Disclaimer: this article was written before April 9, when Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his presidential campaign.

Suffice to say, 2016 didn’t exactly go the way many Democrats wanted it to.

Instead of electing our first female president in American history, we instead elected another white male. We know the spiel.

Trump’s victory proved one thing to the world: that if you have the ability to get up on stage and speak your mind, your supporters will rally around you. It’s the reason why so many presidents were elected, regardless of past political experience. In some cases, like Reagan, it worked out fine for America. It’s clear that in America, voters resonate with someone who has political experience, yet manages to discern themselves from “just another boring politician.” 

This is why Bernie Sanders should be the Democratic nominee.

My first reason why Bernie needs to be the president is that unlike a majority of politicians in the United States currently, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. As we have seen from Bernie’s speeches and debates, he will always say the truth, even if it harms his campaign. And after years and years of politicians lying to us, saying everything is fine even though it isn’t, don’t you want to experience some honesty for once coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

I next need to mention a very technical part of an election: the polls. Ten polls have been conducted since February 5th between Bernie and Trump, and overall, Bernie beat Trump with an average number of affirmative votes of 49.6 to 44.9. Numbers rarely lie, and these statistics render the “Bernie can’t beat Trump” argument moot. He can beat Trump. The polls show it.

Many have also used the argument of health as a logical reason for Bernie not to be president. While it’s true that he had a heart attack seven months ago, this isn’t a reason for his campaign to be thrown out the window. Look at the opposition. Do you honestly think that Biden is in the best mental health of his life? I can’t turn on the news without reading an article about his latest mix-up during a speech. 

In August of 2019, Biden said on stage that “poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids,” later correcting himself, saying that he meant to also say “wealthy kids, black kids, Asian kids.” The same day? He referred to Theresa May, the former British prime minister, as Margaret Thatcher, who held May’s former position three decades ago. That’s not the first time he has confused the two.

Somehow, that same month, Biden told a moving war story at a rally about a soldier whom he was supposed to pin a Silver Star on as Vice President. The issue? Almost every detail was incorrect. He got the time period, the location, the heroic act, the type of medal, the military branch and the rank of the recipient wrong, as well as his own role in the ceremony. 

Trump once berated Clinton in 2016 for catching pneumonia, claiming that she was unfit to be president due to her health. Several have pointed out that if Bernie was the nominee, then Trump would use his heart attack as a reason for Bernie’s incapability to be president. I find it hard to believe that Trump, given how he treats his opponents, would decide to not bring up Biden’s gaffes at a debate.

Furthermore, a presidency under Bernie Sanders would be historic for one specific reason: he’s Jewish. Yes, out of our 45 presidents of the United States, none of them have been Jewish. This is a huge milestone for the Jewish community, and Bernie is the only candidate remaining who can achieve said milestone.

Some have accused Bernie of being too idealistic, saying his plans are all fluff with no substance. As Elizabeth Warren said in a Democratic debate in July, “I don’t understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for.” Bernie is putting this mindset to work. He’s focusing on what needs to get done in this country, rather than what can’t be done.

On his campaign website, Bernie promises that as president, he will reintroduce and pass the Green New Deal. Some may remember this when New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first introduced it in February 2019. The plan was called ‘too idealistic’ and too ‘far-fetched.’ Yet Bernie is looking past the obvious criticisms to bring a new version of this plan to life. He’s taking what many say to be impossible and trying to form it in a different and feasible manner, something that several members of Congress neglected to do with the first Green New Deal.

I’ll just leave you with a quote that I think perfectly sums up Bernie’s mindset on corruption in the US: “The point is, change can come about, but it only comes about when millions of people are actively involved in political struggle. The billionaires may have the money, but we have the people.” 

Those don’t sound like the words of a politician who wants to keep the system we have the same. No, those are the words of someone who wants to roll up their sleeves and fight for real change.