Top 100 Righteous Reasons to Support Bernie Sanders for President
Top 100 Righteous Reasons to Support Bernie Sanders for President
Dan Brook
Bernie Sanders is best able to take on and beat Trump/Pence & the GOP.
There are many vast and important differences when you compare Bernie to Trump/Pence and the GOP. Under a Bernie Sanders presidency, things would be at least as good as they are presently bad under Trump/Pence.
Here are 100 righteous reasons to support Bernie Sanders for President in 2020:
1. If you like the Walmart Corporation (with its union busting, racial and sexual discrimination, aggressive outsourcing, low pay, wage theft, super exploitation, destruction of small businesses, business manipulation, environmental destruction, etc.), the Koch Brothers, Wall Street, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Banks, Fox News, and the military-industrial complex (MIC), you’ll love Trump/Pence and the Republican Party! Bernie calls Walmart out for its misdeeds, criticizes the right-wing billionaire Koch Brothers, condemns ExxonMobil for its bad citizenship, is adamantly against and wants to break up corporations that are too big to fail, lambasts corporations that avoid taxes and don’t pay their fair share, that rip off workers and consumers, that defraud the government, and that have too much power in Washington. Bernie successfully pressured Amazon to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour.
2. Most Republicans are also too close with Monsanto and uncritically support GMOs (genetically-modified organisms). Bernie supports labeling GMOs to give consumers more-informed choices and to keep us healthy and safe, while attacking Big Ag and supporting more organic agriculture, family farms, better nutrition, investing in rural communities, and supporting a sustainable food system and environment. Bernie wants to break up agricultural monopolies to better protect farmers and consumers.
3. Punitive Trump/Pence and most Republicans support the death penalty, with all its many problems. Bernie wants to abolish the death penalty, making the US more civilized, as has been done in most other advanced countries. Bernie recognizes that the death penalty is “cruel and unusual punishment” and therefore unconstitutional, as well as racist and too expensive. Bernie knows the death penalty is dead wrong.
4. Authoritarian Trump/Pence and most Republicans support the authoritarian and privacy-invading Patriot Act and the disastrous war in Iraq, costing so many lives and so much money, spreading terrorism and giving rise to Al Qaida and ISIS, while suppressing our civil liberties. Courageously voting against it, Bernie refers to the disastrous Iraq War as a major foreign policy blunder that should not be repeated. Bernie voted against the Patriot Act, opposed NSA spying on Americans and supporting whistleblower Edward Snowden, voted against both Iraq wars, and opposed military intervention in Libya and Syria, clearly stating that war should be the last resort. Bernie showed judgment and courage by vociferously opposing the Iraq War as an unmitigated disaster built on lies, which resulted in many deaths and disabilities, much destruction, trillions of dollars wasted, increased debt, a suppression of civil rights, the spread of Al Qaida, the formation of ISIS, and more terrorism.
5. Most Republicans support a major air and/or ground war with American ground troops against ISIS in a variety of countries. Bernie opposes the philosophy of endless war that creates many more problems than it solves. When absolutely necessary, Bernie supports the possibility of limited military engagement within a broad international coalition with Muslim countries playing a major role in terms of combat and finance. Bernie opposes the US-supported, Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen and believes that war should be a last resort, that our actions should not lead to worse results, that civilians should not be attacked or starved, and that we should not fight if we are not willing to take care of our veterans afterward. Bernie has stated that “I do not believe in U.S. military intervention.” Bernie will rebuild our international alliances and focus on diplomacy. While Bernie has been anti-war, he has always been dedicated to taking care of veterans and our homeland.
6. Racist Trump/Pence and most Republicans don’t say much about ending white supremacy and racism; too often, quite the contrary. Trump/Pence have encouraged racism in various ways and white supremacists in the GOP have run for or currently occupy office. Refreshingly, Bernie often speaks out about the “ugly stain of racism” as well as xenophobia, islamophobia, immigrant-bashing, refugee refusal, voter suppression, mass incarceration, police abuse, the war on drugs, the criminal injustice system, the death penalty, immigration reform, unemployment, wage gaps based on race and sex, rollbacks of affirmative action, racial profiling, and discrimination based on race, sex, sexuality, and religion, and Bernie has repeatedly declared that we need to “end institutional racism”. Bernie vows that “we will go to war against white nationalism and racism”! Bernie has a very strong record on civil rights and civil liberties, as well as having a very strong platform on racial justice, while promising a diverse Cabinet and to work to end “all forms of racism in this country”. Bernie is willing to call out Trump as a racist, to say #BlackLivesMatter, and to invoke Sandra Bland (and other innocent victims of police abuse and murder like Eric Garner) and #SayHerName. Bernie always receives the highest rating from the NAACP.
7. Xenophobic Trump/Pence and most Republicans oppose granting asylum to child refugees fleeing poverty and violence in Mexico and Central America. As a child of refugee immigrants himself, Bernie said “The U.S. has always been a haven for the oppressed. Is there any group more vulnerable than children?” Bernie compassionately supports asylum for refugees, supports a path to citizenship for undocumented residents, supports DACA & DAPA and wants to expand them, supported the Senate’s 2013 immigration bill, supports comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) to create a fair and humane immigration system, and supports fair wages and good working conditions for all workers regardless of status. Bernie voted against ICE and wants to fundamentally restructure it.
8. Trump/Pence and many Republicans are too close to Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and #FauxNews, who have no compunction about lying and spreading false information and fake news. Bernie is their nemesis and is proud of it, always standing up and speaking out for truth, compassion, a free press, and democracy.
