Bernie Sanders will always have a special place in my heart. For building a movement that fights for every American and that has motivated millions of Americans to engage in the political process, I will always have a tremendous amount of admiration for the senator from Vermont.
And with that being said, I'm proud to announce I'm supporting him again in 2020, just as I did in 2016.
When I first heard of Bernie back in 2016, I thought that he was out of his mind. A man who admits he is a "democratic socialist," proposing a variety of policies that seemed outrageous to me. But after learning what was at stake for me and the future generations — as well as Bernie's longstanding track record of fighting for progressive policies — I knew that Bernie Sanders was the man we needed in the White House.
For over half a century, Bernie has been at the forefront of fighting for civil rights. He was at the front line protesting the disastrous Vietnam War and has been a staunch opponent of heading into Iraq. And for over forty years, Bernie has been fighting to make healthcare a human right in the United States.
I am a firm believer in actions speaking louder than words. No other candidate, in my view (with the exception of Elizabeth Warren), either does not have the record or the policies that demonstrate they can appeal to the average, everyday American. Not Beto, not Mayor Pete, not any other random white guy in the race, and most certainly not Joe Biden. Bernie's resume of fighting for the issues that impact our nation reflects that the senator is our best bet to beat Trump in 2020.
Back in 2016, it was amazing to see how many people empathized with his message of equity and progressivism — if the general election then taught us anything, it was that everyday Americans were tired of the same-old monotonous, empty lies associated with American politics. To this day, I am thoroughly convinced that if the Democrats chose not to sabotage Bernie's campaign in 2016, then we might have defeated Trump.
Right now, it seems that socialism is "in." And to that, I say, "Why not?" The income gap continues to widen, the planet is perhaps already going to implode due to climate change, and we have a generation that is facing unprecedented challenges never before seen with the older ones.
Americans want to see a change in their lives. As 2016 has shown, centrism as a way to "take the upper ground" against radical conservatism is simply beating a dead horse. We need to fight fire with fire, and that fire is democratic socialism.
Bernie Sanders is endorsed.
