Essay Questions

Why did the media consider Sanders' campaign to be on the "fringe?"

"[I was an] Independent senator from a small state with little name recognition [prior to the 2016 campaign]" Sanders concedes. He didn't have much money, very little political organization, and perhaps most importantly, very little support from the Democratic party and DNC. Many also considered Sanders' beliefs to be radical and on the fringe (he describes himself as a "Democratic Socialist"), which the media said hurt his chances of winning not only the Democratic primary, but also the 2016 Presidential Election. Because they thought he was on the fringe, the media paid less attention and gave less coverage to his campaign than to Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Also, many in the media thought that he had very little chance of securing the nomination -- and even less of a chance of winning the Presidency. They were shocked when he made it as far as he did in the electoral process. At the end of the Democratic Primary process, only Hillary Clinton -- who eventually won the Democratic nomination -- challenged him for the nomination. And even then, the two were very close in terms of votes to become the next Democratic nominee.

What were/are some of Sanders's core beliefs/tenets of his campaign?

Bernie Sanders sums up the core beliefs quite well in his campaign slogan: "A Future to Believe In." In order to have a good future, Sanders opines that the United States should become more Socialist. In his mind, that means the United States should have: free college, free healthcare ("Medicare for All," as he puts it), increased wages and better working conditions, as well as more progressive economic, immigration, environmental, racial, and social justice policies which he says will encourage tremendous growth in the U.S. economy and will inspire unprecedented job growth in the United States.

In other words, Sanders wanted to have a guiding hand in transforming the United States and its policies for the 21st century and, in his words, creating "a future to believe in."