9. Trump/Pence and most Republicans oppose the legalization of marijuana and agricultural hemp. Bernie supports full legalization as part of criminal justice reform, saying that people shouldn’t go to jail for simply smoking a joint. Bernie is sensitive to the fact that the War on Drugs has mostly been a war on the poor and people of color since Republican Nixon cynically started it for that reason in 1971, costing billions of dollars, clogging our courts, overcrowding our jails and prisons, and ruining people’s lives (disproportionately the poor and people of color), while ignoring important issues. Bernie wants to end the War on Drugs, which would not only raise a lot of tax money, but would also save huge government spending on surveillance, arrests, trials, and mass incarceration. Bernie has also supported the legalization of medicinal marijuana and believes that marijuana should be removed from the schedule of the most dangerous drugs (Schedule 1).
10. Unlike punitive Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie supports criminal justice reform. Bernie recognizes the racism and classism built into the criminal justice system. He opposes racial profiling, unfair laws, police abuse, the War on Drugs, cash bail, civil asset forfeiture, mass incarceration, private prisons, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the death penalty, while supporting police reform, the demilitarization of police forces, gun control, marijuana legalization and expunging past marijuana convictions, prevention of domestic violence and hate crimes, alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenses, drug abuse treatment, mental health care, prison rehabilitation, and more education, training, and transparency as preventive measures. Bernie also believes that even those incarcerated and ex-cons should have the fundamental democratic right to vote, regardless of accusation or crime committed. Bernie’s plan is to cut the incarcerated population in half.
11. Greedy Trump/Pence and the Republicans don’t say much about raising the federal minimum wage to a living wage, happy to leave it at $7.25 per hour; some Republicans even want to abolish the minimum wage altogether. Bernie marches with strikers and picketers, actively supports unions, very clearly and repeatedly says that he wants to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $15 per hour (since at least 2014), wants to have a minimum teacher salary of $60,000, and Bernie believes that no one who works full time should live in poverty.
12. Unlike corporate Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie supports making it easier to unionize (he introduced his Workplace Democracy Act), facilitating worker co-ops, opposes so-called “right-to-work” laws, and would create millions of new high-paying jobs by building, fixing, and enhancing the nation’s physical and social infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, parks, ports, public transportation, and much more, while also hiring more teachers, nurses, and others. Bernie supports having at least one worker representative on every corporate board. Bernie has been pro-labor for decades and Bernie’s campaign workers are unionized, the only presidential campaign to ever do so. Bernie also wants to guarantee that all workers have paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, and paid vacation.
13. Idiotic Trump/Pence and most Republicans don’t have plans to make either preschool or public colleges and universities free for all students, and many Republicans seem to hold a grudge against teachers and education, while Bernie supports teachers and believes that no one who is desirous should be denied the opportunity to go to preschool or pursue higher education, including trade schools, because they can’t afford it and he plans to pay for this with a small sales tax on Wall Street and/or a small cut in military spending. Bernie opposes DeVos-style privatization of America’s public schools. Bernie also supports higher pay for teachers, more professional development, an end to high-stakes testing and teaching to the test. Education is a driving force for a more knowledgeable and more prosperous society.
14. Unlike sexist Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie is a feminist and opposes sexism and supports the Equal Rights Amendment. Bernie supports non-discrimination, equal pay, equal rights, equal opportunities, raising the minimum wage to a living wage (most minimum wage earners are women), expanding WIC, expanding Social Security, protecting and expanding reproductive health and freedom including contraception and abortion (since before Roe), paid parental leave, childcare, and preschool, fully-funded education and higher pay for teachers, a clean and sustainable environment, reauthorizing and expanding the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. Bernie has 100% pro-choice record and consistently receives the highest ratings from Planned Parenthood and NARAL. Gloria Steinem has dubbed Bernie an “honorary woman”. Bernie’s wife, Dr. Jane Sanders, is quite accomplished in her own right and would be a fabulous First Lady and is Bernie’s closest advisor.
15. Trump/Pence and most Republicans have super-secret SuperPACs, which funnel money from millionaires and billionaires. Bernie doesn’t have one, doesn’t want one, and he opposes the billionaires buying our elections. SuperPACs undermine democracy and Bernie actively opposes and wants to overturn the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision giving big corporations and the billionaires undue influence to pervert our democratic system for their greedy ends. Bernie refuses to take any money from any corporations. Bernie is independent and not for sale.
16. Trump/Pence and the Republicans are unwilling to make the necessary investments in building, maintaining, repairing, and rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, the physical backbone of the country. Bernie advocates investing $1 trillion over 10 years to build, maintain, repair, and rebuild crumbling infrastructure all around America (e.g. our roads, highways, tunnels, bridges, levees, airports, sea ports, parks, playgrounds, picnic areas, hospitals, schools, libraries, housing, community centers, recreation areas, beaches, monuments, lighting, signage, public transportation, broadband internet, etc.), thereby strengthening all of it for this and future generations, while creating millions of good jobs and significantly boosting our economy and country.
17. Homophobic Trump/Pence and the Republicans oppose marriage equality and supported the discriminatory DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) and DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). Bernie is a long-time advocate of marriage equality and full LGBT rights, being opposed to DADT, DOMA, and all forms of homophobia, bullying, discrimination, oppression, and injustice. Bernie supports ENDA, VAWA, reproductive health and freedom including contraception and abortion, Planned Parenthood, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the Equality Act, pay equity, paid parental leave, paid sick leave, and childcare. Bernie has spoken out in support of trans people, supported his city’s gay pride parade in the 1980s, and has spoken out against homophobia in Congress and elsewhere.
