BY DOMINICK DICARLO | STAFF WRITER
There is almost no doubt in my mind that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will be able to capture the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2020. After he wins the nomination, he is going to be a formidable opponent for President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
When looking at the current field of Democratic candidates, none seem as complete as Sanders. Most of the Democrats running in 2020 are looking for some niche that will help them stand out in an incredibly crowded and diverse field. Sanders does not need the same kind of boost that many of these other candidates need. Thanks for his efforts in 2016, (where if we all remember correctly, he almost defeated the most well-known and well-funded Democratic candidate in history) he has the name recognition and reputation with voters to make him the instant favorite. Sanders was able to create a populist grassroots following in the 2016 cycle with almost no campaign apparatus in place when he launched his bid for the Presidency. I would like all of you to imagine what he can do in the primaries now that he has a strong infrastructure ready to go from the very start.
The voters who make up the Democratic party are moving further and further to the left every election cycle. As more young people become registered Democrats, we are seeing the party become more progressive, something that is of huge benefit to the self-proclaimed “democratic socialist” Sanders. While there are plenty of other candidates in the 2020 field who have adopted some of Sanders policy proposals, he was the one preaching the progressive doctrine well before anyone else realized it was popular within the party. This sort of genuineness is what helped President Trump secure the Republican nomination in 2016 in a smaller yet still-crowded field of contenders just like what the Democrats have in 2020.
Just as President Trump used his populist appeal to win the Republican nomination in 2016, Sanders has the ability to do the same. Sanders message speaks to the same voters President Trump was able to appeal to in 2016. Sanders message is to people who are going through hard times, and who believe that the current system does not work for them, favoring people who are better off financially. Sanders is going to run on the same message he used in 2016, with an added tinge of Trump bashing to spice things up.
According to a recent Gallup poll, Sanders is also one of the most popular Democratic (though he is a registered independent) politicians in the country. The study found that 4 in 5 Democrats have a positive view of Sanders, while he also enjoys a 53% approval rating among Americans as a whole, which is higher than most of the other 2020 contenders in the Democratic field. Add this into the fact that he still remains the most prominent supporter of progressive policies and you begin to paint a very telling picture of how the 2020 election is shaping up. Gallup has also found that most Democrats polled today favor a socialist system to a capitalist one, something that will also heavily help in Sanders quest to capture the nomination.
Senator Bernie Sanders is most likely going to win the Democratic nomination in 2020, setting up an extremely interesting general election between a self-avowed democratic-socialist and the brash Republican billionaire, President Donald Trump. There is a clear and obvious choice that the American people will have to face in 2020, one that calls into question the true identity of our great nation. During his State of the Union address, President Trump stated:
“America will never be a socialist country,”
which then brought about a roaring applause from his fellow Republicans gathered in the chamber. I sincerely hope that the American people will not let themselves fall for the false promises of socialism. Only time will tell exactly what America we will be looking at after the 2020 election comes and goes.
President Trump and his fellow Republicans must unite behind a coherent message that consists of economic and personal freedom if they hope to hold onto the White House in 2020. Because they will be battling an incredibly motivated Democratic base of voters led by Sanders and his message of democratic-socialism.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Liberty Den University or its members.
Sources: