Who: Bernie Sanders, Senator from Vermont
Slogan: “Not me. Us.”
Positive: Bernie Sanders is progressive and he has the credentials to back it up. He came close to beating Hillary in the 2016 primary and he retained his base of supporters. His message of income inequality resonated well with Americans and he pushed the party further to the left.
Negative: He is not a Democrat. He loves to say that he is a Democratic Socialist and as a Senator, he is an independent. His supporters can be a bit ridiculous (many sat out the 2016 election or voted third party). His foreign policy stance actually aligns closer to Trump than people may realize, although Bernie is probably a bit more nuanced.
My Thoughts: I voted for him in 2016, but when he lost I supported Hillary. One of my favorite Bernie moments came in one of the debates when they asked about him about Hillary’s emails and he was like “I do not care about her emails, I care about the millions of Americans who are living below the poverty line.” I enjoy when Sanders goes on shows like Bill Maher, he stays on message very well and seems to drive home his point. Unfortunately, his hardcore supporters can be annoying. Listening to them blather about how the nomination was stolen from Bernie gets old.
Odds: 16/5
Bernie Sanders has a 23.8% chance, which puts him as the number two candidate again. I think the establishment pushes back against him (and it seems like he has decided to go to battle with the establishment) and in all honesty, there is a better candidate who has a similar message…