18. Selfish Trump/Pence and the Republicans are opposed to single-payer universal healthcare, allowing private corporations to profit and people to be priced out of the healthcare market, as tens of millions of Americans still are, even with the improvements that Obamacare has brought. Bernie enthusiastically supports single-payer universal healthcare by advocating expanded Medicare-for-All (aka BernieCare) and proposes paying for it with a small sales tax on Wall Street speculation, which would lead to full coverage for all, better physical and mental health outcomes, longer lives, less suffering, less anxiety, fewer personal bankruptcies (almost two-thirds of which are due to excessive healthcare costs), more productivity, more security, more freedom, and greater economic efficiency. Bernie also supports eliminating all medical debt, the lowering of drug prices, eliminating market exclusivity and monopoly rights over medicines, and allowing Medicare to negotiate discounts, whether Big Pharma likes it or not, which would save many lives and reduce much suffering and anxiety. Bernie is the only US senator who does not take money from Big Pharma.
19. Trump/Pence and the Republicans are adamantly opposed to expanding Social Security to lift more senior citizens and others out of poverty; indeed, many Republicans want to cut Social Security. Bernie seeks to expand Social Security for all recipients, paying for that by raising or removing the unfair cap on payroll taxes for high income earners (currently benefiting only those individuals who earn above $132,900 per year), which would also guarantee the solvency of Social Security for a much longer time. Bernie knows we need to scrap the cap. Social Security does what it was intended to do (reduce poverty), has low administrative costs (less than 1%) and is very efficient, and runs a massive surplus (over $2.7 trillion), as it always has. Republicans don’t attack the democratic socialist program of Social Security because it fails, they attack it because it succeeds. Bernie also wants to make sure that no one pays over $200 per year for medicine, that everyone has guaranteed medical, dental, hearing, vision, & long-term care, that we quadruple funding for the Older Americans Act, and that all pension promises are kept.
20. Out-of-touch Trump/Pence and the Republicans ignore the plight of poor people and their need for banks to cash their checks and receive loans to get them through cash-strapped times, often forcing them to pay usurious fees and high interest rates to predatory businesses. Bernie supports Post Office banking by allowing the U.S. Postal Service to get back into the small banking business, as it once was, to help remedy these problems by allowing for check cashing, bill paying, and small loans.
21. Greedy Trump/Pence and many Republicans collect a huge amount of campaign contributions from Wall Street, giant corporations, and billionaires. Their donor lists are littered with mega-corporations, billionaires, and SuperPACs, illustrated by the fact that a small number of families contribute about half of all Republican campaign contributions. Bernie raises most of his money from actual people sharing small amounts of their hard-earned incomes to support an independent, fair-minded, caring candidate who always puts people before profits. In the first 24 hours after declaring his candidacy for 2020, Bernie raised a record-shattering $6 million (more than all the other Democratic candidates combined at that time, and more than $10 million in the 1st week!) from about a record quarter million small contributors. Bernie collected donations from over 1 million donors, another record, and has over 1 million people who enthusiastically agreed to volunteer for his 2020 presidential campaign. Bernie also has a large number of social media followers and the largest amount of rally attendees. Bernie is not beholden to anyone, except the American people, and he is “Not for Sale!”
22. Hypocritical Trump/Pence and most Republicans are willing to let Wall Street police itself, which we know doesn’t work and won’t work. Bernie wants to jail Wall Street crooks, break up corporations that are too big to fail, break up the big banks, not include Wall Street bankers in his Cabinet, regulate the industry, and put a tiny sales tax on financial speculation by the wealthy that makes our economy too volatile, using that revenue for universal healthcare and tuition-free public colleges and universities. Bernie believes that it is time for Wall Street to finally bail out Main Street, instead of the business-as-usual, top-down, gross economic inequality supported by Trump/Pence and most Republicans.
23. Oily Trump/Pence and the Republicans support the continued overuse of fossil fuels. While most Republicans support dirty, dangerous, and highly-polluting fracking, Bernie supports the banning of all fracking, all fossil fuel extraction on federal land, all new fossil fuel infrastructure, and all fossil fuel exports, opposes Arctic oil drilling, opposes offshore oil drilling, opposes DAPL, Bakken, NED, and other pipelines, opposes annual billion-dollar subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, supports a revenue-neutral carbon price, and supports shifting our country to safe, clean, renewable energies, including solar and wind, as well as geothermal, tidal, and wave, and national energy independence to fight global climate change, boost the economy, make America stronger and healthier, make us less reliant on foreign dictators, and bring us into a prosperous, fair, sustainable future with millions of green jobs. Bernie has been warning about global warming since the 1980s, has introduced legislation to transition to renewable energies, is a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, and has been fighting for a Green New Deal before it was even called that, knowing that the climate crisis is the biggest threat to national and international security. Bernie would make America an active player in the Paris Agreement on climate change signed by 195 countries and Trump pulled the US out of. And Bernie is offsetting all the carbon associated with his campaign. Bernie would also reverse all of the Trump executive orders and policies undermining the environment. Bernie is the only candidate to get an A from Greenpeace on climate.
24. Unlike most Republicans, Bernie has been opposed to NAFTA, CAFTA, TPP, TTIP, TISA, the Panama FTA, and other so-called free trade deals for giant corporations since the very beginning, showing sound judgment, a deep commitment to workers, consumers, and the environment, decisiveness, consistency, strong leadership, and integrity. Bernie supports fair trade for workers, consumers, and the environment, not free trade for global corporations and the wealthy.
25. Trump/Pence and the Republicans are perfectly fine with private prisons and campaign contributions from private prison corporations with their major conflicts of interest. Bernie wants to abolish private prisons and shut down private detention centers, saying that corporations should not be profiting from crime, refugee detention, and mass incarceration.
