The Humanist Cafe
Wednesday, February 17, 7 – 8:30 pm
James Bay New Horizons 234 Menzies Street, James Bay
Moderator John Pope
Topic: The US Election Campaign: Sanders and Trump – Surprise leaders for the US Presidency
Sanders or Trump for US President? Unconventional candidates on the far left and right easily win first primary of US presidential campaign. We will discuss these two winners, and what they would be like as US President, and how this could affect Canada and the World.
Here is a good basic overview of the New Hampshire primaries, and a basic comparison of the two winners:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/sanders-trump-win-big-hampshire-primary-160209225153360.html
Please read the above short article ahead of our discussion. More links below.
Profiles of Sanders and Trump:
Bernard “Bernie” Sanders (born September 8, 1941)
An American politician and the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. A Democrat as of 2015, Sanders had been the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history, though his caucusing with the Democrats entitled him to committee assignments and at times gave Democrats a majority. Sanders has been the ranking minority member on the Senate Budget Committee since January 2015, and previously served for two years as chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
For a longer profile on Sanders click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders
Sanders is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist. He is not religious. http://qz.com/609533/bernie-sanders-lack-of-religion-makes-him-better-for-america/
What would Sanders do? Foreign Policy? Regulating Wall St? The Sanders critique of our ‘rigged economy’ leads directly to challenging this ‘rigged’ system. http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/02/09/sanders-should-challenge-foreign-policy-status-quo
Criticism of Sanders: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-intelligent-critiques-and-criticisms-of-Bernie-Sanders-policies
Donald John Trump, Sr. (born June 14, 1946)
An American businessperson and media personality. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump’s career, branding efforts, personal life, wealth, and outspoken manner have made him famous. Since 2015, he is also a candidate for President of the United States in the 2016 election.
For a longer profile on Trump click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
Trump is a Presbyterian. “I’m a Protestant, I’m a Presbyterian. And you know I’ve had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion.”[347][348]
On the issues: http://www.ontheissues.org/Donald_Trump.htm
Controversial statements made by Donald Trump: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/donald-trump-controversial-comments-2015-article-1.2482124
Questions:
Is the US media portraying these two candidates fairly?
What are the chances of success for Sanders or Trump as the US primaries progress?
How would Sanders stand up against Trump in the Presidential race?
What’s in it for Canada? For Humanists in Canada?
See you there! Bring some friends.