Bernie Sanders is Back

Biden is out. Trump is in. Bernie Sanders has something to say about it. 

Bernie Sanders' historic 2016 presidential run lives forever within the hearts of those who know that America can be better. At the time, Hillary Clinton was poised to become the candidate. However,  Bernie rose to the occasion and challenged the Democratic establishment to support policies that were popular among voters. 

Unfortunately, savvy political maneuvering denied him the opportunity to face off against Donald Trump in the general election. But he would yet return during the next election cycle. Bernie supporters were ecstatic to see him take the debate stage once again. They had hoped that Bernie would be more antagonistic against the establishment Democratic candidates. Hillary Clinton's loss in the previous election had convinced many that the party's bland and commitmentless approach would fail again. But, Bernie refused to be anything other than cordial. He frequently referred to Joe Biden as his friend. Once again the party conspired against him and power coalesced around Biden, making him the candidate. 

After his ascension to the candidacy,  Biden took a different approach. He brought Bernie in and positioned him to influence the party's platform. He needed Bernie’s supporters to show up for him on election day and made big promises to them. Voting rights, minimum wage increases, and more. Biden painted a picture for voters where the future would be bright if only he could become President. It worked. Biden won the Electoral College and the popular vote. But then what happened? 

We’re not going to lie to you. Biden did accomplish some things as President. They did some student debt relief, lowered the price of some pharmaceutical drugs, and cracked down on some junk fees. Biden delivered some things and some Americans felt it. But when it came to the big promises, he came up short. Over time, Bernie’s presence was felt less and less. 

Kamala Harris was the Democratic Party’s next choice to be President. She, like her predecessors, ran a campaign that was light on policy and heavy on anti-Trump rhetoric. Long (and painful) story short: she came, lost, and now Trump is returning. Bernie has once again re-entered the conversation with some stern words for the establishment Democrats.

The day after election day, the Senator from Vermonttweeted the following:

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And They’re right."

In an attached longer statement, Bernie elaborated on the issues that many Americans face. The wealth gap is expanding. Worker pay is stagnant and their employment prospects are in danger due to recent technological advances. Reliable healthcare is still out of reach and the cost of living is out of control. He ends his passionate plea to the party by encouraging “serious political discussions” among those who care about democracy.

We could not agree more. Joe Biden may have defeated Trump in 2020, but it was a narrow victory. According to NPR's Domenico Montanaro, "...just 44,000 votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin separated Biden and Trump from a tie in the Electoral College." For decades, the Democratic Party’s strategy of performative politics over meaningful change has left everyday Americans feeling despondent and discouraged. Instead of giving people hope, they’ve given them celebrity endorsements. They have always served the powerful but in recent years, they have given up on even pretending to be on our side. Even now, in the shadow of Kamala’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the well-documented bigot and buffoon, Trump, the party will not course correct. They are drunk on donor money and will repeat the same mistakes again and again. 

It is up to us to break the cycle. Times are dark now. Trump wants you to give up so that JD Vance can inherit his throne. The Democratic establishment needs you to become complacent so that they can burden us with another corrupted loser candidate. But now is the time to fight. TYT is ready to begin our political counter-attack on the status quo. We need you by our side to make this work. But know this, we are not alone.