26. Trump/Pence and most Republicans oppose reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act, which separated commercial and investment banking from 1933, in response to the Great Depression, to 1999, before the Great Recession. Bernie supports Glass-Steagall to protect us from another fraudulent financial debacle that led to the Great Recession and the massive public bailout of big banks and other big corporations, which Bernie opposed. Bernie opposed removing Glass-Steagall before the Great Recession and supports reinstating it ASAP, doing everything he can to prevent another devastating Great Recession.
27. Wealthy Trump/Pence and most Republicans seem delighted and way too eager to cater to the top 1%, the multi-millionaires and billionaires as well as the giant corporations that disproportionately control our political economic system. In stark contrast, Bernie has for decades championed the needs of the poor, working class, and middle class of America, supporting the desperate and legitimate need of the 99% over the unrestrained and immoral greed of the 1%, passionately and consistently advocating and implementing plans and policies to do so.
28. Cowardly Trump/Pence and the Republicans don’t support expanding voting rights and making it easier for all citizens to vote, especially for the poor and people of color. Bernie opposes voter suppression and supports universal suffrage, supports automatic voter registration, expanding the Voting Rights Act, making Election Day a federal holiday called Democracy Day, getting rid of voter ID laws, ex-felons not being permanently disenfranchised, allowing the incarcerated to vote, Instant Runoff Voting for electoral efficiency and fairness, overturning Citizens United so billionaires can’t buy our elections, the Disclose Act, his Democracy Is For People amendment, ending partisan and racial gerrymandering, abolishing SuperPACs, and the eventual public funding of elections, demanding that our government represent we the people based on one-person-one-vote instead of one-dollar-one-vote. Bernie wants to get corporate money out of politics and more people in.
29. Mean-spirited Trump/Pence and most Republicans support mandatory minimum sentencing, which ties the hands of judges and leads to more people being imprisoned for longer sentences than anywhere else in the world. The US has one-quarter of the world’s prisoners. Bernie opposes mandatory minimum sentences, opposes the War on Drugs, opposes racial profiling, and seeks to reduce mass incarceration. Bernie also wants to reinstate federal parole to reduce overcrowding and prison rehabilitation to reduce recidivism.
30. While Trump/Pence and most Republicans support the privacy-invading SOPA, PIPA, and CISA, Bernie opposed those internet censorship bills. Bernie believes net neutrality is “absolutely imperative”.
31. While Trump/Pence and most Republicans support NDAA, which gives the military power to indefinitely detain even American citizens without due process or trial, Bernie opposed it, sticking up for people, the Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law.
32. Unlike greedy Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants to cap exorbitant ATM fees and to cap usurious credit card interest rates to reduce big bank exploitation of ordinary Americans, teaming up with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He also wants to bring back Post Office banking for small loans, bill paying, and check cashing. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans who work for the big corporations, Bernie works for the American people and is not for sale.
33. Unlike Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie wants to reform the Federal Reserve Bank. Bernie thinks the Fed should be less corporate, more democratic, more representative, and more fair for American people, not just American banks and greedy banksters.
34. As much as hypocritical Trump/Pence and most Republicans like to appear tough on crime, they oppose the prosecution of torturers and war criminals, while Bernie opposed amnesty for torturers and supports prosecuting people accused of the heinous crime of torture.
35. Unlike oily Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie has promised to not allow fossil fuel and Wall Street lobbyists or executives into his administration. Bernie aims to be the cleanest and greenest American president. Bernie wants an environmentalist to head the Environmental Protection Agency, an educator to head the Department of Education, etc. Bernie will drain the swamp of billionaires and corporate lobbyists.
36. Most Republicans voted for George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) disaster, which more and more Democrats and Republicans abandoned, and so many schools despise, while Bernie voted against it and continued to vigorously oppose it. Instead of NCLB’s authoritarian one-size-fits-all emphasis on repeated high-stakes testing and punishment, Bernie supports a more holistic education, allowing teachers more flexibility and providing students more support, with a greater emphasis on problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork.
37. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie is opposed to the unfair funding scheme for schools, whereby rich neighborhoods are likely to have rich schools and poor neighborhoods are likely to have poor schools, thereby structurally reproducing wealth and poverty as well as racism. Bernie supports more progressive and equitable funding for all schools, so all students could have equal opportunity for learning and success, regardless of class, race, or other background. Bernie advocates banning for-profit charter schools and supports a minimum teacher salary of $60,000 per year. Bernie understands the importance of education, schools, teachers, and students.
38. Unlike unsympathetic Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie is sensitive to the needs of the neurodiverse and is a member of the Autism Caucus. Bernie co-sponsored the Assistive Technology Act, co-sponsored the Expand Tricare Coverage of Autism Amendment, and secured billions of dollars to increase support for those on the autism spectrum.
39. Most Republicans voted for the bankruptcy bill that was favored by the credit card and banking companies. While it penalized ordinary Americans, it exempted some big money interests, which helped pave the way for the financial disaster that led to the Great Recession for which no one on Wall Street was indicted, let alone jailed. Obama said that this bill “put the interests of those banks and financial institutions ahead of the interests of the American people.” Bernie, of course, sided with regular people and voted against this disastrous bill.
40. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants to convert the for-profit corporate credit rating agencies that gave the green light to Wall Street shenanigans that tanked our economy into non-profit agencies that serve the public without conflicts of interest, so that Wall Street’s greed does not engender another Great Recession.
