The results of the first primary in the 2020 election are in, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders came out on top. Sanders' victory was both a surprise and completely expected — as a progressive candidate in the Democratic party, questions surmised that Sanders would not be able to beat out other more moderate candidates. But, given recent polling results, Sanders is also consistently ahead of other candidates in the past month.
Going into the disaster that was Iowa's Democratic caucus, Sanders was among two candidates that declared victory (the other was South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who also closely trailed Sanders in the New Hampshire primary). Following his Tuesday night victory in New Hampshire, it's looking like a Sanders ticket is more and more likely. The question now is, if Sanders becomes the democratic nominee, how does he plan to beat Donald Trump in the general election?
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Sanders has repeatedly called Trump "the most corrupt president in our modern history" — in fact, the sentiment has become something of a catchphrase for him in every debate. Despite the constant influx of critics dubbing Sanders a "socialist" whose policies are far too liberal to be considered by moderate Democrats, his track record says otherwise. Sanders is ranked the most popular Senator in the U.S., with a majority 64% of support from voters in his own state.
Beyond that, Sanders has already beaten out Trump — a lot. In the last five years, the Senator has a track record of consistently polling ahead of Trump. According to a recent survey of about 4,000 registered voters nationwide, Sanders beat Trump by the widest margin of all other Democratic candidates in the current election cycle.
Part of Bernie Sanders' sudden resurgence and current lead could be because of his faring with younger or independent voters, too. But, if you ask the Senator himself if he could beat Trump, he will tell you it's not about his likability, celebrity endorsements, or even his resemblance of beloved comedians — it's about his policies and plans to reshape the broken systems within the U.S. government.
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"The reason that we are going to win is because we are putting together an unprecedented multi-generational, multi-racial political movement," Sanders said in his victory speech last night. Addressing a rally crowd of supporters who chanted his name, he tackled nearly every issue on the docket, including health care, taxes (for billionaires, specifically), and a plan to erase student debt.
"We are going to end a racist and broken criminal justice system. We are going to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Our gun safety policies will be determined by the American people, not the NRA. And under our administration, it will be women — not the government — who control their own lives," he said. "This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump."