Over the past few months, people have been telling me I should take a look at Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Some tell me that even though he won’t win, it’s important to acknowledge the points he’s bringing to the conversation. Others believe he might have a chance of stealing the nomination from Hillary Clinton. But according to a recent Gallup poll, 50 percent of Americans would not vote for a generally well-qualified socialist presidential candidate. Despite the fact this is 42 points higher than those that would not vote for a woman, Bernie supporters are optimistic and his campaign is respected by the general populace and the media alike.
The black sheep across the aisle is Donald Trump–and the billionaire real-estate-mogul-turned-politician is gaining speed. According to Monmouth University’s most recent poll in Iowa, Trump is in second place among Republicans for the Iowa Caucus. And while he shares the second highest podium with Sanders, I have not once been told why I should take him seriously. And neither have the American people; only a fourth of voters agree that he is a serious candidate. In a Gallup poll resembling results from Trump’s 1999 campaign, 74 percent of Americans do not acknowledge him as a legitimate candidate.
With so many voters against Trump’s candidacy, it’s not surprising that more than a handful of people are berating him for stealing airtime from other candidates. But why is Sanders portrayed as a warrior of change and Trump as a disruptive annoyance? The difference has nothing to do with their party or what they bring to the table. Trump brings just as many unique ideas to the scene as Sanders does, even being largely credited with throwing immigration into the talking points of the other Republican contenders. The difference doesn’t take into account the probability of winning. In fact, Trump has a better statistical chance. The two men are being characterized differently because of their different personalities. Bernie is respectful, sincere, and upholds his public image. Donald says what’s on his mind and is unequivocally uncaring about what others think of him. He can be abrasive and disrespectful, but he knows when to compromise and how to get things done.
The two men have different styles of delivering a message, but they both a have a message to deliver. Instead of blowing Trump off, maybe we should use him in the same way as Sanders; listen to what the long shot has to say and see if any good ideas come out of it.
