2020 presidential elections: What makes a leader

The 2020 presidential elections are approaching, with the general election on Nov. 3 and the Washington primary on March 10. Senator Bernie Sanders, Former Vice President Joe Biden, and Senator Elizabeth Warren are in the top three leads for the state race according to the New York Times. 

Senator Sanders raised a big crowd at his rally Feb. 17 at the Tacoma Dome along with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. According to the Stranger, over 17,000 attendees were present. Senator Warren came to Seattle Feb. 22 for the second time. Last year when she was in Seattle, she had around 15,000 attendees, according to King 5 News. 

The candidates have a lot of supporters to help them through this candinancy. There are various policies Senator Sanders, Senator Warren, Biden and Bloomberg have proposed, as predominant as the candidates are, on their website. Senator Sanders has many proposals such as gun safety, legalization of marijuana in all states, racial justice, women rights, elimination of medical debt, Jobs for All, and public education reinvestment. Senator Warren focuses on raising wages and creating more jobs, why we need the Ultra-Millionaire Tax, better foreign policy and ending wars, protecting communities from gun violence, a welcoming immigration system, cancelling student loan debt, equality and LGBTQ+ rights, universal child care, etc.

Joe Biden’s policies are to remake the education system, restore the Voting Rights Act, not having ICE separate families at the border, demolish the travel ban for people from Muslim majority countries, ending the Global Gag Rule, and work on national commitment to advancing human rights and democracy worldwide. Mike Bloomberg’s priorities are strengthening U.S. defenses, strengthening U.S partnerships around the world, and leading global action to fighting climate change. He wants criminal justice reform, gun safety, paid family leave, college access and affordability, tax policy, etc.

Several of the priorities, plans and policies are in alignment with each other. The candidates are focusing on issues that the people living within this country are facing. 

In the book “The Prince” by philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, he advises the prince to use religion to bring his people in, to unite them. With this 2020 election, a tool the president candidates are utilizing is pathos, approaching communities with emotion, which is bringing many communities in to support one goal: to have that candidate be elected. A lot of the promises we see the candidates making are to fix issues that started in 2016 and long before that too. 

It does not matter which or how many candidates we support. Yes we can support more than one. We need to focus on the key issues that are slowly taking our country as well as surrounding countries to destruction. We are not electing a candidate who will only make America truly great again, but a strong leader who does not leave any of their people behind, and who shows solidarity to other countries. 

Celebrate the policies the leader has, the promises they make to the communities, and support their accomplishments, not only the person. 

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of our most valued and loved leaders who would want to see the unity we have today, in the America that he changed. America is one big melting pot, and we need the unification to form now more than ever. We must vote for the candidates wisely.