Opinion: Enter the Sandman

Opinion%3A+Enter+the+Sandman

Stephen C. Leverton II, Opinion Writer

As South Carolina and Super Tuesday come and go, former Vice President Joe Biden has a major opponent in the race for the Democratic ticket: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders is the current front-runner in national polls, after both the Nevada caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries. Super Tuesday is next, following Biden’s South Carolina victory; a day where roughly 40% of the country votes on a presidential candidate. 

Bernie Sanders has an answer for all of these questions. Sanders’ central policy is Medicare for All. He believes that all Americans, no matter their economic status, should have access to universal basic healthcare. Sanders wants to do away with private insurance companies, leaving the public as the only option. Medicare for All is also designed to ensure pharmaceutical companies don’t overcharge customers for medication. 

Sanders also supports the Green New Deal, a plan designed to help combat climate change by creating jobs, using more renewable energy sources, and putting blame on fossil fuel companies. Another policy Sanders offers is free college for all. This would cancel student debts for millions of Americans. These ideas are very expensive and will cost American taxpayers trillions of dollars.

Sanders has proven he is electable for two reasons: he came in second behind Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race, and he won both New Hampshire and Nevada in the 2020 cycle. Many voters are concerned about how certain candidates will do against Donald Trump. RealClearPolitics reports that Sanders would beat Trump nationally by an average of 4.4 points. RealClearPolitics takes the information from different polls and averages them out. Key states such as Wisconsin show that Sanders fairs well in those states against Trump than Biden, Pete Buttigieg or Elizabeth Warren.