Bernie Sanders Guest Stars on the 'Joe Rogan Experience'

Can you feel the burn! If you were one of the millions of people chanting this catchphrase 3 years back, then there is a good chance it's 'cause you were a Bernie Sanders supporter. During his run for the presidency in the 2016 election, the former Vermont senator gained a tremendous following for his stance on a variety of topics. Demands for free health care and free college tuition made him popular among young voters across the country. Almost every poll released during the primaries announced Sanders as the winner and with the fear of Trump as the opposition it should have been a no-brainer to elect him the nominee. However, for reasons I can't comprehend, Sanders lost in the primaries and Hillary Clinton would go on to be defeated by Trump instead. Thus becoming the first time I've ever truly felt defeated while supporting a presidential candidate. And although there were a few controversies surrounding his loss, one of the greatest political underdog stories had ultimately come to an end... Or did it? Now, with the 2020 election right around the corner, the underdog has found his way back in the race. Voicing his ideas and opinions in a louder voice, to a larger audience.

Well, you better believe that there's no audience quite as large nor attentive as the one that tunes into the Joe Rogan Experience. Largely considered one of the world's greatest podcasts, Rogan engages listeners by having open, unedited, conversations with a wide range of interesting guests. His platform for long-form discussion has proven to be highly effective, educational, and simply entertaining as hell! High profile guests like Elon Musk, Jordan Peterson, and Neil deGrasse Tyson have proven how effective such a platform can be. The large majority of Joe Rogan's audience wants to learn and shows every guest the respect they deserve by listening to what they have to say.

Now, just this past week, Bernie Sanders was able to take advantage of the opportunity to speak with Rogan about the issues he has been campaigning on. Although, unlike the brief amount of time he is normally granted during televised debates, the 77-year-old politician is given an entire hour to voice his beliefs. He begins by addressing some of the misconceptions held by people against his campaign, stating that the majority of them have no true basis in fact. For instance, when asked if there is any truth to the claims that he intends on taking the money of Americans through taxation, Sanders not only denies this but he also goes into great detail explaining the logistics of his tax plan. He describes how his proposal will only have a significant impact on the nation's wealthiest individuals.

The conversation exceeds far beyond the subject of taxation. Rogan and Sanders go over the candidate's opinion on health care, labeling it as a human right and stating that it should be treated as such. He compares his ideal health care plan with the one being implemented today and those of several other different countries. Going on to note that the high cost of insulin in America compared to Canada as a primary reference. The man showed no restraint when discussing America's education system either. Taking the time to explain, step by step, the unacceptable flaws present in our country; from as early as daycare all the way up to college. Sanders writes off the entire student loan system as a scam and announces his goal to clear the debt of every student in the country. "If we can bail out Wall Street, then we sure as hell can bail out our kids," the candidate proclaimed. If those subjects aren't interesting enough for you, be patient, Rogan and Sanders also discuss things like the federal legalization of marijuana, the current events regarding immigrants, proper gun laws that include banning assault weapons, his goals for raising the minimum wage for the American people, and even the severity of climate change. Not a single second of the interview is wasted, giving even his most loyal followers a chance to actually sit and listen to his ideas without feeling rushed or watered down.

Out of all the subjects touched upon during the hour-long podcast, none was touched upon more than the corruption that is present in today's politics. A corruption that the senator proclaims has gone on for far too long in this country. By doing so, he forces listeners to give a bit of thought to some rather troubling questions. frustrating questions, like why it seems that the needs of the many are constantly brushed aside to accommodate the wealthy few, or how it's legal for billionaires to stash away ridiculously enormous amounts of money in the Cayman Islands. Sanders describes a past circumstance where pharmaceutical companies spent over a hundred million dollars to oppose just one legislation in a single state. He educates the audience with the fact that billion-dollar corporations can be exempted from taxation and not have to pay a penny for their vast amount of profits. Throughout every subject he discussed with Rogan, you'll notice political corruption to be one of the core underlying factors.

Having Bernie Sanders appear on the Joe Rogan Experience was good for a long list of reasons. Mainstream TV is of little benefit when having the kinds of conversations a presidential candidate needs to have. The JRE, however, was the perfect place for Sanders to voice his stance and ideals. No editing, no time constraints, and no staged performances. Just two men in a room discussing the long list of issues that are facing our country. One of whom just so happens to be running for president. His appearance on the podcast will undoubtedly have a significant effect on the number of people standing behind him. The ideals he stands for play a role in all of our everyday lives and now more people have been informed of them. Even those who disagree with his political perspective can't ignore the unquestionable truth in his overall message. Wealthy corruption is the heart of the problem in today's political landscape and if America is going to change then its people will need to stand up and demand it. Our best means of doing so is by electing a president who has not accepted a single donation from a billionaire. Although, regardless of whether or not he's elected president, this is one of those podcasts you just have to tune into. Besides, if he is elected, he promised to release any information on alien life to the public and if there were any reason to vote, government alien secrets would be it.