This is not going to be the same as what we saw in 2016. When Senator Bernie Sanders entered the race in 2016 he, came out at the bottom. But that was three years ago. Now he is coming in at the top of those who have declared they are running so far. He has a bigger name than many of the Democratic candidates running in this elections and existing support. This is almost the complete opposite of the last presidential election. He was an underdog who had to struggle to get air time. People barely took him seriously till it was pretty much too late. It is no secret Hilary Clinton was the party's favorite. Also, she engaged in less than ethical behavior in attempts to win the presidency. The Democratic party made it very clear who they wanted to go forward from the start of the last election season, but now that might change.
Although the setting has dramatically changed for Sen. Sanders since his past run, he has not changed all that much. He still has not officially joined the democratic party and remains an independent. In addition, his stance on issues is pretty much the exact same as they have always been. Many of the things he ran on in the 2016 election were not the democratic party's main concerns. Now they are important factors in many democratic voters decision. He gave a platform to many issues that had previously been nothing more than side comments. The main thing is that everyone should have Medicare, stating "healthcare is a right, not a privilege." Also, now many people are seeking a minimum wage increase to $15 since he made it a focal point.
What has changed is this time Sen. Sanders is running against people with very similar beliefs as him. He was born in 1941, which makes him now 77 years old. This time he is not running against a political machine, he is not the new face. He is not what change looks like to many people. This time he is some old white guy running against his own campaign, just coming from younger, fresher, and more diverse faces. Many people feel he is too old to run, and that this country needs new, younger people to be the ones to make a change.
Also, many people find Senator Sander's goals unrealistic and too socialistic. It is just about proven that raising the minimum wage is only a short term fix and will damage the economy in the long run. Many people also question where we will get the needed funding for universal health care policies. Although Senator Sanders has a large following on a social policy front, many find him lacking in economic and world policies. One of his biggest criticisms in the past election from Hilary Clinton is that he did not have any sort of foreign policy plans in place, and lacked knowledge and experience in that area. Also, it is common to make out big business to be bad and we should raise their taxes. Yet, this will pretty much drive out all American companies. We have one of the highest tax rates as it is making other countries more appealing to create internationally competitive businesses in.
If all stays as is, he has a strong chance of coming out on top of the primaries and gaining the democratic bid this time around. Yet, it is still a possibility that Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton may join the race, which will be his largest competitors. Even if he wins the primaries beating a sitting president is still very hard. Only time will tell if he will come out on top.
