Bernie Sanders ≠ Donald Trump

In spite of Donald Trump's loss in Iowa, his poll numbers are still strong heading into New Hampshire. Bernie Sanders' tie in Iowa against the more established candidate has possibly given him some momentum moving into New Hampshire, even though he hardly needs it there. They are the leading candidates for the New Hampshire primary. And they are not the same. It is surprising how varying sources seem to lump these two together. They have a number of similarities, but they are separated by an even wider set of characteristics.

If they are similar, it is superficial at most. For instance, they are both not establishment politicians. It would be wrong though to say that Donald Trump is not of the Establishment; the rich and powerful in the United States of America. He is close friends with Tom Brady, and the Clintons attended his wedding. Bernie Sanders, while he has been a politician for a considerable length of time, is of neither establishment.

They are channeling the disenfranchisement that a significant minority of the United States feel. But this feeling takes different forms for each. Donald Trump rallies voters against the other, Muslim, Latino, African American, who are negating the rights of the white population. He is striking out at the expanding federal government which provides benefits to these groups while curtailing the cultural practices of United States citizens that have deeper roots in the country. Bernie Sanders' supporters have an entirely different opinion. They affirm the cultural change that has occurred and have turned their eyes to the accumulation of wealth. They feel left out because the economic gains have gone, more and more to the wealthy. With the Citizen United decision, Bernie Sanders supporters believe that the CEOs and hedge fund managers have increased corruption. Elections are bought by the well-to-do, not voted for by the people.

In addition, they are angry. That's what I've heard. Donald Trump expresses that anger in a way that fills the room. People are thrown out of Trump rallies to cheers, and he threatens violence against protesters. Bernie Sanders demonstrates a dislike of Wall Street combined with enthusiasm. But anyone that watches can see that he is unfailingly polite, even to his political opponents and those who he disagrees with. Donald Trump speaks with fear and anger, but Bernie Sanders speaks with hope.

Those weren't similarities, but they were the closest characteristics shared between the two. From here its difference after difference.

Though Donald Trump has a fringe political aspect, leading the Birther movement, and donating money to candidates from Hillary Clinton to John McCain, he is not a politician. He has no experience as a politician. He is an business man, salesman, and actor. It makes him exciting to follow. Bernie Sanders has been a mayor, a representative, and a senator since 1981. I wasn't even born then! This means that Donald Trump has no track record of action, but Bernie Sanders has built a foundation of work by which to judge him. He has a history of working with other politicians and understanding how the system functions.

This leads to policy. I'm not going to address individual aspects of policy, because I don't think anyone believes they are similar in this aspect. As addressed in a past article, Bernie Sanders has a fairly consistent trail of policy from his early career to today. Donald Trump has been all over the map as to what he supports, especially in the areas of healthcare, abortion, and whether to consider himself a democrat or republican. Bernie Sanders has been steady, and Donald Trump has been opportunistic.

When discussing policy, for the reasons enumerated above, it seems that Donald Trump has embraced hyperbole, saying what no one else said, but also what can never occur. Though he claims he would build a wall and have Mexico pay for it, and ban followers of Islam from entering the country, he knows these are impossible. When he can't exaggerate, he is vague, returning to his favorite phrase, “Make America Great Again” to defend against any criticism. Bernie Sanders has not been vague and has not exaggerated. Admittedly though, many of Bernie Sanders' hoped for programs are unlikely to pass. Is it the same? I don't think so, because Donald Trump is saying them without belief. He only wants to be elected, but Sanders says what he says because he hopes to make it true.

Using Donald Trump's slogan helps us with identifying what he wants to do. Or at least what he says he wants to do. He wants to Make America Great Again. Its a focus on the past. The golden age of the United States from about 1945 to 1990, when everything was, as he says, great. There were, undoubtedly, elements of our culture in that broad span of time that were fantastic. I wouldn't really, know, as I said I was conscious for only a brief time in that period. I don't think we can magically go back though, and I think we have to consider whether everything back then was amazing, or whether it would be better to look forward. That is what Bernie Sanders has done. Looking at he landscape as it stands now, he considers the question 'What can the United States of America do now to secure for itself a free, equal, and meaningful future?' He fights for a diverse, inclusive United States. Trump rallies the remnants of what was, the white working class, and instead of promising them the future, he rages against those who he claims have taken it from them. The other.

I don't think Trump's vision is true.

I hope you don't either.