing enables him to be a relatable candidate, more so than most of his opponents. He is the son of a New York–born mother and Polish-Jewish immigrant father who worked as a paint salesman for most of his life. Bernie claimed that his youth in Brooklyn taught him the meaning of economic insecurity. He is among the least wealthy of the current presidential candidates. Working people and the middle class tend to have a more positive emotional response to politicians they know will understand the harsh financial situations of citizens. Bernie is a candidate the middle-class people and students can trust.
Bernie may be old, but he’s not obsolete. He has gained the support of many young people largely due to his views on higher education. Bernie is a strong advocate of free public tertiary education. He believes that students’ financial conditions should not be a bridge that they must cross to get a higher education. Also, Bernie has had a much more active social media presence than most other candidates. In virtually all of today’s most popular social media platforms, Bernie has shown his rigor, his energy, his progressive mindset, and his dedication that has sparked an inspiration to many young people that there is still hope for America.
The United States is in dire need of a political revolution. And there is no presidential candidate out there that can lead that revolution as well as Bernie can. It is his kind of rigor and enthusiasm that will bring jobs, fix the obscure wealth balance, and bring everyone together. You don’t need to be a democrat or a socialist to Feel the Bern. You just need to believe in progression and advancement.
He may call himself a socialist and much of America may not yet be ready for his radical ways, but Bernie is more ready than ever to take on America.
“Presidential Candidates” is a recurring column that anybody can write.