The United States is easily seen as one of the most powerful nations in the world, with the President often called “The ruler of the free world.” Yes, being the President gives the incumbent an immense amount of power, but power through high administration is only one kind of power. Through this rigorous Presidential primary, Senator Bernie Sanders showed his inner power to the people, and for the most part they couldn’t get enough. Sanders led his followers with the promise of tuition-free college, a 15 dollar minimum wage, cleaner environmental regulations, universal healthcare and a better quality of life for the 99 percent. In the end, Sanders fought tooth and nail but winning 1,879 delegates was just short of the nomination. Bernie Sanders recently endorsed Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton, ending the so called political revolution, or did it?
Look at the traction Sanders has gained over the past year. This 74 year old man from Vermont captured the hearts of the youth of America. Government and Politics aren’t usually the top conversations for teenagers, but Bernie broke that bit of the status quo. The millennials love Bernie Sanders, from the way he relates to the current generation's ideas to the infamous “dank meme stache,” the youth of America cannot get enough of this Senator. Those under age 40 still feeling the Bern will not let the flame settle anytime soon, letting Sander’s political idealism live on throughout the millennial generation.
Even though he isn’t the foreseeable nominee, Sanders platform still continues to exist through his work on the campaign trail. Hillary Clinton was envisioning a minimum wage around ten to 12 dollars and hour, that number is now 15 dollars. The Democratic Party has just unveiled legislation to tackle the rising effects of climate change and what the solution to this problem may be. The TTP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, deal was condoned by the senator, but is now being thoroughly rethought by the party heads. Sanders’ input into these ideas and countless others are only some of the examples of how he is still in the minds of the voters and leadership alike.
When his race began, Sanders stated he was joining the race for president on May 26, 2015 in Burlington, Vermont’s Waterfront Park. On that day in 2015 he was just a small time independent Senator known by his family, some members of congress, and a handful of citizens in his state. At that park he attracted a small crowd that nowadays would be thrown into chaos if someone simply shouted his name. By the end of the campaign Sanders could easily will whole football stadiums of crowds screaming his name awaiting the message that would soon be brought before them.
Power is only as powerful as the people who support it. In this presidential cycle, Sanders may not have won the nomination, but did win the hearts and minds of the voters. His ideas will be carried on through the millennial generation whether he leads the charge or sits in the Senate creating new legislation. Many are disappointed with the 2016 election, but this was only a fiery start to the Sander’s generation of thinking. We will be seeing a lot more of the Senator and numerous more of his philosophies play out in the coming years. The seeds of the political revolution have just been planted, and the long term growth is soon to come.
