Vermont senator Bernie Sanders knows where he is from. He went back to his roots in Brooklyn, New York last week to launch his campaign against the presidency of fellow New Yorker Donald Trump. At 77, senator Sanders is likely to be the oldest person bidding for the Democratic Party nomination.
But the democratic socialist would probably just quote poet Robert Frost and close the discussion of age with the famous line “But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
Nobody doubts that Bernie Sanders can likely defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 elections. In fact, many are firmly convinced that the fatuous Donald Trump will defeat himself.
The real job for the next president will be the task of healing the harm Mr. Trump has done to the entire world. He has trashed America’s reputation. He has lowered expectations of fairness. He has favoured his friends and hurt the poor and struggling. It is hard to say where the job of the new president needs to begin.
But the hardest work begins at home. America is a land divided. It is a land rife with the hypocrisy of privilege. It desperately needs electoral reform. It needs cooperation between the administration and both houses of Congress.
America must restore its fairness with its allies. It has a critical leadership position in world affairs that requires care, compassion and continuity. It will be a radical change from the confusions and concerns of the Trump presidency.
The difference in this democratic race from the one four years ago will be that Bernie Sanders will not be the only voice from the political left. He drew a lot of interest and enthusiasm for his policies and proposals last time and voters will be looking for a better understanding of them this time around.
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Copyright 2019 © Peter Lowry
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