Young voters backing Biden could shift gears soon after the election -- here's why

Young voters backing Biden could shift gears soon after the election -- here's why
Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden speaking with supporters at a community event at Sun City MacDonald Ranch in Henderson, Nevada. // Gage Skidmore
Texas moves from ‘leans Republican’ to ‘toss up’ in 2020 presidential race: non-partisan election analysis
Bank

As Election Day approaches, one youth-led climate activist group is campaigning for the election of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, but their rallying may be over soon after November 3.

The Sunrise Movement has been at the center of the progressive movement with a dominant focus on bringing the Green New Deal to fruition in an effort to combat climate change.

While the proposal aims to improve climate control over the next decade, there is just one problem: the group's preferred presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and his strongly supportive, political allies like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are not the candidates on the Democratic presidential ticket. In fact, many are not excited about voting for Biden. While they are pleased that the Biden campaign has taken their ideas into consideration, now the goal is to push for action behind that consideration.

"I've been really happy to see the ways that he and his campaign have, at least on paper, listened to activists," Robby Phillips, a 19-year-old Duke University sophomore working for Sunrise, said. He added, "It's still not fully enough."

Ocasio-Cortez offered her take on younger voters and there intent where Biden is concerned.

"They are not here with the intent of voting for their favorite person or voting for someone that they think is perfect as president," Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN. "I think young people are actually quite disciplined."

She added, "It will be a privilege to lobby [Biden], should we win the White House. But we need to focus on winning the White House first."

Almost immediately after the election, they will be gearing up to present their proposals to Biden if he wins the election. The group's first actions will likely be similar to their move to lobby Democratic lawmakers in 2018. Not even a week after Democrats regained control of the house, the group staged a sit-in at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office in hopes of shifting her focus to climate control.

The latest news on the Sunrise Movement come just months after Sanders also weighed in on how the post-election period could shape a Biden presidency. Back in August, Sanders spoke with Trevor Noah where he made it clear that there needs to be a discussion the day after the election to begin planning the Democratic Party's focus for the next four years.

Bernie Sanders - Mobilizing Progressives for Biden | The Daily Social Distancing Showyoutu.be


"We're going to come together to defeat Trump," Sanders told "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah at the time. "And the day after Biden is elected, we're going to have a serious debate about the future of this country, but it will be done within the framework of a democratic society."

Understand the importance of honest news ?

So do we.

The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be catastrophic not only to our health - mental and physical - but also to the stability of millions of people. For all of us independent news organizations, it’s no exception.

We’ve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. We’ve always understood the importance of calling out corruption, regardless of political affiliation.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. Invest with us.

Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.

Click to donate by check.

DonateDonate by credit card
Donate by Paypal
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}
@2022 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. - "Poynter" fonts provided by fontsempire.com.