Political Science is a course of knowledge that deals with systems of government and analyzes political activity and behaviors. If you take the necessary principles of “Political Science” and apply them to the Bernie Sanders campaign it does not take a scientists to conclude his campaign has become a populist movement.
What Does Political Science Suggest About Bernie Sanders Campaign?
First, there are very few if any mainstream media pundits who think Bernie can win the Democratic nomination. They have no choice but to talk about his surge in the polls and the crowds he is drawing. Only in the last couple of weeks have a few of these pundits began to take Bernie seriously and say that Hillary Clinton, better watch out.
However, spend just one day on Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media sites and its an entirely different story. There is a serious disconnect here. This disconnect is very real, and something the “Political Science” community has a hard time understanding. What is being circumvented here with the “Feel The Bern ” campaign is that the media has throughout history defined for the American populist what is viable. What have we heard so far “Bernie’s Unelectable,” America won’t tolerate a “Democratic Socialist,” and he’s “too far left.”
Over the last several mid-term elections, the Democratic Party has let the Republican’s control the narrative of the debate. With their well-funded media echo chambers letting the populist know everything they’re against, without giving specifics on what they support. Bernie Sanders has been a voice”crying in the wilderness” for so many Americans thus far in 2016 election, but also; his message is resonating with those 67% registered voters who have disenfranchised themselves from the process.
Moreover, Bernie Sanders refuses to get in a back and forth with Hillary Clinton much to the dismay of the Corporate world and the Koch Brothers. Both the candidates running for the Democratic nomination have a record, and Bernie’s campaign is letting his record speak for itself. Once again, it doesn’t take a political science major to figure out this is what has ignited the populist movement that has set the Social Media world on fire in support of Bernie Sanders.
What a breath of fresh air to have a person running for office on the issues. In a time in American politics where we have Citizens United, Gerrymandering, Regressive Voting Laws, and Obstruction bordering on
Sedition, along comes Bernie Sanders.
In the world of ” Presidential Elections,” political science would suggest we are a long way out and a lot can happen. We are in a political landscape right now where politicians are still evaluating the trends and the even flow of the polls and news reporting so it will be some time before we see the endorsements coming out. However, when you see popular political figures like Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaking in support of many of the same issues as Sanders, there is an implicit connection to be made there.
In a time when many question whether “Political Science” is even a science, early on we see a populist movement centered around self-confessed ” Democratic Socialist,” Bernie Sanders and their reply “So What? Big Deal!”
What is transpiring before our eyes is finally a push-back against the horrid political philosophy that began with Ronald Reagan. President Obama was a start and a good one. Bernie Sanders, based on his 25-year record, would be a great one. We have seen an all-out assault on workers and Labor Unions. We have had an attack on our minds and visions of what our country could and should be and what is an obtainable reality for our country.
Bernie Sanders’ campaign is putting facts on the ground and the everyday person in this country can feel that, because we are living it, and we know it’s real. For too long in this country we have had our political minds locked up in what corporate media tells us is viable. The populist movement that many have called a “revolution that will not be televised.” gives us the opportunity to release the shackles on our imaginations of what America can be and now is the time to do so.
Bernie Sanders speaks to this imagination, and that’s something political science does not tell us.