41. Trump/Pence and most Republicans collect campaign contributions from military contractors, most of which have committed fraud against us, and seem way too eager to support arms deals to dictators, reckless bombings, risky no-fly zones, deadly invasions, and disastrous budget-busting wars. Bernie takes President Eisenhower’s warnings about the military-industrial complex seriously and supports a defense budget and policies that protect our national security interests, not the financial interests of military contractors. While Bernie is strongly for defending this country and taking good care of soldiers and veterans, he is adamantly against foreign interventions and endless wars. Bernie opposed the wars in Vietman and Iraq and he opposes war in Yemen, Libya, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and elsewhere.
42. Authoritarianism Trump/Pence and most Republicans bend over backwards to keep Saudi Arabia as a close ally, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is a theocratic fascist family dictatorship, with one of the largest military budgets in the world, where religious rights, women’s rights, and other civil and human rights are brutally suppressed (e.g., religions other than Islam cannot be practiced, women must be escorted by male relatives and women activists are targeted, atheists and peaceful protesters face the death penalty by beheading, ad nauseum). With US support, Saudi Arabia is more focused on bombing a religious minority in Yemen than fighting ISIS. Bernie opposes the Yemeni war and is not afraid to criticize Saudi Arabia (and other Muslim countries with dictators), demanding that they do better.
43. Unlike Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie opposed the Republicans’ American Service-Members’ Protection Act of 2002, which authorizes the United States to invade its NATO ally the Netherlands, if any US military personnel or an elected or appointed US official is criminally prosecuted by an international court. This law has been nicknamed the Hague Invasion Act.
44. Unlike unrealistic Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie supports a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, so that both countries can live together in peace with security and prosperity without occupation and settlements. Bernie also opposes the anti-free speech anti-BDS bill, as well as opposing racist Netanyahu. Bernie spent time in Israel and knows a peace plan will not be easy and that there is no magic path to get there, but he recognizes the importance of resolving this issue by listening to and respecting the legitimate concerns of Israelis, Palestinians, and their neighbors.
45. Unlike treasonous Trump/Pence who commit impeachable offenses and the cowardly Republicans caught up in Cult 45, Bernie courageously calls for the impeachment of Trump.
46. Unlike Trump/Pence and many Republican politicians, Bernie has been elected mayor 4 times, US Representative 8 times, and US Senator 3 times, and run for president now twice. As a former teacher and activist, a legislator, executive, and candidate, Bernie has the knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and capacity to be a great president, perhaps the greatest America has ever seen.
47. Unlike filthy-rich Trump/Pence and many Republican politicians, Bernie does not live a lavish lifestyle, does not have billionaire backers, does not enrich himself at the public trough, does not collect outrageous speaking fees, does not have financial conflicts of interest, flies coach and is even willing to take the middle seat, and is a down-to-Earth, humble, honest, authentic, kind human being. Nearly all of Bernie’s income comes from his Congressional salary and his best-selling book sales.
48. Trump/Pence and the rich Republicans reduced the estate tax on the inheritances of the top 1%. Bernie wants to sharply increase it so that when billionaires die, their wealthy estates are taxed at a steeply progressive rate to support our social programs. Bernie also wants to reverse the recent GOP tax scam that greatly enriched the wealthy and corporations at the expense of everyone else, while dramatically increasing the budget deficit and our national debt. By raising minimum wages on the bottom and estate taxes on the top, as well as taking other important economic measures, Bernie is serious about significantly reducing economic inequality and rebuilding America and the American middle class, while reducing poverty and social instability.
49. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans who are supported by millionaires and billionaires, Bernie receives small donations from more individuals faster than any presidential candidate in US history, a record-breaking historical milestone in American politics and a testament to his widespread support from regular people all around the country. Bernie also has the highest home-state approval rating of any senator and the highest net favorability rating of any senator.
50. Unlike do-nothing Republicans, while serving in the House of Representatives, Bernie passed more amendments than any of his colleagues and Bernie has been similarly productive in the Senate; Bernie has been called the “amendment king” in Congress. Bernie is the most popular, most productive, hardest working, most honest and trustworthy, most consistent, most likable, and most electable candidate. It is highly likely that Bernie would have won in 2016, if he had been the Democratic nominee, as polling showed. Bernie is much better able to attract Democrats, Independents, Republicans, and Greens, as well as many new voters, young voters, and non-voters, and is in the best position to beat the Republican nominee, whether it is Trump, Pence, or another.
51. Unlike callous Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie wants all public school breakfasts and lunches to be free, so that students can better learn and so that there will no longer be anything like lunch debt anymore, where students are shamed and parents are threatened for not being able to afford food. Bernie supports universal meals in schools for man=ximum fairness and optimal learning.
52. Corrupt Trump/Pence and many Republicans seem to simply want the most regressive judges and Supreme Court justices, regardless of their qualifications, baggage, and the credible accusations against them. Bernie wants high-quality progressive judges and justices and has a plan to rotate judges and justices on and off the Supreme Court, so that they don’t have lifetime tenure on the same court.
53. Unlike sociopathic Trump/Pence and many Republicans, Bernie is caring, compassionate, sensible, and supports people with disabilities. Bernie sponsored the Disability Integration Act, supports the Money Follows the Person program, and wants to fulfill the promise of the Olmstead decision by vigorously enforcing it. Bernie believes that “No one should have to choose between being taken out of their homes and communities or being denied the support they need to survive and thrive.” Bernie’s support Medicare for All is fully consistent with these positions.
54. Unlike self-absorbed Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie has a strong record of supporting human rights in Tibet, an occupied country with its own culture and language, as well as civil and human rights in China. Bernie opposes sales of weapons to China to prevent them from building up their military and Bernie further opposes militarization of the Pacific.
