Here’s Why I’m Campaigning For Two Candidates Simultaneously
By Melody Hernandez
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
It’s not the traditional way, but I’m indecisive.
In my AP Seminar class, we were peer-grading our rough drafts for our next essay when one of my peer-graders looked over to my desk. I had a Bernie Sanders sticker on my laptop and an Elizabeth Warren button on my keychain. He pointed to my desk and asked me, “Wait, are you for Warren or Sanders?”. I shrugged and said, “Both.”
That was the end of that conversation, but it made me realize that wait, who do I support? I mean, almost all of my friends and twitter followers have chosen a candidate to support as seen by their retweets and likes, but I do the same thing. Just with two candidates instead of one. The whole thing makes me feel like I’m cheating with one candidate over the other one which makes me feel like I should save myself some stress and just pick one and get over it.
But I can’t. I really can’t. One day I see a new issue that one candidate that has tackled better than the other but then the next day I see the other candidate killing it on the debate stage which makes me realize that maybe I was blind and should be supporting this one candidate instead.
It’s an endless cycle but I’ve learned that I’m not doing anything wrong. Right?
Here’s the thing: On November fourth, Bernie Sanders came to my state and my local coffeehouse for an event to campaign for the candidates in the upcoming election the very next day. I had a great time! I spoke with great people, hung out with my friends, and of course, Senator Sanders spoke with such eloquence that nearly brought me to tears. I kept thinking the entire time, “God, I love this guy. I need him to be the next president of the United States.”
The very next couple Sunday nights though? I was on a Zoom call with Teens for Warren discussing campaign strategies.
Please don’t have my head.
Alternating between two candidates has been hard. On Twitter, I’m followed by three campaigns for Elizabeth Warren (Teens, Students, and my state). So it does terrify me if I ever retweet something that Bernie Sanders tweeted out. Most of my followers on Twitter are notable activists in the climate movement who have endorsed Bernie Sanders as the climate candidate. And while I don’t disagree, I believe that Elizabeth Warren’s climate plan is just as good.
Why should I have to choose between two candidates who I believe are both electable, both have fine policy plans, and both would be able to defeat Donald Trump? The main reason: I don’t want the other leading candidates like Joe Biden or Pete Buttigieg to win the nomination.
Both Biden and Buttigieg are extreme moderates and whose stances on certain issues have been problematic. Which is what both Warren and Sanders have been fighting against. We’ve seen what happens when moderates go against a major Conservative: they lose. And I believe that Biden and Buttigieg do not have what it takes to defeat Donald Trump. It’s just going to be another election of voters sitting out because they can’t stomach the moderate candidate then, boom. Trump wins re-election. We cannot have that.
Warren and Sanders have both proven that they do have a chance of defeating Trump and that they will both make incredible candidates. I love them both, I love their takes on issues, and I love their willingness to fight for big, structural change. Because it is what America deserves. We deserve candidates who will fight for every person. And I believe that Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders can be that candidate.
Warren/Sanders or Sanders/Warren ticket anyone?
And you might be asking: Well, who are you going to vote for? I won’t be 18 when primaries roll around, sadly. But if I was going to vote, well, I’d probably make my decision the night before. Actually make that, the hour before I’m supposed to vote.
Whoever you support, Warren or Sanders, I love your willingness to fight for your favorite candidate. And I respect whichever one you choose because both are amazing candidates and I will absolutely listen to criticisms or support of either Warren or Sanders because they’re not perfect. They might be better at some things than the other and that is why I simply cannot choose one candidate to campaign for.
For now, I’m glad to Feel The Bern and Dream Big, Fight Hard.
