In recent news, members of the Democratic Party are arguing among themselves. 

Some say Hillary Clinton isn’t doing as well in recent polls as she was previously because there’s still overwhelming sexism in this country, and voters would choose Bernie Sanders simply because he’s a man, which is misogynistic rhetoric at play.

Challenging this view are those on social media who claim changes in voter response have nothing to do with gender and instead stem from simple disagreement with Clinton’s policies. 

It’s true that gender bias holds steady for some groups. These include “Bernie Bros,” a political activist group made up of sexist fedora wearers who tear down Clinton and have created their own sexist vocabulary just to describe her.

However, that doesn’t explain why, in USA Today’s “Rock the Vote” poll, young women chose Sanders over Clinton by almost 40 percent. Many millennials seem to be turning towards Sanders to seek refuge from the inconsistent and ineffective political history that has played out in our nation repeatedly.

“I would love to see a woman in office, trust me, but I think Bernie has more motivation to help the younger population,” said Paducah junior Anna Schnuck. “It seems like Hillary flip-flops quite a bit. For instance, Hillary openly opposed gay marriage until 2013, and that bothers me.”

There’s more to the democratic nomination than a candidate’s gender identity, and obviously this identity shouldn’t be the only factor voters consider when they decide whom to nominate.

Just as it’s important not to vote for Clinton simply because she’s a woman — as many “Bernie Bro” types have pointed out — it’s also very important not to vote against her for the same reason. In fact, gender in our political races shouldn’t matter at all.