55. Unlike anti-democratic Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie wants to abolish the Electoral College, which denied popular-vote-winning Al Gore and Hillary Clinton becoming president, because it is undemocratic and doesn’t represent the philosophy of one-person, one-vote.
56. Unlike Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie is willing to consider policies like Universal Basic Income (UBI), or a freedom dividend, because Bernie strongly believes that “every American is entitled to at least a minimum standard of living”, though he says that “there are different ways to get to that goal”. Bernie is flexible in terms of tactics, while always keeping his eyes on the prize.
57. Unlike racist Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie believes we owe so much to Native Americans and need a new approach, including not running dangerous oil pipelines through their land and honoring treaties and other agreements. Bernie supports relationships based on respect, moving away from exploitation and paternalism. Bernie wants to allow all tribes to be able to prosecute non-Native criminals and implement the 10–20–30 legislation to allocate more funding to Native communities.
58. Unlike sociopathic Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie taught low-income kids in the Head Start preschool program and Bernie supports Head Start and other early-intervention and educational programs to level the playing field for disadvantaged youth.
59. Unlike privileged Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie wants “to make sure that everybody in this country gets the nutrition they need”, as a form of food justice, so that all people can be strong and healthy in the wealthiest nation of the world.
60. Trump/Pence and most Republicans don’t care about animals or anyone but themselves, while Bernie supports animal welfare. Bernie believes that animals should not be treated cruelly or be neglected, that they should be protected from suffering and abuse, and that animals should be treated humanely, whether in captivity or in the wild. Bernie is critical of factory farms and agricultural monopolies. Bernie has received 100 percent ratings from the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), which works to pass animal protection laws and supports candidates who do, and the Defenders of Wildlife, which seeks to protect wildlife in their natural habitats. “Factory farms are responsible for 1.4 trillion pounds of animal waste in America”, according to Bernie, and “it is unbelievable to me that Republicans in Congress have been working overtime to exempt factory farms from environmental laws.” Bernie has a strong record of co-sponsoring animal-friendly legislation covering cruelty, breeding, and captivity practices, livestock issues, wildlife, and environmental protection.
61. Unlike selfish Trump/Pence and the Republicans who don’t care about animals workers, the environment, or anything else that doesn’t benefit themselves, Bernie declared that “We are going to end factory farming because it is a danger to the environment and the climate.”
62. Unlike narcissistic Trump/Pence and the Republicans, who only care about themselves and their bank accounts, Bernie as mayor founded the Burlington Arts Council with the aim of making music, murals, and other arts “available to all, regardless of social, economic or physical constraints.” Bernie promised “I will be an arts president.”
63. Unlike authoritarian Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants to support “policies that will reform the media industry and better protect independent journalism at both the local and national levels”. Bernie vigorously supports the First Amendment and also vigorously opposes corporate media consolidation. Bernie will appoint progressives to the FCC, encourage unionization, limit the number of stations broadcasters can own, strictly enforce anti-trust laws, and will fund non-profit media.
64. Exploitative Trump/Pence and most Republicans don’t care about workers, whether paid or unpaid, and definitely don’t care about students, let alone student athletes. Bernie says that “college athletes are workers” and should be paid. College athletes are exploited for their skills without being paid and Bernie is against this injustice.
65. Most candidates for office run attack ads, malign their opponents, sling mud, say and do anything to score cheap political points against their rivals, no matter how slimy or low the blow. In his over 20 elections, Bernie has never run a negative ad and actively refrains from saying anything personally negative about his electoral opponents, even defending Hillary during their first Democratic debate and then actively supporting her when she was the Democratic nominee.
66. Trump/Pence and the Republicans definitely don’t get the highest marks from the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, NAACP, NHLA, SEIU, HRC, ARA, VFW, AFL-CIO, CWA, NARAL, MoveOn, Friends of the Earth, Humane Society, Citizens Action, National Nurses, Democracy for America, Defenders of Wildlife, Working Families Party, Americans for Democratic Action, Progressive Democrats of America, 350.org, and other highly respected organizations. Bernie does!
67. Bloodthirsty Trump/Pence and many Republicans get the highest A rating from the NRA. Bernie says “We have a major epidemic of gun violence” and “We have got to do everything we can”. Bernie blames the NRA for lack of action on gun control, supports various forms of sensible gun control, wants to expand background checks, close gun show loopholes, ban the sale and distribution of assault rifles (since 1988), ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, prohibit domestic abusers from owning firearms, crack down on straw purchases, and he met with the Parkland students and the Tree of Life rabbi after the massacres, Bernie earns a D- rating from the NRA.
68. Unlike Trump/Pence, the regressive Republicans, and everyone else, Bernie Sanders is the founder and the first chair of the Progressive Caucus for in Congress.
69. Racist Trump/Pence and the Republicans are all-too-comfortable with racism and ethnic violence, whereas Bernie names and challenges it at home and abroad. Bernie is willing to officially recognize the historical reality of the Armenian genocide, the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Saudi genocide in Yemen, and the present reality of the racist right-wing government in Israel, to name a few.
70. Unlike ignorant Trump/Pence and the Republicans who don’t discuss (and likely don’t understand) AI and robotics, Bernie has clearly stated that “artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.” Bernie is forward thinking.
71. Unlike Trump/Pence and the racist Republicans, Bernie is open to the idea of reparations, but wants to do so in a long-term, structural, meaningful way, instead of a one-time cash payout. Bernie said this at the NAACP Forum and he received a standing ovation.
71. Unlike criminal Trump/Pence and the Republicans, who seem saddled with various criminal investigations, scandals, possible indictments, and embarrassing baggage (sadly, way too many to name!), Bernie has been completely scandal free for all his time, whether in or out of office. Bernie is a public servant par excellence without any conflicts of interest!
