Are you more afraid of the political crazies or the status quo?

With socialist Bernie Sanders and unfiltered Donald Trump making headlines, New York Times Magazine chief national correspondent Mark Leibovich raised the question of whether we should fear political crazies. Leibovich writes that “Each party has always had passionate elements whom its (mainstream) leaders and candidates have decried as loony tunes.” However, views of what constitutes mainstream and loony can change over time (ex. Tea Party). Additionally, he notes that “it’s arguable that the political status quo is itself a big bag of calcified crazy” as our political process is broken.

So, are you more afraid of political crazies or the status quo?

To read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/magazine/should-we-fear-the-political-crazies.html

How much will Bernie Sanders’ reaction to the #BlackLivesMatter movement hurt him?

During Bernie Sanders’ appearance at Netroots Nation on Saturday, #BlackLivesMatter confronted the candidate about racial injustice in the US. The #BlackLivesMatter began as a response to the deaths of black men and women at the hands of police officers. The activists were also chanting #SayHerName, in response to the suspicious deaths of black women while in police custody (including Sandra Band, an educated woman with no criminal record). They asked Sanders what he would do to stop racial inequality in America, to which Sanders replied, “Black lives of course matter. But I’ve spent 50 years of my life fighting for civil rights. If you don’t want me to be here, that’s okay.”

The activists continued to chant while Sanders attempted to continue his prepared speech, leading the candidate to raise his voice over the crowd at times. Sanders, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., has a history of fighting for civil rights. But, he is criticized by the #BlackLivesMatter activists for believing that racial inequality is a symptom of economic inequality, and fixing the latter will fix the former as well. Sanders later skipped his meeting with the #BlackLivesMatter activists. He did go on Twitter later and tweet about #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName, as you can see below. Overall, do you think Sanders’ campaign will be hurt by how he reacted to this entire situation?

Overall, do you agree with Bernie Sanders’ stance on the #BlackLivesMatter movement?

During Bernie Sanders’ appearance at Netroots Nation on Saturday, #BlackLivesMatter confronted the candidate about racial injustice in the US. The #BlackLivesMatter began as a response to the deaths of black men and women at the hands of police officers. The activists were also chanting #SayHerName, in response to the suspicious deaths of black women while in police custody (including Sandra Band, an educated woman with no criminal record). They asked Sanders what he would do to stop racial inequality in America, to which Sanders replied, “Black lives of course matter. But I’ve spent 50 years of my life fighting for civil rights. If you don’t want me to be here, that’s okay.”

The activists continued to chant while Sanders attempted to continue his prepared speech, leading the candidate to raise his voice over the crowd at times. Sanders, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., has a history of fighting for civil rights. But, he is criticized by the #BlackLivesMatter activists for believing that racial inequality is a symptom of economic inequality, and fixing the latter will fix the former as well. Sanders later skipped his meeting with the #BlackLivesMatter activists. He did go on Twitter later and tweet about #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName, as you can see below. Overall, do you think agree with Sanders’ stance on the movement?

In light of his rising popularity, has your opinion on Bernie Sanders’ chances changed?

Back when Bernie Sanders first announced that he was running for president, we asked you if you thought that he was capable of beating Hillary Clinton. Now, with Sanders rising in polls and drawing crowds to his speeches, we ask you if your opinion has changed. While Clinton has been targeted for her dislike of the press, Sanders has attracted some big crowds recently in Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Maine. According to NowThis, Sanders has also managed to raise $15 million for his campaign without the help of “big money,” with 87% of donations being under $250. Bernie is regarded as a breath of fresh air by many. With Sanders’ increasing popularity amongst voters, do you think he now has a chance of winning the Democratic nomination?