**In no way does the following article endorse Bernie Sanders, not by the author, the Hastings Odyssey Chapter, or any staff member of Odyssey itself. The following article is merely the musings of a college business and economics student with a passion for politics, in no way does this secure the author's vote for said candidate.**
With the media set ablaze earlier this month with the announcement of Ted Cruz pulling his candidacy for the presidency from the table, it has been a wild week for politics. With Cruz's dropping out, it is fairly clear that Republican frontrunner Donald Trump will be the GOP's candidate, and it's down to Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton for the Dems. While Hillary is leading by a mild margin, Bernie refuses to go down without a fight, so it is only fair to have him within this comparison. Here, I'll give you the cold hard facts about the three candidates left, and what it will mean to have each of them [potentially] leading the free world. Each week for the next three weeks I will put the spotlight on one of the said candidates. This week:
Bernie Sanders (D)
Finally, we have reached the last of the three remaining top contenders for the presidency. Today, we talk about Bernie Sanders, a Democrat battling it out with Hillary for the nomination. Bernie has been seen as a voice of reason during this campaign, and that may be why he refused to quit, even though he continues to fall to Hillary in recent major polls. Sanders is a popular favorite among a younger crowd due to his policies concerning issues within today's youth regarding our future, but will that be enough to put him over the edge for the nomination, and ultimately the presidency? Time will find out. Total, Bernie highlights 33 issues he plans to fix if he secures the presidency, but I will just highlight a few. I still think having that many issues is problematic in terms of getting those things accomplished in four years, but an upside of Bernie's is that his are, for the most part, related. In that sense, they seem to be a little more feasible than Clinton's.
Platform:
It's Time to Make College Tuition Free and Debt Free
Proposing to make tuition free at public colleges and universities, eliminating government profit off of student loans, cutting student loan interest rates and more to reform current college payment requirements
A Living Wage
Raise national minimum wage to $15 per hour, and increase union wages
A Fair and Humane Immigration Policy
Redirect resources away from boondoggle walls to modernize our border and ensure proper oversight that protects border communities, and employ humanitarian parole to ensure the return of unjustly deported immigrants and unify broken families
Racial Justice
Demilitarize our police forces so they don't look like invading armies, investing in community policing, create a police culture that allows for good officers to report the actions of bad officers without fear of retaliation and allows for a department to follow through on such reports, and further diversifying our police force that reflects the diversity of our country
Fighting for LGBT Equality
Sign into law the Equality Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and any other bill that prohibits discrimination against LGBT people, work with HHS to ensure LGBT Americans have access to health insurance without fear of discrimination or mistreatment, advancing policies to ensure students can attend school without bullying while also working to reduce suicides, and much more
Medicare for All
Ensure all Americans can access the health care they need regardless of income, stop forcing working Americans to choose between bargaining for higher wages or better health insurance, and streamlining our health care system to provide the best health care to all patients, not just the rich
Fighting for Disability Rights
Protect and expand the social security and disability insurance program, increase employment and educational opportunities for persons with disabilities, and fighting for the US ratification of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
What the US would look like in the event of a Sanders victory:
While having the other two candidates in charge is difficult to visualize, it is a little easier with Sanders. With Sanders in charge, the country would be much more progressive than it currently is. LGBT rights would be much more protected, immigration would see major reforms, as well as healthcare, and a huge change within the economy with the raising of the minimum wage. The most interesting change I would like to see is the free college plan. This would radically change the current way college works, and this may be a reason why so many younger voters are in support of Sanders.
My thoughts:
In my opinion, Sanders is a very strong candidate for the presidency. I think his policies are smart, well-thought out, and appeal to a wide range of voters. From the research I've done, Sanders has stuck to his values all throughout his time in office, which is a very impressive amount of time. I find this to be a very admirable quality to have in a president. Truth to be told, it is hard to find something I don't like about Sanders. He is smart, knows how to handle himself under the glare of the media, and seems to be genuinely committed to improving the welfare of all Americans. The only thing I would be concerned with is the universal form of healthcare Bernie is in favor of. In theory and on paper it sounds great, but in reality, it could be problematic. It could lead to waiting for months for medicine, and not having access to some due to the policy. The 'free' policy would only apply to most medicines, but obscure medicines may not fall under that, and would then be very expensive or just hard to receive, which could be a matter of fatality in some cases. Overall, I think Bernie would make an excellent president. He is smart, truly cares for Americans, and wouldn't fall prey to the political game of Washington.
This concludes my three-part overview of the remaining presidential candidates. I hope with reading these, you will be a more informed voter in the upcoming election. Happy voting!