72. Unlike secretive Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie promises that he would release government information about UFOs and aliens, declassifying reports on extraterrestrial life. Bernie supports honesty, openness, and government transparency.
73. Unlike bloodthirsty Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants to cut the overbloated military budget for civilian purposes, rein in the military-industrial complex to protect democracy, and not get the US involved in more unnecessary wars around the world. According to Code Pink, “Senator Sanders has the best voting record of any candidate on war and peace issues, especially on military spending.” Bernie is the only candidate who voted against Trump’s military budgets.
74. Unlike malignant narcissist Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie cares about people and believes that seniors need to be cared for and socially connected, not lonely and alienated. Bernie is treating senior loneliness as the public health issue that it is. Bernie wants to “expand and modernize senior centers around the country to provide older adults with places to not only enjoy healthy meals together, but also provide space for exercise classes, book clubs, health screenings, routine health care services, and more.”
75. Unlike plutocratic Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants a society without the very rich or the very poor. Bernie wants to tax obscene wealth so as to eliminate obscene poverty, stating that “Under this plan, the wealth of billionaires would be cut in half over 15 years which would substantially break up the concentration of wealth and power of this small privileged class.” Bernie further said that “There should be no billionaires. We are going to tax their extreme wealth and invest in working people.”
76. Trump/Pence and the Republicans want to privatize our public lands, while Bernie wants to protect and expand them, keeping our public parks and public land safe, clean, and available for future generations.
77. Unlike greedy Trump/Pence and the Republicans and too many Democrats who support so-called free trade that primarily benefits global corporations, Bernie supports fair trade for workers, consumers, farmers, human rights, and the environment and wants to include those and other issues directly into trade agreements. Bernie wants to get rid of the incentives built into the trading and investing systems that encourage corporations to outsource jobs overseas, while evading worker, consumer, health, environmental, tax, and human rights standards, threatening people here and abroad.
78. Unlike belligerent Trump/Pence and most Republicans, Bernie opposes endless war, opposes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposes the possibility of war in other countries as he opposed the war in Vietnam, and wants to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement, and work with pro-democracy forces internationally to keep the world safe without the use of force, whenever possible. Bernie intends to have a foreign policy based on democracy, human rights, economic fairness, and diplomacy.
79. Unlike uncaring Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie wants to reinstate net neutrality, protect consumers, invest in rural broadband, and ensure access to high-speed internet for everyone in America.
80. Unlike cowardly Trump/Pence and most Republicans who most use military veterans for political props, Bernie has been a consistent advocate for vets. Bernie supports fully funding and expanding the VA, getting veterans compensated faster, expanding the caregivers program and mental health services for veterans, and more. Bernie says that “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, then don’t go to war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about. We have a moral obligation to support them.”
81. Trump/Pence and the Republicans want to use any energy source, including nuclear, that generates power and profits, regardless of dangers. Bernie opposes fossil fuels and nuclear power, calling those a false choice. Bernie wants to ban all new nuclear power plants, find a solution for our existing nuclear waste problem, and to decommission old nuclear power plants, while creating green jobs that abundantly and inexpensively produce safe, clean, renewable energy.
82. Unlike Don the Con Trump/Pence and the Republicans who simply want your money and your vote and then want you to go away and be quiet and obedient, Bernie warmly welcomes your participation, wants you to be actively involved in your democracy, seeks to build an ongoing movement for social justice like Our Revolution, and encourages you to join the political revolution to re-invigorate and re-democratize America. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie is inclusive and wants to govern with you, not over you. Bernie’s motto is “Not me, us.”
83. While regressive Republicans call themselves “conservative”, Bernie describes himself as a “proud progressive”. Bernie has described himself as a democratic socialist; democratic means of the people, socialist means for the people. Bernie has invoked Sweden and Denmark as examples. Bernie says “When I talk about democratic socialism, what I talk about are human rights and economic rights.” He has also said “What democratic socialism means to me is making sure that all of our people live with security and dignity.” Democratic socialists, sometimes called social democrats, welfare democrats, or welfare capitalists, believe our society should be run democratically and that, at a minimum, people’s basic needs should be met. Bernie has said that if it’s radical to believe that people should have better lives, that everyone should have health coverage, that the minimum wage should be a living wage, that no one should live in poverty, that anyone should be able to go to college, that seniors and veterans should be able to live with dignity, that people shouldn’t go hungry, etc., then he is a radical. Bernie is the most progressive candidate for president who will help lead and change this country for the better, inspiring us to be our best selves.
84. Unlike authoritarian Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie really believes in democracy, the rule of law, diplomacy, human rights, civil rights, civil liberties, women’s rights, workers’ rights, environmental rights, and wants to not only protect them, but enhance them.
85. Unlike hypocritical Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie is a secular Jew, spiritual but not religious, and is not involved in organized religion, yet he credits his being Jewish for his interest in politics and justice. Asked about his religious beliefs, Bernie has responded: “I am what I am” and “When you hurt, I hurt”, believing that we’re all in it together and that we should help each other whenever we can. Bernie often echoes Pope Francis. Bernie has said that he is “proud to be Jewish” and he not only cites the Golden Rule, as so many do, but he tries to live it. Bernie is already the first and only non-Christian presidential candidate to win delegates and Bernie would be the first Jewish president and perhaps the first secular president of the US.
86. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie’s family came from Poland, had many relatives killed in the Holocaust and, unfortunately, intimately knows the terrible pain that fascism inflicts. Bernie is the best antidote to the racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, xenophobia, and the white supremacist and fascistic tendencies of Trump/Pence and the Republican Party.
