Well, it’s official.
Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is running for the 2020 nomination for President of the United States.
But unlike two years ago, when he was branded “radical,” when pundits and beltway politicians accused his agenda calling for Medicare-for-all, free public college tuition, a complete transition away from fossil fuel consumption, a $15-dollar minimum wage, and requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share of taxes, as being “unrealistic,” these positions have since become codified in the Democratic party platform, as have criminal justice reform, campaign finance reform, and other issues that previously either got passing mention or no mention at all.
In a Tuesday morning email to supporters, Sen. Sanders stated:
“Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.”
Indeed, that political revolution has transformed the political landscape.
Vt. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ historic primary challenge against Hillary Clinton in 2016 proved the term “Democratic Socialism” isn’t the Boogie Man Cold War-era propaganda has always made it out to seem.
Sen. Sanders proved Americans overwhelmingly favor progressive positions on issues that most affect them, that those positions are not “radical,” but are, in fact, those that defined the Democratic party from the 1930s to the 1990s before the Democratic Leadership Council, Third-Way corporate takeover.
In his message in which he announced his candidacy, Sanders said:
“Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda we were told that our ideas were ‘radical’ and ‘extreme’. Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.”
His political revolution called for regular Americans from all walks of life to ingratiate themselves in a process from which they had been previously shut out.
This ushered in a new wave of progressive candidates, many of whom were elected this November to state, local, and federal government.
Are you “feeling the Bern?”
Run, Bernie, run!
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
