[August 29, 2015] Anti-establishment leadership! U.S. presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders is an Independent running for the Democratic Party nomination. By his own claim, he is a “socialist democrat” who is working to unite people for a better world and opposes political cronyism in Washington, D.C. His popularity expanded quickly as he regularly draws large crowds to his speaking events. Why is it that so many political experts failed to predict his appeal to so many people?
His rise in popularity seemed to defy common political wisdom. Being a socialist, an Independent from a small state (Vermont), old for a candidate (almost 74 years old), a professorial demeanor, and a dull speaker … how could he draw such enthusiastic crowds? Unsurprisingly, those same political experts predicted his early exit from the campaign and that his competitor Hillary Clinton would trounce him thoroughly. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Bernie Sanders has come along at a time where established career politicians have been under increased criticism for doing nothing to solve major problems. Those politicians, it is claimed, talk a lot and make promises yet nothing serious appears to get done. And this is far more than just a United States phenomenon; we see it across Europe, parts of Asia, and the Americas.
Sanders is somewhat like Donald Trump who is also benefiting from this trend. While each has very different philosophies and political policy recommendations, the anti-establishment movement is pushing both upward in recent polls. Furthermore, whether by design or by luck, Sanders is further seen as someone who stands with “the people” to help them with their frustrations in a lackluster economy. And, of course, the socialist ideology is very attractive if one is unaware of its tragic history (more on socialism’s attractions here and here).
His greatest popularity is with younger people; those who have less knowledge and experience with the political process and are generally ignorant on socialism. Yet, Sanders lacks the democratic political machine and the money needed to truly challenge a serious Democratic National Party candidate in the long term. Right now the anti-establishment movement is working for him but other factors will be the deciding factor in the next several months of his campaign.
Tomorrow: Why is Ben Carson’s Campaign Growing?
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[Disclaimer] I have no affiliation with any presidential candidate, nor do any of my relatives. I’m a registered Republican with a history of voting. The views here are mine and mine alone and I am responsible for any errors contained in my blog.