2020 Visions

By Liz Crouse

In just one short weekend, candidates Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren came to the Des Moines, Iowa area. As the race for Iowa and, on a larger scale, the White House heats up, the candidates are vying for support from any and all voters. As a student, I was fortunate enough to attend all three rallies. While each candidate had underlying, progressive messages, each of them displayed something unique to them: visions for the country in 2020 and beyond.

It’s easy to become beholden to the idea that each candidate is just a variation of another and of a “progressive prototype,” but after attending these three rallies, I have recognized this is far from true. The first rally I attended was for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He’s known as a Democratic socialist, someone that people may refer to as “left of left.” His message was simple, but had complex underlying consequences. Revolution. Sanders wants to change everything starting with eliminating college debt and continuing to provide a government-based Medicare program for everyone. His tone ominous, Sanders reminded everyone about climate change and foreign policy crises. Overall, it seemed that Sanders wanted everyone to know that should he be elected, something big is coming.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, on the other hand, used the tagline big structural change. Using a softer and gentler phrase for revolution, Warren nevertheless insisted on changing policies for “an economy that works for everyone, and not just the top one percent.” Buttigieg, our final rally of the weekend, focused in on common values and a sense of belonging. He wanted listeners to know that everyone has a place in America, and “the only thing we don’t have room for… is hatred.”

There’s lots of different visions floating around for 2020 and beyond, and it’s hard to make sense of them all. All three candidates we saw made compelling arguments for why they should be the next president. It seems to me that people gravitate to candidates for two reasons. The first is their personality. Who would you want to lead you? Who has the “it” factor that engages you, makes you want to vote, volunteer, and tell your friends? The second reason is their policies. Some people value women’s issues like abortion or issues like climate justice, while others value the authenticity or honesty of a candidate. 

When it came time for me to decide who I would work for while in Iowa, I took these two things into account. The answer was simple from there: Pete Buttigieg, the small town mayor whose ideals align with mine most closely and whose personality speaks to me. In a spirited discussion after his rally, I began to see what was true for me was not true for everyone. I was disheartened at first, but then I realized an important lesson. People need to engage with someone to make any change happen in this country. If more people engage with another candidate, they will win, and a change will be made. For me, I engage with Pete’s down-to-earth nature and his plans for physical and mental health care and his openness about religion. For others, these things do not resonate. And that’s good – it’s what leads to debate, discussion, and the formation of the best options for the future of our nation.

May the best candidate win.