On April 30, 2016 Bernie Sanders, in front of a small crowd in Burlington, Vermont, announced his candidacy for President. Who would've thought that this humble, elderly, socialist would become the political voice of our generation. Unpredictable as it was, millions of young voters were captivated by this politician who truly cared about them. People donated whatever money or time they could to Sanders' people- powered campaign creating a personal, emotional connection with the candidate. I was one of those people. After giving up on my lifelong passion of politics the Sanders' campaign once again ignited my love for our fabled democracy. If my experiences are any indication then young voters have been awoken and the establishment is rightfully scared.
In our crazy political arena there are candidates who deny science, cut crucial programs to the poor, and exploit students trying to get an education. For decades this complex was protected by an iron curtain of baby boomer conservatives voting for anyone who would abide to their old- school social ideals. Today, one of the largest voting blocks in history (the youth vote) may finally make its presence felt. Of course, we owe all of this to one man, Bernie Sanders, but what might this mean beyond his campaign?
For starters, the GOP is in trouble. Many of their positions have never appealed to young voters it just hasn't mattered until now. This has lead to tighter than expected races in places like Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. It's also far more likely that issues such as recreational marijuana, healthcare, student debt, and climate change are going to be far more crucial in every election. These are important issues that the U.S has fallen behind in addressing. With the sudden surge of youth involvement, expect to see candidates who tackle these issues find success. On top of that, the culture of the Super PAC and the corporation donation is dying. Highly mobile political organizations have made use of our energy and have proven to be far more effective than a slew of well produced adds ever could. Who would've thought the good old door- to- door could slow the inevitable tide of corporate dominance? Look for legislation attacking corporate greed in our government in the near future. Perhaps the "yuuugest" plank of it all is that if Democrats win the Senate then Bernie Sanders becomes the head of Senate Budget Committee.
While all of this sounds great, it won't actually become a reality unless young people actually go out and vote this election. Sure, the two candidates this year are pretty much life- sized replicas of a dog eating an action figure and then shitting it out but if we don't vote for candidates that support logical views we are handing this country over to our grandparents. If we simply give up (don't vote) we are giving up on a man who has refused to ever give up on us. A vote for a sane candidate is a vote for the legacy of Bernie Sanders.
