The 2020 Bernie Sanders Campaign

Bernie Sanders is running for president in 2020; announcing his bid for the presidency on February 19, 2019. He attempted to run in 2016, as an underdog candidate, but  lost his majority of support after endorsing Hillary Clinton. Sanders lost his nomination on July 12, 2016. Bernie focused on closing the inequality between the top 1% and the middle class, redefining the tax bracket, and create a more equal America. For the 2020 campaign, he is considered a strong candidate, as he raised over 28 million dollars for his campaign.
Bernie’s biggest 3 policies are huge reform in environmental protection and conservation, universal healthcare, and immigration. Sanders is also working towards raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. He is strongly against black carbon pollution and drilling initiatives. Bernie Sanders also works and funds the Land and Conservation fund. He wants to get rid of our current healthcare system, and replace it with a universal healthcare; as well as wanting to reduce the costs of medication, and fight the corruption of corporations. Bernie wants to create a system to address the 11 million undocumented immigrants, and wants to secure and protect the border without a wall or fence. When asked about if he agrees with Bernie’s policies Matt Zayas, a senior at Lafayette High School,  said “I support his foreign and social policies but I feel that his economic policies are far too authoritarian.

His volunteers have planned to host nearly 4,000 kick off parties, across America. It is estimated that he has approximately 1 million supporters nationally. The majority of his supporters are the millennials, generation Z, in New York, California, and the Pacific Northwest. As of March 23, 2019 his support rating is around 46%. Some notable campaign endorsers are Danny Devito, Mark Ruffalo, Larry Cohen, and Ben Cohen. When I asked Sengheon Yoo, a senior at Lafayette High School, if he would vote for Bernie Sanders in 2020 he stated “he’s like the god, he would be the best president.”

Bernie’s approach to politics gives him a high chance of winning the 2020 presidential election. His “clear, bold, statements… would have a mandate for Reagan like change”. He is currently ahead of all other Democratic candidates. While he has an advantage, Bernie still has a long way to success; the  majority of Americans are not socialists. His few distinct strong socialist policies like free college, and eliminating private health insurance will be the dividing line in winning the majority vote from the Electoral College.
According to the NY Times 2019 America is looking for a “different presidential profile”. “Bernie is a 77 year old, white male, who has had problems with sexism in his campaign’s and struggled to win  over African American voters in his 2016 election”. On Sunday April 14th,, 2019 Bernie accused Neera Tanden president of Center for American progress was “maligning my staff and supporters and belittling progressive ideas.” In a recent interview with Faiz Shakir who runs Bernie’s 2020 campaign questioned Neera Tanden about the smear to which she replied the center “shares the goal of unity”. Jodi Enda, the editor in chief of ThinkProgress, said that her website “is editorially independent and that “we don’t have a favored candidate, and we don’t have a candidate who we disfavor.” Ms. Tanden’s mother, Maya Tanden, says that her daughter “can be very aggressive”. “She’s not going to let anyone rule over her,” she said, “and she has loyalty to Hillary because Hillary is the one who made her”. “Those Bernie brothers are attacking her all the time, but she lets them have it, too,” Maya Tanden said. “She says Sanders got a pass” in 2016, “but he’s not getting a pass this time.”

Bernie Spoke at a town hall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Since his 2016 campaign Americans were attacking him to release his tax returns, his avoidance of the topic made people wonder if he was hiding something. Right before the town hall speech he released 10 years of his tax records, which showed that his adjusted gross income in 2018 was $560,000: they would be paying 26% with the effective tax rate.

Bernie Sanders looks like he could could be a primary candidate for the 2020 presidential election. His main policies are environmental protection, immigration, and raising the minimum wage to 15$ an hour.  We will have to work towards a more progressive America.