Bernie Sanders visits Dartmouth

Yesterday, over 1000 Dartmouth students and Upper Valley residents crowded into the Spaulding Auditorium of the Hopkins Center, all hoping to get eyes on self-proclaimed socialist and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

The Vermont Senator received a rousing welcome following an endorsement from former Senator Paul Kirk (D-MA).

The press conference

During an exclusive press conference before the rally, Sanders was asked whether his plan to provide Medicare for all Americans would create new taxes on citizens.

Sanders responded his plan would affect the Medicare payroll tax Americans already pay, essentially increasing it as a means to replace premium payments on private insurance.

Praising the universal healthcare systems of Scandinavian countries, Sanders said he considers healthcare to be a universal right. He went on to say Americans currently pay three times more for healthcare premiums than the British, and 50 percent more than the French.

Sanders and Kirk also spoke out against Citizens United, which allows corporations to donate massive amounts of money to political campaigns in order to promote their private interests.

He held firm that Citizens United has allowed a handful of wealthy families to “buy” candidates and elections, a circumstance which he believes endangers the wellbeing of the American people and democracy.

Sanders added Citizens United has “made a mockery of one person, one vote.”

He went on to clarify that as president, he would do everything in his power to stop large corporations and billionaires from buying elections, effectively putting power back into the hands of the American people.

When asked if he would go as far as to push for a constitutional amendment keeping big money out of political campaigns, Sanders responded he had “already co-sponsored one.”

He also said as president, anyone of his Supreme Court nominees would have to support overturning Citizens United “immediately.”

The rally

During the rally, Sanders argued wealthy donors from the energy sector, such as the Koch brothers (who own the largest private energy corporation), prevent intelligent Republican members of congress from even recognizing that climate change is a reality.

This ultimately cripples bipartisan action to address climate change.

Sanders went on to tell the audience his campaign demonstrates the power of a grassroots political campaign funded by small donations, mainly coming from middle class Americans.

Sanders added while his presidential campaign began with only three percent of the popular support, after 2.5 million individual donations, averaging $27 each, he is now neck-and-neck with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the polls.

Sanders went on to attack his Republican rivals for their so-called “family values.”

Despite their claim to support family values, Republicans across the board do not support passing legislation that would ensure paid sick and maternity leave (virtually all other developed western countries guarantee paid sick and maternity leave).

Sanders told the Dartmouth audience that without a paid-maternity leave system, mothers are often forced to leave their newborn children just a week after giving birth to go back to work to support their family.

He demanded to know how forcing a mother to leave her newborn child at home could be considered a good family value.

Sanders went on to attack Republicans for their call for small government. Specifically, he pointed out despite Republican claims to support keeping the US government small and out of the private lives of Americans, they regularly push to prevent women from obtaining abortions, and same-sex and gender variant couples from marrying.

Sanders also said he considers the 79 cent wage gap between women and men to be unacceptable. He told the audience he considered it to be “old-fashioned sexism,” and “it is now the time to close the gap.”

He called the $7.20/hour federal minimum wage a “starvation wage.” He told the crowd he would raise the minimum wage to $15/hour, ensuring anyone working 40 hours per week would not live in poverty.

Sanders finished the rally focusing on the crisis of unemployment in the United States.

He told the audience when taking into account youth unemployment and the large numbers of Americans who have entirely given up their search for work, the unemployment rate is actually closer to 10 percent.

He went on to focus on the unique challenges facing young Americans, particularly young African Americans.

He told the Dartmouth crowd the youth unemployment rates is at 33 percent for White American, and a shocking 51 percent for African Americans.

Sanders emphasized the importance of getting Americans back to work by investing in publicly funded programs and education initiatives.

He told the audience his economic plan would create 13 million jobs. Moreover, Sanders promised as president he would seek to create a public education program allowing us to go to college for free.

His publicly-funded job plan, combined with his healthcare and education initiatives ensure short term economic recovery and long term stability and growth.

Sanders intends to pay for the $70 billion proposal with a tax on the top earners in the US – particularly on banks that were bailed out with the TARP act following the 2008 financial crisis.

The students

Dartmouth students went on to praise Bernie.

Veri Di Suvero ’16 told the crowd she’s supporting Sanders because she supports his position on the single-payer healthcare system.

She said she agrees with Sanders that the Affordable Healthcare Act was only a temporary solution and it’s now time to start working to make healthcare even more available and affordable.

Veri added she feels Sanders has done the most of any of the candidates to understand and provide solutions to racial inequalities in the United States.

Siddarth Mehra ’18 said he’s voting for Sanders because unlike Secretary Clinton, he supports the re-establishment of Glass-Steagall Act, established after the financial collapse in the 1930s to prohibit the integration of commercial and investment banks.

Siddarth says he feels that it’s what most Americans want. They just don’t realize it yet.

Bill Kerin ’16 said he supports him because he feels that at the very least, Sanders will positively influence the dialogue of the presidential race.

Bill believes even if Sanders doesn’t win the nomination, he has and will continue to at least push the nominee to have better positions.

What Bernie Sanders left out

Sanders did not discuss military matters, veterans’ issues, the conflict in the Middle East, or any foreign policy outside of climate change. He also did not discuss terrorism or national security.