With Donald Trump’s first Presidential term coming to an end in November 2020, the race for the Democratic nomination is heating up. 78-year-old Bernie Sanders has a significant pull in younger voting demographics yet again, just like he did in 2016. Within the 18 to 29-year-old voter age demographic, Sanders is predominantly considered the more favorable candidate over former Vice President Joe Biden, 76, who is leading in the polls, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, 70, who is trailing just behind Sanders in recent national polls.
From Left to Right: Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Vice President Joe Biden
All things considered, this is, objectively, quite interesting. Pete Buttigieg, only 37, is one of the youngest Presidential candidates still in the running this close to election day, speaking historically, as well as one of the youngest candidates running on the Democratic ticket this late in the game. Not only that, but Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to last this long in the polls for the Democratic primary election. Nonetheless, the oldest candidate in the polls continues to be the most popular in polling for the youngest members of the Democratic voter demographic, 18 to 29-year-olds, who, coincidentally, have the largest percentage of individuals who openly identify themselves as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is worth noting that, speaking strictly statistically, this generation of voters is the least likely to be registered to vote, and to vote in general. But the University of Colorado’s student group Buffs 4 Bernie has a hunch that those numbers will change come 2020.
Pete Buttigieg at the CNN LGBTQ+ Equality Townhall, October 2019
Thomas Alan Goodley-Espinosa, a Bernie supporter of Hispanic descent and active contributing member of Buffs 4 Bernie, has confidence that Sanders is the no-brainer choice for young voters in 2020, should he win the Democratic nomination. “I know he supports the same values I do and supports wanting to implement the same policies I want implemented. Medicare for all, free college and cancelling student debt, Bernie Sanders also believes in cleaning and improving our criminal justice system which is so important,” said Espinosa.
Members of Buffs 4 Bernie Pose for a photo.
And then comes the heated debate over who Sanders should appoint to be his Vice President, should he be the nominee. Although a considerable amount of variation exists within the Bernie community, the general consensus is that Sanders ought to select a more moderate candidate for his Vice President. Sanders has faced plenteous of pressure from feminist groups to commit to choosing a female Vice President, as, despite his Jewish descent, he is still an elderly white male, which has been the decisive norm for presidents in this country, as we have still yet to have a female U.S. President or Vice President. “I think it would be a good choice for him to choose a moderate out of the Midwest; someone from Michigan or Wisconsin. This way he can pull in those union workers who still think he is too extreme,” he said.
U.S. Presidents, from Washington to Trump
Sanders made national headlines earlier this week following a heart attack, resulting in the cancellation of the rest of his campaign rallies planned until further notice. Sander’s age has continued to be a talking point of many older Democrats who are more moderate, claiming that he is too extreme or that he is too old. Ironically enough once again, younger Sanders supporters frequently use the common phrase, “age is just a number.” “Bernie Sanders is perfectly healthy now, and he is certainly healthier than the person currently in office,” Espinosa told me.
Bernie Sanders speaks about his health.
“Even though he has great policies for all of these issues, the main reason I support Bernie is because of his plan for Medicare for all. My family has had ‘good insurance’ for all of my life, and yet when my mother became sick, it had a huge financial impact on my family. The prices of her medications were outrageous. I remember her telling me about how one of the pills she had to take cost over a thousand dollars. One pill. So a bottle of those pills costs tens of thousands of dollars. There would be days where she was in agonizing pain, but she didn’t want to go to the hospital because she was scared of the cost,” said Max Gerber, a member of Buffs 4 Bernie.
The rising cost of insulin has been a nationwide concern when it comes to healthcare.
The high cost of healthcare in this country has been a major point of debate among the candidates for the 2020 Democratic primary candidate from the beginning. The divide between those in favor of universal healthcare versus those who still stand behind private health insurance has put Sanders and Warren in their own respective category, as both of their plans favor abolishing private health care plans altogether in favor of one universal health care plan. Sanders has frequently referred to health care as a human right. “With Medicare for all, no family would ever have to be scared that they can’t afford a medication or a medical bill. We can all agree that America needs to get better, and it seems that the majority of young people all across America agree that Bernie is the best choice for our future.”
Members of Buffs 4 Bernie table outside the UMC.
Buffs 4 Bernie is a student organization on campus; the current chapter was founded in September of 2019. Their meetings are held every Friday at 10am in case E-230. Thank you so much to everyone in the group for sharing your thoughts and time. Special thanks to Max Gerber, Thomas Alan Goodley-Espinosa, and Shay Mannik.