Bernie Sanders Won't Accept Money From Billionaires. Donald Trump Donated $100,000 to Hillary [View all]

[Playinghardball]

American politics today is a battle for the trust and loyalty of not only rank and file Democrats or Republicans, but also for the ever-elusive swing voter. In 2016, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Nevada and Virginia will be what POLITICO refers to as "super-swingy states" and with their total of 75 electoral votes up for grabs, the next president will have to convey an image of trustworthiness before reaching the White House. Therefore, it's tough to say "Basta" when it comes to rhetoric, but not around $100,000 from a controversial billionaire. According to The Clinton Foundation, Donald Trump is listed as contributing somewhere between $100,000-$250,000, making it difficult to believe (if one correlates values to refusing money from people they oppose ideologically) the verbal sparring match between Clinton and Trump.

In terms of honesty from a new perspective in American politics, POLITICO published a piece titled "Bernie Sanders Doesn't Follow the Money" and quotes Vermont's Senator as boldly stating, "I don't want money from the billionaires." Sanders wants to break up the banks, enact a modern-day Glass Steagall, thinks that we've entered an era that could lead to oligarchy, and believes the "Billionaire Class" has too great a control of our political system.

The man is honest. He says things that simply aren't said in today's jaded political environment. Furthermore, not since the days of Theodore Roosevelt or William Howard Taft has a political figure spoken and acted in such a bold manner towards Wall Street and big business. Speaking of Roosevelt, the University of Virginia's Miller Center describes the Republican icon in the same manner people today speak of Bernie Sanders:

At the turn of the 20th century, Americans had begun to look for ways to address some of these problems. As chief executive, Roosevelt felt empowered by the people to help ensure social justice and economic opportunity through government regulation.

One of Roosevelt's central beliefs was that the government had the right to regulate big business to protect the welfare of society

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More here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/h-a-goodman/bernie-sanders-wont-accept-money-from-billionaires-donald-trump-donated-100000-to-hillary-clinton_b_7799576.html