Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:04 pm
Sen. Bernie Sanders made the choice for millennial voters by listing four important reasons why younger Americans should support Hillary Clinton.
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Transcript via Face The Nation:
DICKERSON: Welcome back to the FACE THE NATION. We’re here with former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders.
Senator, I want to start with millennial voters. They represent now about 30 percent of the voting-age population. That’s about the size of baby boomers. That was a group you were very strong with. Hillary Clinton is having trouble with that group of voters. Why is that do you think?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Well, I’m not sure, but I think the antidote is that she has got to make it clear to not only the millennials but every American the difference that she has, not just on personality issues, which is what the media focuses on, but the real issues impacting the middle class and working families of this country.
When you talk about the economy, Donald Trump wants to give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country. Clinton understands that at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, the people on top are going to have to start paying their fair share of taxes.
John, young people are very concerned, appropriately so, about the crisis regarding climate change. Clinton has a pretty strong program which says we have got to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energies, like wind and solar. You know what Donald Trump’s position is on climate change? He thinks it’s a hoax. And that is really frightening for the future of this planet.
One more really important issue that I think has got to be talked about a whole lot, Clinton has said that she will appoint Supreme Court justices, nominate Supreme Court justices who will overturn this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision which allows people like Sheldon Adelson last week to put $45 million into the political process to buy elections. Billionaires should not be buying elections. Clinton wants to stop that. Trump will appoint more conservatives to the Supreme Court.
In terms of the issue of bigotry, and the younger people are more than any generation I think, John, in American history, are sick and tired of discrimination and racism. On that issue, I think the points of view of Clinton and Trump are pretty clear. Trump is running his campaign, the cornerstone of his campaign is bigotry, is dividing us up. That is certainly very different from what Clinton believes.
So I think if she focuses on the issues, she will do just — really well with the American people and certainly with younger people.
Sanders gave four important reasons why millennials should support Hillary Clinton, the economy, the environment, Citizens United, and her stance against discrimination and racism. I would add Clinton’s free college tuition plan, and her plan to deal with student loan debt as two other very large reasons. Plus, Clinton’s plan on healthcare would make it easier and cheaper to get coverage, while Trump intends to throw Americans under age 25 off of their parents’ health insurance.
There is no contest on the issues for younger voters, and once they see their options side by side on the debate stage, the choice should be an easy one for millennial voters. Sen. Sanders has been true to his word, and his doing his part to help get Clinton elected, but it will be up to the candidate herself to close the deal.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
