After Hillary Clinton refused a debate with Bernie Sanders before the June 7 Democratic Primary in California, Donald Trump has gone back and forth about whether he'd debate Bernie. This would be a treat for the American people, and it would be a healthy change of tone from the rest of the campaign season. Why?
1. Donald and Bernie are both outsiders.
It's no secret that the Republican Party doesn't want Donald Trump. It's also no secret that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC chair, is completely partial for Clinton, as are the party-appointed super-delegates, of which Clinton enjoys several hundred and Bernie enjoys about 40. Donald Trump overcame his party's opposition and became the presumptive nominee, and while the party is reluctantly accepting him, there are definitely a fair share of dissidents. The DNC, despite Bernie's resounding success, has failed to feel the Bern. This would be the first debate in a long time where neither candidate feels the need to stick to their party dialogue, since both parties would despise their representatives. It might even be (gasp!) a civil conversation, where the two see eye to eye on some issues. Speaking of which...
2. The two have more in common than you'd think.
Other than being outsiders who defied their own parties, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump share a number of common traits. Both represent groups that have been marginalized in political discourse. Both were seen as extremist jokes no more than a year ago (and still are by some.) Both were defied by a system that favors an entitled political class and both have proven to their supporters that they are more connected to the every-man or every-woman's problems and more willing to solve them. Both have supporters who aren't afraid to speak their mind; think Bernie fanatics besieging Trump rallies in protest or zealous Trump supporters...well, doing just about anything related to Trump.
3. It would examine anger instead of incite it.
There's a reason that political brawls in our news cycle are usually between Bernie supporters and Trump supporters. Both are angry, and they usually take it out on each other. What they usually ignore is why they're angry. Both support groups feel oppressed, cheated, shut out of an America that is only for a select elite. Even their "elites" look awfully similar. Describe a black-suited, politically correct white millionaire with a foot in politics and a sharp tongue for false promises, and both support groups will scowl. A debate between the Socialist and the Nationalist wouldn't be about the pot calling the kettle black, as their supporters would feel so many other debates are. It would be about a common goal, for once...so long as the entire crowd can hold off of a fistfight until the debate starts.
