On Tuesday night at Carroll University, there was a primary party held by the Student Senate. About 20 students were surrounding a television to see the poll numbers change in their favor. The vast majority supported Sen. Sanders. Since the beginning of this presidential election cycle, the millennial favorite has been Sen. Sanders as seen in several surveys conducted throughout this year. There seems to be a certain charm to Sanders that attracts young people and it isn’t his youth, since he is over 50 years older than most millennials.
When asked about why they supported Sanders there were a few key words that were said over and over again. “He’s trustworthy," “he stands his ground on issues,” “consistent," and “he understands that college is expensive”. With the student loan debt that has many millennials struggling, this seems to be a recurring issue that Sanders is the most vocal on. They also seem to trust him over other candidates because he is consistent and trustworthy. One student said, “Hillary is a sellout.” This ethos of honesty is really important to young voters because they seem to be tired of the lies and broken promises by former and current presidents.
As millennials, this jaded outlook on politicians does not stem from an irrational distrust of authority. When millennials were growing up they saw that Iraq War as an incredible waste after seeing that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. They were also let down by President Obama’s lack of initiative for the economy as the job market has not been especially promising for college graduates entering the workforce.
Sanders has promised free college tuition for public universities and colleges in the United States. Since many millennials have graduated, are enrolled and will enroll in college, the idea of a tuition-free education becomes a major selling point for the millennial vote. When the average cost of a higher education is in the tens of thousands, it is no surprise that Sanders has a majority of young voters supporting him.
Another major point made by millennials is that he is not bigoted. Many cited his history with the Civil Rights Movement and they also brought up the “super predator” quote by Hilary Clinton in the 90s when she was talking about black criminals. Social justice is very important for millennials. Since last year, there have been many protests against racial inequality. There have been major protests like the one at the University of Missouri and also the protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri.
Sen. Sanders also conveys the ideal social contract, at least according to millennials. One of his biggest promises is to change the Affordable Health Care Act also known as Obamacare to a single-payer system. Many millenials agree that health care should be a right and not a privilege only for those who can pay. This fulfills the social contract between the government and its people as millennials want there to be more protection of its citizens, especially concerning health care. Listening to millennials does not only show that many young people like Sanders because of his policies but it also shows what milennials want in a candidate and as they grow older more information on their voting patterns will be more important than ever.
As this election year continues, it is important to acknowledge what millennials really want in a candidate. They appreciate honesty, clarity, a sense of social justice, and a clear understanding of problems facing the country today. As those college students were cheering Sanders on in the polls, one could see that he had not only gotten their vote but he has also captured their hearts.
