Why is America feeling the Bern?

Bernie Sanders pulls off his signature vague hand gesture, whilst wearing a particularly fetching suit.

 Why is America feeling the Bern?

Bernie Sanders is America’s only self-described socialist Senator. He has been a representative since 1990 and has received almost no recognition outside of Vermont until recently. So, what has driven Sanders to relative success this year?

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On November 6th 1990, 209,856 Vermont voters turned out to elect a little-known independent candidate, Bernie Sanders, to the House of Representatives; he received 56% of the vote. This prompted The Washington Post to declare him the “First Socialist Elected” – he was also the first independent candidate to become a representative for over 40 years. People sensed Bernie would upset the establishment – he was out of the ordinary – and that he did. Sanders estranged friends and foes alike by declaring that both political parties were mere puppets for corporate interests, and several of his early speeches to the floor in the House of Representatives focused on addressing the revolving door between corporate business and prominent public office.

Bernie then fronted several high-profile movements; some were successes, others were total abject failures. In 1993, Bernie was part of a small minority who voted against the Brady Bill, which mandated background checks in order to purchase guns, but the law was passed anyway (it was signed into law by Bill Clinton that November), with over 202 million Brady background checks completed since its implementation. However, a marginally successful campaign was his opposition to the Patriot Act – a piece of legislation “to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools” in order to “deter and punish terrorist acts”. He voted against the original legislation; promoted later amendments that aimed to restrict the effects – many of these were passed – and drafted an amendment himself that was passed through the House of Representatives.

But Bernie’s political ideology had been formed long before he had even considered becoming a representative. As a young Jewish boy living in Brooklyn, New York, Sanders had stood as class president in high school on the premise of providing “scholarships to war orphans in Korea”. Unfortunately, he came in third (only time will tell if he faces a similar losing fate in the Democratic nominations), but this situation serves as an illustration of why a growing portion of the country are “feeling the Bern” – he has an ideology and he is prepared to fight for it, and, unlike his opponents, has been fighting for it unwaveringly since Day One.

Similar things have been said about Donald Trump – people embrace his no-nonsense way of speaking – but it is important to make a distinction between the two men. Bernie Sanders has spent his entire life devoted to promoting the ideology he believes in, whereas Donald Trump has spent a large portion of his making money. For many Americans, this is exactly what makes Trump so popular; his ability to make money and run a successful business. Nevertheless, there is a clear difference between the two candidates; they have travelled very different paths in life, and this affects how they go about their politics (i.e. Donald Trump is aggressive because it is an effective strategy in the board room, whereas Sanders is calm and measured – normally – because this is the best way to address the House of Representatives or the Senate).

Many political commentators have claimed that Bernie is a populist, and to some extent this is true; his political aims align closely with that of an awful lot of the population. However, it is important not to overuse the term ‘populist’. The fact that a politician represents the wants of the public is not populism, it is simply a symptom of a functional and healthy democracy, and it is a refreshing thing to see in today’s world of party politics. Whether termed populism or not, the key to Sanders’ popularity and relative success is the fact that his policies resonate with many American voters.

Another important point to make is that a similar phenomena has been occurring around the world in recent years: the election of Syriza, an anti-austerity “coalition of the radical left”, in Greece; a wave of support for Podemos in Spain; and perhaps most prominently, the election of Jeremy Corbyn as the Labour Party leader in the UK following a nation-wide public vote. It seems as though the “Sanders phenomenon” is occuring across the world: a hopeful movement, pushing left-wing parties and candidates into the public eye. Whether you believe this is a good thing or not, one thing is for sure: it’s going to be interesting to see where we’re headed.