87. After the devastating Hurricane Maria, Trump/Pence and most Republicans did not want to rebuild Puerto Rico and do not really consider Puerto Ricans as the US citizens they are. Trump famously and condescendingly threw them paper towels, as Puerto Ricans continued to die, and has tried to divert disaster aid away from the island’s needs to subsidize Trump’s wall, which Bernie opposes and says Trump will not get. In stark contrast, Bernie showed strong solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico by visiting the island and proposing a massive $146 billion Marshall Plan relief package to rebuild and repair Puerto Rico and end its humanitarian crisis. Bernie also wants to restore Puerto Rico’s self-rule, while making sure Puerto Ricans have access to America’s safety net. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz is co-chair of Bernie’s 2020 campaign.
88. Unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie strongly supports statehood for Washington, D.C., which would allow it to likely have African American representation with its taxation and would boost the Democratic caucus in Congress.
89. Trump/Pence and most Republicans do not have much sympathy, let alone empathy, for others. And they especially don’t care about women and children, so they don’t support maternal or parental leave and the US is one of the few countries of the world not to guarantee maternity or family leave or guaranteed vacation. Bernie has been a strong advocate for paid family leave, paid sick leave, and paid vacation time.
90. Trump/Pence and most Republicans are secretive and shady, citing national security to mask their bad deeds. Bernie is open, honest, and respects whistle blowers. Bernie advocates that Edward Snowden, who revealed that the US government was spying on US citizens, deserves clemency or a pardon.
91. Unlike sociopathic Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie deeply cares about people and knows it’s wrong that in the richest country on Earth, so many Americans are sleeping on the streets or are otherwise housing insecure. Bernie was the first mayor to pass a Community Land Trust bill to keep housing affordable in perpetuity and was the first House member to introduce the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act. Bernie wants to build millions of units of affordable housing to house the homeless and lower rents, fully fund Section 8, repair and modernize public housing, and strengthen the Fair Housing Act. Bernie strongly believes that we should make “decent, safe, and affordable housing a right for all.” Having grown up in a small, rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn, Bernie knows, understands, and supports national rent control and the lives of regular people.
92. Unlike corporate Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie stands up for workers and believes that Uber/Lyft drivers and other similarly situated people in the gig economy should be classified as employees, with decent wages and good benefits, not left out on their own as “independent contractors”. Bernie promises to change that.
93. Unlike treasonous Trump/Pence and many Republicans, Bernie believes that true patriotism is fighting for the rights and prosperity of all Americans, not the glorification of country and government or the demonization of other countries or people.
94. Unlike pathological liar Trump and the Republicans who lie and otherwise deceive, Bernie has common sense and is a man of his word and his word is good. If a politician is untrustworthy, dishonest, deceptive, and lies, how do you know what you are actually voting for? Bernie is well known for his honesty, authenticity, integrity, consistency, and efficiency, as well as for being kind, compassionate, principled, diligent, dedicated, trustworthy, likable, pragmatic, progressive, perseverant, and a mensch. Unlike Trump/Pence and the GOP, Bernie is the real deal who says it like it is and gets results.
95. Bernie is not ashamed of his age, nor is he vain, a narcissist, an egomaniac, or focused on superficial looks like Trump is. Bernie has always been focused on the American people, not himself. Just as he opposes racism, sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, islamophobia, and other unfair, discriminatory, and oppressive forms of prejudice and bigotry, Bernie also opposes ageism. Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa at age 77. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is 86, as is Sen. Chuck Grassley, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Lewis are 79. In any event, Bernie is very strong and sound of mind and body, with much younger people struggling to keep up with his busy schedule and pace.
96. We have had politicians of both parties protecting the status quo for way too long and mostly chugging along with the same old business-as-usual policies, while the climate crisis worsens, the rich get richer, corporations get bigger and more powerful, wages remain low, inequality gets wider, racism remains rampant, rent and tuition keep rising, our democracy gets perverted, and anxiety is pervasive. Voting again and again for the same-old same-old politicians won’t work. Bernie is bold, energetic, visionary, thinks big, and has a track record and willingness to do what it takes to put America on a better path to truly make this country great.
97. Unlike authoritarian Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie is willing to call out racist and dictatorial leaders, such as Putin of Russia, MBS of Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu of Israel, Erdogan of Turkey, and Modi of India. Bernie calls out injustice wherever he sees it and is willing to fight fascism anywhere it appears. Bernie would be the perfect antidote to Trump’s fascistic racism and antisemitism.
98. Bernie is not perfect and makes mistakes in both form and substance, but unlike Trump/Pence and the Republicans, and most others, he is humble and willing to listen, learn, grow, apologize, be better, and move forward.
99. Unlike selfish Trump/Pence and the Republicans, Bernie actually gives a damn and he always walks the talk. While Trump takes a vacation as often as he can, especially at one of his own properties, Bernie is a diligent and dedicated public servant who hasn’t taken a vacation since 1985.
100. With a great VP running mate (hopefully chosen before the primaries!), such as Our Revolution President Nina Turner, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Raul Grijalva, AG Keith Ellison, Rep. Barbara Lee, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams, or others, who each share good and admirable qualities with Sen. Bernie Sanders, and would be another strong voice in his favor, Bernie would be even more appealing!
For more information about Bernie’s issues, positions, and policies, check Feel The Bern’s Issues and BernieSanders.com’s Issues.
Dan Brook, PhD is a professor of sociology at San Jose State University and his ebooks are freely available. Dan also manages Bernie for America, a website for those who want to support Bernie’s campaign.
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