The debate on the left comes down to one simple point in most cases: who is the best candidate to beat Trump. After Biden’s performance on Super Tuesday crushed expectations, we wrote a piece detailing the top 10 reasons why Biden might not be such a bad choice after all. After receiving nearly a quarter of a million views, we thought it would be important to re-iterate that it was not an endorsement of Biden, but rather a piece detailing to our fellow progressives why a Biden vs. Trump election may not be such a bad thing. Today, we are detailing the top 10 reasons why Sanders would be a much better candidate vs. Trump.
1) Youth voter turnout for Sanders could be higher than we have ever seen in history
Bernie Sanders is popular among the youth demographic. This is a demographic that doesn’t feel typically inspired to vote, as in 2012 only 46.1% turned out to vote (in contrast to the over 60 crowd, which turned out at a rate of 70%+). In 2016, they only increased their turnout by 1%. With Bernie as a nominee, the chances of getting the youth vote to turn up on election day is predicted to be much higher than this, as Sanders has a campaign machine that is uniquely positioned to turn out the youth vote. While this didn’t play out on Super Tuesday, the caucusing in primaries is something youth voters tend not to have a solid understanding of.
2) The Democrat establishment candidates are failing to inspire progressive voters
It’s no secret that Progressive voters are typically for massive, systemic change in the current system. Wealth redistribution to the rich is happening at a record pace as the Trump administration has overseen a feeding frenzy for lobbyists and corporations. Last year, 60 of the Fortune 500 corporations paid zero dollars in taxes. Government subsidizing of corporate interests has skyrocketed, and we have seen massive increases in these subsidies to agricultural corporations, and not the small farmers the Trump administration would have you believe were recipients in most cases. An establishment Democrat like Biden may not “rock the boat”, and that is a problem for most progressives.
3) Biden vs. Trump would be an election of two old white guys slinging Character insults for the next 7 – 8 months
This is a bad look for both the Democrat and Republican parties for this country. We are already suffering historic loss of respect on the world stage as a result of Trump. While Biden was part of the most respected administration in recent history, Biden is no Obama, and lacks the charisma and oration eloquence of Obama. Biden has a tendency to react angrily when being goaded, and if Trump had a superpower, it would be goading others. By contrast, Bernie Sanders would elicit an issues-based debate format, easily shrugging off Trump’s attacks and staying focused on the issues at hand.
4) The world needs a “Green New Deal”
And we do not have much time left. With Trump, we are seeing disastrous environmental catastrophe across the world, which will only get worse in the very near future. Bernie Sanders environmental policy might be the only chance we have at sustaining civilization as we know it. Sound like hyperbole? It’s not. The energy lobby giveaways coupled with the fact that between our EPA and Interior department, Scott Pruitt and Ryan Zinke oversaw the most corrupt cabinet’s in recent history. Their predecessors are both energy industry lobbyists who are sacking this countries resources for corporations at record pace.
5) The United States is quickly becoming a corporatocracy, and Sanders is the only candidate with a solution
One of Bernie Sanders most used talking points is that the wealthiest three families now control more wealth than the bottom half of this country. This is a point that is absolutely true, and one of the symptoms of a broken system. Bernie Sanders isn’t saying anyone shouldn’t be wealthy, but the idea of the ultra-rich hoarding all the wealth is something that is inherently un-American. Wealth taxes such as that which Bernie Sanders proposes doesn’t take away the income that the wealthy have amassed, it forces the wealth to be used in such a way that the right-wings favorite economic fallback of “supply-side economics” being effective is forced to be true. Right now, it is not, as there are no shortages of studies debunking Trickle-Down Theory, as all the data shows it to be a myth. A wealth tax would force the ultra-rich to invest in infrastructure and the jobs it would no doubt create. This would have the effect of potentially making them even more wealthy by increasing the wealth available overall, and the United States Ability to generate revenue.
6) Investing in the people of this country isn’t the same thing as “free stuff”
Nearly every corporation in the top 100 in this country understand that they need to invest in order to increase their income earning potential. Investing in marketing, investing in R&D, investing in infrastructure, investing in human resources. These things are analogous to investing in healthcare, investing in jobs, investing in education, and investing in development of new projects. This is at the heart of Bernie Sanders economic policy. It has nothing to do with “giveaways” and everything to do with investing in the future success of our nation.
7) We need a solution to our healthcare crisis. Sanders’ support for Medicare for All is our best chance at fixing a broken system
It’s not quite the risk that the corporate establishment wants us to think it is. Considering it’s success in 18 of the top 25 wealthiest countries that offer it, we have all the data we need to know for a fact that it works. ACA was supposed to be a fix for some of our biggest healthcare challenges, and as it was originally written, it may have been. But the public option was one of the first things to go, effectively de-fanging healthcare reforming and giving the Republicans enough ammunition to claim it is a failed policy. The public option would have lowered healthcare costs and made healthcare more competitive, and the 80/20 rule was effectively lowering rates until Trump got rid of it in 2017.
8) Even if Sanders were to lose against Trump, the progressive conversation he would make mainstream would be good for this country
Many don’t want to even consider the prospects of a second Trump term, a fear that is currently playing into Biden’s favor, but even if Sander’s were to lose against Trump (which all polls on the matter say he would not lose to Trump, more on that in a moment), the idea of a true progressive conversation about what rights the middle-class and poor actually have in this country would be a positive catalyst for progressive movement taking more prominence in the Democrat party. This is a conversation that the DNC needs to have, as establishment Democrat politicians are all we have known for years. Clinton, Obama, Biden, these are all centrists in liberal clothing, and as a country, continuing to put these people in power is not fixing systemic issues that we are facing as a party and country.
9) Most polls have Bernie Sanders easily beating Trump in an election
This is the point that many establishment Dems are avoiding in claiming that Bernie Sanders would not perform well against Donald Trump. As of this writing, every major poll on the subject has Sanders beating Trump by an average of 5 points. Don’t listen to the people who tell you Bernie Sanders can’t win against Trump. These are the same people who haven’t taken the time to listen to Sander’s platform. When people do take the time, they support him overwhelmingly, as his approach to politics is common-sense.
10) Democratic socialism is not socialism.
Capitalism will remain the undercurrent of our system, and we will see an increase in jobs, revenue, and earning potential under the policies of Bernie Sanders. Investing in education means you will have a higher-earning workforce. Investing in infrastructure means jobs for those who need them. Investing in healthcare is protecting your income assets, and investing in our future means having a future to invest in. These are all common-sense principles that you will see as the first attacked when those who don’t want Sanders as president get involved in the discourse. Correct them and send them on their way.
This clickbait “top-ten” list is actually a small set of the benefits of a Sanders presidency, and doesn’t even scratch the surface of why his nomination may be crucial to the existence of our nation. After the destruction to our democracy seen with Donald Trump, the only way to clean up this mess and reverse the damage he has done to regulations, credibility, middle-class, etc. is Bernie Sanders. While a Biden Presidency would be more positive than a Trump presidency, our best chance for vital systemic change is Bernie Sanders. I hope Michigan and accompanying states voting this Super Tuesday realize the importance and impact that this will have for years to come.