Sanders First Jew to Win a Presidential Primary

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:54 pm

Bernie Sanders has not only, as The Washington Post puts it, “embarrassed” Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, but he has become the first Jew to win a presidential primary.

A few days ago, at the Iowa caucuses, he became the first Jew to win presidential delegates when he finished second to Hillary Clinton in Iowa. Not bad at a time when Ted Nugent is calling Jews “punks” and enemies of freedom.

What sets Sanders apart from his Republican opponents is that when he says, as he did at his victory speech last night, “We will all come together to say loudly and clearly that the government of our great nation belongs to all of us, not just a few wealthy campaign contributors,” he literally means all Americans, not only people like Trump, or Cruz, or Ted Nugent, who want to exclude large numbers of Americans from participating in the democratic process and enjoying the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.

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Though Clinton is leading in Nevada and South Carolina, the next two contests, there is no doubt that Sanders has begun to build some momentum for his progressive revolution. It is a remarkable achievement, and it demonstrates that he has a chance of following the historic election of the first black president by becoming the first Jewish president.

It was only when John F. Kennedy was elected that the United States got its first Catholic president, and we could yet see our first woman president in Hillary Clinton. Much as Republicans resist, and though many are the obstacles they place in our path, these developments show America is moving steadily forward.

The Democratic race is tightening as is seen from the Clinton campaigns fevered requests for donations. Though New Hampshire was always a longshot for her, you would think the sky had fallen. Certainly, those who #feelthebern are feeling it more than ever, talking about how their candidate won.

One Sanders supporter told me “Bernie showed Hillary who’s boss last night!” But Sanders’ victory was not only a victory for Democratic socialism, but for diversity, and really, that Sanders showed the Republicans who’s the boss last night.

We should never forget the bigger picture that little more than half a century after Jews were denied entry into this country as the Third Reich rose to power, a Jew has won an American presidential primary.

Bernie Sanders not only upstaged Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, but Republican ideologies that would deny high office to non-Christians.

Congratulations Bernie Sanders. Congratulations United States of America.

Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.