There’s no denying the fact that the unexpected recent presidential election cycle was a tough pill to swallow for the Democratic Party to swallow. With Donald Trump winning the White House, and Republicans maintaining majority over the House and Senate, it’s about time that the Democratic National Committee took a good, hard look at itself in the mirror. It wouldn’t surprise us in the slightest if when they finally do decide look into that mirror, tthat hey see Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wagging his finger and saying “I told you so."
Even though many of his supporters feel that Sanders was cheated by the DNC during his primary race against Hillary Clinton, the progressive politician still backed his opponent when the time came to go against Trump. During his primary campaign, Bernie gained unprecedented support from the youth thanks to his plans for free college and healthcare, decriminalizing marijuana, as well as paying American workers a livable wage. At the end of the day, Trump clinched the presidency with the electoral college vote, but Bernie isn’t going step aside and let the new Commander-in-Chief- go unchecked for his extremely questionable decisions and statements.
While many Democrats and leftists feel lost and confused with Trump’s takeover, Sanders has emerged as the new face of the party. Immediately after the general election ended, Sanders went to work to reform the DNC, attempting to get them to connect with the working class people once again. To do this, Bernie started campaigning to make Keith Ellison the next chair of the DNC.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Brooklyn native laid out his vision for the future of the Democratic Party. "Our future is not raising money from wealthy people, but mobilizing millions of working people and young people and people of color," he said.
When it comes to Trump, Bernie Sanders has thrown punches when necessary while also challenging Trump hold true to his promises on the issues they agree with, such as getting jobs back to the working class, reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act, and pledging not to cut Medicare or Social Security. In the Rolling Stone interview, Sanders even has the guts to give Trump credit for the unlikely success of his movement.
“He took on the leadership of the Republican Party, absolutely took on, obviously, the Democratic Party, took on the corporate media, took on everybody, and he became the president of the United States. I think if there's a lesson to be learned from Trump's success, it is that timidity is no longer the path to success. The Democrats have got to start thinking big. During my campaign, that was one of our slogans: Think big, not small,” Sanders said.
In the lengthy interview, Bernie Sanders discusses the failures of the corporate media and Democratic Party, the solutions he believes will set the country back on a progressive path, as well as his new book "Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In". As many Americans feel a lack of optimism for the country under control of Trump, Bernie Sanders has risen like Batman to try and protect the country. He might not be the president that America deserved, but he should be considered as the political voice we need now more than ever.
Read the entire interview here.
