Would Bernie Have Beat Donald Trump?

Courtesy+of+Bernie+Sanders+Instagram+page

Courtesy of Bernie Sanders Instagram page

Dulce Paz, Staff Writer

The election results were without a doubt shocking to millions of Americans, especially the Democratic party. On Twitter, many users expressed anger and wondered if the outcome would have been different had Bernie Sanders been the Democratic nominee. Long before the election, polls showed that Sanders would have beat Trump over Hilary if he was the nominee. However, this didn’t stop Hilary from locking the nomination and ultimately being defeated.

“I think Bernie would have beat Hilary,” said Megan DeSouza.

Sanders was extremely popular among youth voters and inspired them to vote in primaries and caucuses in high numbers. Sanders had expressed the importance of voting to show them that their voice mattered. Sanders’ rallies were filled with an excitement that was simply not present at Clinton’s rallies. Clinton’s supporters claimed she would be the best candidate to lead, yet they lacked passion. Sanders was popular among working class voters, and they ultimately sided with Trump. Sanders had plenty of experience and was consistent. Based on exit polls, his support was mostly among millenials and white liberals. He also won both Michigan and Wisconsin, two key states leading to Trump’s victory.

Trump and Clinton were two of the most unpopular candidates in American history. Whether Sanders would have won in the general election or not is something we will never know. The fact that he was ahead in hypothetical match-ups during the primaries, is something Bernie supporters will never forget.