Detroit Free Press

Experience:

For nearly 40 years non-stop, Sanders has held elected office, being a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights, civil rights, and the fight against climate change long before these topics became popular among progressive figures. Sanders not only has by far the most experience in progressive policies, but in fighting for them while they’re still infantilized as impossible dreams, only to be again and again validated in hindsight.

Maxim Vinogradov, West Bloomfield

He has served in government for decades and has proven himself to be consistent in his message for decades.

Maxwell Dennis, Wayland

He has gained experience as a mayor as well as in the U.S. House and Senate.

Shawnee Harig,Shelby Township

He has 40+ years of absolute consistency of values and message, he is a lifelong community activist, and he has never compromised his moral duty to the American People by putting lobby interests above the needs of his constituency.

Alex Webb, Detroit

For 40 years, the message has remained loud, clear and most importantly consistent. There has been no straying from the path he once walked on, he continues to walk the same path today.

Nathan Collett,Lansing

Vision:

Bernie has the most progressive plans for everything from police reform to Medicare. His vision of universal healthcare, his Green New Deal and his plan to tax the rich is exactly what this country actually needs.

Mel Herrera-Baird, Detroit

Not me: Us. Sanders understands Obama didn’t use the power of the people to enact policy. He will.

Jacob Robinson,Berkley

He has always been a champion for the common American, standing up for gay rights, workers rights, civil rights, women’s rights, cost-free education - and all before they were popular. Bernie has defined the vision.

David Tucker, Detroit

His vision is basically the GOP Platform of 1956, which is hands down the most inspiring platform written in the history of the US. Read it.

Emily Kelly,Flint

[He stands for] an America where people don't die from being poor.

John Brownham,Detroit

Bernie was ahead of the Democratic party with healthcare, environment, living wages, affordable college, college loan forgiveness and marriage equality.

Rick Keith,Ann Arbor

A nose for common ground

No other Democratic candidate has as much pull in the working class, or across political divides. His rallies are a great example, he has greeted hostile questions from self-avowed lifelong Republicans with patience and to seek understanding rather than draw lines. He listens to people, that’s what makes him the best candidate to begin to heal the political divides in this nation.

Alex Webb, Detroit

Bernie has demonstrated his ability to work across the aisle many times. His nickname in the beltway is "the amendment king." Recently the Senate passed his resolution calling for the end of Americas involvement in Yemen, which Donald Trump vetoed. In the past he worked with John McCain to get legislation passed that helps veterans.

Amanda Kirby, Jackson

He won a House district that had been Republican for over 30 years and a Senate seat that had been Republican for a more than a century. He knows how to bring people from both sides together.

Raghav Madan, Novi

Check the polls. Medicare for all; ending the wars; common-sense gun reform: Bernie is on the right side of virtually every issue.

Rick Duran, Southgate

Most policies that Sanders advocates are actually very popular amongst voters of all parties. Bernie Sanders commands respect from congressional Republicans that they simply don't have for the other candidates. He appeals to self-described moderates, independents, many Republicans, and the left. Even some Democrats like him!

Christopher Viola, Oak Park

Sanders is unafraid to work with anyone who can help advance an agenda that benefits the working class, and he and keenly understands that "common ground" is not when politicians come together to work for the interests of the already wealthy and powerful, but rather when the political apparatus in Washington is put to work for the majority of Americans.

Brian Young, Clinton Twp.

Electability:

He’s in the lead in the latest polls, and he has the most individual donors.

James F. Peariso, Davison

He has the biggest grassroots support of any candidate. He’ll be called radical, but the ideas his campaign focuses on are broadly supported by those who are not filthy rich.

Sam Van Camp, Clinton Twp.

The American people are disgusted with our government, because they are no longer working for us. There is no going back to normal. The only way to beat Trump is with a mass movement of people, and the only person who is leading such a movement is Bernie Sanders. No other candidate will energize the people.

Mathew Kuskowski,Sterling Heights

Bernie is the only candidate without massive baggage that will be a turnoff for most Americans. He voted against and the TPP. All the other Democrats have ample dirt that Trump will be able to throw at them. With Bernie, all Trump can do is throw scare words at everybody: communist, whatever.

Ken Kellett,Ann Arbor

He is likely to win if young people, and especially Black and Hispanic people, are energized and vote.

Marshall Saltzman, West Bloomfield

He is the only politician I have ever truly trusted. Who the heck is more electable than that? A politician you can trust? That's almost an oxymoron.

Chadwick Ryan Warford,Caro

Global perspective:

He looks to other nations for collaboration and consensus. He will unite us in the global market place of ideas by collaboration and respect. He views these global relationships as the only way to address existential threats like climate change and terrorism.

Frank Adam Brenner, Grand Rapids

Bernie's been right about U.S. foreign perspective more than he's been wrong. He opposes the continual wars, he opposes dictators.

John Dropchuk, Sterling Heights

Defeating climate change and stopping endless wars seems like a good plan for the globe.

Jason Hackney, Farmington Hills

He is one of the few candidates that is talking realistically about removing and keeping us out of these global misadventures we have been tangled up in for decades. He's also the only candidate that doesn't want to give Israel a blank check to abuse Palestine, which I believe is a large source of the hatred America receives from the Middle East.

Harley Miah, Wyandotte

Bernie Sanders has a vision of the world where America does not take unilateral military actions against countries that pose no threat to us or didn't attack us. In Bernie's world, the UN would have a strong role to play in international relations. In Bernie's world, America would withdraw from the Middle East, de-escalate with Iran, and build relationships with our current or formerly socialist neighbors in Latin America. We would not act as bullies in the world, using our sole superpower status to invade and "take the oil," as Trump says. We would not give aid to countries that violate human rights like Saudi Arabia.

Jason Cardwell, Detroit

Bernie understands that the issues effecting working class Americans are effecting the working class worldwide. He has called for a global response to climate change.

Amanda Kirby,Jackson

I think that Bernie and Trump are similar in their "America First" position, but Bernie's isn't rooted in racism and ethnocentric views.

Steve Cunningham,Warren

He will get the world on board against climate change.

Gerald Roy, Lapeer