Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Who should be the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee?
Position‹2 of 8›: Bernie Sanders
Argument1 of 3›: Bernie Sanders has inspired a movement

Sanders does not only represent himself, but a progressive movement that has been forming since his 2016 candidacy.

The argument

Sanders, through both his 2016 and 2020 Presidential campaigns, has built a movement around himself made up of people passionate about his mission of lessening inequality in the United States. He wants to repair a political system that is fundamentally broken, and has engaged voters who are not usually engaged. Like Obama before him, Sanders' popularity proves he can inspire ordinary people, even those who may never have been interested in politics before. In a time with increasingly dire pressures on the population - climate change, economic inequality - what America needs more than anything is an inspiring figurehead that can unite and lead the nation.

Context

During the 2016 campaign Sanders was notable for the way in which he built a large grassroots movement around his candidacy.

Premises

[P1]America needs an inspiring leader who can unite the country and engage ordinary people in addressing urgent challenges like climate change and economic inequality. [P2] Bernie Sanders has built a genuine movement through his campaigns, mobilizing passionate supporters and engaging voters who are not typically politically active. [C] Therefore, Bernie Sanders should be the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee.

Counter-arguments

The reason that Sanders' movement is so strong is because it speaks to a certain niche of the population - the far Left. This by no means necessarily translate to broad, national appeal. In fact, the intensity of Sanders' supporters may serve to alienate. He scares many Democrats, and as primary voters tend to be more liberal than Democrats as a whole, his momentum in the primaries may not translate into success in the general election. The very reasons Sanders and his campaign have been so successful may serve to turn off the broader voters.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Sanders' ability to inspire voters may serve to alienate certain voters.