It is no secret that Senator Bernie Sanders has attracted a substantial following of eager voters under the age of 30. The fact that the youngest of democratic voters support him is is somewhat shocking considering the Senator, at age 74, is up to four times their age.
According to Gallup, 59% of 18 to 24 year-olds view Senator Sanders favorably, while only 34% of the same age group views Secretary Clinton favorably. Generally, Senator Sanders’ favorability decreases with age, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s favorability increases. At risk of bucking this trend, I am decidedly not feeling the “Bern,” although this will have no influence on the polls, as I will not be able to vote in a presidential election until 2020.
There is a striking similarity between Bernie and a middle school class representative that promises no more homework and cupcakes for lunch. Over-promising sets the scene for under-delivering, which causes resentment across the board. Without clear plans, we have been forced to guess how Bernie plans to provide free college education for all or make other seemingly impossible reforms. As he stated in an interview with New York Daily News, he plans to break down the banks because he claims they are “destroying the fabric of America.” He cites JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs as the problem companies, but provides no clear plan regarding how to break them up. Bernie’s ideas just do not seem to be the best fit in the United States, a country that thrives on capitalism. Later on in the article, the Daily News asks the Senator how he will get anything done if the House of Representatives or the Senate does not support his radical plans. In short, he responds by calling for help, admitting that he cannot accomplish a political revolution on his own, and leaving no explanation as to how he will accomplish one with a Republican Congress. I find his policy positions impulsive and unsupportable. To me, Senator Sanders and Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth: short-tempered showmen in love with the infinite attention they are receiving.
Aside from his policies, Senator Sanders’ body language and debating style are off-putting. He has been degrading to Hillary in debates, cutting her off and putting his hand out to stop her from talking. It is strange that he is so rigid in his thinking when he is trying to promote extreme equality. His tone is domineering, and he is certainly not a good listener. Furthermore, he dismisses the importance of banks and other corporations to our nation’s economy.
I speculate that Secretary Clinton would be a more successful leader, as she would be more willing to work with Republican politicians and party members than Senator Sanders. I think she would bring about some important change in terms of stricter gun control, and a fairer tax system for the middle class. Her positions on issues sometimes change, which to some makes her seem untrustworthy; however, I take it as an indication that she listens to the concerns of the American people and will seek pragmatic solutions, something Senator Sanders seems incapable of.
It is no secret that Senator Bernie Sanders has attracted a substantial following of eager voters under the age of 30. The fact that the youngest of democratic voters support him is is somewhat shocking considering the Senator, at age 74, is up to four times their age.
According to Gallup, 59% of 18 to 24 year-olds view Senator Sanders favorably, while only 34% of the same age group views Secretary Clinton favorably. Generally, Senator Sanders’ favorability decreases with age, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s favorability increases. At risk of bucking this trend, I am decidedly not feeling the “Bern,” although this will have no influence on the polls, as I will not be able to vote in a presidential election until 2020.
There is a striking similarity between Bernie and a middle school class representative that promises no more homework and cupcakes for lunch. Over-promising sets the scene for under-delivering, which causes resentment across the board. Without clear plans, we have been forced to guess how Bernie plans to provide free college education for all or make other seemingly impossible reforms. As he stated in an interview with New York Daily News, he plans to break down the banks because he claims they are “destroying the fabric of America.” He cites JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs as the problem companies, but provides no clear plan regarding how to break them up. Bernie’s ideas just do not seem to be the best fit in the United States, a country that thrives on capitalism. Later on in the article, the Daily News asks the Senator how he will get anything done if the House of Representatives or the Senate does not support his radical plans. In short, he responds by calling for help, admitting that he cannot accomplish a political revolution on his own, and leaving no explanation as to how he will accomplish one with a Republican Congress. I find his policy positions impulsive and unsupportable. To me, Senator Sanders and Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth: short-tempered showmen in love with the infinite attention they are receiving.
Aside from his policies, Senator Sanders’ body language and debating style are off-putting. He has been degrading to Hillary in debates, cutting her off and putting his hand out to stop her from talking. It is strange that he is so rigid in his thinking when he is trying to promote extreme equality. His tone is domineering, and he is certainly not a good listener. Furthermore, he dismisses the importance of banks and other corporations to our nation’s economy.
I speculate that Secretary Clinton would be a more successful leader, as she would be more willing to work with Republican politicians and party members than Senator Sanders. I think she would bring about some important change in terms of stricter gun control, and a fairer tax system for the middle class. Her positions on issues sometimes change, which to some makes her seem untrustworthy; however, I take it as an indication that she listens to the concerns of the American people and will seek pragmatic solutions, something Senator Sanders seems incapable of.
