Bernie Sanders for the Democrats

Americans have more than enough reason to be upset about the current state of our country. Job numbers and the GDP are growing, but paychecks are not. The Middle East seems to be falling apart. Climate change threatens every aspect of our lives and our many of our politicians refuse to take action.However, Democrats now have an opportunity to nominate a candidate who will fight for a change in the status quo and a brighter future. Sen. Bernie Sanders has a proven record of fighting for Main Street while resisting the seductions of Wall Street. He has found a niche by advocating for real change through economic reform. While ordinary Americans’ paychecks have been stagnating, Wall Street CEOs’ have been raking in millions of dollars by taking advantage of tax loopholes and oversea tax havens. Sanders has a common sense tax plan that will close these loopholes and bring us closer to the pre-Reaganomics era. Many of Secretary Clinton’s plans seem gauzy and only make marginal reforms on the edges of the existing code. If Democrats want a better future, their candidate can’t maintain the status quo.Sanders’ other niche is in campaign finance reform. He not only calls to overturn Citizens United, but also actively walks the walk. Sanders’ campaign is funded by ordinary Americans, unlike Clinton’s campaign, which calls for campaign finance reform while filling its war chest with money from Goldman Sachs. Sanders also fights to get rid of money from our political system. Lobbyists from big oil companies, defense contractors and other large companies have inundated Congress with billions of dollars in the form of campaign donations and personal gifts. Sanders is the only candidate to recognize that these corporate interests are not American interests. He has openly stated that he wants to bring back Glass-Steagall Act to prevent the same risky practices that ravaged the economy in 2008.Perhaps the most relevant campaign issue to our campus is the dizzying rise in the cost of college tuition. Sanders has proposed a plan to get rid of college tuition by taxing risky Wall Street speculation. Although his plan is far from perfect, he was the first candidate to actually talk about the dangers of overpriced tuition.Many tout Clinton for her wide range of experience, from FLOTUS to Secretary of State. However, experience is not a replacement for good judgement. Sanders has always been a progressive and has always fought for the rights of minorities and the marginalized. While Clinton supported Barry Goldwater and worked against the Civil Rights movements, Sanders supported the Civil Rights movement from the start and has fought for LGBTQ rights since the ’80s. Clinton has demonstrated an inability to support what is right; she merely points her finger in the air to see where the political winds blow. Even as recently as 2004, she supported the idea of only same-sex marriage. We need politicians who are willing to listen to the voice of the public, but we can’t have leaders who will sacrifice their values just to hold on to their office. We believe Clinton falls more under the latter.Beyond policy, Sanders has a fiery passion that Clinton doesn’t seem capable of matching. He has tapped into the deep-seated anger created by years of stagnant wages and risky gambling on Wall Street. Clinton, on the other hand, is more plastic and calculated; she is unable to generate the same enthusiasm that Sanders can. How can a passionless candidate create enthusiasm in the general election?Sanders is a candidate who has gall and consistency. The senator from Vermont has proven throughout his presidential campaign and political life that he is willing to put the interests of the Americans he represents first and his policy plans show that he understands the plight of the middle class. This is why The Exonian strongly endorses Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.