My response. I’ve got 2 millennials at home, both social/environmental justice champions. They love Bernie for a plethora of reasons:
He explains how political and financial systems work, and they want to know.
Bernie fights like a motherfucker for decency and the rights of the poor and middle class – in other words, human beings. And my sons think this is the best characteristic and passion any politician can possibly have.
Bernie is sensible, honest and loyal to his constituents, all qualities my children admire. Vermonters like guns, so he isn’t against them – but he’s against assault weapons sales and is for responsible gun ownership and background checks.
Bernie stands up to old money, big money and corporatized interests. It’s a dirty job, but somebody really needs to do it. My children stand with Bernie because those interests oppose their own interests.
Bernie’s democratic socialist values resonate with my boys. Of course we should have government funded universal healthcare – every major country does. Ditto for higher education.
My sons have a vague idea that what the poor and lower middle class are living today is some kind of pimped up slavery, and it seems massively wrong to them. They get the sense that Sanders will fight to bring more fairness into society.
Banks are completely f-ed up. They need to be much, much, much better controlled and Bernie seems to understand what strategies can be brought into play to make this happen. My guys like this.
Bernie won big points with my sons for walking off the stage in response to the overwhelming, nasty viciousness of white liberals who lost every iota of their veneer of pretend sympathy or empathy with minority communities at that Seattle event when the crowd went nuts because #BlackLivesMatter activists wouldn’t get off Bernie’s stage. My boys totally appreciated Bernie’s gesture – which by the way they perceived as being also a kind of punishment to the white audience for being so extremely freaking selfish and nasty.
Sanders is practical. He obviously loved his seedy, wild-haired look but appreciated the need to spiffy up his image if he wanted to be a presidential contender, and he did.
Sanders is brave. It’s not easy to run for president and if he wins, he will never have a personal life again. Like Obama, Sanders is running for the people, and my sons appreciate this greatly. They know the world is running to hell in a hand basket and that if courageous souls like Obama, Sanders and Elizabeth Warren don’t step up to the plate to lead The People in attaining protection from political conservatives – including HRC – that their world is going to be sooooo messed up.
Bernie represents Vermont – small farmers, raw milk, cheddar cheese, maple syrup. That’s cool.
His campaign is well managed.
His appeal grows and grows despite everything Hillary throws at Sanders.
He does what he says. Promised autobiographies for any sized donations and actually sent their mom a book for her $1 donation.
Sanders represent my sons’ political and social interests and opinions.
Sanders seems to be the single politician in the field of presidential candidates who understands how crucial it is to take care of our world and environment right now.
There are probably more pro points, but this is a good list.
On the other hand, Hillary is manipulative. She gets support from prison privatizers. Doesn’t want America’s minimum wage to be at living wage level. Her husband and Joe Biden – and herself – are the people who set in motion everything that ended up with about 1% of America being in jail today. Her dang hair looks like a helmet. She wears a condescending grin in every darn debate and speaks in a superior tone of voice to Sanders and O’Malley. She has unfairly used her klout to make sure debates are held at times that are disadvantageous to Sanders – and to make sure Sanders didn’t get any media coverage. Ignored women until it became politically smart to be known as a woman’s champion. Is in bed with all the bankers. Is completely out of touch with average American’s needs and appears not to give a s•••. Seems to think that she should be elected on the strength of representing the old guard and isn’t aware enough of reality and The People’s needs to realize that young people have grown to understand what the old guard represents – and they know they don’t want to live under its thumb anymore.
PS, my sons couldn’t give 2 figs about HRC’s email “scandal” and think its just a GOP ruse to discredit the Democratic candidates.
PPS my sons think that Hillary’s constant fearmongering is disgusting and shows how aligned she is with Republican values and tactics.
PPPS My sons recognize that Hillary’s a foreign country specialist – after all, she takes advantage of every little opportunity to rub that in everyone’s face. But they think it’s high time to take care of things on the home front – and this is more important than focusing on all the other countries’ domestic issues while our society falls apart.
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