As primaries are happening all over the United States, the race for Democratic nominee draws closer to the end. Many hope that whoever becomes the nominee for the presidential election will represent and be a voice for the majority of Americans. Since the plans of Bernie Sanders represent the interest of the majority of the population, they are best for the future of our country.

   According to a recent report from Pew Research Center, 52 percent of the population of the United States is middle class and 29 percent is the lower class. This is why Sanders supports a wealth tax which will help fund many of his plans. Former Candidate Elizabeth Warren explained, “The richest 130,000 families in America now hold nearly as much wealth as the bottom 117 million families combined” (elizabethwarren.com). This wealth tax would only apply to those who have a net worth of over 32 million dollars and would raise an estimated 4.35 trillion dollars over the next decade. Anyone who has a net worth less than 32 million dollars would not see their taxes go up at all. This will bring in 3.75 trillion dollars in taxes over a ten-year period, to be used on improving life for the lower classes.

   Many moderate Democrats claim that Medicare for all is too expensive, unnecessary, and people should have the option to choose whether they want private or public healthcare. According to the New York Times, “Our current healthcare system is the most expensive in the world by a long shot, even though we have millions of uninsured and underinsured people…. In addition, we are one of the only wealthy countries without a ‘Medicare for all’ health care” (nytimes.com). Most of the money we are spending on healthcare is going to overhead costs required to keep businesses running; private insurers pay as much as 25 percent on overheads. According to a report about “Medicare for All” released by the Libertarian Mercatus Center, “The net change across the whole ten-year period [switch from private to public] is a savings of 2.054 trillion dollars” (jacobinmag.com).

   Moderate Democrats claim that Sanders wouldn’t be able to beat Trump because they need to secure voters who are on the edge about which party to support. However, according to a polling website, “It’s not totally clear if the party’s moderates can form a distinct coalition that would vote en masse for the same candidate in the primaries, as other groups in the electorate have in the recent past” (fivethirtyeight.com).

   Moderate Democrats define “moderate” differently and have different views on politics and these inconsistencies are weaknesses that show how moderates aren’t as united as they seem. Presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton and Al Gore lost as moderates because they failed to unite a large group of people and had grassroots campaigns. In 2016, for example, moderate and conservative voters represented about half of the electorate in both states’ Democratic primaries, but they voted very differently — Sanders carried them 49 percent to 31 percent in West Virginia, and Clinton carried them 85-13 in Mississippi (fivethirtyeight.com). 

   These upcoming elections are predicted to have huge youth turnouts compared to past years when they had the smallest percentage of voters. Uniting them under a candidate will be crucial to whoever the winning candidate is. Senior Lorenzo Pellecchia said, “To get high voter turnout, we need to get a multiracial coalition and get the young people inspired. None of the candidates have exemplified this except for Progressive Bernie Sanders, who polls with a majority of young voters and nonwhite voters. A moderate candidate hasn’t won since 1992. Why don’t we give a progressive a shot?”

   According to a poll, “Voters rate climate change as more important than any other time measured and it is predicted to only increase support and importance” (news.gallup.com). This is why Sanders’ Green New Deal separates him from other candidates on the role he will take on helping with environmental action. Sanders states he wants to “…[r]each 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by no later than 2030 and complete decarbonization of the economy by 2050 at latest — consistent with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change goals — by expanding the existing federal Power Marketing Administrations to build new solar, wind, and geothermal energy sources.” One of the best parts of the Green New Deal is helping provide a transition for workers. The plan prioritizes fossil fuel workers who have powered our economy for more than a century and who usually are neglected by corporations and politicians. 

   Furthermore, Sanders has the highest chance of getting the votes of the Libertarians, Independents and the Green Party, so united with the Democrats he would be able to beat Trump (history.com). According to the New York Times, “In the most recent national polls testing Democratic candidates against Trump, Mr. Sanders beat him in every single one, with margins varying from 2 percent to 6 percent. This has been the case for nearly a year now, with Mr. Sanders outpolling the president in 67 to 72 head-to-head polls since March” (nytimes.com).