By JAMES SCALIA
Bernie Sanders became a center-point of the 2016 presidential election when he led an exciting campaign in his attempt to become the Democratic nominee. Although Sanders did not accomplish his goal, he had a very strong influence on a certain group of people: Millennials.
Young teenagers loved the older Vermont senator so much that they keyed his popularity with the phrase, “Feel the Bern.” Even though Donald Trump was eventually elected as the 45th president of the United States, Sanders left an indelible impact on a generation of people.
“Bernie Sanders’ vision is one of unity rather than separation and I truly admire. His ingenuity and optimism gives me hope for the future of America,” said Ramapo College sophomore student Natalia Sampedro who voted for Senator Sanders in the Democratic primaries.
Sanders’ Impact
Sanders’ began his life helping protest during the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. He even chained himself to other African-Americans during the demonstrations for equal rights and was also arrested on one occasion.
“I think that millennials loved Bernie’s involvement with the civil rights movement because his ideas were ahead of his time in the 1960’s,” Hooper said. “He was in the March on Washington in 1963 where about 80% of the marchers were African American. He was one of the very few Caucasian men who fought for civil rights of black people.”
According to a poll from Harvard University, published in the Washington Post, Sanders was by far the most popular candidate for ages ranging from 18-29. Polling director John Della Volpe explained that even though he didn’t win the election, he has heavily influenced the most politically-involved generation in the last century.
According to the Washington Post, 80% of millennials voted for Sanders in the primaries, but only 55% of millennials voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
Sanders also didn’t try to influence a certain audience of people. He stood his ground on many issues that he had the same opinion on 40 years ago, such as gay rights, transgender rights, and the “bigotry” of Wall Street.
He preached having a tuition-free college education, which became music to many millennials’ ears. Lodi, N.J. resident Bill Polito, 68, also felt that Sanders’ promise of free education resonated with a younger audience.
“He excites young people and assures them that the American dream still exists. His idea of free public college education instilled younger people to further their own education,” Polito said.
Sanders was also passionate about climate change, single-payer health care and altering America’s economy because of his socialistic background.
#FeelTheBern – Social Media
Social media also became a huge platform for senator Sanders’ campaign, and Twitter was most popular. The hashtag “Feel the Bern” was spread across the internet constantly and flooded timelines far more frequently than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump’s campaign.
Many also took a liking to Sanders’ compassion and subtle sense of humor, such as when a bird flew to his podium during a rally in Oregon.
Senator Sanders still remains active since Donald Trump was elected, and even took part in a debate on CNN with Ted Cruz on Feb. 7 to discuss the future of Obamacare. Sanders also remains active through his Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts sharing his input on political issues and what he votes for on the Senate.
Sanders’ supporters feel that his impact influenced an entire generation of people, which in turn can help shape a different American society in the future.
Nice article. I didn’t know that the age range that Bernie was the most popular candidate in spanned all the way from 18-29. I would have liked to have read more about what some of his views are compared to the candidates he ran against.
Great story, the flow was great, and it kept me interested. Writing is great and I think you can add more to it to add someone exciting. Other than that everything worked in the article.