With the Democratic primaries coming up soon, people are doing whatever it takes to make sure the person they want wins. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Hilary Clinton in her documentary saying, “Nobody likes him, nobody works with him, he got nothing done” referring to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Clinton further went on to say that Bernie makes empty promises because he is a “career politician” and that she feels sorry for those who fall for it.
Clinton is not the only one making statements about Sanders. According to an article published by CNN, “Sen. Elizabeth Warren publicly accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of telling her during a private meeting in December 2018 that he didn’t think a woman could win.”
Sanders has since denounced these allegations, insisting that he did not say such a thing.
What do people on campus think of these allegations?
Jared Maraj, a junior business administration student, said of the allegations that, “it is true.” Maraj thinks that strife between Warren and Sanders at the debate might have been because of this.
“Bernie was trying to shove it off and Warren walked off and Bernie kind of rolled his eyes and all that,” Maraj said.
Both Jordan Owens, a freshman early childhood education major, and Dr. Brandon Ranallo-Benavidez, a professor of the political science department, thought that these statements might have some truth to them but also are not completely accurate.
Ranallo-Benavidez said he does not know whether Sanders said those things about women not being able to win the presidency because he wasn’t there. As for the statement Clinton made, Ranallo-Benavidez said, “he only had one endorsement from a different U.S. senator” and that the rest is opinion–based on how she feels about Bernie.
The senator he was referring to was Jeff Merkley from Oregon. In an op-ed for the New York Times in 2016 Merkley wrote, “I have decided to become the first member of the Senate to support my colleague Bernie Sanders for president. Bernie Sanders is boldly and fiercely addressing the biggest challenges facing our country.”
These statements could either have a great effect on Sanders’ campaign or no effect at all. With the primaries coming up in less than a month in South Carolina, “you are probably either already pretty strongly affiliated with one of them or you’ll make your decision the last couple of days before looking at who the options are,” said Ranallo-Benavidez.
Ranallo-Benavidez feels as though these acts on each other do not necessarily change who people might vote for but might change how they feel about their candidate. Others on campus feel it will hurt the campaign.
“I personally think it is going to hurt Bernie,” Maraj said.
What worries Maraj is the supposed fact that Sanders made the statement in the first place and now seems to be trying to take it back.
Owens said that “it wouldn’t change a person’s view on him because we don’t know if he said it for sure or not.”
With primary elections fast approaching, where one stands in the polls does matter. Having a statement come out can cause people to change their mind or further confirm their opinion on who is best.
When looking for presidential candidates, students and faculty look for confidence, intelligence, someone who does what they say they will, a leader who thoroughly thinks about the decisions they are about to make, someone who knows that there is a difference between being a good president and a good politician.
“I like when they are confident when they are speaking,” Maraj said.
Speaking with confidence shows that they are willing to stand up for their beliefs and that they believe in what they are saying and are not just trying to win the vote when they speak up. It is also important because it allows the American people to hear their perspective and decide if they are the candidate for them.
Owens said she wants them to keep the promises that they made on the campaign trail. People want change to happen. That’s why we vote for the candidates who make promises that appeal to us.
For Ranallo-Benavidez, being a president is much more about dealing with foreign affairs as Commander in Chief. We need to keep our alliances and make new ones as well. “Work with treaties instead of ripping them up,” Ranallo-Benavidez said.
Lastly, the president should be intelligent — “someone who is intelligent and thoughtful when it comes to diplomacy,” Ranallo-Benavidez said. High intelligence shows that they have control and know the policy well enough to make the correct decision for our country.
The South Carolina Democratic presidential primary is on Saturday, Feb. 29. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voting absentee is also an option — don’t forget to vote.
Graphic: Victoria Howard/ The Johnsonian
