Opinions

Bernt out on Bernie Sanders

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders is considering running again, but I don’t think he’s what America needs anymore. 2020 is approaching fast and there are already many candidates vying for presidency.

The next President of the United States will be making decisions for me, you and the rest of the country.

While Sanders has not confirmed whether or not he is running for president, he has been making some pretty big strides toward a possible campaign, according to Politico.

Last election season, I was definitely pro-Sanders. I’ve always believed him to be a progressive man with good ideas. However, since his last run, there have been some controversies surrounding Sanders that make me think he may not be the best candidate after all.

Sen. Sanders has recently received flack for giving a rebuttal to the address on Facebook after President Donald’s Trump’s State of the Union Address. The Democratic Party officially gave that honor to former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives Stacey Abrams, but Sanders delivered his rebuttal anyway.

It seemed to me like Sanders was trying to take the spotlight from a woman in hopes of gaining publicity to advance his political agenda. This didn’t bode well for him, and added to the backlash he was already receiving for alleged sexual harassment.

The Root, a Black news organization, posted a sneering opinion piece on their website among many other news media organizations that criticized Sen. Sanders’ rebuttal.

Sanders has also experienced criticism from various news organizations regarding his treatment of women during his 2016 presidential candidacy. Sexual harassment allegations from the women who worked with him during his campaign have surfaced since then.

Sanders told media outlets that he was unaware of the allegations on Jan. 2 where he issued a public apology to the women that were affected.

As a woman myself, these claims are very concerning, especially when we already have someone in office that does not treat women well at all. I certainly do not want that for another four years, and I don’t think anyone else does either.

To me, it would be as if the country was taking more steps back, devaluing all of the wonderful things women in government have worked so hard to accomplish.

While a large amount of Democratic voters “felt the Bern,” last election season, others thought Sanders’ ideas were too democratic and too socialist. This scared a lot of people away and kept them from supporting his campaign.

However, Sanders’ democratic and socialist ideas don’t scare me. My fear is that all of the ambitious promises that Sanders made might not get any funding, leaving America stagnant.

How can you offer free college in America and have no clear plan on funding it? It is a nice idea, but actions speak louder than words. Sanders needs a plan of action, especially gearing up for 2020 if he’s going to keep all of the supporters he gained in 2016.

Another concern I have with Sanders running again is his age, 77.

Donald Trump is 72 and the oldest serving president of the United States to date. Reports have shown he has had health issues during the time he has been in office that caused concerns for White House staff.

If Sanders hopes to even be in the running, he better make some quick changes to his political agenda. He needs to gain support from more than just millennials or there is no point in him running.

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