Have you ever wondered why millennial voters are so deeply in love with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders?
Millennials are going mad for a candidate who is leading his campaign with unmistakable clarity, justified outrage, and a plan to completely transform the system we know today.
A particularly unlikely contender, Bernie is that wild, white-haired Independent from Vermont, most likely found hunched over a podium jabbing his finger at a corrupt system. I mean, compared to a stone-cold Clinton and The Donald, how can you not love the guy?
Anyone remember that time he was visited by a little birdie in the middle of his rally in Portland, Oregon?
Of course you do.
Some are fascinated by his kooky hairdo and loud persona. His slogans are brilliant and his social media campaign is superb.
A Democratic socialist? Sounds dangerous.
But I'd like to think young, educated voters deserve much more credit than that.
For the first time ever, millennials, AKA Generation Y, will make up the same proportion of the U.S. voting age as the Baby Boomers. Their vote is JUST as important as the rest of the nation, contrary to popular belief.
Millennials have grown up during the worst recession since the 1930s. They watched their parents nervously struggle with funds. They quickly developed their own anxiety about the future as they graduated into one big giant mess. The average student leaves college with $28,000 in student loans, on top of a frightening uncertainty about landing jobs and affording homes.
Bernie reminds us of the promises we were granted as children. The biggest generation of all time, we were told our futures would be brighter than ever. Gender was irrelevant, race was just the color of someone's skin, looks were temporary and superficial. We could achieve anything we set our minds to.
Flash forward 20 years or so, and we are forced to realize just the opposite. We are heartbroken by youth killed on the streets, enraged by a woman's pittance of a salary when compared to her male counterparts. We are furious with rates of inflation, pondering the difficulty of finding a well-paying job that keeps up with the rents. Most importantly, we are perplexed by the idea that the majority of the wealth in our country resides within a small portion of the nation's most privileged.
Point blank: In Bernie, we see our childhood ideals, we see equality, we see justice, and most importantly, we see ourselves.
Here's the downside. When you have such an outsider running for President under a political party he or she has never been a part of, you will run into problems getting through the primary. Political parties exist for a reason.
Yes, Bernie, I also dream of living in a country with a political system that thrives without corporate influence, universal healthcare, and free education.
However, in the US political system... this is likely a fantasy.
Though Bernie may very well not be the next POTUS (who can say for sure?), we can all agree the man has made a profound impact on the political agenda. By transforming the dialogue within the Democratic party, Bernie has successfully highlighted the idea that the current political system encourages economic and social inequality.
