Bernie Sanders Winning Over Voters From Clinton, Republicans

Bernie Sanders is winning over voters from all walks of life, and it appears that he may even be converting Donald Trump supporters. Folks who have identified as Republicans for years have made the switch, citing Bernie’s honesty, integrity, and unwavering stance on issues.

And Hillary Clinton is shedding supporters, too. On Reddit’s r/SandersForPresident forum, several people have posted that they have decided to switch allegiance from Clinton to Sanders. One user told the forum that he made the decision to switch to Bernie after observing both campaigns.

“Despite consistent deception and dirty tactics from the Clinton campaign and the DNC, Sanders has conducted his campaign with the same poise, honesty, financial integrity and commitment to the underprivileged he has demonstrated during his entire political career. Even if I don’t agree with Sanders on every issue, I’d rather have a president I can respect unequivocally.”

Another user on the Reddit group announced that he had convinced his entire Latino family to vote for Bernie in the New Jersey primary.

Still another person had come from the Republican side, announcing that, as a life-long conservative, he had made the decision to vote for Bernie, even though he disagreed with many of his policies. Again, his reason for switching was because of Sanders’ long history of consistency and integrity.

“Honestly, it’s his honesty and integrity. I liked Jim Webb for the same reason. And I was planning on voting for him. Even though Sanders is very left-wing I also think he can reach across the aisle and work with people. Or, get more stuff through Congress.”

In Nevada's first poll since December, Bernie has erased Hillary's double-digit lead to tie her at 45-45. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/QVPdymwIqR

— Project Bernie (@ProjectBernie) February 12, 2016

This last comment reveals the flaw in the theory that Bernie Sanders would not be able to work with a hostile Congress while Clinton could. For while many of Clinton’s supporters question his ability to get bills passed, conservative voters praise him for his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. During his time in Congress in both the House and Senate, Bernie has either sponsored or co-sponsored 235 bills with members of both parties, many of which became law.

As previously reported on Inquisitr, Bernie Sanders won more votes than any other candidate in New Hampshire primary history. Indeed, for those who were registered Republicans and who could not vote in the Democratic primary, Sanders won 2,095 votes as a write-in candidate.

With less than a week to go before Nevada, Bernie is making inroads with an another demographic: Hispanics. His climb in favorability among this group is in part due to his unwillingness to deport unaccompanied children who have come to the United States to escape violence in Latin American countries. Clinton, conversely, supports deporting them.

During the Iowa Brown and Black Forum, moderator Jorge Ramos pressed Clinton on whether she would deport children if elected president. She did not answer the question, instead telling Ramos she would give the children a chance to tell their stories and then decide. Latino USA, a site dedicated to issues concerning Hispanics and Latinos in the United States, posted reactions from the internet regarding Clinton’s non-answer. Some Twitter users interpreted her remark as a roundabout way of saying yes, she would support deporting children.

At the last debate on February 11, Bernie Sanders and Clinton clashed noticeably on this issue. Hillary came out in support of deportations, stating that the U.S. must send a message.

“We had to send a message not to send their children on this dangerous journey.”

Sanders responded with a blunt and cutting remark.

“These are children leaving countries and neighborhoods where their lives are at stake. I don’t think we use them to send a message.”

And Latinos and Hispanics are hearing Sanders’ message and many like what they hear. Spanish language magazine Hoy details Sanders’ ascent among the Latino community in Nevada. The text, which is originally in Spanish, describes how Bernie started the race a virtual unknown among Hispanics, but now is becoming a respected figure on issues important to this demographic.

And just as Bernie Sanders is converting members of the Latino community, so is he doing the same among African-American voters. Black Lives Matter, the movement whose members once scoffed at Bernie are now coming around to him. Erica Garner, daughter of Eric Garner, who was slain by police in 2014, is one in a growing list of black activists supporting Sanders.

Michaela Day, a Black Lives Matter activist in the Minneapolis area told Attn: magazine how she felt about Bernie Sanders after hearing him speak at “A Community Forum on Black America,” which attracted 1,000 people.

“His stance on racial justice…before he was campaigning, that’s what actually does speak to me. I don’t feel like he’s just feeding us a line of complete B.S., because he hasn’t flip-flopped the way Hillary (Clinton) has. If you look at his stance 40 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago it’s pretty much the same as today. [It’s] as radical then as it is now, but it’s sad that this is what they consider radical.”

[Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty]