Senator Bernie Sanders only announced that he will be seeking the Democratic nomination for the White House in 2016 a few days ago, but already some very cool things have happened in regard to the campaign and the momentum that is building around his candidacy. Granted, he may not win the nomination, but take a look at these five facts you may have missed:
1. He raised $1.5 million in the first 24 hours of his campaign:
In today’s world of billion dollar fundraising for elections, this may seem like a small amount, but it’s more than Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, or Marco Rubio managed to bring in during the first day of their campaigns. Even the Washington Post had to tip their cap and say:
?It is a surprisingly heavy haul for a candidate whom some?in the?Democratic?chattering class have cast off as a gadfly and viewed as unable to wrest the nomination from the overwhelming favorite, Hillary Rodham Clinton.?
2. He has 175,000 pledged volunteers already:
This is a huge accomplishment. Most candidates who decide to run have to build an organization over months, but Senator Sanders already has 175,000 people who say they will actively work on his behalf. That’s a lot of folks to knock on doors and spread the message of what Bernie believes in for America.
3. He is well-know as the “raise the minimum wage” candidate:
Sanders has never been shy about advocating for a living wage for all workers, and has repeatedly said things such as this:
?Anyone who works 40 hours in a week in America should not be in poverty. That’s the simple reality.”
4. He recently made Rand Paul look like a complete moron during a Senate hearing on economic issues:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul made a snide comment about the cost of the Older Americans Act, saying:
?It’s curious that only in Washington can you spend 2 billion dollars and claim you are saving money.?
Sanders quickly retorted with this:
?Senator Paul is suggesting that only in Washington do people believe that spending money actually saves money. And I think that is the kind of philosophy that has us spending twice as much per person on healthcare as any other country on earth!?
Have a seat, Rand. You just got served!
5. His campaign could have an impact far beyond 2016:
Liberalism is not dead, despite what the GOP may want to believe. There is an increasing call for a stronger safety net, higher wages, single-payer healthcare, and fairer taxation. Sanders could well boost progressive ideas which have not been championed in some time.
And to all of this I say, Go, Bernie, go!
